11 September 2007
Hunter’s Education Courses Are For Everybody
Posted by Darrell under: Rantings Of An Outdoorsman .
Last week Kristine wrote a post about her decision to postpone taking the hunter education course. Most of the comments she received were pretty favorable to that decision. Matt, then wrote his own article about taking the hunter education course. In his article he commented that taking a hunter education course is a big commitment. Again, lots of favorable comments. So, this might make me unpopular, but I’m going to say it anyway.
I respect both Kristine and Matt and their opinions. I certainly can’t argue with their writing ability. They both are awesome writers. Kristine has a right to make whatever decision she wants to. However, I feel like she is making a mistake. Taking the course isn’t making a decision (or committment) to hunt, its making a decision to understand hunters. I grew up hunting, in a family of hunters, and yet I didn’t fully understand hunters until I took the course.
Let me explain. I took my hunter’s education course when I was 12 or 13. It wasn’t a committment at all for me because it was a required course in school. I wasn’t given the luxury of decision. Of course, it was one of the only subjects, besides PE, that I ever was excited about. Every kid was required to take this course. Most passed. Does this mean that every kid in my school and every adult in my community are now hunters? Or that they even hunted one time? NO. Absolutely not.
Are these people all better off because they took the course? YES. Absolutely. Am I better off as a hunter because all these excess people took the course? YES, again. My point is that you shouldn’t only take the hunter education course if you have made the decision to go out and kill something. And you certainly don’t need to be an expert shot or in perfect physical shape. Even if you have determined that hunting is not for you, this course will benefit you (and me).
Most people think of hunter education courses as a safety class. And they are. You will learn about gun safety. This is good for EVERYONE - regardless if you hunt or even own guns. This part of the course for me, though, was mundane. My dad had already drilled safety into me.
Part of the course dealt with caring for the harvest. I found this part of the course intriguing, but again I’d already been taught this stuff. We learned all the parts of a firearm. Again, already knew it. My dad had been a good teacher.
Then came the day of revelation. I came from a very traditional hunting family. We ate and hunted for meat. If someone asked why I hunted, I’d respond “for the meat”. Period. I didn’t care that some people didn’t understand that reasoning. I also did not understand conservation, or the part that hunters play in conservation. I walked away from that Hunter Education Course realizing that hunters were not only providers, and ethical sportsmen, but also conservationist. Without hunters there would be no game. The deer would over populate, get sick and die off. Without me, there would be no more deer.
This awareness transformed the way I view hunting and the way I view hunters. We have a huge responsibility and, like it or not, realize it or not, the non-hunting public are dependent upon us to manage wildlife numbers and ensure that there are deer and turkeys and rabbits and quail for our children and their children to marvel at.
All those kids that went through the hunter education course, even the ones that won’t ever hunt, learned about the value of hunters. They learned why it is so important for hunters to represent ourselves morally and ethically to society and the huge responsibility that we hunters have taken on. Few, if any, of those kids have grown up to be ‘antis’. They may be ‘nons’, but they aren’t ‘antis’, and there is a BIG difference.
Non hunters are people that have chosen not to hunt. That is their decision, and I respect it. In fact, I’m allowed to hunt on land owned by some non-hunters. They are good people. Many of my friends used to be non-hunters and some still are. Anti-hunters are different. They are the people that are trying to force their opinion on me. They want hunting to cease. Most are simply ignorant. They don’t know any better. Why? Because, they haven’t been through a course.
I’m not a killer. I don’t murder innocent animals. I’m a ethical sportsman that is an integral part of conservation. Every reasonable person that completes a hunter’s education course leaves understanding the importance of hunters. They leave knowing how important hunting is - regardless of whether they choose to participate or not. They don’t leave an ‘anti’.
