The Outdoor "Bible" put out by TPWD says "Late youth deer hunt Sat. and Sun. Jan. 4-17" I talked to a guy that works for TPWD today while getting propane. I asked why do they say Sat. and Sun., did it mean only the Saturdays and Sundays between the 4th. and 17th. He said the late youth hunt was only Jan. 16th. and 17th. and the book must have a typo. He went to his truck and looked in the book, I showed him where it was, he said he didn't know. Do any of ya'll know the answer. If it is a typo how in the world will they be able to enforce the correct dates?

Even the website says Jan 4-17th
I am assuming that is for the North counties

*Special Youth Season October 31-November 1, 2009 and January 4-17, 2010
North Texas (208 counties) November 7, 2009-January 3, 2010
South Texas (30 counties) November 7, 2009-January 17, 2010

That's the way I'm looking at it also, but the Outdoor Annual has Sat. and Sun in front of January 4-17th. Fellow that works for TPWD said he runs a youth hunt in Lamar county and it should say January Sat. and Sun Jan. 16-17. It has always been in the past just a one weekend deal. I thought it odd that they made it 2 weeks long???????

They changed youth season this year so it runs runs 2 weeks. Appears to mainly be done so it runs concurrent to the doe/spike season most of us got as well this year.

Yes, I remember the news release that came out last year that mentioned the additional two weeks after the end of the general season when kids can hunt.

It also says the bag limits are the same as they are at the start of the general season. For Houston County, that means they can take antlerless deer, spikes, and 13-inch or greater bucks, given they still have the necessary tags.

As shown on the TPWD for Houston County...

Special Youth-Only Season: Early open season: October 31-November 1, 2009. Late open season: January 4-17, 2010.

Bag limits, provision for the take of antlerless deer, and special requirements of the county, shall be as specified for the first 2 days of the general open season.

Licensed hunters 16 years of age or younger may hunt deer by any lawful means during this season.

i thought youth that hunted with a licensed adult did not have to have a license?

ANYONE who hunts game animals in Texas MUST have a license, including kids and senior citizens alike. A hunting license for kids 16 and under only costs $6.

Does this mean if you take a four-year-old with you to the stand, that he/she must have a license? Yes, if the officer who checks you feels the four-year-old is capable of shooting your firearm. I know this is a rare example to use, and officers have the final decision. Still, I chuckle when I remember all those posts I've seen on this forum and others where some dad is bragging that his five or six-year-old killed his first deer.

More simply put, if the child has the potential to shoot a game animal with his/her own firearm, or one that belongs to another person, he/she must have a license.

Please read the annual. How would you tag a deer if your kid shot it and didn't have a license. Big time fine and deer will be taken away. Doesn't matter if they are 2 years old or 16. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/annual/general/hunt_licenses/

Good point. You cannot legally tag a deer that someone else shot.

A TPWD officer even advised me that my 15-year-old daughter carry her own license, rather than me carrying it for her. According to him, I could be charged with hunting with another person's license, with or without taking wild game with it.

I know I sound like a hard %$#, but it will save you a lot of hassle should you come across a hard^%$# officer.

I figured it was the whole time from Jan 4-17th. The outdoor Annual isn't very clear, and after talking to an employee he really had me confused. I do know that the bag limit and what animals youth can take are the same as Thanksgiving weekend, which includes doe for the guys that hunt in East Texas. Take a kid hunting, it'll do your soul good. "Teach em to hunt and fish and no drug dealer will teach em anything".

The youth season is the full 2 weeks. They did that to coincide with the extended doe/spike counties that have the season and to try and appease those who were trying to get more youth hunting in October (additional weekends, weeks, or months) instead of just the last weekend in October and 3rd in January.

Good idea by the TPWD to run it with the late season spike/antlerless. Wish they would run an antlerless late season in East Texas, instead of just Thanksgiving weekend. We have way too many doe and when you can only shoot them for 3 or 4 days they crawl in a hole after about day 1. My boy always gets a doe on the youth hunts, and we always try to take another youth that doesn't have the opportunity to hunt with us as well. I'd take my boy even if I can't hunt, but I understand there are those that won't. He's 15 and only has one more year of being able to youth hunt. Enjoy em while you can they grow up fast.

Glad to see this, we need more folks getting their kids out there. I stopped "hunting" Dec 11

muzzleloader season in some east texas counties concide with the youth hunt, so you can kill does during those two two weeks

Very good point, I don't have a muzzleloader but that would give me a reason to buy one. Thanks for the idea.