Hunter Education In Washington

July Instructor Newsletter Now Online

2009-06-25T16:55:00.001-07:00

The July issue of the instructor newsletter is now online at the link below:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/huntered/instructors.html

Look on the right-hand side of your screen for the July 2009 newsletter link in the section labeled InstructorTalk.

$50,000 In Shooting Range Grants Available

2009-04-30T12:18:00.000-07:00

WDFW is once again offering limited funding via competitive grants to help support the shooting sports. The link below connects to range grant application material for this year.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/shooting_ranges/range_grants.html

Please note that the application deadline is June 30. New this year is a mandatory workshop that all potential grant applicants must attend. Failure to attend the May 30 workshop in Ellensburg will disqualify organizations from submitting a grant for this cycle.

Interested? Please check out the link above and help spread the word throughout the shooting community.

New Map Listing Officers/Phones Now Online

2009-04-27T12:56:00.001-07:00

A new map listing Fish and Wildlife Officers and their phone numbers is now online at the hunter education web site below:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/huntered/instructors/2009_deployment_map.pdf

The map is considered confidential information and is not available to the general public. The officers' names and phone numbers are being made available to hunter education instructors as part of our ongoing efforts to increase officer participation in hunter education classes.

If you don't know the officer in your area or how to contact the local officer, this map is for you!

Please understand that the map is password-protected in order to limit access to the sensitive information on the map. Hunter education instructors can contact a member of the hunter education team to obtain the password. Only certified hunter education instructors are authorized to receive the password.

Remember that you cannot access the map at the link above without the required password from the hunter education team.

New Rules For Archery And Muzzleloading

2009-04-10T16:05:00.000-07:00

Hunter education instructors will definitely want to check out the new hunting regulations now available online at the link below:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm

Pages 62 and 63 list the recent changes to equipment and hunting methods, and there are several significant changes, including:

* Archery hunters who possess a concealed pistol license may carry modern handguns for personal protection. Archery hunters may not use the handgun for hunting.

* Crossbows are lawful for use while hunting in firearm restriction areas.

* Muzzleloading hunters who possess a concealed pistol license may carry modern handguns for personal protection. Muzzleloading hunters may not use the handgun for hunting.

* Muzzleloading handguns .45 caliber or larger may be used for big game hunting.

* Muzzleloading firearms used during a modern firearm season are not required to meet ignition, sight or double-barrel restrictions.

Other important rule changes regarding conduct on WDFW lands are listed on page 72 of the new pamphlet.

2009 Incentive Permit Winners!

2009-04-10T11:54:00.000-07:00

The special deer, elk and moose permits listed below will be selected in order by the instructors on the list of permit winners randomly selected April 6 at WDFW headquarters.

Beginning Monday, April 20, instructors will have 48 hours to select a permit option. Instructors choose in rank order (#1 chooses first, #2 chooses second, etc.). Instructors who fail to select a permit option within the required 48 hours will be "bumped" and the next lucky instructor will get to make a choice instead.

(Instructors without e-mail access should notify Jan Ulijohn immediately!)

To avoid confusion and to insure accuracy, instructors must provide selections in writing to ulijojlu@dfw.wa.gov

The permit selections below are taken directly from the draft 2009 Hunting Seasons & Rules pamphlet.

Permittees may hunt in all general season and permit seasons established for GMUs included with these permits except for the antlerless only moose permits, which is limited only to October 1 - November 30.

Regions / Areas / GMUs / Restrictions

Region One (Permits selected)

GMU 113. Antlerless only moose; October 1 - November 30.

Region One (Permits selected)

Any 100 series GMU except GMU 157. Any white-tailed deer.

Region Two (One permit remaining)

GMUs 204-215, any white-tailed deer.

Region Two (Permit selected)

GMUs 215-251, any deer

Region Two (Permit selected)

GMU 290, any deer.

Region Three (Permit selected)

GMUs 335 - 368, 382, 388, any deer.

Region Three (Permits selected)

GMUs 336 - 368, any elk.

Region Four (One permit remaining)

Any 400 series GMU except GMUs 485 and 490. Any deer.

Region Five (Four permits remaining)

Any 500 series GMU open for a general deer hunting season or a special deer permit hunting season. Legal buck for 500 series GMU of choice or antlerless.

Region Five (Permits selected)

All 500 series GMUs except GMU 522. Any elk.

Region Six (Permit selected)

GMUs 654, 660, 672, 673, 681. Legal buck for GMU of choice.

Region Six (Permit selected)

GMUs654, 660, 672, 673, 681. Any elk.

All permit recipients will receive a confirmation letter after all incentive permits have been awarded. The blog will be updated daily to reflect the current permit selections and instructors next in line to select a permit. A total of 25 permits are available. If any of the individuals below waive a permit for this year, they may reapply in 2010.

Waived permits will be available to instructors 26 - 36 on the second list below.

1 Bruce Trusty - Region 1 Anterless only moose (04/17/2009)
2 Greg Koehn - Region 1 Anterless only moose (04/19/2009)
3 Stephen Emery - GMUs 336 - 368, any elk (04/20/2009)
4 Helen Trusley - GMUs 336 - 368, any elk (04/20/2009)
5 Tommy G. Brown - GMU 290, any deer (04/21/2009)
6 Jim Benedict - All 500 series GMUs, except 522, any elk (04/21/2009)
7 Richard Vanderlip - All 500 series GMUs, except 522, any elk (04/21/2009)
8 Michael Moody - All 500 series GMUs, except 522, any elk, (04/21/2009)
9 Mike Curry - Any 100 series GMU, except 157, any white-tailed deer 04/21/2009)
10 Lyle Lewis - GMUs 335-368, 382, 388, any deer (04/22/2009)
11 Mark Lippincott - All 500 series GMUS, except 522, any elk (04/22/2009)
12 Gary Emerson - GMUs 215-251, any deer (04/23/2009)
13 Don Moyer - GMUs 654,660,672, 673, 681, any elk (04/23/2009)
14 Tom Panosh - Any 500 series GMU open for a general deer hunting season or a special deer permit hunting season. Legal buck for 500 series GMU of choice or anterless (04/24/2009)
15 Scott Hageman - Waived (04/24/2009)
16 Larry Simoneaux - GMUs 204-215, any white-tailed deer
17 Sam Weatherford - Wavied (04/24/2009)
18 Mike Kuttel, Jr. - Waived (04/23/2009)
19 Valgene Power - Waived (04/24/2009)
20 Rueben Hernandez - Waived (04/22/2009)
21 George Lang - Waived (04/24/2009)
22 Gary Bjorson - Waived (04/20/2009)
23 Ron Pease - Waived (04/24/2009)
24 John Schaefer - Waived (04/23/2009)
25 David Garrison - Waived (04/27/2009)

If any instructors above waive their permit option for 2009, the following instructors are next in line to choose a permit—again in rank order—until all permits have been awarded.

