Deeds pushes bill for 'infant hunting' licenses

It's never too early to start hunting.

That's the message in a bill state Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath, is carrying that encourages the purchase of lifetime hunting licenses for children younger than 2 years old.

If the "infant hunting" legislation were passed into law, permits would cost $125 for a Virginia citizen and be valid for the person's lifetime so long as the individual passes a hunter education course at age 12.

At present, junior hunting licenses valid up to age 12 cost $250 for state residents.

Deeds, who ran for governor last year, is carrying SB289 at the request of Virginia's Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

In addition to promoting hunting, which the state wildlife agency considers a population-management tool, Virginia receives a federal reimbursement of roughly $20 for each license it sells.

"It's a good investment for someone to buy for a child," Game and Inland Fisheries outreach director Charlie Sledd said, noting neighboring North Carolina and Tennessee offer similar permits.

There is no minimum hunting age in Virginia, but children younger than 12 must be supervised by a licensed adult hunter. While that concept might seem foreign to some, it isn't uncommon for children to be exposed to hunting at an early age in his part of the state, said Deeds, a pro-gun Democrat.