Youth hunters aged 12-13 have proven they have a perfect safety record after more than 63,000 hunts in the last five years, but Erie County youth are not permitted to hunt with firearms for deer with a mentor. Photo courtesy of NYSDEC

Since 2021, New York State has authorized a pilot program through the NYSDEC allowing licensed 12- and 13-year-olds to hunt deer with a rifle, shotgun, muzzleloader, or crossbow under the immediate supervision of a qualified adult mentor. Counties must opt into the program by passing a local law before youth hunters may participate during established big game seasons in areas where firearms are already permitted. Youth hunters in Chautauqua County are approved, those in Erie County are not. Erie County is one of two counties (Erie and Rockland) not opting in, citing safety .

Participation comes with strict safety requirements. Youth hunters must be escorted by a parent, guardian, or experienced adult mentor aged 21 or older who has at least three years of deer hunting experience and holds a valid big game license. The supervising adult must maintain physical control of the youth hunter at all times. Young hunters must remain on the ground while hunting, no tree stands or elevated blinds are permitted, and both mentor and youth must wear the required fluorescent orange or pink clothing visible from all directions. Additionally, youth participants in this program are authorized to harvest deer only; black bear hunting is not included.

In 2023, state legislation extended this pilot program through 2025, allowing time for additional participation and evaluation. That evaluation now spans five years and the results are notable.

Between 2021 and 2025, mentored youth hunters aged 12 and 13 participated in more than 63,000 permitted deer hunts across participating counties in New York. According to official DEC summary reports, there were zero hunting-related shooting incidents, zero injuries, and zero violations involving this age group during that period.

While New York already permits 14- and 15-year-olds to hunt deer and bear with firearms under adult supervision after completing a hunter education course, mentored firearms hunting for 12- and 13-year-olds represents a carefully structured extension of existing youth hunting opportunities, with additional supervision requirements in place.

Today, Erie County and Rockland County are the only counties in New York that have not adopted local laws allowing 12- and 13-year-olds to hunt deer with firearms under immediate adult mentorship.

Last week in Erie County, Legislator Frank Todaro has renewed efforts to bring the county into alignment with the state pilot program after reviewing updated DEC safety data from the past five years. A similar measure passed by the Erie County Legislature in 2021 was vetoed by County Executive Mark Poloncarz, who cited safety concerns at the time. For supporters of the program, the absence of incidents across tens of thousands of supervised hunts demonstrates that when properly trained and mentored, young hunters are capable of participating safely in deer hunting.

Beyond safety considerations, mentored youth hunting provides an opportunity to pass along longstanding traditions rooted in conservation, personal responsibility, and respect for wildlife. Hunting requires patience, preparation, situational awareness, and ethical decision-making; Values that are reinforced through hands-on experience in the field under the guidance of experienced mentors.

For many members of Generation Z, mentored hunting offers a rare chance to disconnect from constant digital engagement and build confidence through real-world challenges that demand focus and accountability. Everyday hunters of all ages know that time spent in the field teaches resilience, discipline, and humility. These are qualities that extend well beyond the hunting season. Gen Z needs that.

Hunting also contributes directly to conservation funding in New York through license fees and excise taxes on equipment, supporting wildlife research, habitat restoration, and public land access for future generations.

As Erie County leaders revisit the mentored youth hunting program, they do so with five years of safety data demonstrating that supervised participation by 12- and 13-year-olds has not resulted in a single reported incident. To support them, click here to send a letter to the legislators in Erie County: https://takeaction.io/nyscc/support-erie-county-allowing-12-13-year-olds-to-hunt-under-authorized-supervision/. The pilot program was designed to test whether young hunters could safely engage in deer hunting under close adult guidance. So far, the results suggest they can!

Gotta love the outdoors.

CALENDAR

March 3: Children in the Stream, Youth Fly Fishing program, free, Costello Room, Rockefeller Art Center, SUNY Fredonia, 7-8:30 p.m., 12 years old and older, info: 716-410-7003 (Alberto Rey).

March 3: Niagara Musky, monthly meeting. 7 p.m., Eldridge Club, 17 Broad St., Tonawanda. DEC’s Chris Driscoll is guest speaker.

March 6-8: WNY Sport and Travel Show, Hamburg Fairgrounds, see: https://renmarevents.com/wny-sport-show/.