Montana, a state where one in five residents hunts, would allow special hunting licenses for children as young as 10 under a bill that narrowly passed a preliminary Senate vote on Monday.

Currently, all hunters born after 1985 must complete a state Hunter Education course and be at least 12 years old to hunt. 

Senate Bill 395 would create an exception for new hunters between 10 and 18 to hunt with a special youth hunting license without having completed Hunter Education if they are accompanied by a qualified mentor at least 21 years old. Youth hunters would still be required to complete the education course within two years to continue hunting.

Acknowledging the controversy surrounding the proposal, sponsoring Sen. Mark Blasdel, R-Kalispell, said in an interview Monday that he attempted to alleviate the concerns of sportsmen and conservation groups by building in restrictions.

“I’ve tried to listen to some of the opposition and limit the scope of this bill,” he said. “One being younger hunters that haven’t taken Hunters Ed and hunting elk, so I limited them to deer, waterfowl and upland birds.”

The bill also would penalize mentors, defined as blood relatives, guardians or someone with written consent from a parent or guardian, if they violate the terms of the bill. Such a mentor would lose his or her Montana hunting and fishing privileges.

Those changes don’t go far enough for Dave Chadwick, executive director of the Montana Wildlife Federation, which has opposed the measure since it was introduced. Proponents of the bill have said it would address declining hunting participation in the state, an allegation Chadwick refuted.

“The data about youth recruitment and retention doesn’t back up the claim that you need to loosen Hunter Education requirements,” he said. “The biggest challenge is access. If you look over the long suite of issues across the country, having a place to hunt and having public access to public wildlife is the real way to keep hunting strong.”

Senators from around the state offered their personal experiences in justifying whether to support the bill, which Blasdel said is an improved version of heavier-handed bills that failed during the past two legislative sessions.

Sen. Mike Phillips, D-Bozeman, offered what he termed a “cautionary tale” in his ultimate decision to oppose the measure, after switching back and forth on two committee votes. After taking his young sons along on a hunt, he said they were unprepared for the finality of the kill.

“It ruined them for life. ... That dead deer made no sense to them as a 9- and 10-year-old,” he said. “I missed the mark in a big way.”

Sen. John Brendan, R-Scobey, responded that while his colleague’s experience was unfortunate, it should not preclude all parents from determining whether their children are ready before they turn 12.

“The [hunting] population is getting older, and there are not enough young people in the program,” he said. “All kids are not at the same age level at 10 or 12. Some mature more quickly than others. I think, who knows that better than the parents?”

However, several senators said safety was simply too important to leave to chance.

“I have no problem taking a 10-year-old out without a gun. Take them out. Teach how to hunt, teach them how to walk quietly in the woods,” said Sen. Gene Vukovich, D-Anaconda. “But don’t give them a high-powered rifle when they are 10 years old.”

Blasdel noted that 35 other states have passed similar legislation, with accidents among youth hunters a fraction of the average.

While disagreeing with the mechanism, Chadwick sided with the bill’s intent.

“This is just an area where we have legitimate disagreement within the sportsman community about the best way to get people hunting and fishing,” he said. “We’re lucky to be in a place where we’re having a lively debate on how to get more kids hunting.”

Senate Bill 395 passed on a 25-24 preliminary vote, with the final vote today.

Reporter Samuel Wilson can be reached at 758-4407 or by email at swilson@dailyinterlake.com