HUNTING EXPANDS TO VERY YOUNG PENNSYLVANIANS

With the number of licensed hunters slipping, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has taken another step to encourage more young people to take up the sport.

At their recent meeting, PGC members expanded the Mentored Youth Hunting Program. They added coyotes to the list of species that may be hunted by those under the age of 12 with the supervision of a mentor. A final vote on the measure is scheduled for Oct. 24.

Mentors must be 21 or older and are required to guide to a youth while engaged in hunting or related activities, such as scouting, learning firearm and hunter safety and wildlife identification.

Mentors may not assist more than one youth afield and the pair may possess only one sporting arm while hunting. While moving, the weapon must be carried by the adult. When the pair reaches a stationary hunting location, the mentor may turn over possession of the sporting arm to the youth and must keep the youth within arm's length.

Mentored hunts were approved in 2006 for squirrel, woodchuck (groundhog), spring gobbler and antlered deer.

Gov. Ed Rendell was a strong supporter of the mentored youth hunting concept, which took the form of legislation passed by a near-unanimous vote of the Pa. General Assembly.

"It encourages new and younger hunters to enter the realm of hunting," said PGC member Greg Isabella. "The quality time that can be shared between a youth and a mentor is immeasurable. There simply is no better way to introduce a young person to safe, ethical and responsible aspects of hunting than with the close supervision of an adult mentor."