The first of two Iowa deer hunting seasons began this week.

The youth and disabled hunter season opened statewide Monday, and runs through the last week in October.  The youth season is geared toward a positive, enjoyable, one-on-one experience with a currently licensed mentor without the competition from other hunters.  The youth will learn to be an ethical hunter based on the practices they learn during their time with their mentor.

Iowa residents who are younger than 16 on the day they buy their license are eligible for the youth season.  If they turn 16 prior to using the youth license, they must buy a hunting license and habitat fee. Disabled hunters must file an affidavit with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources testifying to the nature of the disability in question.

Youth hunters may hunt with a bow, shotgun or muzzleloader and hunting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.  Hunters using firearms are required to display blaze orange.

Guthrie County Conservation Board Director Joe Hanner says all youth season hunters must have an adult mentor who has a current hunting license with them while hunting.   Only one youth may accompany each adult mentor.

All deer taken must be reported to the DNR using the harvest reporting system by midnight the day after the deer is recovered by going to their website www.iowadnr.gov.,  by calling the toll free reporting number 1-800-771-4692, or at any license vendor.  Accurately reporting the kill is an important part of Iowa’s deer management program and plays a vital role in managing deer populations and future hunting opportunities.

In 2011, 8,850 youths and 240 disabled hunters harvested nearly 3,400 deer.

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