MITCHELL -- Kaleb Crownover carefully aimed his .243 rifle at the emerging doe, focused on getting his first kill as a mentored hunter.

The 10-year-old Tyndall resident had prepared for this moment by getting familiar with the rifle's recoil on his family's farm, a process that left him with a black-and-blue mark on his forehead, but also the confidence to take to the field with his father, Todd.

After the 65-pound Kaleb dropped the deer, Todd said the sense of accomplishment was almost palpable.

"You can tell by that boy's smile that he was very happy," said Todd, who acted as Kaleb's mentor for the hunt. "He was on the phone for about 20 minutes to every grandparent and aunt and uncle telling them he got his first deer."

Kaleb is one of more than 1,900 youth to participate in mentored big-game hunting in South Dakota since the program's inception in 2008. South Dakota law allows 10-and 11-year-olds to hunt with a mentored, provided the mentor is at least 17, has a hunter safety certification and a valid license for the game being hunted.

Only one firearm may be carried between the mentored hunter and the adult mentor, although mentors can carry a weapon if they're licensed for a concurrent season in progress or if they have a concealed pistol permit.

Tom Kirschenmann, chief of terrestrial resources for the state Department of Game, Fish and Parks, said 1,612 mentored hunting licenses have been issued for deer. There were 280 issued out for antelope, 422 for spring turkey and 353 for fall turkey.

Mentors can purchase one of each for a mentored hunter.

The mentored youth program also allows the hunting of smaller game pheasants, for instance but Kirschenmann last week did not have exact participation statistics on small-game hunts because those licenses are obtained by the mentor. However, he estimates that approximately 2,500 youth participated in the mentored hunting program in 2009.

The total number of licenses issued doesn't match the total number of youth participants, since some children hunted more than one type of game, Kirschenmann said.

Mentored hunters need no special license to hunt waterfowl. A mentor must only have the proper South Dakota hunting license, federal waterfowl stamp and migratory bird certification.

Of the more than 1,900 youth that participated in the program, 34 percent were 10 years old and 49 percent were 11.

The rest were children between the ages of 12 and 15 who had not yet taken the HuntSAFE class, even though they were old enough to be eligible.

Kirschenmann said he's pleased with participation numbers. The program, he said, could be bringing new life to hunting in South Dakota.

"This is an opportunity to get them out, get them the experience and get them exposed," Kirschenmann said. "We look at it as a recruitment tool to getting youth interested in the sport of hunting and conservation."

Kirschenmann said he does not know of any violations or injuries associated with the mentored hunting program.

"We've heard nothing but positive responses to the opportunity to take these youth out," Kirschenmann said.

Todd Crownover, a GF&P wildlife conservation officer for Bon Homme County, said he's mentored three children, including his son, since the program began.

To Crownover, the program allows children to build confidence and respect for firearms as well as develop an appreciation for hunting and the outdoors.

One of the children Crownover mentored simply appreciates the chance to experience nature, even if it can be a little unsettling at times.

"He doesn't care if he kills anything or not. He's just amazed by being outdoors," Crownover said. "We actually had a full cottonwood uproot and crash while we were sitting there. I've never heard something so loud in my life.

"Every day is an adventure."