Hunting-age-limit proposal divides the hunters

Kids as young as 10 can now hunt

A divide among even hunting groups about a potential change in Wisconsin hunting age limits and mentoring rules. 

Now, kids as young as 10 years old can hunt in Wisconsin with mentors. Another proposed change in hunting rules would get rid of the limit of having just one weapon shared between mentor and student. 

La Crosse county board supervisor Hubert Hoffman is a former DNR hunter safety instructor. He’s opposed to some of the proposed hunting mentorship changes. 

But eliminating the minimum hunting age?

“Not one bit,” he said, “because that leaves it up for the parent to decide when their child is or is not ready. I don’t think we need to have some government mandate that says it’s 5 years old or 8 years old … the children, depending on how they’re brought up, mature at different rates.”

Hoffman says some 10-year-old children he’s taught hunter safety are more mature than other 15-year-olds. 

 “In a class of 10-15 (year olds), children of that age level, some pay very good attention,” Hoffman said. “Some don’t pay attention at all.”

A lot of it, he thinks, comes down to common sense.

“Should we have a 4 year old out there trying to take a gun and shot a squirrel?” Hoffman asked. “Me, personally, I wouldn’t be comfortable with that. But do we need a law to mandate everything that’s common sense?”

So, Hoffman approves of a current proposal in Madison to eliminate the hunting age minimum in the state. He doesn’t, however, like the part of the bill that does away with the limit of one weapon during a mentored hunt.