Help youth deer hunt for 10 year old

elks96 · Mar 27, 2020

My son is 10. I was looking for hunt options for him this fall. WY and CO both require youth to be 12. I was looking at options and someone said that if I can draw a tag I can have him hunt under an apprentice tag. Does this sound right?

If so can anyone point me to units to hunt? I have been looked at 630/31/32 in the past but also know they have been on the TV around the lake etc. We have very capable off rod vehicles and he can out hike 80% of the grown men I know. We often cover 5-6 miles a day on foot pretty easy.

Any thoughts on areas Closer to Cody that we might hunt? Realize this is not going to be but a 1 or maybe 2 time thing as once he is old enough he will hunt in here in WY.

Also where can I find a map that shows all the General Deer units State Wide?

Thanks guys, I know this is last minute but I would much prefer a MT hunt over Idaho or taking him to Iowa. We will likely be hunting later in the season.

Thanks again and if you ever need any information on NW Colorado let me know.

SlowElk · Mar 28, 2020

Greetings. Have you looked at Arizona? Youth hunts have a separate season, start at age 10 with a hunter education card. Even a doe hunt on the Kaibab, unit 12 A west. I've taken my daughter there three times, a great time every time.

SlowElk · Mar 28, 2020

Greetings. You can go to azgfd.gov, look at last year's regulations, see the youth only deer hunts for the different units. You could also draw a tag in AZ and transfer the tag to your child.

BuzzH · Mar 28, 2020

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks :: Apprentice Hunter Program

Apprentice Hunter Program

fwp.mt.gov

BuzzH · Mar 28, 2020

elks96 said:
My son is 10. I was looking for hunt options for him this fall. WY and CO both require youth to be 12. I was looking at options and someone said that if I can draw a tag I can have him hunt under an apprentice tag. Does this sound right?

If so can anyone point me to units to hunt? I have been looked at 630/31/32 in the past but also know they have been on the TV around the lake etc. We have very capable off rod vehicles and he can out hike 80% of the grown men I know. We often cover 5-6 miles a day on foot pretty easy.

Any thoughts on areas Closer to Cody that we might hunt? Realize this is not going to be but a 1 or maybe 2 time thing as once he is old enough he will hunt in here in WY.

Also where can I find a map that shows all the General Deer units State Wide?

Thanks guys, I know this is last minute but I would much prefer a MT hunt over Idaho or taking him to Iowa. We will likely be hunting later in the season.

Thanks again and if you ever need any information on NW Colorado let me know.

If you draw and need some help on areas...let me know. I've spent a couple, few, 40 years hunting Montana...

mtmuley · Mar 28, 2020

BuzzH said:
If you draw and need some help on areas...let me know. I've spent a couple, few, 40 years hunting Montana...

Me as well. Pm for info. mtmuley

stinky · Mar 28, 2020

Apprentice tag...which state? In Colorado, there is an Apprentice License, for those who have not had a chance to take Hunter Education.

BUT, in order to hunt Big Game in CO....you must be 12 yoa.

elks96 · Mar 28, 2020

stinky said:
Apprentice tag...which state? In Colorado, there is an Apprentice License, for those who have not had a chance to take Hunter Education.

BUT, in order to hunt Big Game in CO....you must be 12 yoa.

This is for Montana. I think I have it figured out just need to draw a tag now. Need a little luck in the drawing...

NeMont · Mar 30, 2020

630/31/32 are certainly an option but a couple of thing you need to determine. What kind of buck are you looking for? Not much in the way of trophy opportunity on public out there IMO. There are few big boys around but not many.

Plenty of room to roam out there but remember if you plan a rut hunt, the portion of CMR in those districts is shut down to rut hunting mule deer bucks.

Nemont

elks96 · Mar 30, 2020

NeMont said:
630/31/32 are certainly an option but a couple of thing you need to determine. What kind of buck are you looking for? Not much in the way of trophy opportunity on public out there IMO. There are few big boys around but not many.

Plenty of room to roam out there but remember if you plan a rut hunt, the portion of CMR in those districts is shut down to rut hunting mule deer bucks.

Nemont

My son is only 10. Very first hunt and Trophy is not a big deal. I just want opportunity and he can decide what he is willing to shoot. I have a feeling he will be happy with 3 year old 3x3 or small 4x4. I am not too worried about size, but do not want to shoot a forky or a spike because that is all we see. We did a hunt 10+ years ago by Dillon MT and never saw anything but fork horns during the rut and watched the forked horns doing all the breeding. 2 fork horns were doing all the breeding.

I am going to apply then if drawn I will get real serious about digital scouting and gathering info.

NeMont · Mar 30, 2020

Sounds perfect to me. If you hunt you can find a deer beyond a forked horn in those units.

Hope he get drawn.

Nemont

BuzzH · Apr 1, 2020

NeMont said:
Plenty of room to roam out there but remember if you plan a rut hunt, the portion of CMR in those districts is shut down to rut hunting mule deer bucks.

Nemont

I don't think that's true anymore...where is it in the regs?

For the first time in a long time, mule deer hunters pursuing game in the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge in Eastern Montana will have a five-week rifle season.
Years ago the season was cut to three weeks as a way to try and protect older age bucks during the rut. That didn't work, said Paul Santavy, refuge manager.
"It was a pretty viable strategy at the time, but there's a lot of history with those seasons now which have shown that it doesn't work," he said.
Instead, hunters just crowded into the earlier part of the season. The change aligns the CMR with other surrounding hunting districts, reducing the chance of confusion.

"It will make it simple for people to understand and allow people more opportunity," Santavy added.
The change affects hunting districts 417, 410, 621, 622, 631 and 632. Hunting District 652 remains a special draw unit for mule deer but also has the longer season on CMR lands.