The state Senate approves a bill allowing ten year olds to hunt. Proponents of the measure, like Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker, focused on the positive aspects of the state's hunting heritage. "There's not a better time to go out and enjoy the outdoors," Decker said. "That's something that kids should see and have a chance to experience, because it's fun."
Republican Senator Neal Kedzie said hunting can keep kids out of trouble. "Kids that hunt and fish and have an appreciation for the out of doors, tend in the large part not to get involved in bad activities, in crime, and other distractions out of sheer boredom," said Kedzie. "I know I've never been bored when I've been out in the woods."
The bill would allow state residents as young as age ten to participate in mentored hunts, with one firearm or bow between two hunters, and the mentee always within arms reach of the mentor. Twelve is currently the youngest age at which children in Wisconsin may go hunting, and opponents of this measure contend ten year olds are simply too young to participate safely. The bill passed the Senate 27-to-6 and now goes to the Assembly.