Youth hunters can now hunt big game with firearms, crossbow in Erie County

HUNTING SEASON.

CHILDREN ASYOUNG AS 12 CAN NOW HUNT DEERAND OTHER LARGE ANIMALS WITH AFIREARM.

LILIA WOOD LOOKS INTOTHE NEW LAW THAT WAS PASSED --AND THE CONTROVERSYSURROUNDING ITKEVIN: "THE END RESULT ISEXTRA FOOD ON YOURPLATE...THAT'S REALLY WHATIT'S ALL ABOUT." KEVINMCDONALD TELLS ME HE'S BEENHUNTING SINCE HE WAS SIXTEENYEARS OLD&.

KEVIN: "IT'S THEENJOYMENT OF BEING OUTSIDE ANDIN THE OUTDOORS.

I MEAN, NOTEVERYONE WAS BORN A HUNTER."MCDONALD SAYS HE WOULD HAVESTARTED EARLIER&IF HE COULD&KEVIN: "KIDS HAVE FATHERS ANDGRANDFATHERS WHO AREINTERESTED&IF I WERE THEIRAGE, I WOULD WANT TO GO!" NOW&YOUTH IN ERIE COUNTY CAN.

THECOUNTY LEGISLATURE VOTED TOPASS A LAW THAT ALLOWS 12 AND13 YEAR OLDS TO HUNT BIG GAMEWITH FIREARM OR CROSSBOW UNDERSUPERVISION& JOE LORIGO:"LEGISLATURES WHO VOTEDAGAINST THIS BILL TODAY REALLYMISREPRESENTED WHAT IT'S ALLABOUT.

ALL IT REALLY DOES ITALLOW HUNTERS WHO ARE 12 AND13 YEARS OLD TO USE THE SAMEGUNS THEY USED FOR SMALL GAMETO HUNT DEER." STAND-UP: THISNEW LAW STATES THAT THE YOUNGHUNTERS DO HAVE TO BESUPERVISEDSUPERVISION DOES NOT HAVE TONECESSARILY COME FROM A PARENTOR LEGAL GUARDIAN.

TIMOTHYMEYERS: "THE WAY THE LAWREADS&IT SAYS ANY 21 YEAR OLD.I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.

IWOULD NOT SEND ME 12 OR 13YEAR OLD WITH ANY RANDOM 21YEAR OLD." SOME LEGISLATORSTHAT VOTED AGAINST PASSING THELAW SAY THIS PROMOTES TEENSUSING GUNS.

TIMOTHY MEYERS: "IHOPE AND PRAY WE DON'T HAVE ATRAGEDY LIKE WE DO EVERYHUNTING SEASON, AND I THINKTHIS EXPANDS THE OPPORTUNITYOF THAT TO HAPPEN.

I HOPE I'MWRONG ON THAT." JOE LORIGO:"THIS IS SOMETHING DONE UNDERADULT SUPERVISION TO TEACHTHEM PROPER GUN ETIQUETTE ANDTO HELP WITH CONVERSATION ANDTHE EXPANDING DEER POPULATION.KEVIN: "THERE'S NO SAFETYISSUE.

I'D BE MORE CONCERNEDABOUT SAFETY ISSUES SITTINGINFANT OF A TV AND VIDEOGAMESALL DAY." UNTIL THIS VOTE&ERIE COUNTY WAS ONE OF ONLYTWO COUNTIES IN THE STATE THATDID NOT ADOPT THIS YOUTHHUNTING PILOT PROGRAM.

INBUFFALO, LILIA WOOD, 7EYEWITNESS NEWS.THE BUFFALO BILLS KICK OTHEIR SEASON IN LESS