MEA weekend deer hunt

[DanN]

From the DNR web site:

Youth deer season: This four-day, youth-only deer season would be conducted statewide during what’s colloquially known as MEA Weekend, when public school students are given a two-day break on Thursday and Friday so teachers can attend the annual Education Minnesota Professional Conference. Youth would be allowed to take one either-sex deer statewide. Adults would not be allowed to carry a firearm. The early antlerless season would coincide with the youth season in areas where an early antlerless hunt already is scheduled.

I'm all for encouraging youth to hunt but am opposed to this for several reasons. Curious to see what others are thinking.

[JimmyJames]

I don't understand why we need an early season for kids to hunt, then we should also have an early season for the elderly,women, people wearing glasses,fat people, where does it end? Stupid idea.

[northender]

If the kids can't learn to hunt during the regular season, I doubt they will at anytime. Why spoil them with warmer weather and anything but normal hunting conditions that they will be forced to endure sooner than later. BAD idea!! How about a "senior citizen" season too? Heck, let's kill them all before the regular season starts! BAD idea.

[PEATMOSS]

Thread on this already started under Hunting. Very interesting comments posted there.

[mcgarth]

i have no problem with it,i think there are alot of jealous people out there because it wasn't around for them.the more time the kids spend in the woods the less t.v., trouble they can get in. so anyone that is mad about get over it

[candiru]

We will know that adults are shooting their kid's deer during this early season if we see an 80% success rate.

[RumRiverRat]

We will know that adults are shooting their kid's deer during this early season if we see an 80% success rate.

YOU will assume a few things if the success rate is high.

Do not speak for the rest of us.

[mcgarth]

so you guys don't think a kid can shoot then? parents that do that aren't teaching the kids anything.at my land this was the first year in 10 years that we didn't get any deer,my 10 year old son was with me with his tag for either sex i only had a buck tag and we had 2 doe's come in at different times and he had a 30 yard shot to take but he didn't because he said it wasn't giving him the shot HE WANTED.it was more buck fever than the shot.so we watched them walk away. so i think more parents will do the right thing than ones that won't

[schmoe147]

Could not agree more with jimmyjames. Terrible Idea.

[goblueM]

we need a special season because the rate of young anglers and hunters is dropping like a rock

conservation efforts are directly funded by hunters and anglers. Therefore, if you care about the future of your sport and these resources, it stands to reason that you might also be interested in recruiting kids to the sport

[hockeybc69]

To continue the dead horse beatings,,,,,, so how big of an impact is this really gonna have to recruit NEW hunters?

Or is it just gonna get kids out earlier and then again on the regular opener?

Where does the special season stuff end?

Time for a special crappie opener, but we have to shut down crappie fishing for everyone else for a weekend.

Yes, I have kids(8 and 13). So I aint some old curmudgeon

[james_walleye]

Most of the states in the midwest have something like this. You guys are acting as if this is some off the wall proposal that no state has ever gone with before. Comparing a youth hunt to a hunt for people that wear glasses or for fat people? I'd love to hear the real answers as to why its a horrible idea, or how about an answer period. Hockey is the only one whos given any kind of answer to why he doesnt like the idea.

How bout people just cut to the chase and answer it straight up. Im guessing the real answer is one these "why should they get a special hunt, i never did". Or "this might mess up a weekend in the woods for me".

I'll give my real answer. Im on the fence and personally at this point don't care which way it goes. Might it affect a weekend of mine in the woods? Ya but its one over a dozen weekends to hunt deer that i have, big deal. But i do have a 5 year old son and a 4 year old daughter and when the time comes, i'd love to have them involved in something like this.

[Muskie456]

I think it is a great idea. Now my son and I can shoot all the deer before anyone else gets a chance to. Come on, really how much do you think it will change the general rifle season? There are changes that are coming that are going to have more affect on harvest than any early weekend for kids. My days are limited in the woods. To be honest if I had to pick taking out my kid and or another and give up the general opener so be it. IMO our society is getting away from the things I hold dear(pun intended). If we all put a little time into exsposing our kids to the outdoors it just might take with them. It did for me and I have my father to thank for it. In this busier than ever world we live in this might be the excuse that many need to take a kid out and focus on their success and not the meat pole and personal satifaction.

[Monkster]

Muskie, well said. I have a 12 year old son. He received a bow (Diamond, nicer than mine at this point) for Christmas last year. At about the same time, we lost our permission to hunt land in Stacy, MN we had been hunting and managing for 20+ years. I found out in the early summer about the special youth hunts in the state and we applied for the Army Training site in Arden Hills. My son won a permit for hunting MEA weekend for the Thursday and Friday hunt. Now, other than trying to get out on to public land, this was his only real exposure to bowhunting himself. He has been with me on a stand for years and has witnessed, and learned hopefully, bowhunting and proper shot placement. We didn't get him a shot, but he did get close to one, a very large buck that again, didn't present a shot. The population in the training site is very high, which is why they have these hunts. Out of all the kids hunting these two days, which I think is 30, there was only 1 or 2 deer registered when we left Friday night. Someone else on FM may shed some more light on the success rates of these hunts.

