The Wisconsin Assembly has passed a bill that would lower the state’s legal hunting age to 10 years old in order to recruit new hunters.

The voice-vote bill, sponsored by Sen. Jim Holperin, passed through the Senate on June 9 with a 27-6 vote, according to the U.S. Sportsmen Alliance.

Families Afield, a program founded by the National Wild Turkey Federation, National Shooting Sports Foundation and the U. S. Sportsmen’s Alliance to promote family hunting activities, has helped pass similar legislation in 28 other states since 2005.

“This is a tremendous step forward for sportsmen in Wisconsin,” said Bud Pidgeon, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance president and CEO.  “Wisconsin sportsmen should applaud the efforts of Representative Ann Hraychuck who authored an identical bill in the assembly and shepherded this one through her chamber.  We also owe thanks to Representative Scott Gunderson, a champion of this legislation for several years, and, of course, Sen. Holperin and Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker who made this issue a priority.”

The bill now awaits Gov. Jim Doyle’s signature to become a law.