Lots of Tags Left in Southwest Youth Hunt

Lots of deer tags are left in the multi-units youth deer hunt in Southwest Idaho, according to Fish and Game spokesman Jack Trueblood. "There were 1,395 permits available for this controlled hunt as of July 14. It offers a great opportunity for deer hunters to help their kids learn and encourage them to hunt." The controlled hunt, number 1081, includes all of game management units 19A, 20A, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 31, 32A, 33, 34, 35 and 38. Some license vendors have reported that hunters were reluctant to purchase the leftover permits because they thought the entire youth hunt was limited to "short range" weapons. "That's not the case," Trueblood said. "The short-range restriction only applies to Unit 38, here in the Boise Valley. The rest of the units are Ôany weapon.' The seasons in the youth hunt can open as early as October 5 and run as late as October 31, as long as the general deer season is open in the unit they are hunting. This matches the young hunters up with the times when their parents or mentors would be out hunting." Youngsters can take either a buck or a doe in this hunt, which gives them a greater chance of harvesting a deer early in their hunting career. To qualify, a person must have been age 15 or younger on January 1, 2000. The costs include $6.50 for the controlled hunt application fee and $6.50 for the permit, plus the $9.75 cost of a youth deer tag. Permits are available at license vendors statewide.