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U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance

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

The apprentice license allows new hunters to try hunting under the mentor-ship of an experienced adult before completing a hunter education course.

A hearing for the bill has been scheduled for Thursday, February 9th at 10:00 a.m. in Committee Room 10 on the 3rd Floor of the State House Annex in Trenton. The bill is in the Senate Committee on Environment and Energy. New Jersey sportsmen and women should contact the members of the Committee today and ask them to support Senate Bill 1083. Tell them that apprentice hunting is vital to the future of our outdoor heritage.

“Families Afield has a nationwide track record of safely recruiting new hunters through apprentice hunting licenses,” said Jeremy Rine, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance in-house counsel and associate director of state services. “This try-before-you-buy concept helps to boost hunter recruitment and retention, while keeping our hunting heritage alive for the next generation.”

Apprentice hunting licenses have been a hallmark of the Families Afield initiative across the country. 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.
Companion legislation, House Bill 1544, is pending before the Assembly Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Take Action! New Jersey sportsmen should contact members of the Senate Environment and Energy Committee today and ask them to support Senate Bill 1083. Tell them apprentice hunting licenses have been shown across the country to be a safe and successful way to recruit new hunters.

Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources

• Chairman Bob Smith (D- Piscataway) – Bill Sponsor
  Phone: (732) 752-0770 Email: senbsmith@njleg.org
• Vice Chair Senator Linda R. Greenstein (D- Plainsboro)
  Phone: (609) 395-9911 Email: sengreenstein@njleg.org
• Senator Christopher Bateman (R- Somerville)
  Phone: (908) 526-3600 Email: senbateman@njleg.org
• Senator Jennifer Beck (R- Red Bank)
  Phone: (732) 933-1591 Email: senbeck@njleg.org
• Senator Jim Whelan (D- Atlantic City)
  Phone: (609) 383-1388 Email: senwhelan@njleg.org

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.

Filed under: Gun Rights News, Hunting News by Ammoland No Comments »

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.

Filed under: Hunting News by Ammoland No Comments »