Assembly Bill 246, introduced by Assemblyman David Bobzien (D-24), is slated to be heard before the Assembly Ways and Means Committee on Monday, May 4. 

AB246 would establish an apprentice hunting license that would allow prospective hunters 12 years old and older to try their hand at hunting before completing a hunter education course.  Apprentice hunters would be 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 radical anti-hunting organizations like the Humane Society of the United States are doing everything they can to keep people from hunting.  Nevada currently ranks 49th among the states in hunter recruitment.  For every 100 Nevada hunters who permanently quit hunting, only 30 new hunters replace them.  This slide must be reversed, and AB246 will help in this effort. 

Research shows that overly burdensome regulations deter citizens from trying hunting for the first time.  This includes the current requirement that virtually all prospective hunters complete hunter education.  An apprentice hunting program allows people a “try it before they buy it” opportunity.  Ultimately, many will 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 join the hunter ranks as a result.

If you can attend the committee hearing and testify on behalf of AB246, the committee meets at 3:30 p.m. in Room 3137 in the Legislative Building at 401 S. Carson Street in Carson City or it will be videoconferenced in Las Vegas at the Grant Sawyer State Office Building in Room 4401.

Please contact the members of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee TODAY and respectfully ask them to support AB246.  Contact information for the committee can be found below. 

Assemblymember Morse Arberry, Chair                        
(775) 684-8587                       
marberry@asm.state.nv.us 

Assemblymember Sheila Leslie, Vice-Chair                              
(775) 684-8845                       
sleslie@asm.state.nv.us

Assemblymember Barbara Buckley                                           
(775) 684-8537                       
bbuckley@asm.state.nv.us

Assemblymember Marcus Conklin                                              
(775) 684-8505                      
mconklin@asm.state.nv.us

Assemblymember Moises Denis                                                
(775) 684-8593                      
mdenis@asm.state.nv.us

Assemblymember Joe Hogan                                                     
(775) 684-8541                      
scorral@lcb.state.nv.us

Assemblymember Ellen Koivisto                                                 
(775) 684-8597                      
ekoivisto@asm.state.nv.us

Assemblymember Kathy McClain                                               
(775) 684-8835                      
kmcclain@asm.state.nv.us

Assemblymember John Oceguera                                             
(775) 684-8595                      
joceguera@asm.state.nv.us

Assemblymember Debbie Smith                                                  
(775) 684-8841                      
dsmith@asm.state.nv.us

Assemblymember Heidi Gansert                                                
(775) 684-8837                      
hgansert@charter.net

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

Assemblymember Joseph Hardy                                                  
(775) 684-8857                    
jhardy@asm.state.nv.us

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