WI: Restrictions on Hunter Age Repealed

Ammoland ^ | 23 November 2017 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

The Wisconsin legislature continues to reform old hunting and gun laws. Most states do not impose a limit on the age at which people can start hunting. Wisconsin was one of those few.

For millennium, hunters were started hunting when their parents thought they were mature enough to do so.

Wisconsin has returned to that tradition. The reform allows parents to take their children hunting at ages less than 10. Children are individuals and highly variable.

Some children will be responsible and capable of instruction at less than 10. Other children may remain irresponsible all of their lives.  Parents are in a far better position to determine children's capacities than the government is.

From KCCI.com:

Gov. Scott Walker signed four sportsman bills Saturday, including Assembly Bill 455 , which will allow children of any age to hunt with guns.

The bill also eliminates the current limit of one hunting device that a mentor and a mentee may have while hunting.

Thirty-four states have no minimum hunting age, according to the Wisconsin Hunters' Rights Coalition.

Bill AB 455 passed the Wisconsin Assembly 57 to 32. It passed the Senate 21 to 12. It was signed into law on November 11, 2017, in time for the Wisconsin deer season that starts on 18 November this year. Here is the relevant text of AB 455.  From wisconsin.gov:

[marktwain]

We have allowed the State to have much to much influence on how our children are raised.

[riverrunner]

A very good thing.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I bought my son his first rifle when he was eight years old.
He was allowed to keep the boy’s rifle in his closet.
I kept the bolt in another bedroom.

[T-Bone Texan]

"...Some children will be responsible and capable of instruction at less than 10. Other children may remain irresponsible all of their lives..."

I was irresponsible until I was 25. Then something clicked.

[WKUHilltopper]

The “state” owns the children. You only get to pay for them.

[Clutch Martin]

Pops signed us up for a formal (thorough) NRA course with range time. We shot targets until 16 then went hunting with firearms after the old man deemed us ready. The sisters weren’t interested in the hunting.

Other activities included fishing, hiking, camping, Field Archery, swim team, BSA (BC). It was a full course of instruction.

I repeated the process with my own.

[Wonder Warthog]

LOL. These folks would probably stroke out over the multitude of pictures published in the weekly newspaper from my south Louisiana home town, and showing boys AND GIRLS posed with "their first deer" and including both deer and the firearm used. The youngest seems to be around 8 years.

Paper is "The Pointe Coupee Banner".