Hunter Education...or???

[drahthaar]

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.

Wouldn't expect anything less from your son GH. And I seriously doubt you will be using your son's tag as a reason to fill the freezer with a cow so you can go trophy hunting. As for the majority of the knuckleheads out here, not so much. Its abused as bad as shooting out of the truck window, as they pretty much go hand in hand.

If they want to certify kids that young, let them start on Turkeys or something. A contrived, controlled environment, sitting in a blind, or up against a tree. Not big game.

 

[Big O]

I sat thru 5 days of a class last summer and glad I did. My 10 yr old son did just fine, but he also has had a quite a bit of field time before the class. A few 10 yr olds did not pass, they failed the field course due to lack of experience in my opinion (bad muzzle control).

His teacher was great, alot of ethics but not overboard. Alot of "may be legal, but isn't right" but that was fine too.

I was impressed with the class, I do think alot of adults could use a refresher course. Myself and his instructor would have issues with any action being closed when storing a firearm.

 

[mdunc8]

I don't hide the fact that I'm a hunter, but I don't like people parading their animals around town for everyone to see. It shows no respect for those who don't want to see it. I realize you can't completely hide a 340" bull, but there's no reason to throw your muley on a cooler rack hanging from the back of the truck. Throw it in the bed and go show it off to your buddy if you like. Other than that, throw all the stickers your truck, hang all the guns in the window, and wear all the camo you like.

 

[Horn Seeker]

I wouldn't hang my guns in the window anymore simply to avoid them getting stolen...

 

[The Hedgehog]

I'd say nobody wants to look like a redneck, but look at a lot of the trucks in my hometown.. sweet hunting stickers galore..

Ernie, I've a few "checkstation" stories that would make you understand, (my first bull elk and one from this fall in Wyoming) as well as more than a few yappy annoying hunting destination stalker details. No black helicopters required if you can camoflauge yourself to douchebags.

My fav checkstation memory is pulling in, mid-day, in mazda 626 and "patagoniaesque" attire, with two backpacks bursting full of elk meat inside in the trunk. The "Hunters must Stop" sign made us pull in, but our lack of stickers, knobby tires, rifles, optics, orange, and blood-smeared clothing, deflected any overly direct questions. We asked lots of questions, but the only one we answered was a simple "Nope" to the "Any luck today?"

 

[camo308]

Having taught hunter ed for over 18 years I've heard lots of these complaints. I team taught with an older instructor, for a short time, who spent almost an hour on blasting caps and what to do if you find one... So, yeah, some guys get a lot of personal opinion of what matters in there.
The guides for most states stress to "not hunt alone", they also push not exposing game animals when you transport them or displaying them discretely. As a matter-of-fact some state require you to transport the animal out of sight.
Lots of kids learn from their parents and relatives as to "what is right". Like the two teenage brothers who went out and shot 400 ducks, tossed them in the bed of their pickup and drove them around town displaying them and trying to give them away. Their Dad thought that was cool and admired their shooting skills. Or the Dad who's sons had not been getting along. He thought he'd take is sons hunting and let them poach an elk together so they could "bond". Then there is the 13 year old that Dad left sitting on a rock with a .270 to hunt deer while Dad went and hunted another area. Dad told him he'd be back in few hours. 7 hours later, Dad showed up and found his son dead of a self-inflicked gunshot wound that would have easily been treatable if Dad had been there. So don't pick on the instructors when they stress the safety issue.
On another point, after teaching at least 2000 students in my hunter ed and gun safety classes, I can tell you that the MAJORITY of 10 year-olds do not possess the reasoning skills and comprehension skills needed to pass the hunter ed tests. That is not to say that all won't pass, but don't get upset when your 8, 9, 10 or 11 year-old doesn't pass. And a 4 year-old? Don't even go there.

 

[camo308]

But then that's just my opinion.

 

[The Hedgehog]

First off, thanks for being a hunter ed instructor. Sounds like some of the Dads you mention would have tougher times passing a test.. maybe an IQ eval should be required to possess a hunting license.

I never learned in driver's ed that I should never drive alone. Driving is a whole hell of a lot more dangerous than hunting.

 

[BuzzH]

I've taken multiple hunters ed/bow ed courses.

The last one I took was in AZ to get the hunters ed point.

Again, like the others have said, I respect what they do, but man, I wonder where they dig up some of the instructors.

The AZ hunter ed instructor I had railed on about how the "feds" were trying to keep you from hunting wilderness areas. I laughed out loud on that one...he asked what was so funny. I told him he was full of it in regard to his statement. He then "corrected" himself by saying that maybe the feds werent trying to keep you from hunting wilderness areas, but it was unethical to hunt wilderenss as you should never hunt elk in an area you cant get them out the same day you shoot them. I laughed again. He said, "now what?". I told him if I limited my elk hunting to where I could shoot them and get them to a vehicle the same day I may as well never leave the house.

He moved on to other subjects he was equally as well versed in.

I wasnt a model student and I asked him all kinds of questions he didnt like, brought up points he didnt like.

I laughed my ass off when he had to present me with a Arizona Hunting video for the high grade in the class....I know it pained him.

 

[Horn Seeker]

Stressing safety is fine... telling a group of kids they should never, in their LIVES, hunt alone, is a crock of shit. I like to keep it real, I dont mask things with fluffy BS... Tell the kids, "It is a good idea to continue to hunt with a parent or other experienced hunter until you are confident you are ready to head out alone"...

I also thank you for volunteering your time and these guys have got it 90% right, but the other 10% makes me roll my eyes.... (not to them, just in my imagination)...

Driving is more dangerous... I started hunting alone before I could drive but did a LOT of it after I could drive!

If you dont hunt alone, you dont know what you are missing....

 

[Horn Seeker]

That is brutal Buzz...

During my "bowhunter ed" class one of the "cadette" instructors chimed in. The main instructor was a long time traditional hunter and he stated something to the effect that some of these new fangled compounds are shooting 250 FPS nowadays... the cadette said, "oh no, those bows are shooting in excess of 800 FPS now Tom"...I laughed out loud and told them that basically, 300 FPS was about it at that time (11 yrs ago)...

Anyhow....you reminded me of that. This guy was teaching bowhunter education and he did not have a CLUE!

The guys teaching my daughters class DO have clues, they are longtime hunters and they have the kids best interest in mind... I only pointed out a couple annoyances..

 

[NChunter]

Nobody is perfect. Everyone has an opinion. The problem is when they confuse opinion with fact.