Adults traveling with young hunters for the special youth "deer only" hunt this next hunting season will now be able to hunt themselves, but they won't be able to shoot deer.
The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission approved the change Thursday morning.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks' enforcement division asked for the change given how many other hunting seasons overlap the youth-only deer hunt like antelope, moose, and upland game bird.
The original rule stated the adult had to be a non-hunter.
"Again, we want the focus to be on taking that new hunter out, getting them an introduction to it," said Sergant Phil Kilbreath. "Giving them an opportunity to enjoy hunting. But at the same time it's difficult to enforce having a rule that somebody has to be a non-hunter."
FWP says if an adult hunter takes a deer during the youth-only deer hunt, it will be treated as any other poaching case.
