Federal, State Rules Differ for Junior Hunters

By Justin Stakes

Sacramento, CA -(AmmoLand.com)- California junior hunters have enjoyed a new benefit that took effect at the beginning of the 2015-16 hunting season.

AB 1709, signed by Governor Edmund G. Brown in 2014, amended Fish and Game Code, section 3031, by extending the eligibility period for a junior hunting license by two years. Under the recent change in law, any person who is under 18 years of age on July 1 of the license year qualifies for a junior hunting license, regardless of whether that person applies before or after July 1 of that year.

The change allowed for an extension of hunting benefits for junior hunters including reduced fees, exemption from some endorsement requirements and access to special junior hunt opportunities. However, there remain special circumstances and exceptions to the new rule, which are particularly important to understand during waterfowl season.

The change to the age definition affected only California state law, and did not change the federal regulation definition of a youth hunter. Because waterfowl are migratory, the waterfowl hunting regulations fall primarily under the jurisdiction of the federal government. For this reason, waterfowl hunters 16 …Read the Rest

Source:: AmmoLand