Apprentice-license bill sent to governor's desk

By JEFF ORTEGA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
COLUMBUS -- Residents and nonresidents would be able to get apprentice hunting licenses and apprentice fur taker permits, under a bill approved Tuesday by the Ohio Senate.
The Senate approved the bill by a 33-0 vote. State Rep. Stephen P. Buehrer, R-Delta, sponsored the bill, which the House already has approved. The measure now goes to Republican Gov. Bob Taft for his signature.
Currently, Ohio residents or nonresidents who want to hunt a wild bird or wild quadruped or trap a fur-bearing animal are required to obtain hunting licenses and/or fur-taking permits.
The bill authorizes apprentice licenses and would allow the apprentice hunter to be accompanied in the field by a person at least 21 who has a valid hunting license.
The licensed hunter would not be able to supervise more than two apprentice hunters at a time, bill backers say. A hunter education course would still be required of the apprentice license holder, who would be able to hunt independently after a trial period.
"This bill is designed to expose more people to hunting as a sport," state Sen. Larry Mumper, a Marion Republican and chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee that signed off on the bill.
State Sen. Lynn R. Wachtmann, a Napoleon Republican, told senators he believes the measure will encourage young people to hunt while at the same time keeping hunters safe.