06/15/2005
Minnesota Lawmakers Give Youth More Chances to Hunt
There's good news for young people who want to hunt wild turkeys in Minnesota. Governor Tim Pawlenty recently signed HF847, a bill both houses of the legislature passed unanimously that removed the minimum age for turkey hunters.
Before the new law, hunters had to be at least 12-years-old to apply for a turkey hunting permit. That's the age when residents of Minnesota are eligible to take the Hunter Education Certification course. Under the new law, hunters younger than 12 can hunt, but it must be with an adult who is certified in hunter education. Because turkey permits are drawn on a lottery basis, the adult is not required to be a licensed hunter.
"My three kids are very excited," said Tom Erickson, East Metro Full Fans chapter president of the National Wild Turkey Federation. "They're all younger than 12 and can't wait to turkey hunt with me. The law is written so that my young hunters can learn first hand how to be safe while they're still interested. They've all been turkey hunting with me before, and they loved it. We're going to apply for a fall turkey permit for my 10-year-old son, Joshua."
A recent report shows removing the minimum age requirement is a safe decision - one that will provide opportunities for Minnesota's youth to enjoy one of the nation's oldest traditions.
"I was asked to testify before both houses of the legislature about how safe young hunters really are," said Tom Glines, NWTF's regional director in Minnesota. "They listened to the numbers from the report and decided that young hunters are very safe when they learn from adult mentors. The house and the senate passed the bill unanimously and the governor signed it. They all understand that when young hunters learn from experienced hunters, really good things happen."
The Youth Hunting Report, compiled and analyzed by Silvertip Productions and the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, shows that young hunters, supervised by an adult mentor, have one of the lowest injury rates of all hunters. The report was funded by the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the NWTF. The NWTF has led the charge in promoting youth hunting opportunities and has teamed up with the USSA and NSSF to do just that. To download your copy of the report, click here.
The move in Minnesota to remove age requirements is applauded by the NWTF, NSSF and the USSA. The three groups cooperated to develop a program called Families Afield, the goal of which is to remove barriers for youth hunters across the nation.
"The most important factor affecting youth hunting safety is the presence of a responsible, attentive adult hunter, which is often a parent," said Jim Wentz of Silvertip Productions. "The research shows that supervised young hunters are the safest even in states that don't restrict hunting based on age."
For information about youth hunting or the NWTF, call (800) THE-NWTF or email webmaster@nwtf.net.
