Successes

Since Families Afield launched in 2004, 22 states have changed laws and regulations to create additional hunting opportunities for youths.
Today, 31 states have no minimum age restriction. Parents, not politicians, decide the right age to introduce their sons and daughters into hunting.
Today, 22 states permit adult-mentored youth hunting prior to completing a hunter education class. This "try before you buy" concept allows youngsters to safely experience hunting, then get the coursework later, certainly before hunting without a mentor.
The map below is based on a combination of factors such as each state's current minimum age restriction, classwork requirements, and other prohibitions on youth hunters.



How Did 12 States Create Additional Opportunities for Youth Hunters? Florida - Created a supervised hunting program that permits a newcomer to hunt with a mentor for one year before completion of a hunter education course. Illinois - Created an apprentice hunting license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers age 10 and higher hunting for one year before completion of a hunter education course. Kansas - Permits newcomers under 16 to hunt with a mentor before completion of a hunter education course. Kentucky - Created a one-year non-renewable exemption from hunter education classes for novices hunting under the supervision of a qualified mentor. Also raised from 10 to 12 the age at which a youth must take a hunter education class prior to hunting. Louisiana - Created an apprentice hunting license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers age 16 and higher hunting for one year before completion of a hunter education course. Michigan - Lowered the minimum hunting age for small game from 12 to 10, and for big game from 14 to 12. Also created an apprentice hunting license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers age 10 and higher hunting before completion of a hunter education course. Minnesota - Permits new turkey hunters to hunt with a mentor before completing a hunter education course. Mississippi - Created an apprentice hunting license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers hunting at any age for one year before completion of a hunter education course. Ohio - Created an apprentice hunting license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers hunting for no more than three years at any age before completion of a hunter education course. Pennsylvania - Created a mentoring license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers hunting at any age for deer, turkey and groundhogs before completion of a hunter education course. Tennessee - Created a program that exempts newcomers age 10 and higher from hunter education requirements for one year. Utah - Eliminated the age minimum for small game hunting.

If You're Interested...

The following states, that were very or somewhat restrictive to introducing youths into hunting, have signed Families Afield legislation that is opening doors for youth hunting opportunities that will help boost recruitment numbers: