For several years, wildlife agencies throughout the U.S. have noted that the average age of hunters is rising and that fewer younger people are taking hunter education classes.

Wildlife and Parks has noted this trend in Kansas.

“The problem is that kids are required to invest 10-14 hours in a hunter education class before they can even try hunting to see if they like it,” said Wayne Doyle, KDWP’s statewide hunter education coordinator. “Many youngsters and their parents are not willing or able to do that.”

Now Wildlife and Parks will be asking the Kansas Legislature for a change to the hunter education law.

This proposal would create a minimum age of 12 for someone to hunt by themselves. Currently, anyone who has passed a hunter education course can hunt most game species by themselves, regardless of their age.

The law would further state that the minimum age to be certified in hunter education would be 12 years old. No one under age 12 would be certified for any reason.

A person under 12 could still take the course but would not receive a hunter education certificate.

If passed, the new law would allow anyone under age 12 to hunt without taking a hunter education course, as long as they were under the direct supervision of a licensed adult, effectively removing the barrier that keeps many youngsters from going afield.

For hunters 12 years or older, the requirement that anyone born on or after July 1, 1957, must have a certified hunter education course in order to hunt would not change.

All certificates issued prior to the effective date of the law would be valid regardless of the age of the holder, but those younger than 12 would be required to hunt under the direct supervision of a licensed adult, even if they already had taken a certified course.

The second change in hunter education requirements that KDWP is pursuing would allow “crash courses,” primarily for adult nonresidents who are not required to have hunter education in their own state.

Currently, the law requires a 10-hour course for anyone born on or after July 1, 1957, regardless of their home state’s requirement.

In this case, KDWP will be asking the Legislature for authority to offer a shorter course and to charge a fee for that course, as well.