Group wants legal hunting age lowered

A hunting club on Newfoundland's west coast says the province should lower the hunting age.

Wendell Smith, the president of the Upper Humber Rod and Gun Association, said people who start hunting at a younger age develop better skills.

The current age to legally hunt small game is 16, but for big game it's 18.

"The younger participants are more responsible," Smith said.

"If they are into the hunting skills and stuff like that, they harvest the game responsibly and they handle the firearms responsibly."

Newfoundland and Labrador currently has the highest age restrictions in place for hunters.

Smith said this affects the industry a great deal, with clients deciding to go to other provinces.

"A lot of people are calling in, wanting to come to the province with their kids to hunt," he said.

"But they can't do so here because the age restrictions, so those clients are taken off to other jurisdictions in other provinces."

Smith is hoping the provincial government makes changes to the current legislation.