I married my wife who was a bonified city girl from a very non-hunting family. During the first year of our marriage, I asked her to take the course. She had no interest in hunting and no desire to kill anything. She didn’t really understand my desire to hunt. Yet, because she loved me, she agreed to take the course. After she completed the course she still didn’t have a desire to hunt (although she was willing to tag along with me). She did, however, understand hunting, hunters, and our role in conservation. Imagine my pride when she would explain the important role that hunters play in conservation to her friends.
When I listen to some guy moaning about his wife not liking that he hunts,I generally don’t feel a lot of compassion. “Has she been through the hunter education course?”, I ask. “Are you daft man? She doesn’t want to hunt!” is the usual reply. “Send her through the course. She’ll then understand hunting and your life will be much less miserable!” is my statement of fact.
So, as far as I’m concerned, attending a hunter’s education course shouldn’t even require a decision (it should be required curriculum) and certainly shouldn’t be looked upon as a big committment. The entire course will take less time than most people spend watching TV in a week. Graduates of the course aren’t going to learn the fine details of tracking a deer or stalking a bear.
They will learn how to handle a gun safely. Equally important though, graduates will leave with a respect for hunters and an understanding of the imporant role that hunters play in our society. If everybody went through the course, we might not have more hunters, but society in general, would have a better understanding of and respect for hunters.
13 Comments so far...
Phillip Says:
11 September 2007 at 8:55 am.
Interesting and thought-provoking perspective, Darrell. I like it.
Nice post.
Arthur Says:
11 September 2007 at 10:57 am.
Not only interesting, but very true! I could not agree.
My wife first suffered through the hunters education course, and then once she made it through that, and got to shoot a gun, she was hooked. The next year she started hunting and has been going regularly ever since.
I have to say though I totally agree with what you said. Even if my wife had decided never to hunt again I would have understood. The course is definitely enlightening either way.
Arthur Says:
11 September 2007 at 10:58 am.
A little too fast on the send button I guess. My first line was suppose to say:
Not only interesting, but very true! I couldn’t agree more!!!!
Geesh. fat finger syndrome I guess.
Kristine Shreve Says:
11 September 2007 at 11:35 am.
I’ve been waiting for this post. You make a very good argument Darrell, and I agree with the majority of what you’ve said.
As I said in my post, or if I didn’t I should have said it, I don’t dispute the value of a hunter education course, and I do fully intend to take one. The factors that led to me making the decision I did had very little to do with whether or not I plan to hunt, or even want to hunt and absolutely nothing to do with the perceived value of the course. Some of the factors I covered in my blog post. Others, for reasons of privacy or space, I did not.
As to whether or not the decision I made was a mistake, I guess that remains to be seen. As I said in my post, I had to make the decision that was right for me, and that’s what I did. I’m hoping people who know me will understand my respect and admiration for hunters and the hunting community. I guess I’ll just have to take my chances with those who don’t.
By the way, I sent you a message via your contact form regarding guest posts. I have one for you if you’re interested, but I don’t have your e-mail. If you still want the post, get in touch with me about that, please.
Darrell Says:
11 September 2007 at 4:10 pm.
Phillip, Rex, Arthur: Thanks for the props! Arthur, I sometimes have fat fingers myself! I can’t wait to read an article from you dealing with how to cope emotionally when your spouse takes a bigger buck! I sure love teasing guys about that one!
Kristine, your post obviously influenced me to write this one. However, the post wasn’t specifically aimed at you (in gun speak). I know your intention in writing your post wasn’t to influence, justify, or inspire anyone to not take the course. I know that you respect and amire the hunting community.
You are a respected writer and undoubtedly influence others. For instance, I’m sure there are many people that have bought gunslingers as a direct result of your influence. I’d hate for anyone to read the post of ANY respected outdoor writer and then decide not to attend a hunter education course or to think of it as being a big committment that can be put off until later.
As I’ve said in this article, everyone benefits from this course and everyone should attend. Honestly, I cannot wait until you attend the course and then write about your positive experiences from it and how you wished you’d have attended earlier - because of how it has benefiited you. When you write that article it will likely do much more to influence others to attend the course then anything I can write.
