Bill > A08358

This bill, by amending various sections of the environmental conservation law, proposes to lower the minimum age for obtaining a universal hunting license from 14 years old to 12 years old, allowing 12 and 13-year-olds to hunt small game with a gun or longbow when accompanied by a qualified adult, and also permits them to hunt with a crossbow, which was previously restricted to those 14 and older. The bill also makes changes to the requirements for hunting big game, such as deer and bear, by specifying that 12, 13, 14, and 15-year-olds must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or designated youth mentor who is at least 21 years old and has at least three years of hunting experience, and that these younger hunters can use crossbows and firearms under these supervised conditions.