A New Way to Share Our Hunting and Trapping Heritage

By Larry S. Moore

With the start of the fall hunting season last week, the apprentice-hunting license officially became available. The Ohio Division of Wildlife has been a leader in providing opportunities to introduce young people to the outdoors through hunting, fishing, and trapping programs. The Division has special early season youth hunts for upland game the last two weekends of October. There are early
season youth hunts for waterfowl, deer, and spring turkey seasons. These have proven to be very popular with the youth plus with the parents and mentors. Since introducing the special early youth seasons, the sale of youth hunting licenses have increased. This is good for the future of hunting, trapping and conservation in Ohio because sportsmen generate nearly ninety per cent of the money spent on wildlife conservation in the state. Ohio was the second state in the nation to pass the apprentice-hunting license. Pennsylvania was the first state to pass the initiative only weeks before Ohio.

The bill provides for the purchase of special apprentice hunting or trapping licenses by individuals who have not yet completed a hunter
education course. The license restricts the apprentice to hunting immediately with a mentor. The mentor must be within unaided voice and
visual contact of the apprentice. Additionally the mentor must be the holder of a hunting or trapping license and be aged 21 or older. As with the current special youth hunting seasons, the mentor is prohibited from accompanying more than two apprentice hunters. The cost of the apprentice hunting or trapping license is the same as the regular hunting license. A person is limited to purchasing a maximum of three apprentice hunting licenses before being required to take the Ohio
hunter education course.

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Todd Haines, Division of Wildlife District 5 Manager, notes, "It is pretty early to see any impact from the apprentice hunting license. We
did see a few on the controlled dove hunts. We have seen some youth and a few adults take advantage of the opportunity. I think the peak
activity will come closer to the special early youth deer season and regular deer hunting season. The apprentice hunting and trapping program is part of the national Families Afield effort. It is not a
replacement for the hunter education courses. It allows a new person to sample the experience of hunting with a mentor who is a licensed adult.
The mentors will be teaching by their example."

The parent or mentor must make a commitment to the proper training for the new hunter whether they are using the new apprentice hunting license
or mentoring a new hunter who has taken the Ohio Hunter Education Course. This includes additional hands-on safety training and practice time at the range. This is critical to the safety of the new hunter and the mentor. Proper marksmanship training is important to the success of
the hunt.

In addition to training at the firing range, I prefer to have the new hunter participate in the pre-season activities. If the new hunter is
going rabbit hunting, I like to have them out on a training exercise with the dogs. This way they are familiar with the hounds and have some
knowledge about what to expect during a hunt. If the new hunter will be deer hunting, then I take them preseason scouting and putting up the
stands. This is important so they understand the terrain, where other hunters may be on the property, plus they have an opportunity to look at
the deer trails and possible shot ranges. It is in the field where the final hunter education takes place. New hunters need to understand the
advance scouting and effort required to become a successful hunter. There is a lot more to becoming a successful hunter than having someone
take a new person into the field, sit them in a deer stand, and hope to shoot a deer. Hunters who are successful every year put the effort into
preparing for the hunt.

Hopefully, all mentors will make proper use of the new apprentice hunting and trapping licenses. It takes some time and effort to safely
introduce new participants into these activities. The rewards for the mentor when the new hunter has a safe, enjoyable and successful hunt
makes the time invested well worth the effort. That is why I continue to enjoy the opportunity to introduce new people to the outdoors. Perhaps I'll have a success story to share from some new hunters later this fall. I hope more hunters and trappers will take the time to share their heritage with a new person this season.

Outdoor writer and hunter education instructor Larry S. Moore is a long-time volunteer leader for Buckeye Firearms Association and winner of the 2005 USSA Patriot Award.

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