JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Weather its a duck or a buck, there are plenty of hunting opportunities this fall for North Dakota youth.

North Dakota Game & Fish Wildlife Biologist Doug Leier says the first of these many opportunities includes youth deer and waterfowl this weekend.

Leier adds its vital as a leader, mentor, parent, sibling, or family member to take some time to acclimate to the safety and what’s required to hunt as a youth.

Friday, Sept. 16 at noon Central time signals the start of a nine-and-a-half-day deer hunting season for licensed youth hunters.

Residents who are 11, 12 or 13 in 2022 can hunt statewide for antlerless white-tailed deer.

North Dakota’s two-day youth waterfowl weekend Sept. 17-18. In addition, the special veteran and active military personnel waterfowl season is set for the same weekend.

In other hunting news, Leier says grouse reports have been positive locally and the Sandhill Crane Season opens Sept. 17 and runs through Nov. 13. Limits are three daily and nine in possession in unit 1 (west of U.S. Highway 281), and two daily and six in possession in unit 2 (east of U.S. Highway 281). Shooting hours are a half-hour before sunrise to 2 p.m. each day.

Hunters are urged to use caution and identify birds to prevent shooting at endangered whooping cranes as they begin their fall migration.

You can find more information at gf.nd.gov.

Catch Doug Leier talk the great outdoors with JD in the Morning on Big Dog 95.5 FM every Thursday at 7:40 AM.