Hunting opportunities facilitate positive outdoors experiences
Youth who want to hunt in Minnesota have several opportunities to go hunting in the fall in addition to regular hunting seasons.
“These hunting opportunities are designed for youth to have positive hunting experiences and get dedicated time to learn outdoor skills,” said Benji Kohn, volunteer mentor program coordinator with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “Youth who take part in these hunts can make lifelong memories in the outdoors.”
Youth hunting opportunities and dates this fall that are in addition to regular hunting seasons are:
- Youth Waterfowl Weekend – Sept. 7-8 waterfowl hunters 17 and younger can hunt if accompanied by a nonhunting adult 18 years of age or older. More information is available on the Minnesota DNR youth waterfowl weekend page.
- Take a Kid Hunting Weekend – Sept. 21-22, adult Minnesota residents accompanied by a youth under age 16 may hunt small game without a license. Hunting regulations are available on the Minnesota DNR website.
- Youth deer season – Oct. 17-20, statewide season for youth ages 10-17. Youth ages 10-13 must be accompanied by an adult parent, guardian or mentor. More information is available on the Minnesota DNR youth deer season webpage.
- Special youth deer hunts – the application deadline each year is in mid-August, and these firearms and archery hunts are at state parks on various dates each fall. More information is available on the Minnesota DNR special hunt webpage.
- Mentored hunts with Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation and Pheasants Forever – participating organizations provide a variety of mentored hunt opportunities. More information about how to inquire about these opportunities is available on the Minnesota DNR learn to hunt webpage.
For firearms hunting, youth generally need to complete required firearms safety training, or go hunting using the apprentice hunter validation, a short-term exclusion to the requirement for completing hunter firearms safety training that be purchased where hunting licenses are sold. More information about both is available on the Minnesota DNR learn to hunt page.
The Minnesota Hunting Regulations booklet has important information for all hunters, including youth. Page 35 of the 2024 regulations booklet has all the details for youth hunters, including license requirements. Links to the regulations booklet, as well as general hunting season information, can be found on the Minnesota DNR hunting webpage.
Anyone interested in learning new skills in the outdoors, including youth, can also find a variety of recorded webinars on hunting topics in the archive of the Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship page.