Legislation designed to aid in the recruitment of new hunters is scheduled for a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee tomorrow, April 8. Montana sportsmen should call their state representative today, in support of the measure.
The bill, Senate Bill 395, introduced by Sen. Mark Blasdel (R-Kalispell), would establish an apprentice hunting certificate for youth ages 10 to 18 that will allow them to experience hunting under the watchful eye of an adult mentor prior to completing hunter education. Apprentice hunting is a widely accepted and proven recruitment tool that has been established in 35 states, resulting in more than 1.2 million apprentice licenses sold to date.
“Apprentice hunting has quickly become the gold standard for recruiting new hunters,” said Evan Heusinkveld, USSA vice president of government affairs. “But even better than the number of new hunters, is the safety rate of apprentice hunting. Nationwide research has shown that apprentice hunters are five times safer in the field than the general hunting population.”
Take Action: Senate Bill 395 has already passed the state senate, but it still must clear the full the House of Representatives. Montana sportsmen should contact their representative and urge them to support SB 395. A few minutes of your time may be the deciding factor in your legislator’s ultimate vote on this bill!
To find your representative’s contact information, visit USSA’s Legislative Action Center.
About Families Afield: Families Afield is a joint effort, backed by USSA, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the National Rifle Association, and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. To date, 35 states have passed Families Afield legislation, resulting in more than 1.2 million new hunters.