12/13/2006
Kentucky Removes Youth Hunting Barriers
KENTUCKY — Young hunters in the Bluegrass State are the most recent to benefit from the Families Afield program after the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission passed two measures to open doors for young hunters.
The first measure establishes a one-year, non-renewable exemption from hunter education classes when the novice hunter is accompanied by an adult mentor. The mentor must be a licensed hunter at least 18 years old. The second measure raises the age at which young hunters must take a hunter education course prior to hunting from 10 to 12 years old.
"We feel the two measures passed by the KFWC will encourage more young people to experience hunting with their parents or other adult mentors," said Joe Bland, National Wild Turkey Federation board member and Kentucky resident. "By removing barriers to youth hunting in the state, the commission is ensuring the rich tradition of hunting remains strong."
The NWTF has led the charge to remove youth hunting barriers, and has teamed up with the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance to do just that. Using data from the Youth Hunting Report, the three organizations joined forces to remove youth hunting barriers across the nation through the Families Afield initiative.
Hunter recruitment and retention is at the heart of the Families Afield initiative. The Youth Hunting Report, written by Silvertip Productions, USSA and Southwick Associates Inc., shows that for every 100 hunters who leave the sport, only 69 take their place. One reason for the decline in a sport with such rich traditions is the barriers in place that prevent young hunters from going afield with an adult mentor.
"Through the Families Afield initiative, youth hunting restrictions have been reduced or eliminated making it easier for young people to go afield, without sacrificing safety," Keck said. "The Youth Hunting Report shows that young hunters, when accompanied by an adult, are the safest hunters in the field."
In Michigan and Ohio — two states where Families Afield legislation was passed earlier this year — more than 27,000 apprentice licenses already have been sold.
"The license sales data from Ohio and Michigan clearly shows that young hunters want the opportunity to spend time afield with their families," Keck said. "This is a great victory not only for Families Afield, but for hunters across the nation. Young hunters are the future of conservation, and by removing barriers at the state level, we're ensuring our hunting heritage remains strong."
For more information about Families Afield, and to download your copy of the Youth Hunting Report, visit www.familiesafield.org.
