New York Governor Spitzer (who announced his resignation Wednesday) and DEC commissioner Grannis want to reverse the decline of hunting and fishing license sales in the state, or so they’ve said. Considering current regulations, especially those affecting hunting, that could be a tall order. Why? New York is the only state left in the nation that mandates a minimum age of 16 to hunt big game with a firearm, and even youths who may initially be interested in hunting are apt to find other interests by that age.

Hunting is on the decline across the nation as participation has fallen over the last three decades, and states have begun trying to bolster this rural tradition by attracting new and younger people to the sport. In the last two years, 17 states have passed laws to attract younger hunters by creating apprentice hunting licenses that allow people supervised by a trained mentor to sample the sport before completing the required course work, which typically takes 8 to 10 hours and can cost more than $200. Of course, New York is not among them.