The Pennsylvania Game Commission is set to review a proposal that would permit mentored youth under the age of 7 to receive their own tags for deer, turkey, and bear during its upcoming meeting on September 5. Currently, hunters in the mentored program must be at least 7 years old to obtain individual big game tags, with current regulations requiring their adult mentors to transfer a tag upon harvesting an animal.
This change aims to encourage more adults to mentor younger children by alleviating tag transfer burdens. Advocates, like Ray Taylor, a dedicated mentor with years of experience, argue that the current rules discourage engagement by penalizing mentors who want to guide youth. With statistics indicating only a handful of young mentored hunters have successfully harvested game, this potential shift could open doors for greater youth participation in hunting, fostering a lifelong appreciation for nature and the sport.
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