26 David Vanderhoek - Waived (04/27/2009)
27 Don Hawkins - GMUs 654,660,672,673,681. Legal buck for GMU of choice (04/27/2009)
28 Neal Allen - Waived (04/27/2009)
29 Robert Margulies - Waived (04/29/2009)
30 Jeff Lich - Waived (04/30/2009)
31 Cody Lovelace - Waived (04/30/2009)
32 Cameron Field - Any 100 series GMU except 157. Any white-tailled deer
33 Sean Isaac - Waived (05/05/2009)
34 Richard Mason - Waived (05/07/2009)
35 John Kokinda - Waived (05/07/2009)

Instructors who submitted a permit application received a post card giving them the opportunity to apply for the remaining permits.

36. Kit Wennersten - Any 400 series GMU except GMU 485 and 490. Any deer.

37. Kenneth Bales - Any 500 series GMU open for a general deer hunting season or a special deer permit hunting season. Legal buck for 500 series GMU of choice or anterless.

Good luck and good hunting to all!

H.E. Attracts Students Of All Ages

2008-10-27T10:53:00.000-07:00

A recent review of students enrolled in hunter education training classes since 2002 shows that our student population is distributed broadly into the following four age classes:

Age Group / Total Enrollments

Less than 10 years of age 7,209 students

10 - 20 years of age 49,102 students

20 - 30 years of age 13,343 students

More than 30 years of age 11,652 students

As might be expected, successful student performance improves with age, as noted below:

Age Group Successful / Performance Level

Less than 10 years of age 75% of students pass

10 - 20 years of age 80% of students pass

20 - 30 years of age 95% of students pass

More than 30 years of age 93% of students pass

Instructors Invited To Observe November 1 Online Session

2008-10-24T13:18:00.001-07:00

"The whole atmosphere is really nice! I like it much better than the traditional hunter education class format!" That's what hunter education instructor Frank DuMars says about online evaluation sessions for students. Frank's phone has been ringing off the hook all October, and he's now inviting fellow instructors to observe his upcoming evaluation session to see if they, too, might like the online approach.

If you're interested, please contact Frank directly at (360) 482-2945. Frank welcomes all instructors and invites your feedback. The program starts at 10:00 a.m. at the Star Lake Community Club, between Shelton and Elma. Call Frank for specific driving instructions since Star Lake doesn't appear on all maps. (NOTE: Even the online search functions can't find Star Lake!)

As a reminder, all instructors must be approved by Chuck Ray to conduct online evaluation sessions. This is a great way to find out what's involved in online education.

Summer And Fall IHEA Journals Now Online

2008-10-17T10:22:00.001-07:00

The Winter 2009 issue of the IHEA Journal are now available online to Washington's hunter education instructors. Access directions are printed below.

(NOTE: Beginning with this issue the Journal will only be available to instructors with web access. Mailing and shipping costs have continued to escalate, and everybody in Washington State now understands the magnitude of the budget crisis facing our state. We hope that every hunter education team has at least one person they can rely upon in the future for such e-communications.) As we have noted in the past, the file size is H-U-G-E, so if you only have dial-up access be prepared for a long, slow process. With high-speed access the file only takes two minutes to load.

Please notify me directly (mikitmjm@dfw.wa.gov) if you experience any problems accessing the file.

The Journal is available at: huntershandbook.com/hej

The user name for all Washington hunter education instructors is: instructor (case sensitive).

The password for all Washington hunter education instructors is: wa123 (case sensitive).

New Instructor Training Changes In 2009

2008-08-22T07:50:00.000-07:00

The former Pre-Service Training (PST) program will be discontinued in 2009.

Although the PST program was well-received by both staff and prospective instructors, the program's costs, the time involved and its effectiveness (only 1/3 of candidates actually completed the instructor certification process in an average year) mean that it's now time for a change and a new approach.

Our new instructor certification process places a much greater premium on mentoring as new candidates prepare to become fully certified instructors. The basic instructor certification process in 2009 will involve the following steps:

(1) Application - Unchanged from previous years

(2) Mentoring - Working with a mentor approved in advance by Dan Boes or Chuck Ray, the new candidate will complete a series of items on a checklist. The approved mentor will guide the new applicant and review candidate performance, and the applicant will benefit from the close involvement provided by an existing teaching team. Successful candidates are nominated by their mentor to participate in the third and final step. Unsuccessful candidates may require additional time or be denied the opportunity to become certified hunter education instructors.

(3) Full Class Participation / Evaluation - All new applicants will join other prospective instructor applicants in conducting a class in an underserved area of the state. Held five or six times per year, the applicant teaching session will allow the applicants to demonstrate their skills and abilities while Dan Boes and Chuck Ray provide evaluation and feedback. Applicants will receive per diem and mileage reimbursement for participating in the mandatory weekend training program.

The obvious emphasis in this new approach is on local instructor support as we develop new instructor talent. Printed material will soon be available (by the first week in November) from Dan Boes and Chuck Ray, to whom you should direct questions.

Instructor Suggestion Will Lead To Better Communications

2008-08-21T14:27:00.000-07:00

Instructor Brian Peters, Vancouver, offered an excellent suggestion for staff to implement: Why not send an e-mail confirming that student and course records have been received in the Olympia office?

It's a great suggestion and one that the Olympia office will implement. Obviously, to make it work we need e-mail addresses from all chief instructors who want to participate. Right now, for example, the Olympia office has e-mail addresses for less than 50% of instructors. We cannot provide confirming e-mails unless we have the correct e-mail address, so interested instructors should be sure to check with Jan, Mik or Tracy to make sure we have e-mail addresses on file.

Great suggestion, Brian! Keep 'yer thinkin' cap on!

Instructor Offers Compiled Online

2008-08-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

For the latest offers available to hunter education instructors nationwide, please go to the IHEA web site below.

http://www.ihea.com/instructors/special-offers-for-instructors.php

Read This: Reprinted With Permission

2008-08-12T07:51:00.000-07:00

Written in stone
by Larry Simoneaux

Do you know what a "hunting accident" is?

A hunting accident is when you're hunting and a volcano blows up behind you. Poof. You're gone. Nothing to be done. An accident pure and simple.

A hunting accident is when you're under a tree and a branch chooses that moment to snap and level you.

Again, just one of those times when the stars align against you. Those, and similar events, are hunting accidents.

It isn't, however, an accident when one individual shoots another while hunting.

Sorry, but when that happens, some very basic rule was broken and what you're now dealing with is a completely preventable tragedy.

Last week, Pamela Almli was out hiking. As she bent over to put something into her pack, a young teenage boy mistook her for a bear and shot her. Pamela Almli died and two families have now been permanently harmed. One through the needless loss of a loved one and the other because a 14-year-old boy - no matter the legal fallout - will, for the rest of his life, endure the pain of knowing that through some combination of inattention, inexperience, excitement, negligence, or what have you, he killed another human being.

