New bill proposal raises questions of how old someone needs to be to safely carry a gun in the woods.
The Wisconsin State Assembly has plans to take up a bill proposal this week that will eliminate the hunting age restriction.
State Republicans proposed the bill, which is scheduled for a vote on Thursday. If it passes the Assembly, it will then go to the state Senate for approval.
Currently, a person must be at least of 12 years old to purchase a hunting license and hunt with a firearm. Mentored hunts are the only exception, in which hunters can be as young as 10.
The bill would do away with the age restriction for mentored hunts. Additionally it would eliminate the regulation that people have only one firearm between them.
A couple years ago, when the state was reviewing the mentored hunt proposal, Rep. Joel Kleefisch promoted the bill as a way to help get more hunters interested at an early age.
"I do believe in getting more Wisconsin young people into the woods to have the experience of what it's like to harvest something and bring it to your own dinner table," Kleefisch said at the time. "That's an incredibly satisfying feeling. Any time that the TV's turned off and you're out exercising in the woods is great."
Forty other states already empower parents to decide at what age their children are ready to carry a gun or a bow when hunting with a parent or guardian.
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