Legislator wants to reduce minimum age for firearms hunting to 12 (MI)

WOOD TV ^ | November 29, 2005 | NA

[neverdem]

(Lansing-AP, 8:50 a.m.) Twelve-year-olds could take part in next year's deer hunt if a mid-Michigan lawmaker has his way.

State Representative Scott Hummel's bill would lower the age for firearm hunting of deer, elk and bear on private land from 14 to 12. Young hunters would require adult supervision.

The DeWitt Republican says he hopes to have the law on the books by April -- to give the Department of Natural Resources time to get the system in place for next year's hunt.

The DNR would like to expand Hummel's concept to include public land as well.

Spokeswoman Mary Dettloff says the agency wants to see more young people enthused about hunting. She also says license fees and excise taxes on guns and ammunition paid by young hunters would help finance DNR conservation efforts.

[neverdem]

BANG!

[Tulsa Ramjet]

why not? Kids this age have hunted all the time for food in the cowboy days. Plus, all the hand and eye coordination gained from their PS2's would make a purty good shot.

[Dan from Michigan]

Good bill.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Bang!

[glock rocks]

Works for me. er, Ethel.

nevermind.

[Brad’s Gramma]

:)

[Beagle8U]

I don't think this bill will pass for several reasons.

Every hunter safety instructor in this state that I have spoken to is opposed to it, 12 is just too young to turn them loose with high powered rifles and slug guns.

Adult supervision by law is defined as someone 17 or older, that must remain withing shouting distance of the young hunters under 17.

I don't think you could exclude them from public land hunting, hunting isn't supposed to be only for wealthy landowners. That part of the bill would never make it through committee.

I have taught hunter safety for the Mi. DNR for over 20 years and I can honestly say that most of the 12-13 year old students that take the class aren't ready for deer hunting after a 12 hour class that consists mostly of bookwork and films.

Many of the hunter safety classes are held in schools, the instructors that teach classes there aren't even allowed to bring guns to class for demonstration purposes!

They can hunt small game at 12, and bow hunt for deer at 12, lets give them 2 years of small game hunting to build on their skills before hunting in rifle season.

Some of the kids are very skilled and responsible at 12, I would have no problem with some of them. I would have no problem with those same ones driving a car, but I don't think we're going to change that law.

[ncountylee]

I was given my first rifle (.22) at eleven.

[ApplegateRanch]

I still have my California Junior Hunting License, issued when I was 12. That was minimum age then, and it was good for any game, provided proper tags or stamps were purchased.

Conditions for purchase were presentation of an NRA hunter safety certificate, and a parent or guardian present to countersign the application.

Purchased in 1958, at Hinkle's Market & Sporting Goods, Redding, Calif. My birthday gift that year was a brand new Savage 99-F in .243 Win. I got my buck, too.

[MineralMan]

I don't have my license, but I shot my first deer at age 12, too, in California. My dad took me to a location he had scouted earlier, and I got my buck.

I see no problem with this, as long as there is supervision by an adult. There certainly was in my case.

[absolootezer0]

just out of curiousity, how many of those kids were really raised around guns? i would think that kids that were raised around real gun enthusiasts would have been trained by their parent long before they would have gotten to your class.
and the private land issue may be for others safety. if i own the land, i know where anyone and everyone out there is sitting.

[Beagle8U]

I teach in a very rural area in southern Jackson Co., and yes, most of those kids grew up around guns and gun owners.

Every year I have parents ask if they can just buy a hunter safety certificate for their child, so they wont have to miss football practice to take the class!

In my opinion 12 is just a lil young for the rifle season, but, I have never regretted giving up the $1,000's in lost wages over the past 20+ years to allow the youngsters the opportunity to take the classes to get a license.

[packrat01]

My brother was still in diapers, first time dad took us deer hunting. He couldn't tote a box of .30-.30 shells up to the rim rock above the canyon.

I was a whole two years older. I carried dad's shell belt, knife, and the .22 pistol. I looked like a diminutive Pancho Villa...

Got a picture of me when I was 4; trying to shoot dad's .22 revolver.

My brother and I "shared" a BB gun when we were 5 and 7. We're kinda normal. The little bro is a 1st Sgt. down South.

[shanern]

I was browsing sites and came upon this discussion. I live in Washington state. Most everyone I know and hunt with were hunting long before their 12th birthday. My 2 boys each shot their first deer at 10. I shot mine at 11. I first shot a 30- 06 when I was 6. That, I must say, was not my fathers best idea. I think that parent are the best judge though. In my family hunting and therefore firearms (and archery equipment)are integral to life. I let my children hunt and carry firearms with me as soon as they were able to pass firearms safety and demonstrate the ability shoot a vital shot at 75 yards. My youngest shot his first deer with a winchester 30-30 standing at about 40 yards and the shot could not have been better. When they started they were not only not out of voice range of me. They were not out of arms reach! I do think though that the 17 year old age for the supervisor would not be something that I would have allowed with my kids. I only once allowed my kids (when they were young) to hunt with someone other than me and that was with my most trusted hunting partner when he was with one and I was with the other.

[Beagle8U]

I also was hunting long before I was 12.

As I stated, many kids are ready to hunt at 12, but many more aren't.

Leaving it up to the parents sounds fine until you meet some of those parents.

At my sportsman's club every year at the end of the class we draw the names of 6 kids that passed the class and pay for a pheasant hunt for them. We pay 100% of the cost, provide the guns, dogs, transportation etc.

Some of the parents like to tag along to take pictures or videos.
This year one of the kids that won a hunt showed up with his dad. His dad was so drunk they wouldn't allow him into the field, he passed out in his car and the 13 year old kid had to drive him home!

After the classes are over we have no control over the kids or the moron parents.

I still think 12 is too young, because when the law changes you cant pick and choose to sort out the morons.