Want to know how long it takes to positively identify a target when you're hunting? Simple. It takes every bit as long as you need to answer every darned question that had better be in your mind before you bring that firearm to your shoulder. In other words, you can never, ever shoot at "I'm pretty sure it's this." Nor, for that matter, can you even consider shooting at movement or sound.

As a good friend has said to me on many occasions, "I don't quite know the sound or movement that identifies something as a game animal, but I'm sure I've made that noise or movement while I've been out there."

So to be safe, here's a suggestion that I borrowed from another hunter more than 30 years ago: When you see something, hear something, or notice movement while hunting, train your mind so that your first thought is that what you see, the noise you hear,
or the movement you notice is the one person that you love the most coming out to be with you. Do this and your first instinct will never be to aim a firearm at something you haven't positively identified.

The bottom line in hunting is always this: If you've made up your mind to shoot, then you need to be somewhere well beyond certain that what you're about to shoot at is precisely what you think it is. And here, a point needs to be made. The scope that sits atop many rifles and shotguns is not an identification tool. It is an aiming tool.

When you use that scope to look at something, you are also pointing your muzzle at that same thing. And if you justify this particular type of foolishness by
saying that you have the safety on, then you could be hanging another person's life on a mechanical device that's been known to fail. So, if you're going to take up this sport, spend the money to buy a set of binoculars. When you buy those binoculars, make it a rule to use them
religiously because you can never - absolutely never - aim a firearm at anything that you do not intend to kill.

If you can't make this kind of commitment to identifying your target, then forget about hunting. You aren't mature enough for this sport and we don't need you out there.

Ms. Almli didn't die because of an accident. She died because someone didn't take the time to properly identify her. Further, no matter how much time was taken, it wasn't anywhere near enough because someone is now dead - and if that sounds harsh, it's because it's meant to.

There are no "do-overs" once you pull a trigger. That bullet that you fired is now on a ballistic path and it will hit whatever it was pointed at no matter how badly you wish to call it back. That one, very simple point has been set in stone more times than I care to count.

Unfortunately, too many of those stones are found in cemeteries where they're used to mark the graves of those needlessly gone.

Bear Hunting Incident Generates Many Questions

2008-08-11T14:05:00.001-07:00

The recent fatal incident in Skagit County has raised questions from both the general public and the media. Some were surprised that hunting seasons have already begun while hikers and families were afield, while others wondered aloud how juvenile hunters could legally hunt alone. (NOTE: Bear season in western Washington historically starts on August 1. A 14 year-old shooter shot and killed a female hiker at a distance of approximately 120 yards, mistaking her for a bear. The youth successfully completed hunter education and had all necessary license documents--making him completely legal afield despite his age and the fact that he was not being supervised by an adult hunter.)

We all know that every hunting incident is a terrible tragedy, regardless of the underlying facts. We also know that strict adherence to basic hunting safety rules could have prevented the incident. The official investigation in this hunting incident continues and we will provide additional details as they become available.

Youth under 15 years of age have been responsible for roughly 12 per cent of hunting incidents here in Washington since 1980. During that time 61 individuals 15 or younger have been involved as shooters in hunting incidents (NOTE: This 61 figure includes about 20 self-inflicted injuries.).

News Flash: Licenses Soon To Require Middle Initial

2008-08-07T12:38:00.000-07:00

Beginning August 12th all new hunting license buyers will be asked to provide a middle initial before they may purchase a license. For hunter education instructors, this means a polite reminder for all students (and parents filling out bubble forms for students) to include the middle initial on our registration form.

How big a deal is this? Well, a quick review of 149,689 hunter education records earlier today revealed that a staggering 25,192 individuals did not provide us with a middle initial. (NOTE: The middle initial is very helpful in distinguishing individuals with similar first/last names.)

The obvious question from instructors is, "What about students who do not legally have a middle name/initial?" Rather than leave a blank field (and leave Olympia staff wondering whether or not the field was simply bypassed), please direct students without middle initials to use an asterisk (*). Currently the scanner cannot read an asterisk character, but at least we will know that the student does not have the required field. (NOTE: The license document will contain an asterisk (*) field for students without legal middle names.

Pilot IST In Spokane - July 26

2008-07-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

(An open invitation from Chuck Ray, eastern Washington hunter education field coordinator.)

Please reserve Saturday, July 26th for an important training date!

I have scheduled a pilot, in-service training (IST) for the 2009 chief instructor (C.I.) IST requirement, for July 26th at the Spokane Gun Club. The times will be from 8 am till noon.

You are invited to helps us pave the way for the new in-service training requirement for 2009. We want your input and ideas on how the new IST format should look. There will be four subject topics for the training; which will be the revamping of the instructor’s evaluation matrix, enforcement participation in the classroom, on-line hunter education update and an update on class registration via the Internet. Staff attending will be; Lt. Steve Crown, Mik Mikitik, Mike Kuttle, Captain Mike Whorton and other Region One enforcement officers.

Due to space constraints, I must limit participation to 50 chief instructors, so register early. If you plan on attending, you will need to pre-register by July 21st no later than noon. The club will be open for trap or skeet shooting after our meeting, so bring a shotgun along and enjoy an afternoon of killing some clay birds. Shooting will be on your own hook.

If you have any questions please call me in Ephrata at 1-800-468-5006.

NOTE: Attendance at the pilot training program is optional--not required--and there is no reimbursement offered for per diem or mileage for this pilot program.

Two Region 5 Instructor Incentive Deer Permits Remaining

2008-07-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

Two instructor incentive deer permits remain available for Region 5 (southwest Washington).

If you (1) submitted an application earlier this year, (2) are eligible to receive an instructor incentive permit, and, (3) have not previously received an instructor incentive permit, you can be a lucky winner! Just e-mail Mik (mikitmjm@dfw.wa.gov) or call the Olympia office (360-902-8408) and claim it. It's that simple!

More information on the instructor incentive permits is found in other blog articles or on page 95 of the 2008 Big Game Hunting Seasons & Regulations pamphlet.

Online Registration Could Be Available Within A Year!

2008-06-26T15:14:00.000-07:00

Mik Mikitik just completed a very productive WebEx meeting with one potential vendor and is now cautiously confident that WDFW can have affordable, efficient online registration for hunter education students by the end of this year. Remember, online registration for students will be an option instructors decide upon--not one they are forced to live with.

A number of vendors have invested substantial resources into development of winning products/services. No application contains all of the online features staff and instructors want or need, but we have found a vendor that believes "Everything is possible." This is the kind of development team we need to make our dreams become online realities.

Various vendors feature all of the "basic" elements of any online registration system--super-user controls, administrative controls, instructor controls and student controls--which don't mean anything in today's whiz-bang world of e-wonders. What we need to distinguish the competition are an absolute commitment to hunter education, a strong service support record behind the product line, and a `can do' willingness to build applications that our fit end-user needs (rather than one which molds the user into an off-the-shelf product).

