Hunter Education...or???

[Horn Seeker]

Ok, I understand the concept and its a good course for these kids and probably adults too. Matter fact, it may be more appropriate for grown adults that didnt grow up hunting than for my kids...

My 11 year old daughter had her first night of Hunter Ed last night.... Yowsa...

I am not sure I agree with the nature of the course. I sat in and was biting my tongue most the night. There was a the normal, mandatory stuff about gun safety and following laws, but a good portion of the class was teaching these students the instructors personal ethics.

The final straw was them asking the kids if they could go hunting alone. The kids answered no... the guy asked at what age it was "legal" which he said in a very sarcastic tone, to hunt alone. A kid answered 14. The guy says, "correct"...but are you going to hunt alone at age 14? and the kids sorta sit there and he says, NO... you are not. Then he says, "Are you EVER going to hunt alone" and the kids kinda sit there and he matter of factly says, "NO, you are NOT".... I about fell out of my chair.

You are more likely to have an accident driving down the road "alone" then you will have one hunting alone? WTF? Seriously? Is this part of the state curriculum, to teach people its wrong to hunt alone?

Anyhow, they also preached about hiding blood, HIDING your hunter orange in the truck if you weren't hunting, hiding your guns...etc...etc.... They kept saying, Be proud to be a hunter, but they were embarrassing me, making me think I was supposed to hide it.

They were basically teaching ways to prevent conflict with anti-hunters and to not be offensive to the general hunting public... The course is 2 1/2 hours a night for 5 nights...the way I see it, they could probably complete the course in one night if they cut out the BS...

I do respect them for volunteering to run the kids through these courses and dont want to sound ungrateful, I'm just a little surprised at the abundance of personal ethics they were teaching. They asked many times, "this may be legal, but is it right?"....

 

[6speed]

Wow, not what I would expect to hear about a hunters ed class. I have a couple friends who teach it locally I'll have to ask if they are supposed to discuss this stuff when they teach. I know the old strap it to the hood method is out but I've never heard of hiding all the signs of hunting. Are there a lot of anti hunter conflicts up there?

 

[fowladdict]

Sucks when you have to teach your kid that something he or she just learned is not what you want them to learn. I think this one is a quick fix in the car ride home. Simply explain that it is okay to hunt alone as long as you tell somebody where you are going to be. Make sure those GPS coordinates are left with someone that you can trust

 

[RockyDog]

wow sounds like you had a goofball for an instructor, some people just should never be put in any position where they can exert power/influence. Maybe you should put a word in about this guy.

Did having a domestic sheep in your hunting camp come up as an ethical issue? I know if you were instructor the subject would have been have been discussed with graphic pictures for at least a day.

 

[Lawnboy]

Yep same experience over here. The same thing happens in Bow ed class as well. I'd just sit there and smile. You're ultimately going to be the one teaching them the nitty gritty anyway. I would suggest after each class on the way home you can help clarify what was taught that night. You're kid will understand.

I too applaud those that volunteer for these things as it is necessary but some are out there on their beliefs. As one kids movie says "Smile and wave...smile and wave"

Just another friendly reminder that about sent me into orbit. On the field day that they invite them to bring a gun. Just remember to have it in a case. I thought they were going to send me too jail along with about 10 other parents who showed up carrying our weapons on our shoulders. They proceeded to scold us that we should never carry a weapon somewhere that isn't in a case. This all went on in front of the kids. It would of been nice to mention that to us before we went out there. They actually made us go back to our vehicles and find a blanket or something to wrap the weapon up in so that they could check it in. This was all done at a NRA gun range and those checking were not our instructors.

 

[HowaHunter]

I am a hunter education instructor and I suppose I understand where you are coming from. Here in Idaho it is some of the same. When I discuss ethics and not doing it whether it is legal it is due to safety issues. Would you shoot at a deer if there was an old structure 200 yards behind it? It is not illegal to do that but probably not the safest. Also, you have to talk about private land-it is not illegal to leave a farmers gate open but when his livestock get out he or she will most likely be very upset and possibly close their land to hunting. There are many good reasons to hit some of the ethics material not only when teaching children but adults as well. As hunters we all need to take the high road because every person that hunts out there can have an affect on other hunters when they choose to carry out certain actions. We also are under fire from multiple groups that do not support our lifestyle-this is why when you hide your game in your vehicle and take off your bloody clothes before going into the grocery store it lends a better impression on hunters as a whole. I am not one to say how much all of these topcs should be discussed in a class but there are definitely certain items that need to be discussed. As for the not hunting alone part-sounds like a personal preference of the instructors or a Montana thing since I have never heard that preached in Idaho. Sure it is better when a partner is around but a lot of times that is not the case.
The biggest things that need to be taken from a class is SAFETY and being able to have the knowledge on how to look up the rules and regulations.

