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Youth-only deer, turkey season underway

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By Kathy Thomson

Licensed hunters ages 16 years and younger have opportunities this winter and spring to sharpen their skills and bring home some whitetail and turkey trophies, and adult hunters still have time to harvest wild game. 

Dove season ended Sunday, Jan. 5, but quail season continues until Feb. 23.

The regular season for deer and turkey ended Sunday, Jan. 5, though a special late deer season runs from Jan. 6-19, 2020, and is open to all legal hunters. 

Formerly called the doe and spike season, the Special Late Season harvest is restricted to antlerless deer and unbranched antlered bucks (spikes). An unbranched antlered buck is any buck deer with an antler having no more than one point.

Youth Whitetail

A special Youth-Only Season for whitetail deer is from Jan. 6 to Jan. 19. 

The season is open in all counties where there is a general open season for white-tailed deer. All legal hunting means and methods are allowed, including youth harvesting antlered bucks as long as hunters do not exceed their legal bag limit for the county and they still have an appropriate unused hunting license tag.

Legal limits do vary from county to county. For example, buck limits in Stephens County (two bucks, but only one may have an inside spread of 13 inches or greater) are more restrictive than buck limits in Shackelford County (two bucks).

January Youth Turkey

The January special Youth-Only Season for turkey hunting runs Jan. 6-19 and is in the North Zone only. All legal methods are allowed. 

The annual bag limit for turkey, in the aggregate for all counties is four, no more than one of which may be an Eastern turkey.

Youth License

The youth-only license costs $7 and may be purchased online or at several Albany retailers including Banton-Caldwell Trading Company and Higginbotham Bartlett Company.

Hunters aged nine to 16 years of age must have completed a hunter education course or be accompanied by a licensed hunter. Hunters under nine must be accompanied by a licensed hunter.

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