Children of any age, accompanied by a parent, will be allowed to gun hunt in the state of Wisconsin thanks to Gov. Scott Walker’s (R-Wis.) decision to sign the measure into law.
The new law — which took effect on Saturday — now allows children younger than 10 to obtain hunting licenses. The law says an adult must remain within arm’s length of the child while out on the hunt and that a child of any age is allowed to carry a gun.
“It’s not the government’s job to tell parents,” Wisconsin State Rep. Joel Kleefisch (R. Oconomowoc) argued in favor of the law, USA Today reported. While proudly showing off pictures of his own 11 and 14-year-old daughters, Kleefisch said that parents should determine when their children are ready to take an animal’s life with a weapon.
The typical hunting safety courses required of anyone who wants to obtain a license in most other states are not necessary for Wisconsin children — or adults — under the new National Rifle Association-supported law because of the stipulation that an adult remains nearby. Both age groups will be able to participate in all of the state’s fall hunts, including deer, small game, waterfowl and turkey.
The law also allows the hunting mentor to carry a gun while the child holds a gun, too — a conflict of attention and vigilance, according to some.
“How can your full attention be on the child?” hunting safety instructor Ray Anderson told USA. “It can’t. That’s how accidents happen.”
Many other states allow children to hunt but others have age restrictions to larger game animals like deer because of the strength it takes to pull a bow or handle a gun powerful enough to take the animal down.
The Senate passed the hunting bill 21-12 with each Republican voting in favor and each democrat standing opposed, except for Sen. Janet Bewley of Ashland. The Assembly was more divided — four Republicans sided with most Democrats who did not vote for the bill, but four Democrats voted for it.
Wisconsin’s nine-day-long gun deer season starts Saturday and lasts until Nov. 26.
