On October 26-27, Rydell National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) will again be hosting a special Mentored Youth Deer Hunt for kids age 12-15, in cooperation with the Minnesota DNR and the Friends of Rydell and Glacial Ridge Refuges Association. Rydell is the only NWR in Minnesota that offers this special “mentored” deer hunting opportunity. A total of 15 youth will be allowed to participate in this hunt. Participating youth will be required to hunt with a parent, guardian, or mentor. They will be allowed to harvest up to three deer on the Refuge. Only one of which can be antlered. One requirement for youth hunt participants is that they attend a mandatory orientation session. This will be held at Rydell NWR on Sunday, October 20, from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Last fall our youth hunters has great success, with seven bagging a deer, including a handful of beautiful bucks.
Interested youth must apply for this hunt no later than Aug. 16th. Applications can be completed at any DNR license agent or online at www.mndnr.gov/buyalicense.
For more information on this unique hunting opportunity, go to www.mndnr.gov/discover and click on “youth deer hunts”, or contact Gregg Knutsen, Refuge Manager, at 218-687-2229 x16 / gregg_knutsen@fws.gov
Additionally, Rydell NWR has hosted a three-day Accessible Deer Hunt, for people with disabilities each year, since the mid-1990s. This year, the hunt will be held October 10-12. The hunt is primarily coordinated by the Options Interstate Resource Center of Independent Living (Options) in East Grand Forks, MN. If you are interested or know someone who might be interested in participating in this Accessible Deer Hunt, contact Randy Sorenson (Options’ Executive Director) at 800-726-3692, for information on how to apply.
