WASHINGTON – A national campaign by the hunting industry to lower, or eliminate entirely, the minimum hunting age is an invitation to tragedy, say officials with The Humane Society of the United States. In the wake of bills recently introduced in Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin to lower the age for obtaining a hunting license, The HSUS is calling on states to set their minimum hunting ages high enough to protect children – and everyone who engages in outdoor recreation during hunting season – from needless injury and death.
In November alone, five children under 15 were killed in hunting accidents, including one in Ohio where a 12-year-old boy was shot by his teenage brother and one in Wisconsin where a 12-year-old boy shot and killed a 14-year-old.
"It is irresponsible to think that children who are not even old enough to drive a car are mature enough to handle a gun in a hunting situation," said Heidi Prescott, senior vice president of campaigns for The HSUS. "Hunters must make split-second decisions to fire or not to fire a high powered, long range firearm under extreme emotional stress. Setting the hunting age too low puts not only the children, but anyone in the woods, at an increased risk."
Most states actively recruit children into hunting through special youth hunts. Sometimes these youth hunts are held on state lands or even on National Wildlife Refuges. "At a time when youth violence is a nationwide epidemic and our children already face many threats every day, we should not put them in more danger or teach them that killing defenseless animals is wholesome entertainment," said Prescott.
Wildlife agencies and sport hunting groups are trying to recruit children because hunting is declining so rapidly that its demise by mid-century has been widely forecast within the hunting community. Between 1985 and 2001, the last year for which statistics are available, the number of hunters in the United States fell by 22 percent.
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization representing more than 9.4 million members and constituents. The non-profit organization is a mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion animals and equine protection, disaster preparedness and response, wildlife and habitat protection, animals in research and farm animal welfare. The HSUS protects all animals through education, investigation, litigation, legislation, advocacy, and fieldwork. The group is based in Washington and has numerous field representatives across the country.
