A series of Take One Make One youth deer hunts conducted by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources will be held this fall at the Marsh Wildlife Management Area in Marion County with the deadline for applying fast approaching for the Nov. 14 and Dec. 19 hunts.
Applications for the Nov. 14 youth deer hunt must be submitted by 5 p.m. Nov. 7. Applications for the Dec. 19 hunt must be submitted by 5 p.m. Dec. 5. Applications can be found online at the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) website. There is no application fee or any other costs associated with these hunts.
For further information contact DNR Wildlife Biologist Willie Simmons at (803) 734-3898 or via SimmonsW@dnr.sc.gov. Return applications to: SCDNR – YOUTH DEER HUNTS, Attn: Willie Simmons, P.O. Box 167, Columbia, SC 29202 or fax to (803) 734-6020.
Applicants selected by a random drawing will be provided with detailed instructions and directions to the hunt sites.
The age requirement for DNR youth deer hunts is 17 or younger. Participants that are 16 or 17 years of age at the time of the scheduled hunts are required to purchase a Jr. Sportsman license in accordance with state law. Participants 15 years of age or younger at the time of the hunts are not require to purchase a hunting license.
All DNR youth deer hunts are scheduled on Friday afternoons and conclude one hour after legal sunset. Each hunt will include a brief discussion of deer biology and the role of hunting in wildlife management plus a detailed discussion regarding sportsmanship and hunter ethics. A thorough review of firearms safety will be included prior to each hunt.
The primary goal of DNR youth deer hunts is to encourage participation by youths who have never been deer hunting. A safe and ethical introduction to the practice of hunting exposes youth to the challenges and enjoyment of hunting as well as the fundamental concepts of natural resource conservation.
One of the best ways to recruit new youth hunters is through youth and adult sportsmen that already participate in hunting activities. NDR supports “youth sportsmen” by encouraging one or more of their friends or family members, who do not hunt, to apply for these hunts.
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