The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Fish and Wildlife is offering several exciting youth hunting opportunities this fall through its popular Take a Kid Hunting program.

Beginning with the Youth Bow Hunt on Sept. 27 and culminating with the South Zone Youth Waterfowl Days on Nov. 7 and 8, the Take a Kid Hunting program offers youth hunters the opportunity for a quality hunting experience in a setting that encourages responsible, ethical and safe hunting practices.

All hunts require that the hunter possess a valid youth license, and be under the direct supervision of a properly licensed, non-hunting adult 21 years of age or older.

All of the programs offer the ability for youth to hunt solely with a licensed adult, but the Take a Kid Hunting Pheasant Hunt does offer an additional opportunity.

Through a cooperative effort between the Division of Fish and Wildlife and the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, youth hunters have the ability to hunt for pheasants with volunteer mentors using trained bird dogs. This popular program requires registration and interested youth should sign up as early as possible.

Extensive information and application forms (where applicable) on all of the Take a Kid Hunting programs offered are available in the August 2008 Hunting and Trapping Issue of the New Jersey Fish and Wildlife Digest beginning on page 22.

For more information on hunting opportunities in New Jersey as well as maps of wildlife management areas, visit www.njfishandwildlife.com.

The following youth hunts are being offered for the fall:

Youth Deer Hunting Days
Bow Hunt: Sept. 27
Firearm Hunt: Nov. 22

These two days are held prior to statewide opening days, and are extensions of the Fall Bow and Six-day Firearm seasons, so no special permit is required. Youth hunters may still harvest two antlered deer during the regular Six-day Firearm Season and one antlered deer during the Fall Bow Season.

Mentors and young hunters should note that more than 750,000 acres of public land is open to the deer hunter in New Jersey.

Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days

Youth hunters with a valid youth hunting license and under the direct supervision of a non-shooting New Jersey-licensed adult hunter (age 21 or older) will be permitted to hunt for waterfowl from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset on the following dates by zone:

North Zone: Oct. 4
South Zone: Nov. 7-8
Coastal Zone: Oct. 25

See the New Jersey 2008-09 Migratory Bird Regulations Booklet (pdf, 178kb) for further details including written zone boundary descriptions and species bag limits.

Take a Kid Hunting Pheasant Hunt
Nov. 1

The Whittingham, Black River, Clinton, Assunpink, Colliers Mills, Millville, and Peaslee Wildlife Management Areas are open for guided hunts.

All guided hunt participants must pre-register and be accompanied to the check-in by a parent or guardian. Parents or guardians are welcomed and encouraged to follow the hunters through the fields. All pre-registered hunters will receive an information packet. One session will be offered, starting at 7 a.m. Only 50 youth hunters will be allowed on each WMA during each session.

For those not signing up for a guided hunt, youth hunters under adult supervision may hunt on the same wildlife management areas where the guided hunts are being held after 1:00 p.m. The Flatbrook and Glassboro Wildlife Management Areas do not have guided hunts this day, but will be stocked and open all day for youth (under adult supervision) to hunt pheasant.

Youth Upland Bird Hunting Day
Nov. 1

Youth hunters will be permitted to hunt on licensed semi-wild hunting preserves. Youths may hunt for pheasant, quail and/or chukar on Saturday, Nov. 1 from 8 a.m. to sunset.