Big game hunting opportunities out west for kids younger than 12

[Travis Bertrand]

I wanted to start a list of hunting opportunities for kids out west who are younger than 12. Hopefully you guys can add to, or add more detail on each state.


Oregon- You can draw a tag, and give it to your kid. Resident mentored youth tags also available.
Idaho- Must have hunters safety
New Mexico- Must have hunters safety (excellent opportunity at draw tags)
Arizona- 10 years old with hunters safety

 

[Ctitus25]

Are we talking about resident or non resident opportunities?

 

[Packin_packout]

I will talk to the ones I have personal experience with :

Arizona - Find a way to get you & your kids there to do the field day it is one of the better ones i have seen and you / your kids get the extra point. AZ has what they call youth mentored hunting camps. They have these for deer / elk / turkey / squirrel / waterfowl / jack rabbit camp. There are some phenomenal volunteer organizations participating in this ( Arizona Elk Society ). Game wardens and mentors help the kids in these camps.
- Jack Rabbit Camp ( 10yr & up I think ) down south of tucson...usually lines up to spring break.
- Spring Javelina - Normally lines up to a MLK
- Elk youth season normally lines up for fall break in October- Draw pretty much every other year
- Deer season normally lines up for fall break in October and they have stuff over thanksgiving.
Tags are cheap and you can be down in the southern units within a couple of hours. PHX to elk country is usually less than 2-3 hours. This is a phenomenal resource...the game wardens are great and you have a very dedicated crew of volunteers. I've done the Jack rabbit camp, spring javelina, turky, elk camps and my kids have loved them. I fly in...southwest is your friend when doing these trips!

New Mexico screwed non-residents kids a year or two back. Previously they had a late youth cow hunt over christmas...two weeks after resident youth get to purchase tags, the non resident youth got to pick up any leftover tags. New mexico decided to give those licenses to local residents over 65 and cut the non-res kids out of the leftover licenses. So adults in new mexico not under 65 here are getting screwed as well as non-res kids. If you got the money great but now the chances of getting drawn are ok ( 5 years kids never drawn for bull tag now deer tags they can get pretty much every year)...but the freedom of being able to cut out over christmas for a kid's elk hunt / ski trip was great. They have an early turkey weekend which lines up to easter sometimes that has been good.

Montana - If parent gets drawn for combo license then you can buy a kid deer or deer/elk combo for around $300. I have done this the last two years with my boys. Their rifle season starts late october which makes it hard for school so I just take the kids up their over thanksgiving. Planning to do this again this fall assuming I can get flights. This has become a family tradition. When we drive back we swing through colorado and so some duck / goose hunting for a day or two.

I know Utah has youth tags as does Colorado and Idaho but my kids have never drawn them or the dates/travel effort has made them not feasible for me.

 

[robby denning]

Idaho allows 10-year-olds to hunt big game now. Pretty sure they have to be accompanied by an adult. I think it was a smart move.


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[Tmac]

I wanted to start a list of hunting opportunities for kids out west who are younger than 12. Hopefully you guys can add to, or add more detail on each state.


Oregon- You can draw a tag, and give it to your kid with hunters safety
Idaho- Must have hunters safety
New Mexico- Must have hunters safety (excellent opportunity at draw tags)
Arizona- 10 years old with hunters safety

Oregon’s mentored youth program does not require a hunters safety course. Applies to residents and NR’s ages 9 - 15. Mentor draws tag, youth is the legal hunter if you like.

Oregon also has a first time hunt program for youth, with some limits. It does require hunters safety as the tag is the youths, not the mentors.

 

[Ctitus25]

There is no minimum age limit in WA that I know of. It's not the most friendly state for NR, but you average youth tags for Sheep are 6pts and Moose is 3pts. My son passed hunters ed at 9 and I'm hoping he'll draw at least one of these before he's 16.

 

[tulsaburnside]

Not technically out "west" (mule deer in western Nebraska), but non-resident deer tags and turkey tags for kids under 15 along with required habitat stamp runs you less than $40. Shouldn't have much of a problem finding private land for archery or muzzleloader and some great public land available.

 

[ColoradoV]

Another angle on this and while it is not “hunting” with a gun/bow shed hunting is legal for any age kids. It allows them to get out and find success with out pulling the trigger. My 8 year old has found a couple great mulie sheds and this year is putting on some real miles in real terrain.

Just getting used to negotiating the terrain, using a pack, and having a gear set they are used to helps them get comfortable in the backcountry. It will no doubt transfer to pulling the trigger when that day comes.

Also it teaches them there is no substitute for the process or work that is hunting as I feel they need to learn that hunting is not a simple week or 5-10 day commitment but rather a year long “there is no finish line” approach. After shed hunting will be scouting/backpacking and that “season” is about 2 months long again kids can find trophies as well as get photos of them and that is a big success. By the time mom gets around to her muzzy mule deer hunt this year we will have “hunted” 45-60 days.

Or I guess if my girls ever want to pull the trigger on a release or rifle that will be cool.
If not it is also fine as I will have been “hunting” for 5-7 years with them at that point while enjoying and trusting the year long process. By the time they can pull a trigger the trophies will be measured in photos of 190+” deer they have seen or big sheds they have found and for me there is no better “hunting” experience..

Also my 8 year old found what work can produce as she found great deadhead this year and I imagine this weekend we will take at least 1 day and hike ...

 

[Travis Bertrand]

Oregon’s mentored youth program does not require a hunters safety course. Applies to residents and NR’s ages 9 - 15. Mentor draws tag, youth is the legal hunter if you like.

Oregon also has a first time hunt program for youth, with some limits. It does require hunters safety as the tag is the youths, not the mentors.

Im almost positive the mentored youth opportunities only apply to resident youth.

I am taking advantage of the first time hunt program this year with my oldest. I am burning 9 points on an elk tag (hopefully).

 

[Tmac]

Im almost positive the mentored youth opportunities only apply to resident youth.

I am taking advantage of the first time hunt program this year with my oldest. I am burning 9 points on an elk tag (hopefully).

Check page 21 of the regs under Youth Participation. First sentence starts out; Resident and nonresident youth may participate...

Good luck in the draws and with that new hunter.

 

[Researcher]

The California turkey tag is cheap for non residents. You can buy a two day license and an upland game stamp for $60ish as an adult, might be less for kids, and you can get one bird a day three total for the spring. Most states the non resident tag alone is over $60.