State’s 1st 2-day youth deer hunt is this weekend

By Julie Harris, Bangor Daily News Staff

Maine will hold its first two-day youth deer hunt on Friday and Saturday. 

The state has had a one-day youth hunt for more than 20 years, but the Legislature earlier this year conditionally approved expanding the program to two days.

Youth-only hunting days give young hunters a chance to get their deer without competing with adults. 

The regular firearms season for deer opens on Oct. 28 for Maine residents only and on Oct. 30 for all licensed hunters.

Youth days are open to 16-year-olds and younger who have junior hunting licenses. There is no minimum age for youth to hunt, but they must have a junior hunting license. 

There also are requirements for the adults supervising the children. 

For hunters ages 10-15, an adult who either has a hunting license or has taken a hunter safety course must be nearby, at least within sight or speaking distance without electronic aids, according to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Adult supervisors of younger children must comply with the same conditions, but also be within 20 feet of the youth hunter, MDIF&W said.

The child must do the shooting and also kill an animal it wounds. Adults may only carry a sidearm for protection but not a hunting gun and may not kill the animal for the youth, according to the MDIF&W.

The department plans to look at the harvest data at the end of the hunting season to see what impact the two-day youth hunt may have had on the season and report its findings to the Legislature. 

If there is no negative impact, the two-day youth hunt could become permanent.