Hunter Recruitment Bill On The Move In Michigan
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Hunter Recruitment Bill On The Move In Michigan





(Lansing) – Legislation designed to promote hunter recruitment in Michigan is on the move in the legislature.

Today, the House Conservation, Forestry and Outdoor Recreation Committee unanimously passed SB 1105, sponsored by Sen. Michelle McManus, R-Leelanau, and co-chair of the Michigan State Sportsmen’s Caucus. The bill creates an apprentice hunting license which allows people to hunt under direct supervision of a licensed adult hunter before completing hunter education training. To become fully licensed and hunt alone, the new hunter must complete a hunter education course. Senate Bill 1105 now goes to the House for a floor vote, after which it will return to the Senate for agreement on changes made in the House.

The bill is part of Families Afield, a program designed by the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA), National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) to recruit young hunters into the sport by lowering or eliminating unnecessary age restrictions.

The Youth Hunting Report, a study commissioned by the USSA, NSSF and NWTF, found that states which permit parents to decide when their children begin to hunt, and states which allow potential hunters to try hunting under the watchful eye of a mentor before completing a hunter education course, experience better recruitment and retention of new hunters. More importantly, these states produce safety statistics that are better than states with high restrictions.

Michigan is second only to New York as the most restrictive state in the country.

Another Families Afield Bill, HB 5192, sponsored by Rep. Scott Hummel, R-DeWitt, is currently awaiting agreement in the Michigan House of Representatives to changes made by the Senate. The bill lowers the big game hunting minimum age from 14 to 12 and the small game hunting minimum age from 12 to 10. Agreement is expected soon, after which the bill will go to Gov. Jennifer Granholm for her signature.

Families Afield legislation has been adopted in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota, Illinois, Utah and Mississippi. Like these states, Michigan has a rich hunting heritage, yet hunter recruitment is waning due to restrictive regulations placed on the ages at which a person can begin to hunt. Families Afield gives parents the opportunity to decide when their child is ready to hunt, rather than have the government set an arbitrary age minimum.

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance 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.
US Sportmens Alliance on Target

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