There is a lot of thought and process required before we arrive at the final online registration solution, but the benefits--to hunter education staff, instructors, and students--make it all worthwhile. Costs won't be insignificant, but they will be realistic and affordable.
Instructors will have an opportunity to help us craft a best-in-class online product/service, and several instructors have agreed to assist in reviewing proposals and offering suggestions for improvements. At this point there's nothing visual to offer instructors but there should be something available for review in the month(s) ahead.

Check Out The Revised Online Hunter Education Class

2008-05-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

Online hunter education has a new look and feel, available at the web site below:

http://www.hunter-ed.com/wa/index.htm

If you or your teaching team are interested in evaluating online hunter education students, please contact Chuck Ray directly at the Ephrata office. The new approach requires instructor evaluations, and additional support is always welcome!

IHEA Journal Now Available In .pdf

2008-05-09T11:26:00.001-07:00

Great news--at least for those instructors that have Internet access: The IHEA Journal is now available online to Washington's hunter education instructors. Access directions are printed below.

This is another first-in-the-nation opportunity, made possible with the very helpful support of Brian Thurston (Journal publisher) and others. Brian agreed to make us his "test case" after we explained our twin sustainability and cost-saving goals of transitioning from paper to "e" products. (NOTE: Eventually the Journal will only be available to instructors with web access. Mailing and shipping costs continue to escalate, and every dollar spent on mailing and shipping costs represents money that is not spent on either student or instructor training or materials. We hope that every hunter education team has at least one person they can rely upon in the future for such e-communications.)

One word of caution: The file size is H-U-G-E, so if you only have dial-up access be prepared for a long, slow process. With high-speed access the file only takes two minutes to load. Please notify me directly (mikitmjm@dfw.wa.gov) if you experience any problems accessing the file.

The Journal is available at: huntershandbook.com/hej

The user name for all Washington hunter education instructors is: instructor (case sensitive).

The password for all Washington hunter education instructors is: wa123 (case sensitive).

The quality and resolution is excellent and I hope you and your fellow instructors enjoy the new format.

Future enhancements include adding past issues so that the entire history of the IHEA Journal is available as reference material for hunter education instructors.

Thanks again to Brian and his very capable team at Focus Group, Inc.!

2009 Incentive Permit Choices - Lucky Winners Get To Choose

2008-05-07T14:43:00.000-07:00

Good luck and good hunting to all!

Instructor Incentive Permit Names Drawn

2008-04-17T11:50:00.001-07:00

The following 35 instructor names were randomly selected from the pool of instructors eligible for a special hunter education incentive permit. As of this post there are no additional details on the permits available, but all permit selections are made in rank order (first instructor chooses first, second chooses next, etc.).

All instructors in the list below will receive a letter from hunter education division staff as soon as permits choices are known. Each instructor will have a maximum of five days to choose a permit--or forfeit their ranking--before moving to the next name on the list.

Congratulations to all....and stay tuned!

John Blatchford
David Pittman
Rick Lind
Ben Engelking
Dan Kivi
Michael Dombrowski
Jim Parman
J.B. Robinson
Brent Ferguson
Noel Willet
Teddy Rothrock
Terry McMaster
Tim Nizich
Gus Dorati
David Hughes
Wilson Worthen
JamieLynn Schmitz
Robert Keating
Warren Burgess, Jr.
James Kramer
Frank Dumars
Stephen Emery
Anthony Pfeiffer
Charles Nadgwick
Tommy Brown
Tom Oxford
Buddy Davis
Mychael gheparde
Charles Fairbanks
Larry Simoneaux
Paul Weekley
Judy Littlefield
John Caputo
Al Littlefield
Andy Sponberg

Murphy Lives!

2008-02-28T12:49:00.000-08:00

All of us in the hunter education division strive to do a good job in meeting instructor needs. Sometimes we stumble, and occasionally we fail, but we always remember that we have to provide the best service we can so instructors can conduct training classes.

Over the past several weeks we have received reports from instructors about missing or partial shipments of supply orders. While weather is rarely a problem in getting supplies to instructors in a timely manner, in each of these cases the unusually heavy snows were the root cause. To give an idea of just how big a problem weather can sometimes be, consider the circuitous route this 27.5 pound hunter education package has taken....and it still hasn't been delivered!

1/29 Depart Tumwater
1/29 Arrive Fife
1/30 Arrive Moses Lake - adverse weather notice
1/30 Out for Spokane delivery
1/31 Adverse weather - rescheduled
2/8 Service area inaccessible
2/15 Service area inaccessible
2/20 Arrive Hodgkins, Illinois
2/21 Arrive Indianapolis, Indiana
2/22 Arrive Lexington, Kentucky
2/22 Arrive Spartanburg, South Carolina
2/25 Multiple errors: UPS attempting to determine correct information
2/25 Package rerouted to West Columbia, South Carolina
2/26 Greensboro, North Carolina - Departure scan

We're here to help in this--and similar situations! Just give us a call and let us know when your packages don't arrive as a complete shipment. While we may never find the original shipment, we can always resend additional materials.

Special Pricing On Henry Firearms Once Again Available To Instructors

2008-02-27T16:49:00.001-08:00

Henry Repeating Arms is once again offering special discount pricing to certified hunter education instructors. Copies of the 2008 Instructor's Order Form are available from Olympia headquarters staff.

Henry limits instructor orders to two guns per instructor. A completed order form, a photocopy of the instructor certification card, a signed copy of a Federal Firearms License and payment (in the form of check or credit card) are required to submit an order.

Henry also provides free firearm safety literature and catalogs to instructors upon request. If you have specific questions regarding the Henry Instructor Purchase Program, you can contact the staff of Henry Repeating Arms directly at: info@henryrepeating.com

16 MM Films, Target Throwers 'N More Available!

2008-02-26T15:58:00.000-08:00

Instructor teams in need of a clay target thrower should contact John Wisner at the hunter education warehouse. John has two or three throwers that are now in need of a good hunter education home!

If you use 16 mm films in your classes (yes, some instructors still do!), John also has a supply of 16 mm films.

All items are available for permanent loan to instructors. Items not cleared from the warehouse by the end of March will be placed on the surplus property list....and we'd rather see these items used by instructors in future classes.

First come, first served!

Washington Game Warden Magazine Now Available!

