Yes, this could be said to be political because it is. So if it gets banned, that is okay with me but just had to say something. As most know the trend in DNR is to sell licenses in any possible way; right or wrong. Seems it is okay to let a year old or less little person buy a license then go out and shoot some game. Right... In Wisconsin, we see the most recent: Ten mentored hunting licenses were sold to infants in Wisconsin in a two-week period, according to numbers provided by the state's Department of Natural Resources this week. The numbers come after a new law went into effect on Nov. 13 permitting hunters of any age to carry a weapon while participating in a mentored hunt. The prior minimum mentored hunting age was 10 years old. Besides the 10 mentored licenses sold to those under the age of 1, also between Nov. 13 and Nov. 26, three mentored hunting licenses were sold to 1-year-olds; four were sold to 2-year-olds; three sold to 3-year-olds; and four were sold to 4-years-olds. From there, the numbers jump: Twenty-eight were sold to 5-year-olds; 70 to 6-year-olds; 191 to 7-year-olds; 490 to 8-year-olds and 1,011 to 9-year-olds. To me there is only one reason to do this and that is to put more money into the department funds. It doesn't take much thought into realizing that little people like this simply cannot handle a gun to go out and hunt. Nor can they make decisions. I would really like to see this sort of thing stop but fear the idiots who make the decisions will just continue so as to keep the dollars coming in. But I feel they are also promoting illegal hunting. It's sort of like the little boy said at one of our local sportsman's clubs. "Maybe next year Dad will let me shoot one." Okay, rant over.
I'm all for youth hunting. But infants? Come on. Everyone knows what is going on there. At what age they should start is a good question. Depends a lot on the individual child. My 4 year old sure isn't ready.
I come across a similar thing on local FB hunting pages (not infants mind you). Don't get me wrong, kids coming from a hunting background are way more likely to start hunting earlier, but I don't buy every story that comes around. Considering you can't legally hunt/have a game tag in your name until you're 12, I don't know what these guys do.
I’m not a hunter, nor a gun owner. But it wouldn’t surprise me if many of these people would explain their reasons for getting these permits as a fear of the government eventually taking the rights away, or raise the prices considerably. If they can get the permits for their children now maybe they would be grandfathered in, or not have to pay even more jacked up prices in the future. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I know this isn’t your point Backwoods Savage, but we bought our kids lifetime hunting/fishing/archery licenses when they were 2 & 4. Given, there’s a financial incentive here in Maine to purchase the lifetime licenses the younger they are. I wonder if it’s the same in other states which might account for your quoted statistics? The kids are now 3 & 5 and neither has “hunted” yet, but they’ve been with me while I heater-hunted for paaahtridge. And they’ve both been to the range and handled and shot 22’s while on my lap. Baby steps, but we consider these steps part of the progress to passing the tradition.
Hmm well I don't know what is too young, but I bet there not too many infants going out with Dad to fill that tag. I see it as a sell more tags to generate some more money and reduce the herd a little more to prevent auto accidents. And it's sad that most see it this way. Now I didn't look it up to see when the tags are good for, but I would probably buy a reduced tag and take my 3yr old out in a less pressured season, with less armed crazies out there, where everyone else is out there more or less having fun and hopefully a dumb deer walks by to see what the ruckus is about.
My thought, they are buying them so they have extra tags... In other words lets say the state gives you 1 tag with a liscense... You buy your infant a hunting liscense, now you have two tags to use on deer, and can claim your infant shot it.
It's not too hard to figure out... funds are low and the deer population is high. Sell more licenses. It says right on FAQ page that this is to generate funds. Page one, question one. How does the new license structure help hunting and trapping in Michigan? The license-buying process has been simplified while making substantial investment in natural resources. The new structure provides additional revenue for conservation officers, biologists, habitat improvement projects and resource management - boots on the ground and eyes in the field.
my nieces and nephews all get hunting and fishing licenses for life ... if child is under one price is 55 dollars.. here you cannot use it until you pass a hunter safety class which I think is 10 minimum age
And here I thought that you had to have some sort of firearms/hunter/safety educational training before you were allowed to purchase a license? Whatever happened to that?
I bought my lifetime hunting permit from my College graduation money. That way if my job took me away from Kansas, I could always come back and hunt as a resident. But I think it was like $300 or $350 at the time. Now it's like $500.... ...
MD started an "apprentice liscense"... You are allowed it for one year, and have to be with someone who is fully liscensed so your "safe"... Its actually kinda neat, its so people who "might" be into hunting can try it out before they invest time and $ into the hunters education classes.. Its to generate revenue sure, but they were thinking people werent hunting because of requirements, before they even attempted it. Kinda makes sense.
Not sure about now, but the State of Michigan used to offer them years ago. I think they ran around a 1000.00. I used to have an employee that bought one. I know it didn't cover the Duck Stamps or Trout Stamps. Gary
Pa has the most registered hunters in the nation. And is in the top five for deer harvested. And somehow, the game commission still doesn't have enough money.... We are the only state in the union that has a separate Game and fish agency...
