New Wisconsin gun bill?

[crazed_ss]

Does anyone know anything about this?
I was watching Fox News (i dunno why) just now and I saw an ad for an upcoming Geraldo show.
You can see the commercial here.. http://www.geraldoatlarge.com/

It had some sensasionalist looking footage of Guns and said:

"Wisconsin.. Gun Toting Tots!? This new bill could give kids as young as 8 a legal license to kill!"

I'm like ***? License to kill.. gimme a break. I was wondering what this bill they're talking about actually says. I did a search on google and couldnt find anything else.

 

[TrapperReady]

AFAIK, there is some pending legislation which would lower the minimum hunting age from 12 to 8. I'm not wholly up to speed on it, but I believe the original bill had some requirements that the youth be within contact range of an adult and stipulated that they could only have one weapon between them.

 

[crazed_ss]

Ahh ok.. The media is so ridiculous sometimes.. I cant stand how misleading and sensational they make thing.

 

[sumpnz]

I cant stand how misleading and sensational they make thing.

You were watching Jerry Rivers (his birth name - he changed it to make it sound more sensational, the man's not even Hispanic) and you forgot how the MSM sensationalizes news stories?

 

[TrapperReady]

As an interesting aside...

Right around the time this legislation was introduced, Wisconsin passed a law mandating that booster seats be used for all children ages 8 and under.

Almost immediately after the introduction of the hunting bill, the local papers and radio stations were flooded with calls and letters from folks irate that (paraphrasing) "You could take your kid out of his booster seat, give him a gun and have him go kill a deer."

I've rarely seen such a concerted "on-target" message pushed in so many media outlets... even when folks were opposing CCW.

 

[entropy]

The normally RKBA-oriented Rep. that introduced that idiotic bill must have been hitting the crackpipe. Now my soon to be 8 year old (his golden BD on the 8th this month) thinks he can go deer hunting with me and and his 12 year old brother, who just hunted his first time last fall. Not gonna happen. I wonder just what the heck was going through this guy's mind, he just set us back years around here!

 

[TrapperReady]

Entropy - It sounded like the original bill was designed to move the age back to 10. However, there was a contingent of folks who wanted no lower limit and somehow 8 was hit as a compromise.

 

[TrapperReady]

BTW, this page is a (partial?) list of states with restrictions on the minimum hunting age. It seems like there are quite a few that allow for hunting with a licensed adult with no effective lower limit.

Before I would declare the WI proposed legislation to be stupid, I'd sure like to see some stats from those other states and see if it's a problem there.

 

[BigFatKen]

more fun

For more on Jerry see:
http://www.jumptheshark.com/g/geraldo.htm

 

[entropy]

Entropy - It sounded like the original bill was designed to move the age back to 10. However, there was a contingent of folks who wanted no lower limit and somehow 8 was hit as a compromise.

Somebody didn't read Trump's Art of the Deal....

You probably don't have an eight year old who can't even physically hold a deer rifle up clamoring for a license.....I do, and I'm not happy about it.

 

[TrapperReady]

Entropy - My oldest son turns 8 in May. His brother is 5 1/2 (if I forget the 1/2, I'm in trouble ). They've both been bird hunting with me (as observers and helpers -- setting out dekes and such) a few times. I wouldn't want to let either of them deer hunt yet, but I wouldn't be against squirrel or rabbit hunting for the older one.

 

[eab]

So tell him, "No you can't go hunting son."

Most people are not going to take advantage of this. Plus the kid is still going to have to pass a hunter safety course. I know when I was younger then 12 I still went out with my dad squirrel hunting and I even "carried" the .22. One of my friends even went out with his dad deer hunting when he was under 12. He did not have a gun, or any thing just went out with his dad.

I think everybody needs to chill on this subject.

 

[entropy]

Well, then you do have an idea. But it is a little different when he's the younger one who gets told 'you're too young' when he sees big brother get to do things he can't yet.

I do tell him no, and in no uncertain terms. And yes, both my boys have gone with me deer hunting, (younger one didn't go with this year because of older one's first year.) He's LOUD, and I don't mind decreasing my chances of getting deer to bring him with, but I was hoping my 12 year old would get a deer. Instead, he proved his sportsmanship way beyond his years by passing up a questionable shot on a deer. Many adults don't, and I am very proud of him for it. I would like the same amount of time, (actually more with this one) to get him to that point before setting him afield, gun in hand.

Consider me chilled. He'll be ready when he's ready. Actually, he's more into fishing anyway.

 

[TrapperReady]

Entropy - I do feel for you with the second-son thing. My 5 1/2 year-old sometimes feels like the world is conspiring against him and that everything is designed to make sure his brother gets to do all the cool stuff first.

Every once in a while, my wife and I make a pointed effort to let the younger one do something the older one wasn't allowed to. He relishes those moments... and makes sure to rub it in whenever he can. Most of the time, the older one is pretty understanding and plays along.

 

[Monkeyleg]

The problem with the bill right now is that there isn't sufficient support amongst hunters to advance it. It's just languishing out there while the opponents pound on it.

 

[mpthole]

Let me say first that I do not consider myself a "hunter". I've been deer hunting 3 times and shot one small buck this past season. For all of the talk about buck-fever, I guess it hasn't gotten to me. Sure it was exciting when I got mine - but frankly, there just isn't enough shooting involved in hunting for me to get that excited.

In any case...

