The Assembly Natural
Resources Committee
reviewed a
Substitute Amendment
to A.B. 586, Rep.
Scott Gunderson’s
Hunting Age
legislation. The
significant
provisions include
-
Mentored hunter
must be within
the grasp.
-
One weapon
between mentor
and youth.
-
Minimum age
reduced from 12
to eight.
-
Hunter education
certification
required for
mentors born
after 1/1/73.
Mark Reihl testified
on behalf of the WOA
in support of the
amended bill. There
was no opposition.
The WDNR essentially
testified in favor
of the bill. The
only objection
registered by the
DNR was requiring
hunter ed for all
mentors (our
position, as well).
This bill will pass
the committee next
week; however, it
may face amendments
on the floor or in
the Senate.
Our testimony:
Comments by the
Wisconsin Outdoors
Alliance regarding
A.B. 586 before the
Natural Resources
Committee of the
Wisconsin Assembly
December 1, 2005
Mr. Chairman, thank
you very much for
the opportunity to
address the Natural
Resources Committee.
The Wisconsin
Outdoors Alliance (WOA)
represents a diverse
membership that
seeks to unify the
voices of hunters,
trappers, anglers
and conservationists
to demonstrate both
the overwhelming
importance of
resource stewardship
and economic power
of Wisconsin's
outdoors industry.
A principle concern
of the WOA is to
help recruit and
promote hunting,
particularly among
Wisconsin’s youth.
The WOA’s commitment
is such that the
Board created a
separate, but
affiliated
Foundation. The WOA
Education
Foundation’s primary
mission, at this
time, is to develop,
promote and manage
the Wisconsin
Outdoor Education
Expo for 5,000
fourth and fifth
graders in May 2006.
This background
information is
critical to
understanding why
the WOA is here
today.
In February 2004,
the WOA became the
first statewide
organization to
endorse lowering the
hunting age. Our
position was:
-
Lower the age
from 12 to 10
-
Require a youth
hunter to be
“within the
grasp” of a
mentor
-
Require the
mentor to have
hunter safety
education
certification
-
One firearm
between mentor
and youth
This position was
based upon facts
presented about
hunter recruitment
and participation.
The most compelling
evidence reviewed by
the Board was a
study presented by
Responsive
Management.
Responsive
Management was
commissioned by the
U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service to
study the
participation of
youth 18 and under
in the outdoors.
This decade-long
study found that
youth who not
exposed to hunting
by age 12 were
unlikely to continue
actively hunting as
adults. This finding
has wide-ranging
implications for
conservation funding
and the well-being
of future
generations. It was
the final piece of
the puzzle necessary
for the WOA Board.
The WOA has been so
committed to
lowering the hunting
age that we
produced, funded and
aired over 700 radio
commercials,
statewide, to
educate the public
about the issue. In
addition, editorials
and columns in
publications such as
the
Wisconsin Sports
Weekly
have been published
regularly since
2004.
As I indicated
earlier, the WOA has
been on record
supporting lowering
the hunting age to
10 since February
2004. While our
preference is to
remain at 10, in the
interest of
compromise, we
support the A.B. 586
lowering the age to
eight.
Mr. Chairman, this
legislation is a
reasonable
compromise in
promoting youth
hunting and we
commend you for your
efforts.
Finally, the WOA
recommends that a
provision be added
to AB 586 directing
the Law Enforcement
Division of the DNR
to provide a report
to the legislature
by January 1, 2008
summarizing the
impact of this
change in statute.
We believe that key
considerations in
this report should
include hunter
safety and youth
recruitment.
