Montana Youth Waterfowl Weekend Opens Saturday for Hunters 15 and Under

This Saturday and Sunday — Sept. 26 and 27 — young hunters across Montana get their shot at ducks, mergansers, geese, and coots before the regular season crowds show up. Youth Waterfowl Weekend is here, and if you’ve got a kid who’s been itching to get out to a slough or a reservoir, this is the weekend to make it happen.

Licensed hunters 15 and under can hunt statewide both days, but the rules on who qualifies break down like this. Kids ages 12 to 15 who’ve completed hunter education can participate as long as they’re accompanied by a nonhunting adult who’s at least 18. Apprentice hunters ages 10 to 15 — those who are properly certified and legally licensed under the apprentice program — can also hunt, but they need a nonhunting mentor who’s at least 21 years old by their side.

All standard regulations apply, so don’t head out without reviewing them first. One exception worth knowing: the Canyon Ferry Wildlife Management Area runs on different hours for this weekend — legal shooting time is one-half hour before sunrise to noon only. If you’re planning to work the flats out near Canyon Ferry, plan your morning accordingly.

Honestly, these youth weekends are some of the best things FWP puts on the calendar. Getting a 12-year-old into a blind before legal light, watching them work a call for the first time, seeing them fold their first mallard — that stuff sticks with a kid for life. In my experience, the hunters who come up through these programs are the ones who care most about habitat and access down the road. That matters.

Also worth a mention: Youth Pheasant Weekend already ran Sept. 19 and 20, so if your young hunter missed that one, waterfowl weekend is the next opportunity to get them into the field this fall.