How hard Is it in your state to get Hunter Safety Certified?

twa

I know KS requires you either take a class at a location or take an on-line class and attend a "field day". Every time I have tried to book a class around here for someone, they are full. I know hunter safety is a good thing and all should have it, but I believe it is limiting some to actually getting in the field. For some, they have grown up hunting (with a mentor) and were taught these things by a responsible hunter / family member. KS does reciprocate other states hunter safety class and after doing a search found the great state of Texas as offering an online hunter safety class (if you are over 18), with no requirement to attend a class or field day in person. Take the online class, and get mailed the certificate (just an FYI). But wondered how hard other states make it to get kids / newbies / or otherwise experienced hunters that have hunted with mentors for years into the field legally hunting by themselves?

Varmintmist

PA is a day and a half class. They cover a lot of saftey topics about firearms, treestands and harness, blinds, turkey hunting and camo, crossing fences, knives, parts of firearms, parts of bows, trapping and all the regs that go along with it. Sign up can be done online and there are classes throughout the year. All taught and given by volenteers normally at gun clubs who give over their facilities for a weekend.

I have been through it 3 times with my kids. When I went it was a single day. I think it could still be a single day, but the PA accident rate for hunting is such that it is normal to not have a accident in the state. There was one last year and I think it was the first in 5 years.

snake284

twa wrote: »

I know KS requires you either take a class at a location or take an on-line class and attend a "field day". Every time I have tried to book a class around here for someone, they are full. I know hunter safety is a good thing and all should have it, but I believe it is limiting some to actually getting in the field. For some, they have grown up hunting (with a mentor) and were taught these things by a responsible hunter / family member. KS does reciprocate other states hunter safety class and after doing a search found the great state of Texas as offering an online hunter safety class (if you are over 18), with no requirement to attend a class or field day in person. Take the online class, and get mailed the certificate (just an FYI). But wondered how hard other states make it to get kids / newbies into the field?

I taught it for 15 years and we used to have plenty of classes here in our area. Here in this county alone we had at least 5 certified instructors giving at least one class a year.

However, Every year I would put it in the paper at least a month ahead of time. I would get all the needed supplies and I would procure the gun range for the field part of the course. I would usually have mostly kids and I would have a full class of at least 15 to 25 people per class.

But every year without fail there would be from 5 to 15 Yaehoos a week or two after the end of the class who would be calling wanting to have the course and all would have 10 excuses of why they didn't take the course as offered. So I started having a second class. And low and behold there would be 5 more or more than that a month or so after this class who wanted the course. Well by then it was getting into hunting season and since the pay sucked, I stopped doing a third class. Then even still, I had people get indignant about it. They couldn't understand why I wouldn't bend over backwards to cater to them and teach another class. Now, remember, I was only one of about 5 people doing about the same thing every August and into September or October.

I can see where an online class is not going to be as good as a live class where most every question can be answered or we could find an answer. But so be it. If the state wants to put in their budget to compensate it's instructors fairly I might be induced to teach it again, but as things are, I think the online course is the best answer.

I will be interested to see what this class is like and also, my wife needs to take it. She can't legally hunt without me in her presence if she doesn't have the certification. All of my kids got it back in the 80s and 90s so they are fine. But I know several people that need to take the course. I do believe that you should not be allowed to get a hunting license without it. It does save lives. I think the online course is a good way to insure more people are at least exposed to the necessary safety knowledge.

twa

It took approx. 4 hours online to take the course and when I peaked in a few times, it looked liked it was VERY informative. No questions were ever asked of me, but she had been taught well growing up anyway.
It was a $15 fee to take the online course - did you get paid $15 a head? Probably not.

snake284

twa wrote: »

It took approx. 4 hours online to take the course and when I peaked in a few times, it looked liked it was VERY informative. No questions were ever asked of me, but she had been taught well growing up anyway.
It was a $15 fee to take the online course - did you get paid $15 a head? Probably not.

I got nothing. They wouldn't even allow somebody to give you some ammo. I had several people offer me cases of shot shells and other items but I had to turn it down. Also, they spied on us. I had a guy come and sit in on the class that said he was just interested. BS, he was a state guy. No doubt about it. He knew too much and made too many comments. But I must have pleased him because it wasn't long afterwards that I got a citation for doing a great job and certifying my two hundredth student. I didn't care because I think it was good to insure we were doing what we were supposed to be doing. Anyway, all fees were mailed to Austin to Parks and Wildlife to offset the cost of books and pamphlets and other materials.

justin10mm

I've taken the class twice. Once on my own when I was little that got me the card and then I had to take it a second time for a class in high school. I also have my International Bowhunter Safety Certification card. Now that was a fun class.

HAWKEN

I taught hunter safety in Florida for 15 years, both for the traditional class and the on line class. We always had people sign up for the class that failed to show. My advise is, even if the class is posted as being full, show up for the class, with the proper paperwork, if an inline class, and you will most likely be allowed to complete the class. We never turned anyone away.......Robin

NN

I reviewed the NC Wildlife site

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it is a 6 hr free course with plenty of course dates available provided one does not wait to the last minute.

Presently some classes are full some not.

CHIRO1989

MN you can do the written portion online or in a class and there is a practical with some shooting.

Razorbacker

I took ours years ago because CO required it and I was going out there to hunt. It was in an auditorium with several different instructors. They did a great job making it fun for the kids, I was by far the oldest student. But there was no field work.

Here's a link to the deal today, seems pretty simple to me:

http://www.agfc.com/education/Documents/HEBrochure.pdf

jbohio

Here, you can do the class portion online, or, traditionally, but either way you take the test in front of an instructor. I never took it as a kid, but had to take it 6-7 years ago, so I could hunt in CO.

Farm Boy Deuce

Now you can take it online. I think it was a 10-12 hour class almost 20 years ago when I took it. Oklahoma did not require any field training.

JerryBobCo

I sat through a class with my youngest son shortly after we moved to Colorado. That was over 20 years ago, and one had to personally attend class then. I don't know if it's offered online, or how difficult/easy it is to find a class. It probably has a lot to do with where one lives.

I do know that anyone born after 1949 needs hunter ed certification to get a license here. That hasn't changed.