05/08/2007
Novice Hunters Have New Opportunities Afield in Washington
WASHINGTON — Novice hunters in Washington have the chance to hunt under the supervision of an adult before completing a hunter education course, since Gov. Christine Gregoire recently signed House Bill 1249 into law.
The law permits a novice hunter to obtain a one-time, one-year hunter education completion deferral before hunting. A Washington-licensed hunter who has held a Washington hunting license for three years prior and is over 18 years of age must accompany the novice. The law takes effect in July of this year.
"I knew several states had passed similar bills and thought it would be good for the people of Washington," said Rep. Brian Blake (D-19th Legislative District), the bill's prime sponsor. "This law allows novices to experience the excitement of hunting and the outdoors and hopefully many will become passionate about hunting."
Mentored hunting 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."
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, 13 states have approved Families Afield legislation and regulations and six 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 13 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
Washington
