Youth Deer Hunt Weekend

While youth deer hunting weekends are not available on wildlife management areas, the FWC offers youth and family quota hunt permits on WMAs.

Find youth and family quota hunts

The youth deer hunting weekend is available for youth 15-years-old and younger who are supervised by an adult (18 years or older). This Saturday-Sunday youth hunt coincides with each zone’s muzzleloading gun season.

Upcoming youth deer hunting weekends are scheduled as follows:

Zone A: Sept. 14-15, 2024

Zone B: Nov. 30 – Dec. 1, 2024

Zone C: Oct. 26-27, 2024

Zone D: Dec. 7-8, 2024

Youth participating in a youth deer hunt weekend are allowed to harvest one antlered or antlerless deer during the weekend, and the deer counts towards the youth’s statewide annual bag limit. Youth are allowed to use any legal method of take for deer. This also includes the use of dogs to pursue deer on deer-dog registered properties.

No license or permit is required of youth hunters (15-years-old and younger) or accompanying adults (18 years or older) who only supervise. If adult supervisors or any persons 16 years of age or older participate in the hunt, they are required to have a hunting license, deer permit and muzzleloading gun permit unless exempt. In addition, they must use either a muzzleloader, bow or crossbow, and may only take antlered deer that meet the antler point regulations for the DMU hunted. If youth use dogs to pursue deer (only allowed on deer dog registered properties), any person (16 years of age or older) participating in the hunt may not shoot or shoot at deer.