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[PiedmontPete]

As you probably remember from my previous comments on Hunter Ed. in NC, I have a decidedly different view.

ORIGINAL: Ifferd

NC has a very reasonable Hunter ed. program required of all new hunters requiring a minimun 10hrs instruction, firearms training, and exam.

My experience with Hunter Ed. in NC was that courses were not readily available, information was exceedingly hard to come by, and the course itself was a complete waste of time.

For the last 3 years, the # of licensed hunters in NC has Increased an average of 30,000 per year.

That's very positive and I'm really glad to see those numbers. No wonder it can be so hard to find a Hunter Ed class that isn't already full.

In fact, in the early 90's, the number of hunter ed. students certified peaked at an average of 22,000 stuednts per year from 1990through 1995.

In 1995 the number of lic. hunters in NC hit an ALL TIME HIGH of 585,875 hunters after a record breaking number of students trained from 1990-95.

Let's disclose all the facts here. IIRC, NC began requiring HE in order to obtain a hunting license in 1991. Hence, anyone who could not produce a pre-1991 hunting license had to sit through the training which could explain the "record breaking" numbers.

So much for the NWTF study stating hunter ed. programs discourage new hunters.

I'm not ready to write off that study based on these numbers yet. I believe there would be even more new hunters were it not for the Hunter Ed. requirement.

[Tazman]

Let's disclose all the facts here. IIRC, NC began requiring HE in order to obtain a hunting license in 1991. Hence, anyone who could not produce a pre-1991 hunting license had to sit through the training which could explain the "record breaking" numbers.

Piedmontpete that would be one heck of a stretch, 1991 was 15 years ago, somehow I doubt that many hunters take even a 5 year sabbatical from the sport, little lone 15.

[PiedmontPete]

ORIGINAL: Tazman
Piedmontpete that would be one heck of a stretch, 1991 was 15 years ago, somehow I doubt that many hunters take even a 5 year sabbatical from the sport, little lone 15.

That was in reference to the "record breaking number of students trained from 1990-95".

Is therea link to the study? I'd be interested to read it if it's online.


I did a bit of research and these numbers do look very encouraging. I initially thought the new hunter numbers would correlate directly to the rapid population growth we have seen in NC. The increases in hunters seem to correspond to growth in the general population to some extent. However, if NC is growing by 110,000 to 150,000 people per year and on average ~8% of them should hunt that does not account for nearly the full increase in number of new licenses.

http://www.demog.state.nc.us/demog/ncpopgrg.html

Anyway, I hope Ifferd is correct about the NWTF study not accurately reflecting the future of hunting.

[kevin1]

Indiana took Hunter/Trapper Ed out of the schools as an elective and instituted mandatory HE the following year , and our hunter numbers have been declining ever since . [&o]