2007-11-26T09:12:00.001-08:00

The Washington Game Warden Association now has their very own magazine, one that is sure to be of interest to hunter education instructors. Mik Mikitik has a few extra copies of the magazine at the Olympia hunter education office, and they are now available first-come, first-served to certified instructors. If you want one of these copies, contact Mik at mikitmjm@dfw.wa.gov

The Washington Game Warden Magazine is not available for subscription sale, but it is free to all associated members of the Washington Game Warden Association (GWA). GWA has always been a strong supporter of hunter education, and interested instructors are invited to consider reciprocal support by joining GWA. Membership information about GWA is available from Gene Beireis at beireis4@charter.net or you can visit the GWA web site at www.gamewardens.com

Savage Offers Great Deals To Certified Instructors

2007-10-29T11:40:00.000-07:00

Savage Arms provided the youth model .223s to the hunter education division at a super discount, and they are now extending similar great prices to certified hunter education instructors, too.

Cathy Hale is the Savage Arms sales and marketing staff person authorized to deal with Washington certified hunter education instructors. Here's what she'll need:

Your requested firearm, including model and caliber, along with your name, address and phone number.
A check made out to Savage Arms, Inc. You can also call Cathy and use a credit card, which will require the number, expiration date and 3-digit code on the back.
A copy of a Federal Firearms License (FFL) with an original signature, from the dealer who will be receiving the firearm on your behalf. (NOTE: If the delaer sends the FFL separately, be sure they include your name on the FFL or it will delay your order.)
A copy of your current hunter education card.

You can go to the Savage web site at www.savagearms.com to view their complete product offering. Contact Cathy directly to obtain a price quote. Please note that Savage sweetens the pot even further by covering the cost of shipping!

Cathy's phone number is (413) 642-4121. You can mail the other items to Cathy at Savage Sales & Marketing, 118 Mountain Road, Suffield, CT 06078.

Thanks, Cathy and Savage Arms for your support!

Ethics And Individual Instructor Actions

2007-10-22T13:37:00.000-07:00

Things happen--nobody will argue with that. Whether it's the result of an honest mistake or a brief inattentive moment, any one of us may run afoul of a hunting rule or regulation.

It's what happens after things happen that determine strength of individual character and degree of true ethical behavior.

Earlier today I learned of two recent citations issued to hunter education instructors or former instructors. In neither case did the individuals involved contact hunter education division staff. In at least one case, the individual involved clearly attempted to use status within hunter education as a method to avoid receiving a citation. Not surprisingly, it didn't work.

The First Law of Holes states, "When you discover you are in a hole, stop digging!" Ignore the first law and things get worse....and deeper. How much worse and how much deeper depends upon how quickly one remembers the importance of The First Law of Holes.

With hunter education instructors, it should be painfully obvious that any mistakes in the field are going to get noticed. Instructors are models for the entire hunting community, and the words and actions of our instructors must always reflect that important role. If a mistake occurs afield--we have a community obligation to fellow instructors to stop making the hole deeper! The only responsible, mature response is to acknowledge any mistake, accept it and learn from it.

There is no shame in making an honest mistake. There is nothing but shame when we deflect responsibility, deny the facts or threaten to leave the hunter education program as we dig the hole that much deeper. Sadly, not all of us understand The First Law of Holes.

Older Students Show More Interest In Deferral, Online Options

2007-10-16T09:50:00.000-07:00

Preliminary data shows continuing interest from "older" students in both the new deferral option and online learning. The data set for both groups is roughly comparable (451 deferral applications and 509 online enrollments), and in both cases "older" students (defined as 18 or older) are applying or enrolling at a higher rate than younger students. Preliminary data reveals:

659 Deferral Applications (as of 10/25/2007)

60 Female , Under 18 years of age = 38.7%
95 Female, Over 18 years of age = 61.3%
222 Male, Under 18 years of age = 44.1%
281 Male, Over 18 years of age = 55.9%

Online Enrollments (as of 10/1/2007)

Under 18 years of age = 20%
Over 18 years of age = 80%

The data set for online enrollments may be skewed slightly in favor of "older" students as a result of information explaining the challenges of online learning and encouraging younger students to seek a traditional class. There is no apparent age bias evident in the deferral option.

"Older" students may be away at school, have jobs or families, etc. that make it more difficult for them to schedule attendance at traditional hunter education classes. The preliminary data suggests a strong correlation between hunter education options and effective recruitment of "older" prospective hunters.

Strong Early Public Interest In Deferral

2007-10-08T12:11:00.001-07:00

Approximately 250 applications for hunter education deferrals have been processed during the first month (September 5 - October 5) of the deferral program. Interest to date in the deferral program has come mostly from adults (with roughly 60% of applicants 18 or older), although younger students have been applying in larger numbers.

The deferral program allows individuals to request a one license year, once-in-a-lifetime deferral of hunter education training. Deferred hunters must hunt under immediate supervision of an accompanying hunter 18 years of age or older. Immediate supervision is defined as within normal voice and visual distance--prohibiting the use of two-way radios, binoculars, etc. as part of the "control."

DLPs Available For Instructor Use

2007-09-12T11:43:00.000-07:00

Digital Light Projectors (DLPs) are now available for instructor check out at all WDFW regional offices. If you or your fellow instructors have access to a laptop computer, use of a DLP is just the ticket for presentations, DVDs, etc!

Please note that DLPs are not available for permanent loan. Instructors must check out and return DLPs for each class. Also, please remember that DLPs are fragile units--and replacement bulbs cost as much as $400!

If you use DLPs in your classes, remember, too, that we have a complete outline of the Student Manual available on CD. Most instructors received one of the CDs last year or earlier this year. Contact a member of the hunter education team if you still haven't received a copy.

The DLP has become a standard feature in many hunter education classes, and we are trying to honor Chief Bjork's request to provide additional training aids and materials for instructor use.

One Parent Questions Testing Schedules - Share Your Thoughts

2007-08-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

I am a mother of a 9 year old boy who has been taking the Hunters EducationCourse in Port Townsend (Jefferson County) this week.

My son has been brought up around hunting, fishing, and conservation and knows more about wildlife and hunting than most adults.

My husband and I have been studying with our son, non-stop, for the 2 week's he's been attending the mandatory 6+ sessions.

However, I am at the moment infuriated at the fact that my husband justcalled at 9:00 p.m. to say they are just now administering the writtentest!!!! Most children under 12 at this time are in bed!

I understand these instructors are volunteers and we are grateful for their service, but it is completely unreasonable to think young adults canconcentrate and understand the "computerized" test taking skills after theyare exhausted!!

I have total confidence my son will pass the test, however, this will proveto be an unpleasant experience for him and not a positive reflection on theDepartment of Fish and Wildlife.

Again, while I appreciate the volunteer efforts of the instructors, theredefinitely has to be some time spent in educating them on who their audienceis and using common sense in the training and administering of this test.

And Mik responded as follows:

Thank you for contacting the Department of Fish and Wildlife regarding hunter education.

A great deal of time and effort is invested in all hunter education classes--by students, parents and instructors involved in conducting the training program. While there is almost always room for improvement in conducting any training program, the fact remains that hunter education class schedules--including testing times--are dictated and limited by instructor time and availability. That will not change as long as hunter education training in Washington State remains a volunteer program.

