03/29/2007
Removing Hunting Barriers in Maine
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AUGUSTA, Maine — Legislation that would introduce novices to hunting and increase the number of hunters is currently in the Maine state legislature.
House Paper 370 would create an apprenticeship license, which would allow a person aged 16 or older without a hunting license to hunt for one year. The apprentice would be required to hunt under the supervision of a licensed hunter who is 18 or older.
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
How to Get Involved
To show support for HP 370, Maine sportsmen should contact members of the Joint Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Explain that a "try before you buy" apprentice hunting program will help bolster the state's hunter numbers and ensure its hunting traditions.
Mail comments to: Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 100 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0100. For a sample letter to lawmakers, use the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance Legislative Action Center www.congressweb.com.
Sportsmen who want to support the enactment of Families Afield laws and regulations in their states can use the Legislative Action Center on the USSA Web site, www.ussportsmen.org. The resource allows visitors to find and send messages to their lawmakers regarding Families Afield and other legislative issues.
