Mentor and introduce the great outdoors

It’s easier than ever to introduce someone new to hunting in Wisconsin. Anyone can now obtain a mentored-only hunting license and hunt without first completing a hunter education course.

They must be accompanied by a licensed hunter (mentor), hunt within arm’s reach of the mentor and follow other rules. Such mentored hunts remove barriers to hunting, yet still allow people to safely experience hunting in a highly controlled manner.

This one-on-one mentoring opportunity gives first-time hunters a chance to try hunting, and enables veteran hunters to share their passion for the outdoors and help keep Wisconsin’s hunting heritage strong.

A mentee may be either any person under age 12, regardless of whether they have completed a required hunter education course, or any other person who has not completed a required hunter education course and is not exempt from the hunter education requirement.

A mentor is an individual who is age 18 or older; is the mentee’s parent or guardian, or has the permission of the mentee’s parent or guardian (this does not apply if the mentee is age 18 or older); has completed a required hunter education course or is otherwise exempt from the hunter education requirement.

The following are exempt from the hunter education requirement: • Any individual born before Jan. 1, 1973.

• Any individual who has successfully completed U.S. armed forces basic training and submitted evidence to the DNR.

• Any individual who has successfully completed a recognized hunter education course in another state, province or country, and submitted evidence to the DNR.

The mentee must have all required hunting approvals for the applicable season (license, permit, tag, etc.), must remain within arm’s reach of the mentor and must comply with all other hunting laws, including season, bag limit and weapon regulations. Youth under age 18 are not permitted to possess or use handguns for hunting.

The mentor must have any valid, non-expired Wisconsin hunting approval, regardless of the type of game pursued by the mentee. They must remain within arm’s reach of the mentee and must ensure compliance with all other hunting laws, including season, bag limit and weapon regulations.

If also hunting and/or attempting to harvest game while mentoring, the mentor must have all required hunting approvals for the applicable season (license, permit, tag, etc). A mentor may not use any deer harvest authorizations issued to the mentee and they must only serve as a mentor for one mentee at a time.

There is no limit on the number of times that any individual can hunt as a mentee.