INDIANAPOLIS — If you know a young person who loves the outdoors, now’s the time to mark your calendar – Indiana’s Youth Deer Weekend is set for Sept. 27–28. The season gives kids a chance to experience deer hunting with parents, grandparents, or mentors.
Before heading to the woods, though, families are being encouraged to prepare early in Indiana’s new license system, called the Activity Hub. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) expects heavy online traffic on Sept. 10, 17, and 26 as hunters gear up for the weekends. To avoid any last-minute hiccups, officials recommend logging in and making sure youth accounts are properly linked ahead of time.
The new system works a little differently from the old one. If you’ve purchased licenses for a child before, you may need to reconnect their account. For kids under 13, parents or guardians will need to link their accounts to their own. Youth 13 and older will need their own account, but can still be connected so adults can purchase licenses on their behalf.
One big change: “youth” accounts now only apply to those under 13, instead of under 18 as in the past.
Taking a little time to sort things out now means less stress later—and more time to focus on making memories in the woods.
