Each one of these articles are very important and I urge you to go to the US Sportsmen's Alliance to read the complete articles... just don't forget to come back to WomenHunters. If you are not a member of their Email Network then I also urge you join it. God Bless! Sue
USSA Statement on New Tournament Hunting Organization (Click for details)
A new tournament hunting organization has been announced. It will outfit tournament participants with tranquilizing drugs and darting equipment. Click the link to find the USSA's statement on the issue.
Florida Bill to Protect State Hunting Land Becomes Law (Click for details)
A Florida bill to ensure sportsmen's access to state hunting land has been signed into law.
California Bill Reinforces State Control Over Wildlife (Click for details)
A California Assembly bill that will prevent a patchwork of local wildlife regulations across the state has advanced in the legislature.
Turn Your Vacations into Donations for the USSA (click for details)
The U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance has its own travel website. Click www.ussatravel.com to get some of the lowest travel prices on the Internet.
PETA Sways Ralph Lauren to Change Dress Code (Click for details)
One of the world’s most stylish fashion leaders has caved to the demands of animal rightists and will drop fur from future collections.
Hunter Recruitment Bill On the Move in Michigan
(Lansing) – Legislation designed to promote hunter recruitment in Michigan is on the move in the legislature.
Today, the House Conservation, Forestry and Outdoor Recreation Committee unanimously passed SB 1105, sponsored by Sen. Michelle McManus, R-Leelanau, and co-chair of the Michigan State Sportsmen’s Caucus. The bill creates an apprentice hunting license which allows people to hunt under direct supervision of a licensed adult hunter before completing hunter education training. To become fully licensed and hunt alone, the new hunter must complete a hunter education course. Senate Bill 1105 now goes to the House for a floor vote, after which it will return to the Senate for agreement on changes made in the House.
The bill is part of Families Afield, a program designed by the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA), National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) to recruit young hunters into the sport by lowering or eliminating unnecessary age restrictions.
The Youth Hunting Report, a study commissioned by the USSA, NSSF and NWTF, found that states which permit parents to decide when their children begin to hunt, and states which allow potential hunters to try hunting under the watchful eye of a mentor before completing a hunter education course, experience better recruitment and retention of new hunters. More importantly, these states produce safety statistics that are better than states with high restrictions.
Michigan is second only to New York as the most restrictive state in the country.
Another Families Afield Bill, HB 5192, sponsored by Rep. Scott Hummel, R-DeWitt, is currently awaiting agreement in the Michigan House of Representatives to changes made by the Senate. The bill lowers the big game hunting minimum age from 14 to 12 and the small game hunting minimum age from 12 to 10. Agreement is expected soon, after which the bill will go to Gov. Jennifer Granholm for her signature.
Families Afield legislation has been adopted in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota, Illinois, Utah and Mississippi. Like these states, Michigan has a rich hunting heritage, yet hunter recruitment is waning due to restrictive regulations placed on the ages at which a person can begin to hunt. Families Afield gives parents the opportunity to decide when their child is ready to hunt, rather than have the government set an arbitrary age minimum.
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, www.ussportsmen.org.
The U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance (USSA) and the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance Foundation (USSAF) work nationwide, representing over 1.5 million sportsmen through member clubs and individual constituents. The organizations provide legislative, legal defense and public education services to defend and advance sportsmen's rights in Washington, D.C. and in all 50 states.
