ESPN Hunting

It's that time of year: Autumn is in the air and college and professional football have taken over the airwaves as school classrooms fill with students. Not only have school-age children headed back to their required classes, but so have I.

In fact, I recently spent an evening in one of those hard-plastic, very uncomfortable, school-kid chairs listening to Mike McAllister, the Northeast Region Information and Education Specialist with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, explain gun safety and the ethics of hunting.

It's a flashback for me. Twenty years ago this fall, I obtained my hunter's education. On this hot and humid evening, I'm once again in hunter's ed. This time, however, I'm accompanying my wife to the four-hour classroom portion of her schooling.

She had expressed a passing interest in waterfowl and upland-bird hunting for the last couple of years, but nothing more. Actually, it was more like, "I could shoot birds, but I don't think I could shoot a deer." Not exactly an admission of a desire to go hunting, but a feminine hint nonetheless.

Perhaps I missed out on an opportunity to get her into the field earlier, but this year the chance didn't escape my attention.

What spurred this realization? It may have been the simple fact that it sank through my thick noggin, but more than anything I'd say it has been the acquisition of a little ball of black fur filled with all the genetic-hunting aptitude a waterfowl or upland-bird hunter could ask for in a dog.

Long before we brought our black Labrador home from ESPNOutdoors.com columnist Mike Stewart's Wildrose Kennels in Oxford, Miss., I read as much as I could and vowed to train the pup to the best of my abilities — after all, a dog's weaknesses are often a reflection of the trainer. To that end, and most likely to the disdain of my wife, I've probably spent more one-on-one time with the dog than with her!

Safety statistics

According to a National Shooting Sports Foundation Industry Intelligence Report, non-fatal hunting incidents were down 31 percent from 1993 (1,098 injuries) to 2002 (761 injuries). During that same time period, fatalities dropped 12 percent, from 101 deaths in '93 to 89 in '02. Additionally, the annual number of firearm-related accidents is down 78 percent from a high of 3,200 in 1930 to 700 in 2003. While hunting is one of the safest sports, continued schooling in the proper handling of firearms and hunter safety can never be overemphasized. Consider that of those incidents that took place between '93 and '02, both fatal and non-fatal, nearly half were easily avoided: • 15.1 percent were caused by the shooter failing to properly identify the target • 12.9 percent of the incidents took place while the shooter was swinging on game • 11.9 percent were due to careless handling of firearms

The domino effect of that training, however, has been that my wife's interest in what and why the dog needs certain training for the field has increased. During conversations (sometimes, perhaps, heated "conversations"), while I explained why he has to be handled different than an ordinary pet, she more adamantly expressed an interest in giving waterfowl and especially (since you can talk more) upland-bird hunting a shot.

The next step was obvious — sign her up for a hunter's education class. Remembering back to 1985, I thought this is where we might have a problem finding a class to fit our schedule. When I took the class, it was a several-hour, multi-evening and a one-Saturday-afield event. At least that's how I remember it. To say things have changed would be an understatement.

In Oklahoma, and many other states, there are dozens of classes offered and in varied locations to accommodate the busy lives of today's wannabe hunters. However, the best part of the entire modernization of the hunter education is the ability to cut down on the in-class time by completing a portion of the work at home, at your own leisure.

The at-home work can be completed in one of two ways: either by workbooks or via the International Hunter Education Association on the Internet. Not all states offer the at-home alternative, nor do all states offer both schools of training.

My wife chose to work through the Internet. The program is as simple as going to the IHEA Web site and reading the material presented there and taking quizzes at the end of each section. After completing each quiz, you print them off and bring them to the time-reduced classroom portion of the training.

That's it. Easy.

And that simplicity is exactly what we need in order to recruit new hunters. Safety courses are mandatory in all states, and well they should be — an educated and ethical hunter is a safer and respectable hunter. However, making it as easy as possible for wannabe hunters to get certified is necessary if we, as a hunting fraternity, want to increase recruitment and have a shot at competing with Game Boys, PlayStations, computers and the 10,000 channels available on digital and satellite television.

