Mentored Youth Antlerless Hunt - Thu/Fri/Sat

Yes, the legislation passed this summer.  A mentor can transfer one antlerless tag to a mentored youth hunter at the time of the kill.  Good during any season antlerless deer are legal. Been alot already taken during archery.

It is not in the digest because the legislation passed after printing but the BOC passed regulations betting the legislation would pass it in time for this fall.

ORIGINAL: Dr. Trout

The reason I did not know that = I did not think antlerless were legal targets except for junior hunters and senior hunters .. that would leave out an adult under 65 carrying a rifle... But as I said I was wrong on that thinking

WOW the deer could get a rude awakening this Saturday... archery, small game, muzzie, rifles, juniors, seniors and mentored ....

BE SAFE EVERYONE !!!!

And military and the disabled. You may as well mention ALL that able to kill a doe. When being a mentor you must obey these regs :

The regulations require that the mentor-to-mentored youth ratio be one-to-one, and that the pair possesses only one sporting arm when hunting. While moving, the sporting arm must be carried by the mentor. When the pair reaches a stationary hunting location, the mentor may turn over possession of the sporting arm to the youth and must keep the youth within arm’s length at all times.


Gonna be a lot of lead flying out of high power's this weekend guys. Way to many leaves on for such. Be careful !!!!

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe said the popular Mentored Youth Hunting Program (MYHP) has been expanded for 2011-12 to include antlerless deer hunting thanks to a recent change in law and regulations.
“Since 2006, Pennsylvania’s hunters have been taking advantage of a remarkable opportunity to introduce those under the age of 12 to hunting through the Mentored Youth Hunting Program,” Roe said.  “Hunting is deeply woven into the cultural fabric that is Pennsylvania, and it is important that we recruit new hunters to carry on this tradition.”
Roe noted that the logic behind the Mentored Youth Hunting Program is simple and clear: create expanded youth hunting opportunities without compromising safety afield.
“This program paves the way for youngsters to nurture their interest in hunting early and allows them to take a more active role in actual hunting while afield with mentoring adults,” Roe said. “The program accommodates hands-on use of sporting arms and can promote a better understanding and interest in hunting and wildlife conservation that will help to assure hunting’s future, as well as reinforce the principles of hunting safely through the close supervision provided by dedicated mentors.”
Under the program, a mentor is defined as a properly licensed individual at least 21 years of age, who will serve as a guide to a youth while engaged in hunting or related activities, such as scouting, learning firearms or hunter safety and wildlife identification.  A mentored youth is identified as an unlicensed individual less than 12 years of age who is accompanied by a mentor while engaged in hunting or related activities.
Mentored youth can participate during any established season for woodchucks (groundhogs), squirrels, spring gobbler, coyotes and antlered and antlerless deer. In addition to being able to participate during the general squirrel season and spring gobbler seasons, mentored youth also may hunt during the junior-only squirrel season (Oct. 9-15) and junior-only spring gobbler day (April 23).
For antlered deer, the mentored youth must use legal sporting arms for that season; for example, a bow or crossbow must be used during archery antlered deer season.  Also, those youths participating in the MYHP are required to follow the same antler restrictions as a junior license holder, which is one antler of three or more inches in length or one antler with at least two points. 
In order to harvest an antlerless deer, an adult mentor may transfer a valid antlerless license issued to him or her to an eligible mentored youth upon the harvest of an antlerless deer, and a mentored youth may only receive one antlerless deer license each license year. The antlerless deer license transferred to the mentored youth must be for the Wildlife Management Unit in which the adult mentor and youth are hunting.
This recent addition to the MYHP was made possible by Senate Bill 274, which was sponsored by Senate Game and Fisheries Committee Chairman Richard Alloway II, and signed into law by Gov. Tom Corbett on June 24.  Once the law was changed, the Board of Game Commissioners enacted regulatory changes to add the harvesting of antlerless deer beginning with the 2011-12 seasons.
The regulations require that the mentor-to-mentored youth ratio be one-to-one, and that the pair possesses only one sporting arm when hunting.  While moving, the sporting arm must be carried by the mentor.  When the pair reaches a stationary hunting location, the mentor may turn over possession of the sporting arm to the youth and must keep the youth within arm’s length at all times.
The program also requires that both the mentor and the youth must abide by any fluorescent orange regulations, and that the mentored youth must tag and report any deer or spring gobbler taken.  As part of the MYHP permit, youth will be provided the necessary harvest tags for antlered deer and spring gobbler, but must use the adult mentors antlerless deer harvest tag. 
MYHP participants who harvest an antlered deer or a spring gobbler must report their harvest within five days. However, an adult mentor must report any antlerless deer license used by a mentored youth to harvest an antlerless deer within 10 days. Harvests can be reported using the agency’s online harvest reporting system, the toll-free telephone reporting system (1-855-724-8681) or they can submit a harvest report card, which is available as inserts in the 2011-12 Pennsylvania Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations.
Harvest report cards also printed from the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) by putting your cursor over the “Self-Help” button in the menu bar at the top of the page, then clicking on “Download Forms and Brochures” in the drop-down menu listing and then clicking on “Big Game Harvest Report Card.”
All youth participating in the MYHP must obtain a permit through the Game Commission’s Pennsylvania Automated License System (PALS), which costs $2.70.  Of that fee, one dollar goes to the Game Commission, one dollar goes to the issuing agent who processes the permit application, and 70 cents goes to the company managing PALS.
“When we first started the MYHP, we didn’t require a permit because there was no method available to issue a permit without creating an enormous obstacle for participants,” Roe said.  “PALS provides an easy method for parents to obtain a MYHP permit without too many difficulties.
“The MYHP will enable the agency to gather data about the level of participation in this program, which can be used to assist in better planning and scheduling our basic Hunter-Trapper Education courses.  This database of MYHP participants will let us know when young hunters are 11 years of age, and where they live, so that we can make sure the number of courses we are offering will meet the expected demand.”
For more information on the program, visit the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) and put your cursor over the “Hunt/Trap” button in the menu bar at the top of the page, click on “Hunting” and then click on “Mentored Youth Hunting Program FAQs” in the “Related Links” section.  Information also is included on page 15 of the 2011-12 Pennsylvania Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations.  (NOTE: Page 15 of the digest contains information stating that antlerless deer are not legal quarry for the MYHP.  However, the Digest was published prior to the change in law, so the wording of the Digest is out of date.)
To continue hunting once a youth reaches the age of 12, they will need to and pass a basic Hunter-Trapper Education course and purchase either a junior hunting license or a junior combination license.  For a listing of HTE courses, visit the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) and put your cursor over “Education” in the menu bar at the top of the page, then put your cursor over “Hunter Education” in the drop-down menu listing and click on “Hunter Education Class Calendar.”

