Posted on 11/28/2005 10:20:39 AM PST by kiriath_jearim
Should kids be allowed to hunt?
Hunters disagree over program for children younger than 12
By TERESA ANN BOECKEL Daily Record/Sunday News
Dennis Freed wrapped his arm around his 9-year-old daughter's shoulders at a rifle range in Warrington Township Friday as he taught her how to shoot for the first time.
Julia Freed nestled the .22-caliber rifle to her shoulder, looked through the scope and squeezed the trigger. She pulled the bolt back, popped out the shell, then shot again.
Her 33-year-old dad was impressed when they inspected the target a few minutes later. She didn't hit the bull's eye, but she had a cluster of seven or eight shots in the same spot.
"That's better than what I was doing," Dennis Freed said.
Julia and her 11-year-old sister, Brittnie, can't wait to hunt with their dad, but Pennsylvania law doesn't allow children under the age of 12 to participate in the sport.
That could change, though, if lawmakers approve new legislation for a mentored youth hunting program.
Concerned about the declining number of Pennsylvania hunters, several hunting and wildlife organizations have proposed allowing a child under the age of 12 to hunt with a trained adult who is 21 or older.
The program would have rules, such as that the mentor and child would share one weapon, intended to ensure safety.
Children develop interests early
Supporters say the program would allow children to develop the love of hunting at a younger age and grow with the sport.
By the time children reach the age of 12, they already have developed other interests, such as soccer, and lead busy lives, said Melody Zullinger, executive director of the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs.
The changing family structure - with single-parent households or both parents working - makes it difficult to introduce hunting, too.
For every 100 hunters who leave the sport, the state is gaining only 62 new ones, according to youth hunting report by the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance.
It has identified Pennsylvania as a "very restrictive" state, falling below the national average of 69 new hunters for every 100 lost.
The report says if the number of hunters continues to decrease, fewer licenses will be purchased, which will hurt wildlife management efforts. The economy will be affected as well, with hunters spending less money.
Dennis Freed, of Butler Township, Adams County said he thinks the mentored youth hunting program is a good idea. Some states, such as Maryland, already allow younger children to hunt.
An 8-year-old girl there shot the first black bear of the season, according to news reports.
The earlier children get out, the more respect they will have for nature and guns, Freed said.
His girls need more practice shooting, he said, but, "I really think they could go out now."
Julia and Brittnie like the idea, but Julia thinks a line should be drawn for the age.
"I'd say definitely no younger than 8 because some kids are not that responsible with guns," she said.
How low should the age go?
Some hunters think children shouldn't start hunting until they are 12 or older.
Charles Moye Jr. of York is one. At 12 years old, children are starting to mature and can use some judgment.
"You've got some people that are going to bring their kids out as young as they can just to say, 'My kid got one at 6 years old,'" he said. "That's entirely too young."
Charles Smith, 70, of Springettsbury Township, said he quit hunting years ago because he didn't feel it was safe anymore. He thinks the minimum age should be 21.
Hunting organizations argue that the sport is safe. It ranks 29th - behind football, ice hockey and cheerleading - in a comprehensive study of sports injuries in the United States, according to the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance's report. The study examined more than 100 sports and activities, and the number of injuries for every 100 participants.
In studying youth hunting shootings in 2002, most occurred without the presence of an adult supervisor, the report says.
Ron Roth, 43, of Arendtsville, Adams County, said he would prefer that youths go through a hunter safety education course before going out with a mentor. That has not been proposed.
While the mentor would be helping to guide the youth, the child should have first-hand knowledge of safety, such as what they are shooting at, what's behind the target and how to use a gun.
Some question where the age limit would be drawn.
Mark Eppley, 39, of Monroe Township, Cumberland County, said he likes the idea, but he doesn't know that anyone under 10 should be out hunting.
"You have to have a little bit of patience to be able to sit for an hour or two in one spot," he said.
State Rep. Bruce Smith, R-Dillsburg, said he wants to see the wording of the proposed legislation before making a decision. He, too, is concerned about the age limit and how it could affect the perception of the game commission and hunting. Smith is head of the House of Representatives' Game and Fisheries Committee.
The Board of the Pennsylvania Game Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution this month in support of a mentored youth hunting program.
Jerry Feaser, Game Commission spokesman, said the program isn't just about bagging game.
It's about teaching children to look for buck rubs, how to track animals and even distinguishing between a red oak leaf and a white one, he said.
Program facts Here are some quick facts about what is being proposed for a Mentored Youth Hunting Program:
· To create a one-on-one hunting experience, the program would consist of one adult, one child and one weapon.
· The parent would determine when a child is ready.
· The minimum age of the mentor would be 21.
· The youth would have to be within arm's length of the mentor at all times while hunting.
· The mentor would carry the weapon while walking.
· What children would be able to hunt - deer, squirrels, turkey or other animals - has not been determined. Seasons and bag limits likely would be set by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
· Two videos explaining the program would be produced - one for a public service announcement and the other for mentors.
