Province proposes lowering hunting age to 12

The New Brunswick government is inviting the public to review and comment on a proposed regulatory change that would reduce the legal age for hunting from 14 to 12.

Natural Resources Minister Bruce Northup announced the proposed change and said it has the support of hunting groups in the province.

"Changing the minimum age for hunters from 14 to 12 is something the New Brunswick Wildlife Federation has asked for in an effort to attract young people to hunting,'' Northup said in a release.

"This would conform with federal legislation and with most other jurisdictions in North America, so we are therefore proposing to amend regulations under the Fish and WildlifeAct to permit this change as of September 1.''

Federal legislation allows 12-year-olds to get a minor possession permit for a firearm.

Nova Scotia, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta allow youths over the age of 12 to hunt small game when accompanied by an adult.

In British Columbia, the legal age to hunt with an adult is 10-years-old, while in Newfoundland and Labrador, a person must be at least 16 to obtain a permit.

Under the proposed changes for New Brunswick, those between the ages of 12 and 16 would be able to hunt small game and varmints when an adult is present.

Bernie Babin says he'd like to see younger hunters involved in the sport.

At53 he says he's one of the younger hunters, and he'sbeen a hunting sincehe was a child,

Babin, president of Moncton Fish and Game Association, sayslowering the legal age would allow kids to get into the sport before it's too late.

"They start their video games and they start running after girls and boys and other interests. And going out into the forest isn't one of them. So if you canpick them up early, you might be able to keep them there," Babin said.

Charlie LeBlanc, president of the New Brunswick Wildlife Federation, says he'd like to see younger hunters as well.

"We know through the province that all our hunter are all in the '60s, a large percentage of our hunters are all in middle aged or later aged and it's very hard to recruit the young," LeBlanc said.

"They would not be allowed large calibre rifles. They would be allowed shot guns for small game [and] small calibre fire arms when supervised," LeBlanc said.

Any youth applying for a hunting permit would have to complete a firearm safety and hunter education course.

"If somebody has the assumption that kids are out there at 12, two, three children together with fire armsthat is not safe," LeBlanc said.

"That is not what we're looking for. We just want youth introduced at a younger age than what's allowed in our province now."

The deadline to provide input on the change is Aug. 14.