 

[Lawnboy]

Great points Howa. Like I said I applaud those of you who volunteer. Thanks. We had some great instructors as well but it does seem there are 1 or 2 that just go off on a tangent. Our lead instructor was great but you could see him squirm when it was the other guys turn to present something

 

[Horn Seeker]

Right on Howa... I agree...

I know they have to be extra careful to cover their asses... just sucks, thats all....

Yep, she got some "extra" education on the ride home, but at 11, she's spent enough time hunting, in hunting camp and shooting to know most this already. Matter fact, I was sitting behind her and on the way home I had to tell her, "QUIT turning around and rolling your eyes at the stuff he is saying or you are going to end up getting in trouble! Show some respect!"... seriously, she only did it a couple times, one time when the mentioned to NEVER have alchohol in hunting camp and the other when they talked about hunting alone, as she knows well I hunt alone more than with someone else....

 

[xrayts]

I think the courses are great for everyone. I wish they would make it mandatory curriculum in the schools. Everyone can benefit, hunters and non-hunters alike.
BUT...They need to stick to the facts...regulations, safety, and the benefits of being a hunter.
Hiding the evidence that you're a hunter is absurd. Hunters are citizens with the same freedoms as anti-hunters. If you get in a confrontation because you have blaze orange in your truck, take the opportunity to educate someone of the facts about hunting.

 

[Horn Seeker]

The class was entertaining and they DID cover the facts and regs... I will give them that.

One funny note... they were talking about matching your gun to your game... the guy asked if you should shoot a grouse with a 300 H&H... everyone laughed and said no...except one kid,,, He asked, "what if you want to see it explode?"

LMAO

 

[The Hedgehog]

they were talking about matching your gun to your game... the guy asked if you should shoot a grouse with a 300 H&H... everyone laughed and said no...except one kid,,, He asked, "what if you want to see it explode?"

Now that right there is priceless!

 

[wyomuledeer]

I sat through the class with my brother this past summer and I felt that the instructor taught a lot of his own personal beliefs too. He did preach a lot of that about hiding the fact that you are a hunter. Like to put a tarp over the animal to cover it so none hunters didn't have to see it. I didn't think that is such a great idea in September when it still can be 70 degrees out.

 

[drahthaar]

I took hunter's safety back in 1984 or so. It was a course in my school, in Eureka MT. Seems like almost everyone took it. I agree, it should be an option in school. Schools probably don't want to touch it nowadays.

Wait until there are 9 y.o. in there.

 

[Horn Seeker]

I actually took hunter ed when I was 9 in Washington. Killed my first big game animal that year too. But I was dragged along with my dad on many hunts since I wasn't chitting my pants and by the time I was 9, I was ready... the age thing is definitely different for every kid....

My daughter was not ready before this year...my other daughter, on the other hand, was ready years ago (she's only 9 now)... I watched her "stalk" a muley doe and launch an arrow at her when she was 4... I have a kick ass picture of it too... she was ready then... :0)

I tried to hide my bull this year on the way home, but somehow, it ended up attracting attention....???

 

[The Hedgehog]

My son is 10 and ready to take hunter's ed and hunt. I realize not all are. I think MT should at least allow them to be certified by the hunter's saftey program if they can pass the test. Undecided on the minimum age.

 

[The Hedgehog]

I hide the fact I hunt and learned that long ago for different reasons. Whenever possibile I transport in the middle of the night when everybody's asleep and checkstations are closed to avoid interrogation on kill location, the order of parts/schedule of my retrieval, as well as other nonya bussiness issues such as on which part my tag is on. Here's somebody else's vehichle at a trailhead in the middle of the night with a special treat I stuffed insode on the first trip.

 

[Horn Seeker]

I prefer a Black Helicopter.....

 

[awapiti]

my boys just finished the hunter safety class last week. I hung out for portions of it and thought the information was good, nothing to out of whack or silly...until they did their field course. After completion of the field course, my boys were instructed to return the rifle and shotgun to the vehicle. The instructor told them after they placed them in the vehicle to close the action and the bolt. I totally disagree with this, since I know by visually looking at the rifle or shotgun if the action/bolt is open it is safe or as safe as possible. Afterwards I told my boys to leave the action/bolt open before placing a firearm in a vehicle and to leave it open (of course ensuring the firearm is unloaded first). What do you all think?

 

[Lawnboy]

I thought you weren't going to post a picture of my suburban You're going to have an APB for a silver suburban in Gallatin Co. all season now.

Reminds me of riding with my dad in the truck and all the sudden he turns off the headlights as we start up a canyon. I'm freaking out "What are you doing we can't see", He says I didn't want anyone seeing us driving up this canyon". Well that's fine and dandy but it's dark out and unless you're a cat I want the lights back on!


+1 Wapati

 

[Horn Seeker]

Bolt Open works for me..... wouldn't have it any other way... I would HAVE to have words with them if they said that... I'd have to be careful though... aaaargh... I guess I"d stay quiet and just explain it to my kid later.....