Groups push for mentor transfers, RAC asks Division to study statutory change

Representatives from Kids with Disabilities Adventures urged the RAC to preserve and refine disability season extensions and proposed allowing drawn permit holders to mentor their permit to a qualified disabled adult. Whelan Pritchett and Mike Pritchett described program benefits and asked the RAC to maintain early extension days and consider a five‑day extension for disabled hunters; Mike Pritchett said staff efforts to tighten eligibility would help prevent abuse.

Greg Clegg proposed a draft rule concept allowing a permit holder who legally draws a general‑season or limited‑entry big‑game permit to mentor that permit to a qualified disabled hunter under conditions designed to prevent sale or compensation and to keep harvest within existing quotas. Division staff and RAC members noted that mentoring adults would require statutory change, raised HIPAA‑and‑verification concerns, and recommended staff evaluate the idea with the wildlife board and legislative counsel. The RAC passed the rule language changes presented and directed staff to further explore mentoring options and safeguards.

The discussion surfaced tradeoffs between facilitating access for disabled hunters and preventing program abuse; several RAC members asked staff for data on how many disability CORs (certificate of recognition) are active and for options that focus initial changes on family mentoring to reduce abuse risk.