§ 11-0929. Hunting by minors.

1. A licensee who is twelve or thirteen years of age shall not hunt wildlife with a gun or a longbow unless he or she is accompanied by his or her parent or legal guardian, or by a person twenty-one years of age or older designated in writing by his or her parent or legal guardian on a form prescribed by the department, who holds a hunting license. A licensee who is twelve or thirteen years of age shall not hunt with a crossbow.

2. A licensee who is fourteen or fifteen years of age shall not:

a. hunt wildlife with a gun, crossbow or longbow, other than wild deer or bear as provided in paragraph b of this subdivision, unless he or she is accompanied by his or her parent or legal guardian holding a hunting license, or by a person eighteen years of age or older, designated in writing by his or her parent or legal guardian, holding such license;

b. hunt wild deer or bear with a crossbow or gun unless:

(1) he or she is accompanied by his or her parent or a legal guardian, or a youth mentor who is twenty-one years of age or older designated in writing by the parent or legal guardian of the licensee on a form prescribed by the department; and

(2) such parent, guardian or youth mentor has had at least three years of experience in hunting big game; and

(3) such parent, guardian or youth mentor holds a hunting license; and

(4) such parent, guardian or youth mentor maintains physical control over the minor he or she is accompanying at all times while hunting; and

(5) such parent, guardian or youth mentor and the minor he or she is accompanying remain at ground level at all times while hunting; and

(6) such parent, guardian or youth mentor and the minor he or she is accompanying shall each display either a minimum total of two hundred fifty square inches of solid fluorescent orange or pink or patterned fluorescent orange or pink consisting of no less than fifty percent fluorescent orange or pink material worn above the waist and visible from all directions, or a hat or cap with no less than fifty percent of the exterior consisting of solid fluorescent orange or pink material and visible from all directions. For purposes of this paragraph, "physical control" shall mean that the physical proximity of the minor to the parent, guardian or youth mentor is such that the parent, guardian or youth mentor is reasonably able to issue verbal directions and instructions, maintain constant visual contact, and otherwise provide guidance and supervision to the minor.

3. A licensee who is sixteen or seventeen years of age and who has not previously had a license which authorizes the holder to hunt big game issued to him or her and engaged in hunting pursuant to it shall not hunt deer or bear unless he or she is accompanied by his or her parent or legal guardian, or by a person designated in writing by his or her parent or legal guardian on a form prescribed by the department and who is eighteen years of age or older and who has had at least one year's experience in hunting deer or bear, and such accompanying parent, guardian or person holds a hunting license.

4. A hunting licensee with a bowhunting privilege, who is fourteen or fifteen years of age, shall not hunt deer or bear unless he or she is accompanied by his or her parent or legal guardian, or by a person designated in writing by his or her parent or legal guardian on a form prescribed by the department who is eighteen years of age or older and who has had at least one year's experience in hunting deer or bear by longbow, and such accompanying parent, guardian or person holds a hunting license with a bowhunting privilege.

5. A hunting licensee with a bowhunting privilege, who is twelve or thirteen years of age, shall not hunt deer or bear unless:

(a) he or she is accompanied by his or her parent or legal guardian, or by a person designated in writing by his or her parent or legal guardian on a form prescribed by the department who is twenty-one years of age or older and

(b) such parent, guardian or person has had at least three year's experience in hunting deer or bear by longbow and

(c) such parent, guardian or person holds a hunting license and

(d) such parent, guardian or person maintains physical control over the minor he or she is accompanying at all times while hunting. For the purposes of this paragraph "physical control" shall mean that the physical proximity of the minor to the parent, guardian or person is such that the parent, guardian or person is reasonably able to issue verbal directions and instructions, maintain constant visual contact, and otherwise provide guidance and supervision to the minor.