Minimum hunting age proposed by Humane Society

[Hunt_News]

Minimum hunting age proposed by Humane Society


Eight-year-olds are killing bears (not just killing them, but making the first kill of the season), and hunting activists are seeking to get more children involved in the sport to prevent its decline. Now, the Humane Society is fighting back. The national organization is working with state legislators to establish a nationwide minimum hunting age of about 16 (far older than most Fish & Wildlife higher-ups think warranted).

A Humane Society spokesperson explains, “A deer rifle can kill someone up to a mile away, and young adolescents lack the experience, judgment and emotional maturity to handle that kind of firepower safely.” But wildlife officials point out that the safety record for five- to 15-year-olds is better than for any other age group - surely an indication the opposite is true.

[Cyrille]

I have been handling and hunting with firearms since the tender age of seven (7) and have yet to kill or wound anyone. I am now in my sixties. All of my kills thus far have been clean kills. I've never lost a game animal nor have I had to trail them more than 250 paces. I have never shot at "movement" or "noise. "
All this I owe to my mentors in the hunting field and common sense.
Hunting like any other sport requires rules and training and the younger one begins 'training' the better hunter that person will be. The Humane society spokesperson's rhetoric reminds me of the old saw about a person just out of school applying for a job. "Wanted bag-boy for large grocery chain. Must be experienced!
Unless someone is willing to hire the inexperienced and teach them how to do a job they will forever remain inexperienced.
The hunting experience must be taught and the younger the training starts the better!