Apply by Aug. 15 for youth deer hunts at state parks and refuges

Minnesota youth have from Tuesday, July 1 until Friday, Aug. 15, to apply for one of 17 special deer hunts in October and November.

“Youth accompanied by a parent, guardian or mentor can hunt in select state parks and other refuge areas during these annual opportunities,” said Mike Kurre, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources mentoring coordinator.

Of the 17 special hunts, 15 are firearms hunts for youth ages 12-15; two are archery hunts for youth ages 12-17.

Participating in a youth deer hunt does not preclude the youth from participating in the regular firearms deer season, but any deer harvested do count against the youth’s season bag limit. An adult parent, guardian or mentor must accompany the youth at all times while hunting, but only the youth may hunt. Youth and their mentor must attend a mandatory pre-hunt orientation clinic.

A limited number of either-sex permits are available for the following hunts:

ARCHERY

• Camp Ripley Archery Hunt (open to youth 12-17), archery, 175 permits, hunt is Oct. 11-12, clinic is Oct. 10-11.
• Lake Alexander Preserve (open to youth 12-17), archery, 20 permits, hunt is Oct. 11-12, clinic is Oct. 10.

FIREARMS

• Afton State Park, firearms, 20 permits, hunt is Nov. 8-9, clinic is Oct. 18.
• Banning State Park, firearms, six permits, hunt is Nov. 1-2, park will mail clinic information.
• Blue Mounds State Park, firearms, 10 permits, hunt is Nov. 22-23, clinic is Nov. 21.
• Buffalo River State Park, firearms, 14 permits, hunt is Nov. 8-9, clinic is Nov. 7.
• Camden State Park, firearms, 12 permits, hunt is Nov. 1-2, clinic is Oct. 31.
• Great River Bluffs State Park, firearms, 20 permits, hunt is Oct. 25-26, clinic is Oct. 11.
• Itasca State Park, firearms, 75 permits, hunt is Oct. 25-26, clinic is Oct. 18 or Oct. 24.
• Lake Bemidji State Park, firearms, 20 permits, hunt is Oct. 18-19, clinic is Oct. 17.
• Lake Shetek State Park, firearms, 12 permits, hunt is Oct. 25-26, clinic is Oct. 24.
• Rydell National Wildlife Refuge, firearms, 20 permits, hunt is Oct. 18-19, clinic is Sept. 20.
• St. Croix State Park, firearms, 90 permits, hunt is Nov. 1-2, park will mail clinic information.
• Savanna Portage State Park, firearms, 25 permits, hunt is Oct. 25-26, clinic is Oct. 24.
• Split Rock Creek State Park (new in 2014), 10 permits, hunt is Oct. 25-26, clinic is Oct. 24.
• Tettegouche State Park, firearms, 10 permits, hunt is Oct. 18-19, clinic is Oct. 17.
• Zippel Bay State Park, firearms, 20 permits, hunt is Oct. 18-19, park will mail clinic information.

Youth must apply for the hunt of his or her choice, which can be done at any DNR license agent; the DNR License Center, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, or online at www.mndnr.gov/buyalicense. For archery hunts, apply with code 630; for firearms hunts, apply with code 631.

If the number of applications exceeds the number of permits, a lottery will be conducted. Youth may only apply for one archery hunt and one firearms hunt.

Successful applicants also must meet all firearms safety requirements, purchase all appropriate licenses and follow hunting regulations.

In addition to the 17 application-only hunts in state parks and refuge areas, any youth ages
10-15 can also participate in a special deer season that runs from Thursday, Oct. 16 through Sunday, Oct. 19, in 27 permit areas that encompass portions of southeastern and northwestern Minnesota and portions of the Twin Cities metro area.

For more information, visit www.mndnr.gov/discover and click on youth deer hunts.