Michigan: Hunter Heritage Bills Signed into Law

Yesterday, July 20, Governor Rick Snyder signed into law the Hunter Heritage Act, allowing youth hunters to get in the field at an earlier age, under the direct supervision of an adult mentor hunter.  Senate Bill 207, sponsored by state Senator Joseph Hune (R-22), and House Bill 4371, sponsored by state Representative Peter Pettalia (R-106), establish a mentored youth hunting program allowing parents to determine at which age their kids are ready to hunt. 

Since the Families Afield initiative was launched nationally in 2005, there have been approximately 600,000 hunters safely added to the field.  In fact, studies have shown that mentored hunters are one of the safest recreational groups.  Michigan ranks last in the nation when it comes to the recruitment and retention of hunters, and SB 207/HB 4371 promises to reverse that dismal statistic by adding thousands of hunters to Michigan’s bountiful fields and forests.  The Hunter Heritage Act is modeled after a similar Pennsylvania law that has succeeded in getting many youth involved in hunting with a mentor while learning proper safety and ethics at a young age – a try-before-you-buy approach.

We thank Governor Snyder for signing youth hunting legislation into law, and we also thank all of the NRA members who contacted their state legislators in support of SB 207 and HB 4371.