Your e-mail stated, "...there definitely has to be some time spent in educating them on who their audience is and using common sense in the training and administering of this test." As a matter of policy we specifically delegate to our instructors all authority in determining their class schedules--including testing. We encourage our instructors to provide a clear, concise statement at the beginning of class so that students and parents know the exact class location, dates and times. Our goal is to avoid last-minute disappointment by providing sufficient information in advance to allow parents and students to decide whether they can live with the available location, dates and times. What may work for some will not work for others.

I will state for the record here that the our instructors do know their audience (which may range in age from 8 - 60+), they do know their instructional material and they do go to extraordinary lengths to provide hunter education training in their communities. They also have many competing and conflicting demands, ranging from work and family obligations to finding dates and available facilities to conduct hunter education training. Ask any of our 800+ certified instructors--or their families--how much personal time they volunteer on behalf of hunter education training and the answer is very likely to be "Far more than I ever dreamed."

I will provide a copy of your e-mail (anonymously) in a future newsletter to instructors so they understand the opinion of at least one concerned parent.

Instructor Newsletters .pdf Available Now Online

2007-08-08T13:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, we're finally lurching e-forward into the 20th Century (a bit late I'm told) with our online hunter education newsletter. Go to the link below, then scroll down the page to the left-hand side and look for InstructorTalk. The most current issue has been posted there, along with links to the previous three issues as well.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/enf/huntered/index.htm

Our goal is to eliminate the paper version of the newsletter by the beginning of the year, if the decision will not have significant negative impacts on instructors. E-newsletters are available faster and obviously cheaper than print versions--but the key questions remains the response from instructors. Let us know if you like / don't like the idea!

Sign Up Now For Peer Review!

2007-08-07T10:38:00.000-07:00

Instructors Judy Littlefield, Larry Lufkin and Dan McLean are just about ready to begin peer reviews--observing instructors and teaching teams in action--and interested instructors and teaching teams should contact Chuck Ray or Dan Boes a.s.a.p. to let us know if you're interested in signing your team up.

To encourage instructors and teaching teams to participate in the peer review process, the first six hunter education teams to voluntarily request Judy, Dan or Larry visit their class for a peer review will be authorized to spend up to $300 on training aids for their team. Yes, that means you'll be spending our money! (NOTE: Expenditures must conform to state and agency guidelines for approved purchases.)

The goal for the peer review team is to review a total of 15 instructor teams statewide.

Peer review is a useful tool to assess overall program quality and Judy, Dan and Larry are excellent resources for all of our instructors. For more information on these three peer reviewers and the peer review process, please be sure to check out your September newsletter, which will be mailed by the end of this month.

Beretta & CVA Offer Special Pricing For Instructors

2007-08-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

Under its motto, "Own it proudly, use it wisely!" Beretta is providing a 30% discount off current and published MSRP prices on select Beretta long guns. Before contacting Travis Breiner at (301) 283-0189, be sure you know the MSRP, can provide a copy of your current (valid) hunter education instructor certification card, have a copy of a signed FFL where the firearm will be shipped and have a credit card handy for phone order payment.

CVA is offering certified hunter education instructors 40% off on catalog prices for all muzzleloaders and supplies (with the exception of the Optima Elite guns). Contact David at (770) 440-4687 to check product availability; you can charge your order with a a major credit card. Once again you'll need a copy of your instructor certification card to order.

A number of manufacturers now offer promotional pricing to certified hunter education instructors, and all of them want to be sure that their promo products wind up in the hands of instructors--not as bargain-priced gifts for friends and family members. If you do take advantage of any of these offers, please be sure to send along a note of "Thanks" for their willingness to recognize the special contributions of hunter education instructors to hunting and the shooting sports!

No WDFW Computers For Associations

2007-07-30T08:15:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year the Hunter Education Resources Organization (HERO) and the Washington Hunter Education Instructors' Association spoke to Chief Bruce Bjork about the possibility of distributing surplus agency laptop computers to hunter education instructors. There was much support for the proposal, but the final decision depended upon authority granted to the agency via General Administration (GA).

The word from GA is finally in: GA has denied our request to surplus laptops to the instructor associations. Apparently there is some sort of existing agreement that requires all surplused computers to go to the Computers for Kids program.

Agency staff will continue to look for other ways to help promote the use of computer technology in the classroom.

Special Leupold Offer For Instructors Only

2007-07-18T14:23:00.000-07:00

Leupold's Hunter Education Instructors program allows certified hunter education instructors to purchase Leupold products for instructional use at special pricing. It also allows one optic a year for personal use at special pricing. Special pricing is valid only for 2007. Hunter education instructors may not purchase Leupold products for resale.

Only certified hunter education instructors qualify. To purchase provide Leupold with a copy of your state certification card, name, mailing address, shipping address, phone number, fax number, and e-mail address. You must also submit a short list of classes taught in the current year and number of students you have trained.

Send your request to:

Gabe Lange
Leupold & Stevens
PO Box 688
Beaverton, OR 97075
Phone: 503-526-1609
Fax: 503-526-1475
E-mail: glange@leupold.com

Prices will be faxed, phoned, or e-mailed upon request. Be sure to include the model name (or number), reticle, the finish you want, and your method ofpayment. There will be a shipping and handling fee of $10.00 added to all shipments. You must prepay by check or money order or useMasterCard, VISA, American Express, or Discover.

As part of the growing list of hunter education instructors using Leupold products you will receive program information and literature at the beginning of each calendar year.
You may also view their extensive product line at http://www.leupold.com/

FY 2007 Student Numbers Appear Slightly Lower

2007-07-12T16:19:00.000-07:00

Fiscal Year 2007 (running from July 1, 2006 - June 30, 2007) student numbers appear to be down five or six per cent from the 13,460 student enrollments during the previous fiscal year.

FY 2007 numbers currently show a total of 12,716 students enrolled. That number could change if certified hunter education instructors have not submitted their student and course records yet. Typically we receive some records weeks and months late, so it is very likely that the above totals will grow. However, it is questionable that we will see an influx of 700+ student records at this late date, so we are now predicting a slightly reduced student enrollment from FY 2006.

Reminder: Re-use Test Booklets And Answer Keys

2007-07-06T14:36:00.000-07:00

A brief discussion recently with John Wisner, hunter education warehouse specialist, alerted us to the fact that some instructors order new tests and answer keys each year. While things such as car parts and toner cartridges certainly wear out and get used up with some frequency, hunter education test booklets and answer keys should last the average instructor team many, many years.

Are you re-using your answer keys and test booklets? If not, the question that comes to mind is, "What are you doing?" Test booklets should be carefully protected at all times. In all my years (25+) in hunter education I have re-used test booklets many dozens of times. If instructors give careful instructions and make sure that students follow them, the booklets are as good as new for many years. Sometimes students err and test booklets have marks made on them. In such cases, it is appropriate to destroy the test booklet(s). Test booklets are NEVER to be returned to students or distributed to the general public for any reason.

