08/07/2007
Apprentice Hunting Program Created in Maine
AUGUSTA, Maine —Novice hunters in Maine will have the opportunity to hunt under the supervision of an adult, thanks to legislation recently signed by Gov. John Baldacci.
Gov. Baldacci signed House Paper 370 into law, creating an apprenticeship hunter license program. The program allows anyone 16 years of age or older who does not have a hunting license to purchase an apprentice hunter license. They may then hunt with someone who is at least 18 years old and has a valid hunting license or completed a qualified hunter safety course. The apprentice license is valid for one year.
"In Maine, hunting is a great tradition, and we want to keep hunting going," said Rep. Wes Richardson, R-Warren. "There has been a decline in hunters, and hopefully something like this will have people trying it and continue a rich tradition here in Maine."
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.
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, 18 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 18 states that have changed laws and regulations to create additional hunting opportunities for youth and novice hunters are:
Florida
Illinois
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Nebraska
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Tennessee
Utah
Washington
