The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is offering a draw for an apprentice deer hunt on the San Antonio Valley Ecological Reserve.            

Two hunters holding valid Junior Hunting Licenses will be chosen through a lottery and allowed to hunt for two days on the weekend of Sept. 22 and 23.

To qualify for a Junior Hunting License for the 2012-13 season, applicants must have purchased this year’s license prior to turning 16.

The draw is being held in cooperation with the California Deer Association (CDA).

Applications will be accepted until Aug. 31, and successful applicants will be notified by Sept. 10.

For information on how to apply and more details about the hunt, visit http://www.dfg.ca.gov/delta/hunts/SanAntonio/ .

The hunts are open to current valid Junior Hunting License holders only.

Participants must attend a mandatory orientation scheduled on the first day of the hunt and be in possession of a Junior Hunting License and zone A tag deer hunting tag.

An adult chaperone 18 years or older must accompany each hunter but may not hunt.

Applicants are advised that this hunt is within the designated Condor Range and therefore ammunition must be certified “lead free.”

Located in eastern Santa Clara County, the pristine 3,000-acre San Antonio Valley Ecological Reserve is home to deer, tule elk, wild pigs and a host of other wildlife species.

The area is only open for scheduled events such as this one, and all hunting will be on foot from designated access points.