Michigan Youth Hunter Regulations

lschultz • November 14, 2022

The opening day of firearm deer season is tomorrow! For many kids around the state, it is an unofficial school holiday. If you are skipping school or pulling your kid out for a day of quality family time in the woods, here are a few reminders to keep everything legal.

 In case any last-minute license buyers are reading this. Here is the type of license your child can hunt with if they have not taken hunter ed. 

Also, please go to an in-person license vendor to get your kill tags immediately. If you buy your license online, the kill tags are mailed and can take 7-10 days which would miss most of the season.

Mentored youth hunting ages 9 and under  Link for FAQS on DNR Page

The Mentored Youth Hunting program is designed to introduce youth under the age of 10 to hunting and fishing, offering a “package” license for just $7.50. This enables youth hunters under the age of 10 to hunt turkey (spring and fall on private or public land), deer (one tag, any deer) and small game, trap furbearers and fish for all species. Click here  for the regulations on mentored youth hunting.

Apprentice hunting ages 10 and over

Anyone ages 10 and older can be a part of the hunting experience by purchasing a base apprentice (APC) license. The base apprentice license, which can be purchased for two license years before needing to complete a hunter safety course, allows you to hunt small game and purchase licenses to hunt other species like deer and turkey.  

As an apprentice hunter, you must:

  • Be 10 years of age or older.
  • Be accompanied by someone 21 years of age or older who possesses a regular current-year hunting license for the same game you will be hunting.
  • Have the accompanying hunter be your parent, guardian, or someone designated by your parent or guardian if you are 10-16 years of age.

As an accompanying hunter, you must:

  • Be able to come to the immediate aid of the apprentice and stay within a distance that permits uninterrupted, unaided visual and verbal contact.
  • Accompany no more than two apprentice hunters while hunting.

Residents can purchase one of the following apprentice license types:

  • *Base JR APC (ages 10-16) $6.00
  • *Base RES APC (ages 17+) $11.00

If your daughter or son has already completed the Michigan Hunter Education Program, there are still some rules and regulations they need to follow as minors.

  • Youth 10-16 years of age, and who are hunter safety-certified, must be accompanied by an adult 18 years old or older to hunt, unless: 
  1. The youth is hunting on land upon which a parent or guardian is regularly domiciled; AND, the license is not an apprentice license. 
  • Youth hunters 16 and younger are exempt from antler point restrictions during all deer seasons, in all regions and for all deer licenses, which also includes the four-point APR on the restricted tag. A legal buck is a deer with one antler 3 inches or longer. NOTE: If the youth turns 17 during the season (or before it), he or she must follow APRs

More information on all of the hunting rules and regulations can be found in the online digest  here. It is also a great idea to download it on your phone so you have access to it.

Finally, if your youth hunter or yourself tag a deer tomorrow or the rest of the season, it is now mandatory for you to report it to the DNR. Using the new DNR App, you can fill out the proper information and upload the data. The app can be found in the Apple or Google Play store and is called-Michigan DNR Hunt Fish.

 

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