If hunters in WI want to continue their hunting traditions, they'd better start getting more young people involved. That means getting them started younger. There have been several studies that show that WI is losing hunters every year: the older ones quit and there aren't enough young ones to replace them. Other states that have younger age limits do not have a problem with their younger hunters.

The people of WI, via the Conservation Congress meetings held in every county of the state, recommended to the DNR that the age limit be lowered. A bill has now been introduced to do just that.

Now, here's the good news about the lowering of the age limit: Its up to the parent's discretion as to whether or not their child hunts.

Here's the bad news: Its up to the parent's discretion as to whether or not their child hunts.

If you don't want your child to hunt - then don't let them. Just don't go taking away other people's choice to bring their own child hunting. Sounds eerily familiar to the whole concealed carry debate in general doesn't it...?

 

[Standing Wolf]

Must be something in the cheese: every time a firearms-related bill is introduced in the Wisconsin legislature, the "news" people go completely insane.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Must be something in the cheese....

Ergot fungus?

 

[akodo]

for some hunting stuff, it is considered poaching if you bring a non-licenced hunter along with you. The idea is you hand him the gun and let him hunt off of your tag, then take the gun back when the gamewarden approaches, and claim him as your helper.

This lowering the age limit allows the state to get a bit of revenue, gather statistical info on hunters, and allows a parent to bring a kid, and possibly even let the kid fire a gun out in the woods. To me, reasonable

 

[garrett1955]

hummm lowering the age limits sounds like a quick fix to getting more hunters in the woods.kind of like when the fed. gov. lowers interest rates... works good for a bit but when those would be hunters are gone, and the entery level goes back to normal, with out the surplus of extra hunters then what?

idk. I don't know what to make of the amount of hunters going down. after all it's wisconsin. we all hunt. LOL

I think the DNR wants more dough in their pockets. and that all they want.

.... and whats with this, "kill more deer to lower the population" theory?

didn't Aldo Leupold explain how if the popluation of animals is left alone, nature will take care, with disease, and predators, to keep everything in check.

while hunting kills many animals, leading to a drop in population, this causing more reproduction, and an increased population....

not saying hunting is bad. I love to hunt, Bowhunting, and rifle. mabee I like to just spend time in the woods.

anyhow enough with the rambling.......

 

[stevelyn]

Both my boys (12 & 6) go hunting with me. Alaska dosen't address the issue, but it's not like anyone in their right mind is going to turn a little kid loose with a gun unsupervised and allow them to go hunting.

The WI flap is much ado about nothing.

 

[pete f]

I have no problem with this as it is written. A youngster can take hunter safety, pass the class then while hunting with his/her parent, may shoot game. If the kid can not pass hunter ed, then he can hunt. not many kids can pass the test below 11 12.

The law also requires one firearm, between the adult and child, also requires the adult to be with arms lenght of the weapon and child at all times. I took my son with me several times and my daughter once before they were 12. My daughter just could not sit still for any length of time (big surprise there eh ?) and was not invited back to the tree stand. My son on the other hand, acted like I wish I could have. remaining motionless and AWAKE the whole time, and in fact spotted my 2nd best deer for me and was not in the least bit sqeamish about the processing after the kill.

I think for the right circumstance this is a good thing. One additional law I would suggest that youngsters be allowed to carry an unloaded weapon in .22 cal while hunting with their parents. My son carried a red ryder the first few times out hunting with us so that we could reinforce all the rules about fingers on triggers, backstop, fence crossing and muzzle awareness.
One softly spoken word of 'muzzle" was enough to really make himself aware of the gun and its surroundings. All of the hunters where also given a reminder on how they must act in order to not set a bad example.

 

[sumpnz]

if the popluation of animals is left alone, nature will take care, with disease, and predators, to keep everything in check.

Except that humans are the primary predator for deer these days. If there were still lots of wolves and cougars that might work, but if people stopped hunting the deer would quickly overpopulate and then whole herds would die of starvation and disease. Then, while the herds were struggling to recover the woods would get overgrown, and the wildfires would become catastrophic. Eventually, yes, nature would restore everything to some new balance but at a cost that none of would even want to consider.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

The normally RKBA-oriented Rep. that introduced that idiotic bill must have been hitting the crackpipe. Now my soon to be 8 year old (his golden BD on the 8th this month) thinks he can go deer hunting with me and and his 12 year old brother, who just hunted his first time last fall. Not gonna happen. I wonder just what the heck was going through this guy's mind, he just set us back years around here

Our local weekly paper, the Stone County Leader, routinely publishes picture of hunters and game -- and we have a lot of 8-year old kids proudly posing with their first deer or turkey.

That's a hell of a lot better than having them pose with a crack pipe!!

 

[scooterthegreat]

PeteF -

The law also requires one firearm, between the adult and child, also requires the adult to be with arms lenght of the weapon and child at all times...

That has also been my understanding. I think it stinks that the media in our area consistantly failed to mention those facts. Would have really been looked at differently. But of course - who are we to think that we are intelligent enough to make decisions for ourselves based on ALL the facts.

As far as the Hunter Safety test, I also agree that I don't think many kids under 11-12 would pass the written portion, but they would probably do great on the field test. I haven't been teaching Hunter Safety for too long, but I have seen plenty of younger kids who I would feel safer with than some of the older ones (adults included)

didn't Aldo Leupold explain how if the popluation of animals is left alone, nature will take care, with disease, and predators, to keep everything in check.

Yes, he did say that. But we also know that nature tends to over produce. Combine that with dwindling space because humans have taken it away from the animals... well...