Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Hunter's Safety Course

Son has started hunter's safety course. I am attending with him.

Some of the stuff covered is cringeworthy.

Anyone else been through one of these lately?

I was an instructor many years ago but havent been to one lately. What specifically is cringeworthy?

They are telling these kids that every time they meet someone in the field that is not a hunter, the have to face the person, open their chamber, clear the chamber (if there's anything in there), make safe and do all this so the person they've met can see and "FEELS" safe. This is geared towards their field course this Saturday at this time but they've mentioned you need to do it in the field also.

I took my 10 year old grandson to the the class back in August and he got 100% on the 50 question quiz. The main instructor was ex military and I found a few incorrect statements but overall the class would good. The two secondary instructors were really good.

This is why a lot of the old time instructors gave it up. Kids are taught to pass the test not what they need to be safe. Many of the new instructors lack basic firearms knowledge. I had a newby who was doing firearms orientation hand me a remington 1100 and say you do this one I don't know anything about semi's. Lot of emphasis on having a nice day afield even if you don't take any game. Now that is fine I always enjoyed all my time outdoors but too many days like that will soon see the prospective hunter staying home playing video games.

I took a Hunters' Safety Course a while ago with my son. The information was accurate, useful, detailed, and presented in a highly professional manner. The instructors didn't say anything stupid, so I didn't have to de-program him afterwards.

I run into non-hunters in the woods pretty often. Most of them have no idea that hunting season is open and are just out for a hike, so you have a unique chance to show them that not all hunters are knuckle-dragging idiots. People who don't understand guns are usually terrified when they meet someone who's armed in the woods. The problem with facing one of them and clearing your chamber is that they don't understand what you're doing. Manipulating a firearm in any way (or even touching a weapon at sling arms) scares the piss out of them. They think you're getting ready to shoot them. You'll never make them feel truly safe, but you can avoid making things worse by smiling and speaking to them in a normal tone of voice. Sling your weapon or leave it at sling arms if it's already there. Answer their questions, ask which way they're headed and tell them that you plan to go somewhere else. Then tell them to have a nice day, alter your hunt to steer clear of them, and move off in that direction.

Where I live, a lot of folks in the woods are cooking meth, guarding dope-growing operations, stripping stolen vehicles, or taking part in other low-life chores. There is no way I would ever clear a weapon in the woods in front of a stranger.


Okie John

I believe this is coming from the admins. I explained to my son why this is a piss poor idea. While we were talking, he mentioned the one instructor that kept getting his finger on the trigger guard and trigger. I then had to explain the definition of a Fudd. Not in a derogatory manner. Just because you are a hunter, that doesn't mean you are necessarily a gun guy.

That brings up another SMH moment. One older guy that does a nice job was checking himself up every time he accidentally said gun or weapon. That's verboten.

Been probably 8 years since my youngest went through it. A couple of cringeworthy comments, but overall very good.

Definitely didn't cover anything like unloading the gun when meeting non-hunters. Now, clearing the chamber isn't so bad - but I agree it's going to make non-gun people more anxious than feeling safer. I personally might feel safer if a 14 year old new hunter (or 50 year old idiot) isn't handling a hot firearm while I'm talking with them, but as long as they have proper handling skills I'm not worrying.

Yep. My son's last year. One of the instructors told them when deciding which direction is a safe place to point the barrel, was the direction that would cause the least amount of physical and property damage.

I have been an instructor for over 30 years and I have seen and heard a lot during that time. Last week I helped at the local wildlife officer's class and the region supervisor was there. I thought he was just doing an observation, but at the start of the class he introduced me and gave me an engraved Smith & Wesson knife to commemorate my 30 years as a volunteer instructor. Tonight I start my annual class.

I have been teaching HS for over a decade and our team has put over 2K kids through the course...with live fire. Not one of those kids has ever been taught to make clear for anyone afield except when approached by a Conservation Officer and only at his discretion. There are times when it needs to be done; crossing a creek or fence, getting up or down from a tree stand, and at the end of the hunt before you case your gun, but certainly not for a "meet and greet". Just keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

What state is that? Pretty sure that is not part of the official state course.

I have taught HS in CA, VA and NC for 20 years. Every state is different and uses different books. Unfortunately too many instructors add their own twists to things.

The other thing is states are trying to "make it easier" to get students thru it. When I went thru, it was 14 hours with some range firing. Now we are down to 6.5 hours and no gun handling as their just is not time. Plus NC has three companies that they allow to "teach" the course online and then come to a 2 hour Internet field day which consists of going of types of firearms in a basic level and then the test.

Some states like VA have advance training 2-4 (over a 2 day period) times a year for its instructors where they can learn about archery, trapping, tree stands or muzzleloaders etc if they are unfamiliar.

Charlie, that is the way it is taught in Tennessee. Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction at all times and constantly keep monitoring which direction is safe. The OP's statement sounds like the instructor who doesn't want to offend anyone, but the people who would be offended are already offended. I remember about 15 years ago TWRA wanted instructors to stop saying kill and say harvest instead to avoid hurting feelings. I just shook my head at the effort to be PC.

I have hunted for over fifty years and never had any problems with firearms safety. Just the same, last year I took the hunter safety course along with my grandson. It was fun. Generally they taught the regulations that apply in Colorado. Although they didn't call them the three primary rules of firearms safety like an RSO would, they still taught them. I didn't hear/see anything that I thought was unreasonable or overly PC.

KC

That's not Colorado yet.

Finished up the classroom portion. Now he just has the field portion tomorrow left.

He is pretty stoked to have this done and start getting ready to get out there hunting.

Good job, Matthew. Hope he has fun!

Thanks IB.

It's been alright. Despite some misgivings, the guys and gals that donate their time to run these programs are great people and deserve respect.

It will be fun tomorrow watching him navigate the small obstacles they set up for the hunters. As soon as the field course is over, then we bust butt to his football game at 10 AM.

He is already making plans for us to get out there and chase some deer and elk. Looking forward to that for sure.

Memories waiting to be made!

A lot of that type of stuff you're experiencing is the result of the instructors saying something off script and not reversing themselves.

It's annoying but better they do than myself.

There is a lot of leniency on that stuff in MT. Some instructors make it one day. Others a two day. I believe ours was two weeks here. Every night from 5p-9p or some schit. I told the boy if he wants to hunt he'll sit through it himself because there was no fugking way I was going to.

He did fine.




Clark