Youth gun deer hunt begins this weekend

MARINETTE COUNTY - Bailey Mueller fires off a few shots with his hunting rifle in the woods near his Athelstane home.

“Gotta practice otherwise you won't get a good shot,” Mueller said.

The 11-year-old is squeezing in some target practice before heading out into the woods this weekend to deer hunt with his dad.

“Really excited,” enthused Mueller.

For years, Bailey just tagged along on the hunt watching and learning.

“He's been with me most of the hunts we've been on,” said Bailey’s father Tim Mueller.

But the Mentored Hunting program has changed the way the Muellers will hunt this fall.

Now Bailey will take aim and fire at a deer out in the woods, under his dad's close supervision.

“It's nice, he's young but he has to be with me or somebody 18 years of age,” said Mueller.

Mueller says it's time to spend together with Bailey... and he's looking forward to watching his son bag a buck.

“It's more fun to watch them - the excitement they get out of it than you doing it yourself, so it's fun,” he said.

DNR Wildlife Biologist John Huff says the youth hunt provides a controlled, safe environment for those eager to learn the sport.

“The mentor has to be a licensed hunter an adult. They have to be within arms reach of the youth so, it gives them a chance to be out, know what's going on,” said Huff.

Some people feel 10 and 11-year-olds are too young to hunt. The DNR says parents are really the best judge when it comes to that.

“Some 10 and 11 year olds are ready - some 10 and 11 year olds wouldn't be ready,” said Huff. “And you might say that about any age. We really think a lot of kids are ready to go out there and if their parents feel like this is a good opportunity of them, we're encouraging it.”

Back in the woods... the Muellers check their tree harnesses, and look forward to heading out early Saturday morning.

“It's going to be hard, gotta just get a good shot,” said Bailey.

The Wisconsin DNR says as of Friday afternoon, more than 23 thousand licenses were sold to hunters aged 15 and under.

Of those, more than four thousand were sold to 10 and 11-year-olds.