Putting our worst hunters in the woods with the leaves on with highpowers is just asking for trouble.

ORIGINAL: bingsbaits

Putting our worst hunters in the woods with the leaves on with highpowers is just asking for trouble.

 
Who are our worst hunters? 

No minks, muskrats, turkeys or bears this weekend.

ORIGINAL: Dr. Trout

Well I found out today why I have been selling all these mentored youth permits the last 4-5 days...

the adults are taking them out for the Junior/Senior Antlerless Hunt later this week... sold 4 today alone.. (9-11 year olds).. the word is spreading around here like wild fire ...

I even call the N/C regional office today to verify that they are allowed to do that and use the adults tag.. YES was the answer I got..

Interesting.. I did not think they were allowed to do that ???

 
What?  They didn't call you for advise before passing it and then on the PGC Bat phone afterwards?  The horror!

Mentored youth with absolutely no "FORMAL" safety training. Shouldn't be allowed to discharge a lethal weapon in any season without some "FORMAL SAFETY TRAINING"
Being mentored by Thugs, Goons, Poachers and some "not a good guy type hunter" that we hear so much about on here.

Juniors, our most inexperienced hunters.

Seniors, failing eyesight and less healthy, might take a marginal shot to keep the deer closer to the truck.

ORIGINAL: dpms

ORIGINAL: Outdoor Adventures

Young unexperienced, Old with bad eye sight, Some who shoot rifles into the tree tops, Some who do not know what lay beyond them and leafy brush but stil discharge a weapon (High Power),to name a few.

I found some PGC data from 2005 that had hunters from 21-50 y/o responsible for most of the accidents. 

How long has the mentor youth program been in place ? The PGC will certainly not put up data that will hurt license sales. You people be your own judge. Every situation is different. Many times I believe the mentor gets so caught up in little Johnny or Suzie shooting a deer that they look beyond the safety factor. A five year old for example is just to young to discharge a high power rifle in the Pa woods with so many other hunters sharing the woods with them. Leaves on the trees make it that more dangerous IMO like it or not.

I found some PGC data from 2005 that had hunters from 21-50 y/o responsible for most of the accidents.

Sounds reasonable since most of the hunters are from 21-50 y/o. What are the numbers for accidents per thousand hunters in the various age groups? That would tell the tale.

have never been ask to show a card when buying a license.

