NM bill would make teaching youth to shoot illegal By Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation Also, any child 12 to 18-years-old would not be allowed to handle or have access to a firearm unless completing an undefined “firearm safety course.” In addition to limiting parents’ ability to introduce their children to hunting and recreational shooting at ages widely accepted across the nation, SB 224 would have a devasting impact on scholastic recreational shooting programs and is in direct conflict with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) Mentored-Youth Hunting Program and Hunter Education. The NMDGF’s Hunter Education Program allows New Mexico residents 10-years-of-age and older to earn their hunter education certification completely online, while the traditional in-person hunter education classes allow children under 10 to participate with a parent, legal guardian or responsible adult.