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In the last decade,
state wildlife managers have organized an array
of
youth hunts in an attempt
to win the hearts and minds of next generation
of sport hunters. From waterfowl to deer to
turkeys, today’s youth are offered a
myriad of special hunting seasons, all of which
are in mentored
settings designed to nurture and educate and
promote safety and ethics.
Whether or not these efforts pay dividends --
that is, retaining a new generation of hunters
-- is still up in the air. It is the hope here
that they will. Still, more can and should to
be done to recruit more kids into sport hunting.
They are the future.
Enter the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), the U.S. Sportsmen’s
Alliance and the National Shooting Sports Foundation. The trio is attempting
to make sport hunting more accessible to kids across the nation with an interesting
new campaign: Start ‘Em Young.
According to Rob Keck, NWTF CEO, while most states permit youth hunting, 23
restrict the age a person can hunt big game, a classification that often includes
wild
turkeys. Keck says such restrictions are the “tipping points” that
lead kids in “other directions.”
“
Introducing our children to hunting is important for several reasons,” said
Keck. “First, hunting allows families to spend time outdoors and share
quality time together. Second, research shows that those who start hunting early
in life are more likely to hunt as adults. We need those future hunters to shoulder
the costs and responsibilities of conserving the country’s wildlife habitat
after we’re gone.”
Consider: According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, youth
hunting participation declined 26 percent from 1990 to 2000. Though the decline
has stabilized
in recent years, only 25 percent of children from hunting households actively
participate in sport hunting today -- a troubling trend that officials like
Keck hope to turn around with the Start ‘Em Young campaign.
Of the 23 states that have hunting age restrictions, 16 require kids to be at
least 12 years old before they can hunt big game. The most restrictive state
-- New York -- prevents kids under age 16 from hunting big game with a firearm.
“
If a kid has to wait until 16 to hunt big game, we’ve missed our opportunity,” said
Keck on the New York restriction. “There’s too many other activities
offered to kids in today’s society. These are the type of barriers we
want to breakdown.”
But are kids too immature to start hunting at such a tender age? Keck says with
proper guidance and education, they are more than capable of handling the responsibility.
In fact, he says the states that have opened up youth hunting opportunities have
found them to be safe and positive experiences.
Take Missouri. In 2001, the Missouri Department of Conservation arranged a special
youth turkey hunt. A year later, the agency started a youth firearms deer hunt.
Kids age six to 15 were allowed to hunt with an adult who had passed a hunter
safety course.
“
There’s been a lot of public support for the youth hunts,” said one
wildlife official from the Missouri Department of Conservation. “And there
have been no hunting incidents during either of Missouri’s youth hunting
seasons since their inception.”
Despite reams of evidence that hunting is a safe pastime, due in large part
to state hunter safety courses, there still are critics of such youth hunts.
And
there always will be. Still, Keck says that increasing youth hunting opportunities
will only make the sport safer. “By getting kids started hunting earlier
doesn’t mean it will come at the expense of safety,” he said. “Mentored
youth hunting programs, with adults as supervisors, will only strengthen the
safety aspect of the hunt.”
Besides, it is ultimately the decision of the parent or guardian whether or not
their child is mature enough to hunt. Who better to make that decision?
In the coming months, Keck and other officials in the Start ‘Em Young Program
will be actively courting states that have hunting age restrictions. It’s
Keck’s hope that will be able to convince some state agencies and/or
legislators to rethink their policies.
“
Pennsylvania is one state that is leading the way right now,” said Keck. “They
may make some changes to their age restrictions as soon as early next year. And
I’m hoping that many other states will follow their lead.”
Here’s hoping they do, too.
# Editor’s note: The recent tragedy in which six deer hunters were shot
and killed in Northwest Wisconsin has saddened the entire hunting community.
At the same time, we’ve banded together by establishing a fund for the
families of the victims. Any donations would be greatly appreciated. Checks should
be made out to Hunter’s Family Fund and sent to the following address:
Safari Club International -- Lake Superior Chapter
Attention: Dale Bruder
PO Box 458
Minong, Wis., 54859
#For more information: contact Dale Bruder at (715) 466-2234.
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