Printing costs here at Department of Fish and Wildlife continue to climb, and every instructor can help control those costs by re-using student test booklets and keys. While we understand that every student needs a new answer sheet, very few students require a new test booklet. If you have any questions, please contact anybody on the hunter education team.

Please do you part and "test smart."

Weekly Staff Schedule: August 12 - August 18

2007-06-29T10:23:00.000-07:00

Hunter education division staff are generally in the office and available to assist you during normal business hours. Exceptions are listed below by staff person:

Chuck - Out Tuesday
Dan - Out Monday and Tuesday; Friday afternoon at Evergreen Gun Club
John - Out on Friday
Mik - Out Monday

If you need to contact a member of the hunter education team you can always call the general Olympia office number [(360) 902-8111]. Listen to the main menu so you can choose the correct option to route your call. Be sure to leave a message if no one is available to answer your call immediately.

Student Evaluations Show Consistency

2007-06-26T16:25:00.000-07:00

`The shoe is on the other foot' when it comes time for students to evaluate instructors in hunter education training, and since March 16, 2007 students have been anonymously submitting their evaluations to the Olympia office. Yes, this was another brainchild from our instructor corps, specifically Don Hawkens from Pierce County. Don reasoned that we were already sending students a certification card, so why not send them a second sheet of paper asking them to evaluate hunter education performance in a number of areas.

The September issue of the InstructorTalk newsletter will contain more details on the evaluation questions and student responses, but for now note that:

-Fully 87% of student survey respondents who enrolled in hunter education training classes plan to purchase a hunting license this year. Incidentally, this figure rarely varies by more than a few percentage points in similar surveys dating back to the 1980s. The remaining individuals either plan to purchase a license at a future date or took the training to learn about firearms--not hunting--safety.

-More than 99% of student respondents reported that they learned useful information in hunter education training classes.

-Almost 99% of student respondents reported that they would recommend hunter education training classes to their friends.

Bottom line: Even though there's always room for improvement, the student responses to date show that we are clearly on target with our current hunter education training program. Keep up the good work!

Hunting Incident Overview: 1980 - 2007

2007-06-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

Add up the millions of hunter days afield since 1980 and the total of 509 hunting incidents recorded for the Evergreen State since then looks like a pretty small figure. However, every hunting incident is a painful reminder that something went wrong, and every injury incident is a personal tragedy. All of us involved in hunter education know that even one hunting incident is one too many.

The Annual Hunting Incident Report is now being printed and instructors will receive a copy with their issue of the July newsletter. A longer-term overview of hunting incidents is presented below:

Approximately 10% of all hunting incidents involved a fatality. A total of 14 fatalities were self-inflicted, while 38 involved a shooter and a victim.

Approximately 88% of all hunting incidents were non-fatal, with the remaining two percent involving livestock.

Approximately 20% of all shooters involved in all hunting incidents since 1980 were under 18 years of age.

Approximately 12% of all victims involved in all hunting incidents since 1980 were under 18 years of age.

Hunting implements involved in hunting incidents are shown in descending order below:

Shotgun - 50%
Rifle - 35%
Handgun - 11%
Muzzleloader - 2%
Archery - 1%
Other - Less than 1%

(NOTE: "Other" implements are identified when the investigating officer has uncooperative victims and/or cannot determine what type of implement caused the injury.)

Please Submit THMFSA Nominees By November 31

2007-06-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

ONCE AGAIN it’s time for written nominations for the Terry Hoffer Memorial Firearm Safety Award (THMFSA). Please submit nominations by 11/31.

The THMFSA is named in honor Fish and Wildlife Officer Terry Hoffer, who died in the line of duty as a result of a gunshot wound inflicted by a careless hunter. The award recognizes excellence in hunter education training.

Staff review all nominations, with final selection made by a panel including instructors and officers. The award recipient receives a firearm (valued up to the maximum amount of the award), a plaque and a “traveling trophy.” All nominations must be in writing. No special nomination form is required.

Technology In The Classroom: Chief Sez' Make It So

2007-06-05T11:46:00.000-07:00

WDFW ENFORCEMENT CHIEF BRUCE BJORK has been one of the strongest advocates ever for strengthening hunter education in the Evergreen State. Last year, for example, Chief Bjork traded confiscated firearms—reluctantly “donated” to WDFW by various wildlife violators—for the new .22LR, 20-gauge and .223 firearms we now use in training statewide.

Earlier this year, at the Yakima in-service training program, Chief Bjork heard from instructors and instructor associations about the need for computer technology in our classes. In a typical show of support for hunter education, the chief directed hunter education staff to investigate ways to transfer surplus laptop computers from Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Officers to hunter education instructors. Even though the use of surplus laptop computers led to a dead end (detailed below), the chief wanted to honor his commitment to expanding the use of technology in the class. Soon hunter education staff will have 18—that’s right, eighteen!—digital light projectors (DLP) for instructors to use in classroom presentations. If instructors can get the laptops, WDFW can now provide the projectors. You’ve seen Chuck Ray and Dan Boes using these DLPs for several years and beginning in July they will be available to you, too.

Sideboards first. DLPs are expensive and cannot be shipped to and from instructors. Projectors will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at regional offices. Compliance with an “equipment logbook” is required, so instructors verify what they check out and check back in to the regional office. And, finally, DLPs will not be assigned to instructors on a permanent basis until we have some track history regarding needs, use, distribution issues, etc. (7087)

Why couldn’t we add laptops to the mix? First and most importantly, the laptops in question are all older models that have bounced around in officers’ rigs for years. (No, we don’t have 4x4 laptops yet!) Also, all laptops would be “bare,” meaning that no software would be supplied. Due to other work demands, tech support would also be non-existent. And, finally, state ethics rules would prevent the use of any state laptop for personal e-mails, or any non-hunter education use. All in all, investing in new DLPs seemed the better route to implement the chief’s goal of expanding use of technology in the hunter education classroom.

2007 Remaining Instructor (Big Game) Incentive Permit Winners

2007-04-26T15:31:00.000-07:00

The lucky instructors below submitted applications w-a-y back in January to apply for the 12 remaining incentive permits reserved exclusively for hunter education instructors. (NOTE: The original 25 permit winners were drawn at the 2007 IST in Yakima and previously announced in this blog. Some declined permits, allowing others in the drawing pool to be considered.) The latest lucky winners are:

Areas, Permits, Restrictions and GMUs

Region 1 (Lou Chobot)
Any white-tailed deer
Any 100 series except GMU 157

Region 2 (Norma Holthaus, Gale Palmer)
Any white-tailed deer
GMUs 204-215

Region 4 (Bobby Beddome, Jeff McCarthy)
Any deer
Any 400 series GMU except 485

Region 5 (Jon and Lynn Jefferies, Sherman Reeves, Paul Sims, Gary Webster and Buddy Woodberry)
Legal buck for 500 series GMU of choice or antlerless
Any 500 series GMU open for a general deer hunting season or a special deer permit hunting season

Region 6 (Dave Pedroza)
Legal buck for GMU of choice
GMUs 654, 660, 672, 673, 681

Congrats and good luck afield to all!

