Youth Waterfowl Hunt

Coltton Richter of McFarland is pictured here with his first duck! His hunting "buddy" is his dad, Robert. His mother, Eileen, said "even after a 4 A.M. wake-up call he was still grinning hours later, and no worse for wear even as dinner time came and his duck was roasting on the grill. Pride never tasted so good!!! Congratulations Coltton! We wish you many years of great family fun!

The Youth Waterfowl Hunt is an opportunity for youth to learn from experienced waterfowl hunters.

When is it?

2009 Youth Waterfowl Hunt dates are set for September 19th and 20th. 2009 Final Waterfowl Rule Summary [PDF 58KB]

Who is eligible?

Only persons age 10-15 may hunt waterfowl (ducks, geese, coots, moorhens and mergansers). All hunters must be accompanied by an adult chaperone age 18 years or older and 10-11 year olds or those who have not completed hunter safety must be within arms reach of a mentor (for more information on the new mentored hunt law please refer to Mentored Hunting

The adult may not accompany more than two youth hunters (only one of which may be mentored). The adult may not hunt ducks, however, an adult may hunt geese in the Exterior Zone or the Horicon or Collins Zone if they possess the appropriate Canada goose permit (though only 1 gun may be possessed between a mentored hunter and the mentor).

What type of licenses are needed?

Harvest Information Program (HIP) registration is required (no fee, see page 5 of the migratory bird regulations). Youth not participating in a "mentored" hunting situation must have completed a Wisconsin Hunter Education Course (or similar course from another state, province or country). All license and stamp requirements are waived for eligible youth waterfowl hunters, except the Canada goose hunting permit.

In the printed 2009 waterfowl regulations, the cost of a waterfowl stamp for 10-11 year olds is incorrectly listed. No waterfowl stamp (state or federal) is required for youth hunters age 15 or under during the youth hunt or regular season.

What other rules apply?

All other regulations including hunting hours and daily bag limits, listed in the regulations pamphlet will apply.

Does this youth hunt include goose hunting?

Yes. The daily bag limit for all zones on Sept. 19 & 20 is 2 geese. In the Exterior Zone, a youth must purchase and possess an Exterior zone goose permit and must report their harvest (page 24). In the Horicon and Collins zones, a youth possessing a valid tag for any time period within that zone may hunt geese within the zone where the tag is valid.

Good Luck, enjoy the special days and have a safe hunt!

Always remember the 4 Rules of Firearm Safety:

1. Treat every gun as if it were loaded;
   
2. Always point the muzzle in a safe direction;
   
3. Be sure of your target and beyond; and
   
4. Keep your finger out of the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot.

For information about this topic, contact: Assistant Migratory Game Bird Ecologist.

Questions for Wildlife Management