Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Teach outdoor skills in school?

<P><BR>Hey folkls, <BR>I do radio news and I did an interview today with a high school science teacher and his principal. At their school, here in southwest Michigan, they're going to offer an outdoor skills class this coming fall. I mean a class about hunting and fishing and camping. They're calling it "Outdoor Consumer Science" but it's a clear attempt to turn innocent teenagers into gutpile junkies like us. <BR>The teacher, the principal and their school board all think it's a good idea...and so do I! Sure it's an elective and sure, this is a rural area. You couldn't make something like this fly in Detroit or Ann Arbor. But with so many single-parent families around these days and so many kids whose moms don't feel qualified to take her son, or daughter for that matter, hunting or fishing, this class will offer some kids a way to learn outdoor skills. <P>The class will present the ecology of the outdoors from the perspective of hunters and fishermen. It'll get into genetics and habitat and the food chain. What kind of food do fish eat and what kind of bugs do they like and what kind of flys and lures would look like fish food? How do deer behave and how do you survive in the woods? Sound like fun? <P>A pleasant way to learn science. A great recruiting tool for the outdoor sports. Great PR for our side! The teacher and his principal are both long-time hunters and interested in recruitment. In fact, I showed them this board, hoping to do a little recruiting myself. <P>I just thought it was cool and I'd share it with the group. What do you all think? Anything similar where you are?<P>Talker<P><BR><p>[This message has been edited by Talker (edited February 09, 2001).]

Interesting idea. Just hope it works.<BR>At many area schools in Bedford County, PA, we have Envirothon competitions. It is where teams from different schools compete on how much they know about identifying wildlife, soil types, and other various nature related stuff. We don't have an available course to learn this stuff though.<BR>That is an extra after school thing.

Talker,<BR>The very same biology teacher sends his students into my shop each spring for lure components so they can make a lure that resembles the natural food in the targeted fishes habitat.The kids don't realize what's happening untill the full blown fishing trip on the Captain Nichols(Giant perch party barge)and one of them catches a fish..then he tells the kids that the food chain is now complete...the kid with the fish is on top.<BR>It strikes a cord,and the kids understand that they are just another critter on the planet,with needs for habitat,food and shelter,and that we are no different than any other predator.<BR>The principal on the other hand is a true gun sicko....hell of a guy,and I figured it was only a matter of time 'till those two got together and began corrupting the minds and souls of the kids.<BR>Does Hartford Public schools have an E-mail addy??<BR>If so post it will ya!!!!<BR>we get around 40,000 hits a day on this site,and it would be nice if complete strangers from across the country sent a note of support,and cheers to the board for swimming upstream against the freaks that are sure to protest a bit.<BR>Heck if we stir it up a bit by posting a ditty on the Michigan-sportsman board ans hunt america the Bio teacher and Principal will be in REAL good light.<BR>How about it?<BR>E4E<BR>P.S. been tryin' to call ya,log off already will ya!

Supporting this program is real grass roots, down to earth, back to basics. I for one would be all over the net giving praise to any school district with the stuff to teach americas children the basics of life. Please post a web site or an e-mail address so I can send my support.<P>Thanks<P>6X6<P>P.S. What a great program!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well,we live in a very rural area,so I guess it's more pro gun & hunting than most places but both of my daughters took Hunter Safety Education Classes at school and got grades for them. They got a lot of good information and pamplets that they got to keep.<P>Most stores and Resturants here,have Deer and Fish mounts on the walls. It's just a natural part of life,to hunt and fish. It's easy to forget how lucky we are...Littlebit

E4E and others wanted to know how to contact the school and the teacher involved in this class. <A HREF="http://www.hartford-schools.org" TARGET=_blank>www.hartford-schools.org</A> is the school website. <P>The teacher involved is Marc Hettig and his e-mail is hettigmhartford-schools.org His Principal...a very supportive guy...is Kenny Kent or kentkhartford-schools.org and the Superintendent is Gary Pardike or pardikeghartford-schools.org . Give 'em a bump and let them know you think what they're doing is great. <P>Keep in mind, though, they're not creating this new class just to create a new crop of gutpile junkies. Education is still their main goal. They want to create a class the kids will enjoy and learn from. Of course, if it DOES create new hunters and fishermen/women...then that's just great. <P>Talker

I'm not a big Ross Perot fan but one of the many really positive outcomes from his late 80's attack on the TX public school system hit vocational ag/FFA hard. They responded and came up with a couse on "environmental science" that was real heavy on wildlife and ecosystems. It became very popular and a real draw for city kids into the ag/FFA programs.<P>Of course there is always someone trying to screw up something good. A teacher in east TX made lots of headlines when he took his class fishing for their final grades.<P>Bass = A, Catfish = B, etc., Carp = F<P>I believe he was forced to find another line of work.<BR>

How do you get in trouble for taking kids fishing? The teacher who is putting this new class together has taken past classes fishing...and they love it. <P>Even in a rural area, it's amazine how many kids just never have a chance. No one takes them. Same for hunting. And of course, nowdays a kid with a .22 without an adult around is a delinquent. When we were kids he was showing initiative. <P>Talker