Please Contact the Members of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee!

Assembly Bill 246, introduced by Assemblyman David Bobzien (D-24), is scheduled to be considered on Wednesday, March 11 at 1:30 p.m. by the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

AB 246 establishes an apprentice hunting license that allows prospective hunters 12 years-old and older to try their hand at hunting before completing a hunter education course.  Apprentice hunters are required to be directly supervised in the field by a mentor who is at least 18 years old and who holds a valid Nevada hunting license.  Experience in more than two-dozen other states shows that this apprentice hunting program is exceptionally safe and will bring many new hunters into the field.

Hunter recruitment is critical to the long-term preservation of our hunting heritage.  Hunter numbers are declining and the radical anti-hunting organizations like the Humane Society of the United States will take advantage if given the opportunity.  With a hunter recruitment ratio of 0.30, Nevada currently ranks 49th among all of the states in hunter recruitment.  This means that for every 100 hunters who permanently quite hunting, only 30 new hunters replace them.  This slide must be reversed and AB 246 will help in this effort.

Research shows that overly burdensome regulations that stands in the way of citizens trying hunting for the first time will deter participation.  This includes the current requirement that virtually all prospective hunters complete hunter education.  An apprentice hunting program allows citizens a “try it before they buy it” opportunity.  Ultimately, they will become “hooked on hunting” and want to complete a hunter education course in order to hunt on their own and pursue game that requires special tags.  In the end, more citizens will complete hunter education and fully join the hunter ranks as a result.

It is time for Nevada to address its poor hunter retention numbers.  Please contact the members of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee TODAY and respectfully urge them to support AB246 when it comes before them for a vote.  Contact information can be found below. 

Assemblymember Jerry Claborn (D-19), Chair       
(775) 684-8569              
jclaborn@asm.state.nv.us

Assemblymember Joseph Hogan (D-10), Vice Chair   
(775) 684-8541              
jhogan@asm.state.nv.us

Assemblymember Paul Aizley (D-41)                     
(775) 684-8821               
paizley@asm.state.nv.us

Assemblymember Harvey Munford (D-6)              
(775) 684-8545              
hmunford@asm.state.nv.us

Assemblymember James Ohrenschall (D-12)         
(775) 684-8819             
johrenschall@asm.state.nv.us

Assemblymember Tick Segerblom (D-9)              
(775) 684-8549             
tsegerblom@asm.state.nv.us

Assemblymember John Carpenter (R-33)              
(775) 684-8831             
jcarpenter@asm.state.nv.us

Assemblymember Pete Goicoechea (R-35)            
(775) 684-8573             
pgoicoechea@asm.state.nv.us

Assemblymember Tom Grady (R-38)                     
(775) 684-8507             
tgrady@asm.state.nv.us

Assemblymember Don Gustavson (R-32)              
(775) 684-8851             
dgustavson@asm.state.nv.us