Hunting News

Mentored hunts help youth build outdoor skills

Mentored hunts help youth build outdoor skills

By Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Help for Florida hunters who have neighbors or friends who would like to take their child or grandchild hunting is as close as the Youth Hunting Program, which offers mentored hunts for youth between 12 and 17 years of age.
Mentored hunts are great way for a young person to experience hunting, learn about conservation and build new outdoor skills. See what is available on the new youth hunting calendar, which has over 65 hunts for deer, wild hog, waterfowl, alligator and quail.

Before a young person can take part in a Youth Hunting Program hunt, they need to complete a Florida hunter safety course. To find hunter safety course options, including a free online course and skills day click here.

For adults who ae introducing another adult or youth to hunting this year, a hunter safety course is the best way to get started. New hunters can earn their hunter safety certification by taking an FWC-approved online course, which includes a no-cost option, and then attend the free skills day for hands-on training. The course covers safety, basic hunting skills, equipment, wildlife identification, conservation and more.

Florida requires anyone born after June 1, 1975, to receive their hunter safety certification before they can buy a license to hunt unsupervised. Find license information here.

For deer hunters, before heading afield make sure to have a plan to log and report harvested deer. This regulation, which went into effect in July 2019, requires ALL hunters, including those who are exempt from license requirements, to log their harvested deer prior to moving it from the point of harvest, defined as the spot on the ground where the hunter located the harvested deer.

In addition, they must report harvested deer within 24 hours of harvest, or prior to final processing of the deer, or prior to the deer or any parts of the deer being transferred to a meat processor or taxidermist, prior to the deer leaving the state, whichever occurs first.

More information can be found on the Florida Fish|Hunt App available for Apple or Android smart phones or tablets to renew, purchase and store licenses, access sunrise/sunset and feed times, locate boat ramps, check seas and tide stations, access current regulations and more.

Copyright 2024 by Buckmasters, Ltd.

Copyright 2020 by Buckmasters, Ltd