I am sure I have told you this before, but here it goes again: Everything in the hunting, fishing and outdoors world is not all sunshine and roses or even beer and Skittles. (You'll just have to look up Skittles like I did.)
For today's lesson, we will once again venture into the world of the antlers that buck deer grow on their head (they are doing it right now, by the way) and some of the consternation and controversy that these antlers cause. Regular readers will recall that I sometimes refer to deer antlers as "horns" just to aggravate those who worry about such things. (I know, I will try to do better.)
Several states in the sound of my voice now have special youth seasons for various game animals, including whitetail deer. This season is usually a couple of days (a weekend) and is scheduled before the regular deer firearms season. As many of you know, the whole premise of this special season is to get young people or new hunters with an apprentice license out there in the wild and encourage them to enjoy the outdoors and hunting.
(READ MORE: West Virginia brings along next generation with youth hunt)
The "three R's" program (Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation) that many states are engaged in depends on this. Recruitment of new hunters is vital if the sport, culture and way of life for hunting is to survive. Retention of the hunters, that is keeping the ones we have, is another important part as the next step. Reactivation, or helping those who may have stopped hunting for one reason or another to return to the fold, is necessary when the second "R" fails.
The advantage to the youth deer seasons is that the kids have a chance to take a deer before the bulk of hunters get in the woods. It is usually well before the traditional firearms season, meaning the weather will be warmer and more favorable for the young hunter. All of the reasons for this early season for kids and new hunters, in my not-so-humble opinion, are correct and justified. It's important to get them in the woods with a good chance of taking a deer to keep the interest in deer hunting high.
Make sense? I think so, but as usual, there may be a fly in the ointment.
In some areas, such as my home state of West Virginia, only antlerless deer may be taken in the youth season. I'm sure this helps out in places where the wildlife managers determine the doe population is too high. The young hunter gets to take a deer and put healthy venison in the freezer, but if the biggest antlered buck in the woods (or any buck, for that matter) comes by, the youth hunter cannot take that deer. It's illegal.
Is that right? Should the law be that way? You tell me.
The does-only rule is the status during the youth season in West Virginia, but during the DNR Commission meeting in April, there was discussion about changing it to allow bucks to be taken, and it is unclear if this will come up again. The state of Tennessee has a youth deer season that allows the taking of antlered deer, and the same is true for the state of Virginia.
The Virginia DNR people I have spoken with don't seem to think this has been a problem. In the 2023-2024 deer seasons in Virginia, there were 206,586 deer taken during all of the various seasons. The youth and apprentice season accounted for 2,890 deer (bucks and does). This is only 1.4% of the total deer kill for last year.
So why am I bringing up the buck and doe question for the youth seasons? I'm glad you asked.
There are those among us who will argue against the youth being allowed to take antlered bucks during the youth season. Why would anyone make this argument? I believe some would say the youth season is an excuse for unscrupulous dads and other hunters who may take a kid hunting to use the kid as a prop and shoot the deer themselves. If you are allowed to take antlered deer during the youth season, these people argue the "adult taking the deer, not the kid" scenario becomes more prevalent.
How much does this happen in actuality? I am saying not much. Do I have proof of this? No, no one does.
Let's remember the deer numbers in Virginia: The total number of the deer taken in the youth season was a small fraction of the total number of deer killed. I would argue (and this will really get some deer hunters excited at the barber shop and the water cooler) that the reason some hunters are so against letting youth hunters take an antlered deer is pure old homemade greed.
That's right. Some of us as hunters are so fixated on the big buck with big horns (OK, antlers) that we don't want a kid during a youth season to have a chance at that buck before we do. There, I said it.
(READ MORE: Deer hunters, let's help each other this year)
If you examine your heart and you feel this way, you need to do some serious thinking. Maybe think about what is right and wrong, what is best for all of us as hunters, and how we will continue our way of life. Give it a think.
If I have left you with a lot to think about, my work is done here.
Give me a call if you want to get together for beer and Skittles.
"Guns & Cornbread" is written by Larry Case, who lives in Fayette County, W.Va. You can write to him at larryocase3@gmail.com.
