New Bill Opens Opportunities for Younger Hunters

By Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine

For many of us in Central and Northern New York, hunting is a tradition that gets passed down from generation to generation. My sons hunt, I hunt, my father hunted, my grandfather hunted and so on. Times have changed though. Fewer and fewer new hunters enter the woods each year in New York to enjoy our great outdoors.

I’m hoping we can change that trend beginning this fall. New legislation will let 14- and 15-year-olds hunt big game when accompanied by a mentor. Once the governor signs it, we will no longer be the only state in the nation that makes teens wait until they turn 16 before letting them hunt deer. As early as this fall, we’ll be able to bring young people into our sport at an earlier age.

Younger hunters are more likely to develop a lifelong interest in the sport. New York is home to about 1 million deer—about twice as many as were in the entire country in 1900. It’s good that the population has rebounded, but this overabundance leads to damage on our farms, starvation among the deer and more accidents on our rural roads. More hunters will be able to control deer population leading to better long term management.

Besides the practical considerations about over population, I believe that involving hunters at a younger age also fosters a deep appreciation for the environment and respect for the firearm they carry. The vast majority of hunters take care of the lands they use, bringing out what they bring in, and many are strong advocates for preservation and conservation. In a society dominated by television, video games and the Internet, giving young people more opportunities for outdoor recreation is more important than ever.

Teaching younger hunters is also a safety issue. Since 1991, junior hunters ages 12 and up have been allowed to hunt small game, such as turkey, with a firearm while accompanied by an adult. These pre-teen hunters have turned out to be the single safest group of hunters when accompanied by an adult and provisions in the law, such as mandating they wear blaze orange, will only keep them safer. Boys and girls alike in the field and at shooting ranges at this age show respect for the gun and show extreme caution.

I’ve hunted in Quebec, Newfoundland, Texas and many parts of this state and I am a proud gun owner. It is a right that must be protected and I was proud to help extend this right to more young people. I’ve reached out to my colleagues to stress the importance of bills like this and they listened. Hunting and fishing are important activities and I will continue to look for ways to help the sportsmen and women of this region.

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