Here is my point, if opening a statewide hunt for youth gets even a small amount of youth interested in hunting, let's do it. The deer that the youth would harvest during the special hunt wouldn't touch the overall health of the population. I am sure the success rate would be under 10%. But, then again, that's not what it's all about. It's about the experience, which is what I am trying to teach my son. The more opportunities I have to take my son into the woods to teach them the 'right way', the better. The minority of adults that would shoot a deer on this special weekend would have their own conscience to answer too, but we shouldn't penalize our youth for the acts of a couple of yahoos!

Great idea.

[Freddy1]

A prime weekend I can't be in the woods to hunt Grouse! I know most deer hunters might not care about less opportunity for grouse hunters. But you will care, when your opening day changes. The Youth Waterfowl hunt sure changed duck opener. Once they've been shot at there's less around and much warier. Kids should be introduced to the whole hunting experience with friends and family together on opening day. The only real reason I can see for these pre-opener seasons is to reduce bag limits.

[HNTNBUX]

I fully support getting the kids out in the woods earlier and with an extra season. If you own your own land you can decide if you want to let kids out early to hunt. If you do not own your own land or you hunt public land then you get what the state decided for us and that is another opportunity to hunt. I think it is funny that people are always talking about the hunt being about family and getting outdoors and being away from work but only as long as it applies to them or there way of thinking. If you take a kid hunting during the youth season guess what? You are outside enjoying the outdoors with family away from work. If that is what you are truly looking for it is still there. Even if I don't take advantage of every season or state program available I don't feel cheated by those that do and try to take it away from them. Take your kid or another hunting and enjoy the time outside. If not, hunt grouse, ducks pheasants, squirrels, rabbits, woodcock, sandhill cranes, etc....

[InTheNorthwoods]

A prime weekend I can't be in the woods to hunt Grouse! I know most deer hunters might not care about less opportunity for grouse hunters. But you will care, when your opening day changes. The Youth Waterfowl hunt sure changed duck opener. Once they've been shot at there's less around and much warier. Kids should be introduced to the whole hunting experience with friends and family together on opening day. The only real reason I can see for these pre-opener seasons is to reduce bag limits.

Why can't you be in the woods hunting grouse?

[schmoe147]

Does anybody know if the rule with driving an ATV will be in action this weekend. I hope like hell not. Also heard it is going to be in some state parks, how dangerous is this going to be for the campers that like to hike and bike on the trails. Might want to wear blaze orange that weekend if you are camping in a state park that is in the list.

[Freddy1]

You don't want to be sharing the woods with flying lead and novice hunters. I've had more than my fair share of close calls that way. In my book, deer hunters own the woods those 3 weeks (Zone3) and now a weekend in October too. So it goes, something is being fixed that doesn't need fixing and there are conflicts and consequences. I'll most likely switch to pheasants, stick to grasslands and orange-up.

[Powerstroke]

My personal opinion, it doesn't affect me. I will be pheasant hunting or grouse hunting if I want to go out. Actually, I will be bowhunting somewhere, so I might have to wear orange, but maybe some kids will push a deer to me.

If people think sticking maybe a couple thousand kids out there with a deer rifle on one weekend is going to mess up deer hunting more than grouse hunters, I think you might want to rethink the scenario. Same with pheasant hunters hitting the fields. Speaking of bowhunters, how many of them have been out there? Do they ruin the firearms season.....?

Everyone thought the same thing about early antlerless season and I don't think its hurt harvests any.

[WhiskeyWoods]

Part of being a sportsman is learning...whats that word? Sportsmanship!! I am on board the fact that this is a TERRIBLE IDEA! They have even done this for turkey hunting now and the kids can go ANY season and it doesnt take a rocket surgeon to look at the outdoor news and look in the readers photos and notice the incredible amount of turkey hunters under 16 with toms and guess what?...All the dates are earlier then May....hmmmmm... There is a lot of other hunters in the woods as well during MEA for other game not to mention ATV riders, etc. Talk about safety issues....Why spoil a kid with warm weather and first choice hunts and not teach them the values of patience, fortitude, and perseverance???

[picksbigwagon]

I am shocked at the attitude of some people. "The Dad's are going to do all the shooting" "This is going to ruin my (take your choice)" ETC. Seriously? If you think this is going to ruin your hunt, go to Wisconsin, oh wait, they have an early youth season, head to Iowa, oh wait, they have an early youth season too........

You have your opinions and I am entitled to mine as well. Sportsmanship? Accepting what happens is part of sportsmanship is it not? These are kids we are talking about. What about take a kid fishing, or take a mom fishing. This topic is starting to wear me thin

[psepuncher]

my opinion,

I equate fishing, with hunting

Easter Eggs.

[hockeybc69]

I dont get it.

[hockeybc69]

I should clarify....

I dont get psepunchers post, and I dont get the MEA weekend firearm hunt.

Stupid! My opinion. And I have kids. I can take my son grouse hunting, archery hunting, duck hunting, pheasant hunting, squirrel hunting, fall fishing, etc....

I think this is a possible safety issue as well. The premise of this is to get kids into hunting. Is this a safe thing to have novice kids with a high power rifle in a stand, when there are guys out chasing a plethora of other game???

My sky isnt falling, but where the heck does this end? I didnt have any special seasons and I sure fell in love with every angle of the outdoors by going out with the older generations during "their" season.