just took a bowhuntin class
07-08-2006, 09:50 PM
#2
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Blossvale, New York
Posts: 21,199
RE: just took a bowhuntin class
Yes but Grasshopper, everyone is not of the same ability or knowledge. The classes are designed for everyone from "Know it all" to "Know Nothing". Having taught the classes for years, I can assure you that there are all kinds of folks wanting to go to the woods with a stick and string. Those taking the classes are far less likely to make a mistake or cause injury to themselves or others. The highest risk group from past statistics is the 45-60 year old group that think they know it all. They are involved in the majority of the accidents yearly. They're also the group that is most often exempt from the classes because they had a license before some arbitrary year.
P.S. If you'd paid closer attention and not tried to exempt yourself out of the class in your mind at times you'd have learned a lot more.
P.S. If you'd paid closer attention and not tried to exempt yourself out of the class in your mind at times you'd have learned a lot more.
07-09-2006, 02:01 PM
#4
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: S.E. Wisconsin
Posts: 148
RE: just took a bowhuntin class
A few of you will probably not agree with me... But, here is what I think. 1st of all stats show that bow hunting is extremly safe to begin with. Very few accidents. Lets compare it to driveing a car. Almost everybody knows someone or should I say several peoplewho were killed or severly injured in auto accidents. Yet most parents think nothing of tossing the keys to the 16 year old. But let him bowhunt? No way, he might get killed.
A while back I saw a study that proved by numbers that you were more likly to get killed going to a ball game than hunting, 100 to 1 more likly.(All hunting, not just bowhunting) Here is my point... Now that they are forcing hunter education class'es they are keeping alot of kids from trying hunting, or being able to try hunting, I know, there is no way my Dad would of had the time to take me if it would of been mandatory when I was a kid. I know several kids who would of loved to get involved with hunting but never did cause of the mandatory class.
If it has to be mandatory, it should be taught in our public schools[:'(]
A while back I saw a study that proved by numbers that you were more likly to get killed going to a ball game than hunting, 100 to 1 more likly.(All hunting, not just bowhunting) Here is my point... Now that they are forcing hunter education class'es they are keeping alot of kids from trying hunting, or being able to try hunting, I know, there is no way my Dad would of had the time to take me if it would of been mandatory when I was a kid. I know several kids who would of loved to get involved with hunting but never did cause of the mandatory class.
If it has to be mandatory, it should be taught in our public schools[:'(]
07-09-2006, 02:38 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,102
RE: just took a bowhuntin class
I understand what you are saying,and I wish that the courses were made available in schools!You will never see that in my home state unfortunately.
I do believe that regardless the courses should be mandatory.The primary reasons that come to mind are tree stand safety and anatomy and shot selection.For most of us our skills and knowledge have come over significant amounts of time,unless you have been fortunate enough to have a very good mentor most people are not going to have the knowledge necessary for their own safety and enjoyment or for the good of the game animals they pursue.
To go evenfurther thanthat Ithink their should be proficiency testing.If someone is not willing to practice enough to get to a certain level of proficiency they shouldn't be hunting.IMO
I do believe that regardless the courses should be mandatory.The primary reasons that come to mind are tree stand safety and anatomy and shot selection.For most of us our skills and knowledge have come over significant amounts of time,unless you have been fortunate enough to have a very good mentor most people are not going to have the knowledge necessary for their own safety and enjoyment or for the good of the game animals they pursue.
To go evenfurther thanthat Ithink their should be proficiency testing.If someone is not willing to practice enough to get to a certain level of proficiency they shouldn't be hunting.IMO
07-09-2006, 03:20 PM
#6
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: S.E. Wisconsin
Posts: 148
RE: just took a bowhuntin class
Ever since hunter safety was made mandatory, less and less new hunters are getting involved. The day is close, that we will be vastly outnumbered.
Most new hunters do indeed have a mentor who gets them involved in hunting or they wouldn't succeed or even get involved. These mentors are far more important than any class that is going to be forgotten about as soon as the kids leave the room. The teaching falls on us fellow bowhunters. Leading by example and teaching safe ethical practices. taking thesekids hunting and showing them the ropes. Any student from one of these class'es would learn far more there 1st season when hunting with another more experianced hunter. The key is they have to hunt with a safe mentor to learn safe hunting. They have to hunt with an ethical teacher in order to learn how to treat game with respect. Hunting with hunters teachs hunting... Not books.
Most new hunters do indeed have a mentor who gets them involved in hunting or they wouldn't succeed or even get involved. These mentors are far more important than any class that is going to be forgotten about as soon as the kids leave the room. The teaching falls on us fellow bowhunters. Leading by example and teaching safe ethical practices. taking thesekids hunting and showing them the ropes. Any student from one of these class'es would learn far more there 1st season when hunting with another more experianced hunter. The key is they have to hunt with a safe mentor to learn safe hunting. They have to hunt with an ethical teacher in order to learn how to treat game with respect. Hunting with hunters teachs hunting... Not books.
07-09-2006, 05:46 PM
#7
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Blossvale, New York
Posts: 21,199
RE: just took a bowhuntin class
Bloodbro, you're using one set of facts to falsely blame the cause on something else. The number of hunters(percentage wise for the numer of Americans) have fallen long before hunter safety classes. They fell because we've become more city folks. Land access is harder. People don't need it for food. Society as a whole has gotten lazy. The population of young people per family is down. Baby boomers are dying off. It's not as PC as it once was to hunt. People have more leasure time and money to do other things like golf. All sorts of reasons for the decline. Having to take an 8 hour class isn't the reason. The classes teach safety first and foremost, ethics, game laws, etc. Maybe we can twist your arguement to say it is such a safe sport BECAUSE we make them take the classes. There are far fewer people getting shot hunting than there were 10-20 or 30 years ago. Years ago there were a lot of people getting shot. Now most injuries are treestand related. We didn't have treestands like we do today 30 years ago. Everyone just walked out and flopped on the ground a logor sat on a bucket. Another example of your premise being wrong, New York State had hunter safety back in the 50s. It certainly didn't drive hunters away then and it was 15 hours I believe when I took it in 56. Dads don't hunt, kids rarely get to it on their own. It's not the kids won't take a course, they simply don't have mentors in most cases.
...I totally agree.
07-09-2006, 06:53 PM
#10
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: S.E. Wisconsin
Posts: 148
RE: just took a bowhuntin class
Davidmil, your points are correct. But in our state of Wisc. they have to take a lot longer class than 8 hours in order to hunt. I had to take each of my boys to classes that went on ever week for over a month and then to a day of shooting. It was very hard to get off work to do this, and if it weren't for my love of hunting it would of NEVER happened. What did we learn? Absolutly nothing we did not already know.
Like I said earier, I personally know several young men who would of loved to go hunting, one begged me to take him to the class several years ago. I just couldn't do it cause of time and where he lived.... We are stopping hunters from even getting started with a class that aint doing much good. It either needs to be in schools where ALL children have access to it, or done away with all together. Hunting is safer than skieing, do we have mandatory skieing safety? Hunting is safer than dirt bikes or go-carts are there mandatory classes for that? Its stopping some good kids from hunting, and any is to many.
Like I said earier, I personally know several young men who would of loved to go hunting, one begged me to take him to the class several years ago. I just couldn't do it cause of time and where he lived.... We are stopping hunters from even getting started with a class that aint doing much good. It either needs to be in schools where ALL children have access to it, or done away with all together. Hunting is safer than skieing, do we have mandatory skieing safety? Hunting is safer than dirt bikes or go-carts are there mandatory classes for that? Its stopping some good kids from hunting, and any is to many.