Jerry LaBella (Admin)
01-28-2007, 09:27 AM
Families Afield Effort to Boost Hunter Recruitment Making Strides in Nebraska and North Dakota- (01/28)
North Dakota
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Lawmakers in two Plains States are working with sportsmen to pass bills that will tear down age restrictions and other barriers that prevent people from hunting.
The effort is part of the national Families Afield campaign, established by the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), and National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) to urge states to review and eliminate unnecessary hunting age restrictions and ease hunter education mandates. The National Rifle Association is also supporting the effort in both states.
On Jan. 23, North Dakota HB 1149 was approved by the House Natural Resources Committee, 12 to 2. The bill will lower the age for deer hunters from 14 to 12 year old. House Bill 1149 is sponsored by Rep. Donald Dietrich, R-Grand Forks; Rep. Ron Carlisle, R-Bismarck; Rep. Dawn Marie Charging, R-Garrison; Rep. Darrell Nottestad, R-Grand Forks; Rep. Dan Ruby, R-Minot; and Sen. Stanley Lyson, R-Williston.
On Jan. 17, Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer, I-Valentine, introduced LB 690. The bill creates an apprentice hunting license that will allow newcomers to the sport to hunt under the supervision of licensed hunters who are 19 years or older before completing a hunter education course. An apprentice license will be valid for one year, and may be renewed one time before a hunter education course is required.
Under the proposed apprentice license program, children ages 10 and 11 may hunt deer with a mentor. Legislative Bill 690 will also remove wild turkeys from the big game list. Since Nebraska has no minimum age requirement for small game hunting, turkey hunting will become a part of the outdoor tradition that parents and mentors can share with children any age.
The USSA, NSSF, and NWTF are working with a coalition of sportsmen’s organizations, including the Nebraska Bowhunters Association, and local chapters of Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, Izaak Walton League of America, and Whitetails Unlimited to ensure the state’s sportsmen take grassroots action and support LB 690. These groups support the concept that newcomers to outdoor sports should have the opportunity to experience hunting before making large investments of time and money in equipment and training.
To date, Families Afield legislation and regulations have been approved in 12 states. Michigan and Ohio Families Afield campaigns established apprentice hunting programs. First-year results appear extremely promising. More than 17,500 apprentice licenses were sold in Michigan, plus over 9,500 in Ohio, during 2006.
Families Afield was developed after results of a study, called the Youth Hunting Report, showed that youngsters are less likely to take up hunting in states that have more restrictive requirements for youth participation. However, states that have removed barriers to youth hunting have a much higher youth recruitment rate.
Studies have also shown that supervised youth are the safest class of hunters.
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organizations. It protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, www.ussportsmen.org (http://www.ussportsmen.org).
North Dakota
Join our e-mail alert list
Lawmakers in two Plains States are working with sportsmen to pass bills that will tear down age restrictions and other barriers that prevent people from hunting.
The effort is part of the national Families Afield campaign, established by the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), and National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) to urge states to review and eliminate unnecessary hunting age restrictions and ease hunter education mandates. The National Rifle Association is also supporting the effort in both states.
On Jan. 23, North Dakota HB 1149 was approved by the House Natural Resources Committee, 12 to 2. The bill will lower the age for deer hunters from 14 to 12 year old. House Bill 1149 is sponsored by Rep. Donald Dietrich, R-Grand Forks; Rep. Ron Carlisle, R-Bismarck; Rep. Dawn Marie Charging, R-Garrison; Rep. Darrell Nottestad, R-Grand Forks; Rep. Dan Ruby, R-Minot; and Sen. Stanley Lyson, R-Williston.
On Jan. 17, Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer, I-Valentine, introduced LB 690. The bill creates an apprentice hunting license that will allow newcomers to the sport to hunt under the supervision of licensed hunters who are 19 years or older before completing a hunter education course. An apprentice license will be valid for one year, and may be renewed one time before a hunter education course is required.
Under the proposed apprentice license program, children ages 10 and 11 may hunt deer with a mentor. Legislative Bill 690 will also remove wild turkeys from the big game list. Since Nebraska has no minimum age requirement for small game hunting, turkey hunting will become a part of the outdoor tradition that parents and mentors can share with children any age.
The USSA, NSSF, and NWTF are working with a coalition of sportsmen’s organizations, including the Nebraska Bowhunters Association, and local chapters of Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, Izaak Walton League of America, and Whitetails Unlimited to ensure the state’s sportsmen take grassroots action and support LB 690. These groups support the concept that newcomers to outdoor sports should have the opportunity to experience hunting before making large investments of time and money in equipment and training.
To date, Families Afield legislation and regulations have been approved in 12 states. Michigan and Ohio Families Afield campaigns established apprentice hunting programs. First-year results appear extremely promising. More than 17,500 apprentice licenses were sold in Michigan, plus over 9,500 in Ohio, during 2006.
Families Afield was developed after results of a study, called the Youth Hunting Report, showed that youngsters are less likely to take up hunting in states that have more restrictive requirements for youth participation. However, states that have removed barriers to youth hunting have a much higher youth recruitment rate.
Studies have also shown that supervised youth are the safest class of hunters.
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organizations. It protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, www.ussportsmen.org (http://www.ussportsmen.org).