CONTACT: Dan Bergeron: (603) 271-2461 Jay Martin: (603) 271-3211 October 14, 2020

Concord, NH – New Hampshire’s youth deer weekend, Saturday and Sunday, October 24-25, 2020, is the perfect time to take a young person hunting. This special weekend gives young people age 15 and younger the opportunity to go deer hunting with an adult mentor, without the pressure of competing with thousands of adult hunters.

Accompanying adults must be licensed hunters and are not allowed to carry a firearm, the idea being to concentrate your time and attention on coaching your young companion.

Prospects for this year’s youth season are excellent, according to Dan Bergeron, Deer Project Leader and Game Program Supervisor for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. “New Hampshire’s deer population is healthy and will provide excellent opportunities,” said Bergeron. “Last year’s total harvest was the seventh largest on record and deer numbers should remain strong throughout the state.” In 2019, young hunters took 286 deer during the special youth weekend.

“The weekend presents a great opportunity to introduce your son or daughter, grandchild, or even a young friend to the excitement and rewards of deer hunting, all under the careful guidance of an experienced adult,” said Bergeron. “You can help teach them about the sights and sounds of the forest, how to interpret wildlife sign, and how to use this knowledge to track and harvest a white-tailed deer. We hope hunters will spend the weekend instructing the state’s youth on what hunting is all about. Teaching a young person how to hunt and seeing their excitement can help even the most avid hunter remember why they love the sport. This shared experience can also build bonds that last a lifetime.”

Bergeron notes that hunting can also help young people learn about the environment, conservation, tradition, ethics, and build a deep and abiding appreciation for the wildlife and wild places that many of our citizens and visitors cherish.

New Hampshire has offered a special youth deer hunt since 1999. Nonresident youth may participate in New Hampshire’s youth deer weekend only if their state of residence allows New Hampshire youth to participate in its youth deer hunt.

For more about New Hampshire’s youth hunting weekends, visit www.huntnh.com/hunting/youth.html. To learn more about deer hunting in New Hampshire, visit www.huntnh.com/hunting/deer.html.