Deseret Morning News
Friday, February 2, 2007

With little debate, the Senate, on Thursday, approved lowering the age requirements for big-game hunting.

HB67, sponsored by Rep. Curtis Oda, R-Clearfield, drops the age from 14 years to 12 years of age.

Sen. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, sponsored the bill on the Senate floor. She pointed out that currently Utah has the highest age requirement for big-game hunting in the Western United States.

She also told the Senate that the young hunters would have to pass hunter-safety classes before they could qualify for the permits.

On Wednesday, during the Senate's first vote on the bill, Dayton said that big game hunting accidents involving those under 14 years old were rare.

Oda has previously explained that hunting serves as a valuable teaching tool for youngsters.

He said that hunting presents youth with a much clearer picture of what happens when something dies than video games do. He said that in hunting, kids can't hit a reset button and return slain animals to life.

Oda has also said that lowering the minimum age requirement would help the state's outdoor sports industry.

Throughout the process both Dayton and Oda referenced Utah's upland game hunting age limit which is already 12 years of age.

The bill had the support of Utah's Director of Wildlife Resources and other lobbyists.

HB67 made it out of the House on January 23. The bill now awaits Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s signature.