Sunday February 11 3:04 PM ET
Mary Tyler Moore Takes on Pataki
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Westchester County's most famous TV mom is taking on Gov. George Pataki's proposal to allow more teen-agers to hunt big game.
Mary Tyler Moore, who gained fame in the 1960s sitcom ``The Dick Van Dyke Show'' that was set in the Westchester County town of New Rochelle, is supporting an effort by The Fund for Animals to shoot down Pataki's proposal even before it formally reaches the Legislature.
The measure would lower the age to legally hunt deer and bear to 14 from 16. Young hunters would have to complete the state's 10-hour hunter safety course and hunt with a parent or have written permission from a parent to go out with another licensed adult.
``The government should not be in the role of promoting and placing firearms in the hands of children,'' Moore, who now lives in New York's Dutchess County, said in a letter released Friday. ``Basketballs, baseballs and books are a much better alternative.''