Industry incentives

While every state requires hunters to complete a safety course before obtaining a license, the gun industry itself is urging people to act responsibly in their purchasing, storing and handling of firearms. Smith & Wesson has started the "Protecting the Homefront" program that runs through the end of September. Purchasers of Smith & Wesson guns will receive a coupon that entitles the holder to a $25 rebate in exchange for completing a gun-safety training course. To redeem the rebate, consumers attend training, then mail in a copy of the training certificate and purchase receipt, along with the rebate coupon. In return, Smith & Wesson will send the purchaser a check for $25, a Smith & Wesson ball cap and a "Protecting the Homefront" window sticker. "Research has shown that over 50 percent of Americans have an interest in guns, but don't participate in shooting sports," said Tom Taylor, vice president of Marketing for Smith & Wesson, in a press release. "Going into a gun shop or shooting range to learn about or purchase a gun can be intimidating, especially for first-time gun owners. Our 'Protecting the Homefront' campaign provides prospective gun owners, male and female alike, an incentive to purchase a gun and get the proper safety training at the same time." The "Protecting the Homefront" campaign was developed by Smith & Wesson to emphasize the importance of gun safety, and the proper care, handling and storage of handguns used for personal and home protection, as well as for sport. Smith & Wesson maintains several safety campaigns including one that provides a free child-proof gun lock with each new S&W firearm. More information about the "Protecting the Homefront" campaign can be found at www.smithwesson.com. Additionally, the NSSF Web site has links to several programs it sponsors: Project Childsafe The largest and most comprehensive firearms safety education program in the nation provides free safety kits that include a cable-style firearm locking device and key safety messages about safe handling and storage of firearms. Don't Lie for the Other Guy To combat the problem of criminal and illegal misuse of firearms, this national public awareness program educates federally licensed firearms retailers and the general public on how to detect and deter potential criminal "straw man" purchases. Firearms Safety Education Foundation A nonprofit organization that supports firearm safety education initiatives such as the production and distribution of school safety video programs. Council for Wildlife Conservation and Education A nonprofit organization that distributes conservation education materials to public and private schools.

Which class is for you? The full-on, 10-hour classroom instruction, the home-study workbook or the Internet version?

It, of course, depends on your schedule, Internet connectivity, and, perhaps, age. McAllister suggests that the home-study courses only be taken by those old enough to effectively digest the large amounts of information from the workbook or Internet.

"Unfortunately, in the home-study course, we can only cover about half the material in class," McAllister said. "I'd suggest the course for those people that are young adults and up."

Those younger wannabe hunters, say around 9, 10 or 11 years old, may get more from the hands-on, in-depth explanations covered in the longer classroom version.

In addition to new ways to take a hunter's education course, the material covered seems to have shifted priorities slightly. From what I remember, the class centered on firearms safety — only touching on ethics and animal rights.

In the class run by McAllister, the focus began with ethics and contained everything from rights vs. privileges to the fight to maintain public opinion on the side of the hunter to the legislation process that could end hunting if anti-hunters have their way.

"There's nothing we can do to get the anti-hunters to go away. We're just two very different groups of people. That leaves a big chunk of non-hunters. Most non-hunters don't have a problem with hunting," McAllister said. "The thing we have to be concerned about is, that we as hunters don't do something that changes their mind. If we do something that torques these non-hunters off, we're in deep, deep trouble. How we conduct ourselves is the most important thing."

As McAllister pointed out, if we do something that alienates the supportive but non-hunting public from our endeavors, the legislative process can be used by anti-hunters to end our hunting privileges and heritage. The legislative threat hangs over the heads of all hunters in all states, including conservative strongholds such as the Sooner State.

"If you think it can't happen in Oklahoma folks, well, you're whistling past the graveyard," McAllister said.

The class then continued with the expected videos and continued discussions on ethics, personal choices and behaviors, the importance of firearm safety, the mechanics of various firearms and a final exam that covered the at-home and in-class material.

I have to admit feeling a bit apprehensive as I perused the IHEA Web site and decided to take the quizzes prior to attending the class. What if I'd been doing something completely wrong for the last 20 years? My hunting buddies will be happy to know that while I may not put much game in the freezer, at least I'm safe while ambling aimlessly though the woods.

If it has been awhile since your hunter's ed course, take a moment and check out the IHEA Web site and click through the quizzes. Most of the questions are common sense and will come as second nature to anyone that has spent time outdoors. If nothing else, it's a good, quick refresher.

Better yet, talk to that person in your life that has expressed a passing interest in going afield and take the initiative to help get them started in the outdoors. Statistics show that the vast majority of hunters were introduced to the sport by close friends or family members. The convenience of an at-home workbook or an Internet study course makes getting certified in today's hectic world much easier. You'll not only be doing yourself and your friend a favor, you'll be doing the entire hunting fraternity a favor.

As for my wife, now that she has become certified to hunt fur and feather, the next step is inevitably her favorite: "I'm ready to go to Bass Pro and get my fall outfits!" The hunting fraternity may have just gained a new recruit, but my wallet is about to lose some existing members — and once again shopping is involved.