03/26/2007
Youth Hunting Barrier Removed in Utah
 House Bill 67 Click image for print quality version |
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Utah Gov. John Huntsman Jr. removed a barrier for young hunters in his state when he signed a bill in March.
House Bill 67 lowers the age that young people are allowed to hunt big game from 14 to 12. A licensed adult at least 21 years of age must accompany the young hunter. The law takes affect July 1, 2007.
"I was pleased to be the senate sponsor of the bill because it encourages the culture of family hunting trips, helps to convert our youth to the outdoors and wise use of firearms at an earlier age," said Sen. Margaret Dayton, R-District 15. "And it was a common sense issue."
Last year, Utah removed the minimum age to hunt small game and upland game, including wild turkey. Hunters under the age of 12 have to complete the state's entire hunter education course before they can obtain a license and be accompanied by an adult age 21 or older while afield.
Reducing and eliminating age and other barriers that prevent people from hunting is a major component of Families Afield. Using data from the Youth Hunting Report, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance and the National Shooting Sports Foundation joined forces to create the Families Afield initiative.
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 onto www.familiesafield.org
"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."
To date, 12 states have approved Families Afield legislation and regulations and half of those states have already measured the program's performance and report a significant climb in new hunters. Data available from Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi and Ohio reveals that apprentice hunting license programs brought nearly 34,000 new hunters to the field without a single hunting-related shooting incident.
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
