03/06/2007
Introduce a Young Person to Hunting in Illinois
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ILLINOIS — Thanks to a new apprentice hunting license program, young and novice resident hunters in Illinois can turkey hunt with an adult mentor this spring before they complete a hunter education course.
Illinois' apprentice hunting license exempts a hunter age 10 or older from the requirement of completing the mandatory hunter education course for the current license year. Novice hunters ages 10-17 must hunt with a parent, grandparent or guardian who has a valid Illinois resident hunting license. Those 18 and older may buy an apprentice license and go hunting with any family member or friend who is a validly licensed Illinois resident hunter.
The apprentice hunting license may only be purchased once. Before the young hunter becomes fully licensed, he or she would be required to complete a hunter education course.
Mentored hunting and reducing and eliminating age barriers that prevent people from hunting are key components of the Families Afield program. A partnership of the National Wild Turkey Federation, the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, Families Afield uses data from the Youth Hunting Report to help remove youth hunting barriers across the nation.
"Allowing young people to safely experience hunting with a mentor is the best way to make them appreciative of the hunting tradition," said Rob Keck, NWTF CEO. "Getting them interested in hunting at an early age will not only prepare them for hunter education courses, but lays the foundation for being good conservationists."
So far, many are taking advantage of the program, purchasing nearly 1,300 apprentice hunting licenses since the program began last fall.
The Youth Hunting Report, written by Silvertip Productions, USSA and Southwick Associates Inc., found that some states experience better recruitment and retention of new hunters than others. They do so by permitting parents to decide when their sons and daughters are ready to hunt, and allow potential hunters to try hunting under the watchful eye of a mentor before completing a hunter education course.
The Youth Hunting Report also shows youth hunters are the safest hunters in the woods when accompanied by an adult. The findings were peer reviewed for statistical validity by the Triad Research Group. For more information on hunting safety data and the Youth Hunting Report, log on to www.familiesafield.org.
To date, Families Afield legislation and regulations have been approved in 12 states. In addition to Michigan, Ohio also established an apprentice hunting program. First-year results appear extremely promising. Combined, more than 28,000 apprentice hunting licenses have been sold in the two states since the programs began in 2006. These 28,000 new hunters suggest a 26 percent jump in the two states' combined population of hunters age 15 and under.
The 12 states that have changed laws and regulations to create additional hunting opportunities for youth and novice hunters are:
Florida
Illinois
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Utah