Interesting that should be mentioned today...

The local WCO came by this morning for a BS session that lasted about an hour.. he had several things he wants me to bring up at my sportmen's meeting tomorrow night ...

During our conversations he mentioned that he knows I have changed jobs and we sell hunting/fishing licenses and wanted to alert me to something that is happening in some areas...


It seems some folks are going to a store like Walmart and because of all the "traffic" (busy)they are finding that the clerks are not taking the time and asking for proof of hunter ed or a past license which they do not have ... ... A case already this year had that happen = the hunter tired to say it was not his fault because the clerk did not ask... WRONG.....

By signing the license the buyer (thus hunter) has acknowledged he has a past license or hunter ed which is by law required in Pa to purchase a license ...and all other info is true and correct ... ... not only did he get busted for an illegal license he also was fined for illegally killing a deer...

I mentioned about the post here somewhere about the guy sitting on the guard rail and getting busted ... he laughed... not sure if it is the same case or not, but he told me of a case where the guy got out of his car sat on the guardrail and shot at a deer... all while being seen by the WCO.. the guy tried to say he had been sittting on the guard ail for over an hour when questioned...

He AGAIN confirmed that once the vehicle has been parked and the hunter did not "just get out".. the hunter can sit as close to the vehicle as he wants.. just can't have a loaded firearm on, in or against the vehicle... He has seen guys sitting beside their trucks on LAWN CHAIRS !!!!

FYI.. He already has several hunting over bait cases he is working on currently for THIS archery season


ALSO some time ago if memory serves me correctly -- some one asked about driving on a 4 wheeler to their spot thru the woods and jumping a deer, getting off and shooting... and wanted to know was it legal... answer NO...


That hunter has unintentionally used a motorized vehicle to locate game ... and thus could not shoot that deer at that time...

and yes mentored youths can hunt this thu..fri..sat...

another thing that is happening.. an 11 year old can buy a junior license (with HTE class) if he turns 12 in the license year.. BUT he can not use it until he is 12.... folks are getting the junior license .. FOR EXAMPLE.. in June so they can get a antlerless tag in the mail... and then some are trying to hunt archery, jr hunts, small game , etc before they actually turn 12 (say in November or December). The junior hunter HAS TO BE 12 to hunt using his Junior License...

the rest of the stuff was on a more personal and informative subject... not laws and rules...

ORIGINAL: akitadog

i know more mentored youths that are safer and hunt better than probably most people on this site. i also know a few so called hunters that never grew up hunting at all and hardly know how to shoot a gun that go to walmart and get a license every year and have never took a hunters safty coarse and have never been ask to show a card when buying a license.

I could agree with that. The youth is only as safe as the person responsible for them. As far as age every kid developes differently at different ages. It's really up the parents to decide if the youth is ready. I personally don't think that a 5 or 6 year old is old enough to be handed a rifle. I know grown experienced hunters that shouldn't carry one also. All I'm saying here is that with all the leaves on the trees and the increase in unexperienced hunters the odds are against you. IMO seems like a bad time of year to combine all the different groups together.

Bulldog,

Is is okay to have 6 year olds string worms on a hook, deep hook a trout, throw it on the stringer, watch it die in a few minutes then gut them out?  Or should they have to wait till 12 as well.   

ORIGINAL: bulldog1

He'll be 16 this year and spends a ton of time in the woods and can't wait till hunting season starts.

 
Very good to hear.  I don't think the mentored program is gonna turn any kids off of the sport.  Ultimately it is up to the parent/guardian to decide when it is time.  That is a good thing, IMO, with proper safety regulations in place which do exist. 

Personally,
I see no problem with the program itself. As with everything else, the problem lies with the, ahem, "responsible" adults.

My kids will take advantage of the MY program when I feel they are ready; 5 years old, not likely. I am more thinking maybe 8, 9 or 10 depending on their level of maturity at that point and the interest they show flinging arrows, plinking with the bb gun, .22 and .223 and learning about safety, above all else.

I will have no problems taking them out before then though to sit with me and take in the fall woods, if they show an interest.

This past Sunday I had my 3.5 yr old boy out for a walk in the woods and he was pointing out deer tracks in the mud to me (after showing him some earlier this year). I think he will "get it" sooner rather than later but I still don't see any "harvests" for him for several more years.

Many states have no age restrictions or lower restrictions than PA and you never hear of problems from them. If abuse of the tag transfers and other things start to become more prevalent then I would want some tweaks to the system but I support it as is currently.