Kristine Shreve Says:
11 September 2007 at 4:19 pm.
Well, you made me think Darrell. I’m guessing I may have to do a follow-up post to my earlier post. I’m not sure I’m as influential enough to encourage anyone to take a course or not take a course, but I would hate to influence someone in the wrong direction.
Matt Says:
11 September 2007 at 6:43 pm.
Nice post and thanks for the link.
Perhaps I should have clarified my characterization of “a big commitment.”
What I meant was, it’s time consuming. I agree that hunter education should be required in school. That would save people who don’t plan to hunt or who are on the fence about whether they want to take up the sport, as I was when I took the course, the aggravation of having to sacrifice a weekend to take the class.
On the flip side, I’ve come to think of hunter education, as it is done here in Virginia, as part of paying one’s dues to become a hunter. I think the time commitment is why no one ever fails here (if you don’t pass the test, they take you out in the hall and you come back in the room with a passing score.) I guess they figure if you put the time in, you’ve earned the right to get a hunting license.
Bryan Says:
11 September 2007 at 6:56 pm.
Another great post, Darrell. Very thought provoking…as was the ensuing discussion between yourself and Kristine. I’ll look forward to continued discussion/debate on this issue…
Dana @ The Wild WoodsWoman Says:
11 September 2007 at 9:14 pm.
Darrell, How can I emphasize HOW MUCH I AGREE WITH YOU!!!! I had the same thought you did when you said “You are a respected writer and undoubtedly influence others…. I’d hate for anyone to read the post of ANY respected outdoor writer and then decide not to attend a hunter education course or to think of it as being a big committment that can be put off until later.” Even more so from the perspective of a female hunter who wants to encourage other women to hunt. Women will someday read Kristine’s original post & comments in which she said “My problem, and a main factor in my decision, is that right now I’m just not comfortable enough with my skills and my knowledge. I would spend the whole class worrying that I wouldn’t do things properly, and I wouldn’t get the most out of the class.”
I’m concerned that another woman will read that and think “Well she works for a gun safety company and if she’s not comfortable, then there’s no way I’d be comfortable.” I’m also concerned with how women will take in the idea that “If I get some more experience, I’ll be much more comfortable and able to absorb all the class has to offer.” That would not be good since the idea is to take the class with zero experience in order to start out with the good basic safety education right from the beginning.
Kristine, when you read this, you of course should not do anything that you are set against. But with the limited amount of women hunters on the Internet, it is very likely that you ARE that influential to the newbie huntress. As I’m sure you already know, it’s a big step for women to dip their toes into gun handling, and I don’t think it takes much for them to shy away!
Kristine Shreve Says:
12 September 2007 at 7:13 am.
As Darrell said on my post, there will be another post forthcoming on my blog. I’m still convinced my decision is the right one for me at this point, but I also realize that I need to clarify a few things.
Darrell Says:
12 September 2007 at 9:52 am.
Matt, thanks for the clarification of “big committment”. Committing a weekend to anything while you are in college is tough. No one wants to go to class on the weekend. However, when you really look closely at the sacrafice (in time) you make to take the course - the benefits far outweigh any aggravation.
Bryan, thanks for stopping by and reading it. I feel like Kristine and I are ‘discussing’ and not debating.
Dana, you mirrored my thoughts exactly. I hope that our fellow outdoorsmen (and outdoorswomen) continue to encourage their friends, co-workers, children, and spouses to take the course.
Kristine, thanks for inspiring the discussion.
Everyone else, if you haven’t taken a hunters education course (regardless of your desire to hunt), please take one - then tell the world whether it did or didn’t benefit you.
Future Steel » A Few Good Blogs Says:
28 September 2007 at 8:14 am.
[…] her target market. Predictably not all of her readers were in agreement with her decision and posted their own blogs on the subject. (not coincidentally, I happen to follow those bloggers as well (there really are some quality […]
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