Youth Hunting license

[Takis48]

Hey guys & gals, I ran across this on the mass.gov/wildlife FAQ's and was wondering if they still accept letters from parents in lieu of Hunters Ed courses for a hunting license (see below). My cousin is approaching 15 and has already bagged a few birds, and he's really interested in getting his own license. Any feedback would be appreciated.

"Q: Does everyone have to have a basic hunter education certificate in order to obtain a license?

A: No. Adults who possess any prior year's hunting or sporting license (combination hunting and fishing license) from any state or province are exempt from taking and passing a hunter education course.

All minors between 15-17 years of age who wish to purchase a hunting license must produce the following documentation in order to purchase any sporting or hunting license:

A basic hunter education course certificate and a letter of consent allowing the minor to hunt from his or her parent or guardian OR

****A letter signed by the minor's parent or guardian affirming that the minor will be accompanied at all times by a licensed adult while hunting and a letter of consent allowing the minor to hunt from his or her parent or guardian."

 

[MisterHappy]

Well, if it's in the current laws/abstracts, then you're good to go.

That being said, unless the kid has his own FID (which, at 14, he obviously does not) there can only be one gun between you and the kid.

This is a grey-ish area - at 14: one gun; one adult license; one kid....OK.

At 15 without an FID, One gun, one kid license (obatined with a letter), one adult licesne....OK.

At 15 with an FID, two guns, one license for each.


Now...if you're hunting black powder, you in theory don't have to have an FID, so you could have: One minor, one minor license, one adult license, one BP gun (with the kid), and one modern or BP with the adult.

But this is a subtle point, and were I going that route, I'd get something in writing from an EPO or MassWildlife so that a less-educated member of the law enforcement community can be mollified.

I heard through a (very short) grapevine that the Youth Pheasant Hunt people have some BP shotties, for kids that are 15 but that have not (for whatever reason .....I've heard that some PDs dont' view it as a priority) received their FID.

This age 15 thing (hunting license required, FID not yet issued) is one reason that GOAL, IIRC, was trying to get the language in the MGLs modified so that a kid can apply for an FID prior to his/er 15th birthday, and have it become valid as of that day, so that there's no 6-8 weeks ( or more ) to deal with.


NOW....the above being said...IANAL.....make SURE that you cross all your eyes and dot all yout tees for yourself before you go afield.

Good hunting.


ETA - Sign him up for a Hunter Ed course....he'll learn something.

 

[Takis48]

Sounds good to me