Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Deer Season for Young Hunters Opens Sept. 14
Friday, Sept. 14 at noon signals the start of a nine-and-a-half-day deer hunting season for youth, and hunters are reminded that a 2018 general game and habitat license must be purchased before the state Game and Fish Department mails the youth deer license.
Hunters are encouraged to purchase the required license early, since it takes a couple days to receive the deer license in the mail.
Licensed residents ages 11, 12 and 13, and 10-year-olds who turn age 11 in 2018, are allowed to hunt, antlerless white-tailed deer statewide.
Resident deer gun hunters age 14 or 15, and 13-year-olds who turn age 14 in 2018, with a “youth season” license, can hunt statewide for any deer, except antlerless mule deer in unit 4A. In addition, a special license is required to hunt antlered mule deer in units 3B1, 3B2, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 4F.
After opening day, hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Solid daylight fluorescent orange vests or coats, and hats, are required for all young hunters and their adult mentors.
Each youth deer hunter must be under direct supervision of an adult while in the field.
The youth deer season closes Sunday, Sept. 23.
Youth Waterfowl Weekend is Sept. 15-16
North Dakota’s two-day youth waterfowl season is Sept. 15-16. Legally licensed resident and nonresident youth waterfowl hunters age 15 and younger may hunt ducks, geese, coots and mergansers statewide.
The daily bag limit and species restrictions for the youth season are the same as for regular duck and goose seasons. Exception: the additional two blue-winged teal allowed during the first 16 days of the regular season are not allowed during the youth season.
Resident and qualifying nonresident youth waterfowl hunters must possess a general game and habitat license and a fishing, hunting and furbearer certificate. Nonresidents from states that do not provide a reciprocal licensing agreement for North Dakota residents must purchase the entire nonresident waterfowl license package.
In addition, all youth hunters must be Harvest Information Program certified, and youth ages 12 and older need to have passed a certified hunter education course. Hunters age 15 and younger do not need a federal duck stamp.
Hunters who do not HIP certify when they buy a North Dakota license, can add it by visiting the Game and Fish website at gf.nd.gov, or by calling (888) 634-4798 and recording the HIP number on their printed license.
Shooting hours for the youth waterfowl season are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. An adult of at least 18 years of age must accompany the resident youth hunter into the field, and a licensed adult is required to accompany a nonresident youth hunter. The two-day weekend hunt does not count against a nonresident adult hunter’s 14-day regular season waterfowl dates.