Rifle deer season
Where: Statewide When: Monday through Dec. 10 What can be harvested: One antlered deer (with restrictions) per hunting license. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license. Antler restrictions: This is the fourth year of antler restrictions. In most of the state, for an antlered deer to be shot legally, it must have three or more points on one antler. In the Wildlife Management Units in western Pennsylvania, a deer must have four or more points on one antler. A point is defined as any antler projection (including the brow tine) at least 1 inch in length from base to tip. The main beam tip is counted as a point, regardless of length. Last year's Pennsylvania harvest: 409,320 deer Report your kill tothe Daily Record/Sunday News To have your deer kill published, send a fax to 771-2009, an e-mail to cotto@ydr.com or call 771-2064. Please include the hunter's full name and hometown, a short description of the deer, including number of points, and when and where the animal was shot.
My 11 year old took a hunter training safety class when he was 10. He scored higher on the written portion of the test than most of the adults in the class. He can outshoot me with his BB gun. Together we go down to a gunshop in Santa Rosa and look at rifles, pistols, and shotguns and spend time discussing the merits of .38's vs 9mm's; lever action vs pump action shotguns, etc. etc.
We're planning a hunting trip together. I love the look on the face of my Buddhist convert mother in law when we talk about hunting elk and wild boar....
...meanwhile across town, PETA is protesting laws taking away a minor girl's "right" to choose....
In northern FL it is routine for business AND public offices to close for hunting season.
This is nothing but an effort to prevent children for being taught responsibility.
(sexual hedonism is ok, responsibility is bad)
A 10 year old boy shot and killed his 13 year old friend yesterday when they were deer hunting with their fathers here in NW Florida. It is a terrible tragedy for all involved. The victim was hit when he ran ahead of the group tracking a wounded buck.
but they can LEARN. It is just a question of teaching patience.
It is like saying "some kids are too fidgety to learn to walk."
You have the right idea.
A lot depends on the child and whether a parent believes he/she is ready at that age. My 12 year old grandson got 2 deer this season. His brother and sister both took deer and turkey at the age of 12.
It better to hunt legal game with your kids in a field, then to have them hunt illegal fun on their own on our city streets. I trust the parents judgment about their kids level of maturity far more then the regimented dictates of any bureaucrat. Your birth certificate says nothing about your ability to behave responsibly
Every American boy and girl should learn both.
That's so sad. I'm sorry for the families involved (prayers).
Howevever, hunting is safer than most activities these days. Most states required a hunter safety course for persons born after a certain date. I think that is why hunting fatalities are few today.
Who shot the boy?
It's good to have the skills to survive or to feed yourself if you should ever need.
Even if you don't have experience with guns, it is fun to shoot a bow, and you can use to provide food if need be.
I long for the days when high schools had rifle teams and kids would practice shooting out back. We used to take our guns to school in our cars so we could head out hunting as soon as we got out. Firearm training should be mandatory in the U.S. - at least then I'd feel like I was getting something for my school taxes.
Up here in the frozen north, my seven-year-old son has been begging me for months to get him a decent pellet gun so he can go out and get some ptarmigan or some spruce grouse. The pellet gun will arrive on his eighth birthday. Of course, he'll get lots of training about how to handle it with respect. He's also smart enough to realize that you don't give a boy a .22 until the fifth grade.
I agree with the poster from Mississippi. For an Alaskan, the question in the article just means you have no clue.
About the article: another example of the media being far, far out of touch with many of the readers they pretend to serve.
And your point is . . .?
"Some kids are just too fidgety to hunt. It isn't just how well they can shoot or knowing the safety rules."
As are some adults. That's not a rational reason to ban hunting for all kids under 12.
The problems I've seen with kids hunting can be easily traced to the irresponsibility of the adults that are supposed to be supervising them. I think making them share a weapon with the adult addresses this nicely.
The kids need to be taught to be sure of their targets and what lies beyond them. With only one gun between them the adults won't be distracted by aiming thier own gun.
I have a number of cousins who have hunted deer since they were 9. They were well supervised at the time, and I see nothing wrong with it.
When I was growing up my father had to ask adult hunters to leave our property on many occasions because he observed them behaving in unsafe ways and didn't want them anywhere near us with a loaded firearm.
The solution isn't to ban hunting. We do need to address irresponsible behavior, but banning supervised hunting for kids isn't going to do it.
The government should also not be allowed to ban hunting by kids on private property. I can understand the need for licensing to impose bag limits for proper wildlife population control, but the government has no business telling us that we can't teach our kids to hunt and shoot on our own property.
I'd definitely say no more cars, because some people can't drive worth ratpoop.
Same flawed logic.
Same socialist removal of reward for accomplishment.
I was deer hunting at 9, harvested my first deer at 11. Demonstration of good firearm handling habits and responsibility were prerequisites, hunting (and shooting) were priveleges which could be revoked for the most minor infraction, and this was understood.
Isn't that the truth? My brother taught his 2 twin grandsons to hunt as soon as they could hold a gun. They are also into fishing. They have a secret fishing hole that they will not share.
There's much about those days I long for.
Yeppers, they should!!!
Should communists be alllowed to publish their propaganda??
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