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New Jersey Apprentice Hunting Bills Reintroducedon

U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance

Columbus, OH --(Ammoland.com)- Senate Bill 1083, sponsored by Senator Bob Smith (D- Piscataway), and Assembly Bill 1544, sponsored by Assemblyman John J Burzichelli (D- Paulsboro), would allow youth ages 10 and older and adults to hunt under an apprentice hunting license.

The license would allow new hunters to try hunting under the mentorship of an experienced adult before completing a hunter education course.

“Apprentice hunting licenses have been a cornerstone of the Families Afield program and our efforts to boost hunter recruitment across the country,” said Jeremy Rine, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance in-house counsel and associate director of state services. “The try-before-you-buy concept has a proven track record of safely recruiting new hunters. New Jersey sportsmen are encouraged to contact their state assembly person and their state senator and ask them to support the future of hunting by passing these bills.”

Research has shown that not only is apprentice hunting successful at safely recruiting new hunters but that apprentice hunters are some of the safest in the woods.

The Families Afield initiative was established by the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, and the National Wild Turkey Federation to bring a new generation of sportsmen to the field. Along with the National Rifle Association and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, the coalition has worked to pass measures in 32 states with more than 600,000 apprentice or mentored hunting licenses sold since the program’s inception.

Take Action! New Jersey sportsmen should contact their state assembly person and senator and ask them to support Senate Bill 1083 and House Bill 1544. Tell them apprentice hunting licenses have been shown across the country to be a safe and successful way to recruit new hunters.

To find your state senator’s contact information, use the USSA Legislative Action Center at www.ussportsmen.org/lac.

About:
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organizations that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. Visit www.ussportsmen.org.

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Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- A workgroup comprised of conservation groups and youth hunters presented recommendations for regulations for mentored youth hunting in Michigan to the Michigan Natural Resources Commission at a recent meeting.

Earlier this year, Governor Rick Snyder signed two bills into law that eliminated the minimum hunting age in Michigan and directed the NRC to create a new program for mentored youth hunting for children under the age of 10.

Under the statute, the Department of Natural Resources will offer a Mentored Youth Hunting license starting on March 1, 2012. The $7.50 license will be a “package” license that includes small game, spring and fall turkey, two deer tags, a furbearer trapping permit and an all-species fishing license. An adult mentor must be at least 21 years old, have previous hunting experience and possess a valid Michigan hunting license. Another provision of the law allows 10 year-olds to hunt big game on private land with a firearm, which was implemented starting with the 2011 deer season.

The workgroup recommendations for the Mentored Youth Hunting program include:

• No limit on the number of youth a mentor can have with him or her in the field, leaving it at the discretion of the mentor.
• A limit of two hunting devices – bow, crossbow or firearm – per mentor.
• The youth in possession of a hunting device and engaged in the act of hunting must be within arm’s length of the mentor.
• The mentor shall ensure that the hunting device is sized appropriately to fit the physical abilities of the youth to ensure safe and responsible handling.
• The mentor will be held responsible for the youth’s actions.
• The issued deer tags under the Mentored Youth Hunting license can be used for either sex (antlered or antlerless), are not subject to antler point restriction regulations in certain parts of the state and can only be used on private land, consistent with current state law.
• A voluntary Mentor Guide program will be developed by the DNR to educate and inform mentors of their responsibilities.

The NRC has directed the DNR to come forward with a Wildlife Conservation Order to create the regulations for Mentored Youth Hunting at the Jan. 12 meeting in Lansing. The order would be eligible for an NRC vote at the Feb. 9 meeting in Dearborn. Public comment on the proposed regulations can be made at the January or February meeting. Written comments can be sent to the NRC’s executive assistant Deb Whipple at whippled1@michigan.gov or via US Mail to Natural Resources Commission, P.O. Box 30028, Lansing, MI 48909.

For more information on the NRC, including agendas and past meeting minutes, go to www.michigan.gov/nrc.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.

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