Governor Signs "Families Afield" Hunter Education Bill

2007-04-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

In front of board members of the Washington Hunter Education Instructors' Association, Governor Gregoire signed SHB 1249--authorizing a once-in-a-lifetime, one license year deferral of hunter education--at her Olympia office on Saturday, April 21.

The legislation passed with a unanimous vote in the State Senate and only three opposing votes in the State House.

Similar to legislation passed in a number of other states, Washington's deferral program allows mentors over 18 years of age who have held a Washington hunting license for the prior three years to supervise beginning hunters who have not yet completed hunter education training. The new law will take effect July 21.

"Although the law has been passed, there's still a great deal of work to do," said Mik Mikitik, hunter education administrator. "The details--how much a deferral will cost, who is elibible, what is required to obtain one, etc.--all need to be developed"

For more specific information on the new law, please click on the link below:

http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2007-08/Pdf/Bills/House%20Passed%20Legislature/1249-S.PL.pdf

Alan Madison DVDs Now In Stock

2007-04-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

Five popular Alan Madison titles--Shoot/Don't Shoot, Firearms Safety And The Hunter, Survival, The Last Shot and The Hunter's Path--are now available in DVD format and in stock for hunter education instructors to check out and use.

"There have been more and more requests for DVD's," said John Wisner, hunter education warehouse manager. "We now have sufficient copies of these five titles in DVD format and should be able to accommodate any instructor wishing to borrow DVD's."

Procedures to check out DVD's are the same as for VHS formats. Complete and return a Supply Request Form through your hunter education field coordinator (Chuck Ray, eastern Washington, or Dan Boes, western Washington).

AHE Changes Are In The Works

2007-04-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is revamping the 16-year-old Advanced Hunter Education (AHE) program to better address emerging issues facing the hunting community.

The program will be re-designed over the course of this year. While the revisions are under way, the AHE program will take no new enrollees. Applications will again be accepted early next year.

“The hunting environment has changed since the AHE program was initiated nearly two decades ago, and the program needs to change as well,” said Chief Bruce Bjork, head of the WDFW Enforcement program that manages hunter education. “While the program offers hunters increased proficiency and the privilege of participating in special hunts, it also must serve the needs of the larger hunting community and be self-supporting,” he said.

The program could be refocused to train enrollees to act as “hunt masters” and “gate masters” who help manage orderly hunts and thus encourage private land owners to grant hunters access to their lands, Bjork said.

“As access to private lands becomes more limited WDFW will be pursuing every approach possible to address this crucial need,” said WDFW Director Jeff Koenings, Ph.D. “Increasing access will require increased participation by volunteers who help ensure ethical and orderly hunter conduct.”

Additional changes to the AHE program could include revisions in course requirements, enhanced hunter ethics training and funding changes.

Proposed AHE program revisions are scheduled to be discussed during the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission’s April 7 meeting at the Ellensburg Inn and Conference Center,1700 Canyon Road in Ellensburg.

In addition, current AHE graduates and the public will have an opportunity to comment on the proposed changes, said Mik Mikitik, WDFW’s hunter education coordinator. Details of proposals will be made public later this spring, including notice on the Advanced Hunter Education section of the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/enf/huntered/ahe.htm

Changes in the AHE program will not affect WDFW’s Basic Hunter Education program. Washington hunters born after Jan. 1, 1972 are required to complete Basic Hunter Education in order to purchase a valid hunting license.

Roughly 2,300 hunters have completed the AHE program and 1,400 are currently active in the program. The program typically receives approximately 1,000 applicants annually, with about 25 percent of enrollees successfully completing the course, Mikitik said.

Free Conservation Videos Available

2007-03-08T13:20:00.000-08:00

Hunter education Jim Brown, Kittitas County, encourages instructors to check out the FREE conservation videos from the National Shooting Foundation at the web link below:

http://www.nssf.org/conservationvideos/index.cfm

Thanks for the tip, Jim!

Instructor Gear Swiped: What To Do Now?

2007-03-08T08:42:00.000-08:00

A Clark County teaching team just reported that one of their instructors had a compound bow stolen just prior to class. The immediate question for the teaching team was "Does hunter education have insurance to cover such losses?"

There is no state insurance coverage in such cases. However, the instructor's vehicle insurance or homeowner's insurance policy may cover such losses. Obviously, any loss of equipment should be reported as soon as possible to local law enforcement officials. In addition, it may be worthwhile to contact local media outlets to try and generate news coverage about equipment items stolen from volunteers. There may be no honor among thieves, but they may have soft spots in their hearts if they know they are hurting kids' programs in their community.

Such thefts remind us all of the need to be ever-vigilant with equipment used in training. Hunter education classes generally have a variety of easily-disposed-of equipment items, and instructors should maintain a watchful eye over equipment and materials before, during and after classes.

Ask The Staff

2007-03-06T10:21:00.000-08:00

Got a question about hunter education in Washington State? Not sure whether a particular firearm or archery product is lawful for hunting? Want to assist in conducting a hunter education class but don't know how to get started? Well, for these--and many other issues--the WDFW hunter education division staff are here to help you.

The best way to contact us is via e-mail at: huntered@dfw.wa.gov

We always try to respond within 24 hours and will do our best to get back to you within that time frame.

Hunter Education In 2010: What's Ahead?

2006-06-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

Hunter education in Washington State has started its 50th year of service. Dedicated men and women--all volunteers serving for absolutely no pay--have trained hundreds of thousands of Washington's hunters since 1957. The traditional approach to hunter education involved one or more classroom instructors who met with students to cover the basics of firearms safety. Over the years the curriculum expanded to include archery, muzzleloading, principles of wildlife conservation and ethics afield. Today the average student spends almost 18 hours to complete hunter education training.

Times have changed and hunter education continues to evolve. The student population now typically includes working parents and adults. Not all interested students can attend a traditional class spread over 18 hours of instruction. To accommodate our changing population, Washington's hunter education program offers non-traditional courses--such as print-based and online hunter education, and compressed "Paradigm Shift" activities that place the burden of acquiring skills and knowledge squarely upon the learner's shoulders. Hunter education services today are much more user-focused than ever before.

What will we need to do in the years ahead to meet the needs of Washington's hunters? Where will to direct staff efforts? How can we better serve current and future hunters? Hunter education staff are now developing a comprehensive five-year plan to guide staff work and funding priorities over the next several years. Your thoughts and suggestions are welcome as we seek to transform new ideas into specific action steps to shape hunter education training for the 21st Century.