Youths find limited success during long weekend hunt

Illinois youths, heading afield during the Oct. 6-8 first segment of the recently extended Illinois Youth Deer Hunt. The special hunt is set aside for youngsters possessing a valid permit for the special six-day season. Unsuccessful young hunters return to the woods Nov 16-18.

State officials recently signed new legislation extending the Illinois Youth Firearm Deer Hunt from a three-day to a six-day season.

Once again, participants in Illinois’ Youth Firearm Deer Season in October are able to use unfilled permits from the youth season during the first weekend of the regular Firearm Deer Season in November.
The first segment of the six-day Youth Firearm Deer Season, conducted during the Columbus Day holiday weekend on Oct. 6-8 this fall, was open to youth hunters who have not reached age 16 prior to the hunt.

Youths purchasing the $10.50 permit for the youth season and unsuccessful in taking a deer during the youth hunt will be able to hunt with that permit during the first segment of the regular Firearm Deer Season, which this fall is Nov. 16-18.

“We want youth hunters to enjoy the excitement of deer season, and give them ample opportunity to bag a deer,” said the IDNR Director Wayne Rosenthal. “This suggestion came from hunters, and it is a great idea.”

Another new rule permits the use of crossbows by youth for deer hunting and is now in effect.

“Our goals for managing the deer herd in Illinois are simple,” Rosenthal added. “We want to provide hunters with opportunities to enjoy our hunting heritage and chances to harvest deer during the fall, while also promoting healthy deer and deer habitat, protecting landowner rights and enhancing public safety.”

Again this year, the young hunters could harvest bucks as well as does. Prior to 2007, youths were permitted to take only antlerless deer.

And, many of the young hunters found success. Youth deer hunters harvested a preliminary total of 1,650 deer during the 3-day Youth Deer Season (October 6-8, 2018), compared to 2,375 in 2017. The harvest sex ratios were 54% female to 46% male (898/752).

This year, the top five harvest counties were Pike (82), Adams (78), Randolph (76), Jefferson (57), and Fulton (53).

Locally, Calhoun County youths harvested 21 deer compared to 33 last year. In Jersey County, hunters took 14 compared to 23 last year.

Macoupin County youths found the same diminished success taking 26 compared to 42 last year, Madison County youths also found less success taking 12 compared to last year’s 18. Morgan County youths also found less success taking 12 compared to 18 the previous year.

The Youth Deer Permits were available over-the-counter at license vendors throughout the state. Hunters could purchase only one permit (either-sex) for one of the open counties. Each permit is only valid for a specific county.

The youth deer season is open only to Illinois residents who have not reached their 16th birthday by the first day of the hunt (Oct. 6 this year). All participating youth must have completed an IDNR-approved hunter safety education course.

The young hunters must be accompanied by a non-hunting parent, guardian or responsible adult who has in his or her possession a valid Firearm Owner's Identification (FOID) card. Both participants were to wear the required blaze orange cap and upper garment with a minimum of 400 square inches of solid blaze orange material.

Each supervisor could only accompany a single youth at any given time during the hunt.

Shooting hours for firearm deer hunting in Illinois are one half-hour before sunrise to one half-hour after sunset.

This special clothing rule also applied to archers and squirrel hunters heading out during the early portion of the Youth Firearm Deer Season scheduled for Oct. 6-8.

During the special early youth deer hunt and in counties open to this hunt, all hunters (except waterfowl hunters) are required to wear a cap/hat and an upper outer garment of solid blaze orange covering at least 400 square inches.

All youth-season either-sex permits fell under the restriction that no hunter, regardless of the quantity or type of permits in his/her possession, may harvest more than two antlered deer during any season year. This includes the youth, archery, muzzleloader and firearm seasons.

Successful hunters must register their harvest by 10 p.m. on the same calendar day the deer is taken by one of the methods included with the permit.

Youth hunters were reminded to keep in mind that archery deer season was underway and archery hunters were afield during the youth hunt.

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