tj_cubin

ignorance aside,

Combining the courses would be the best option in my opinion. I took the hunters education course (can we stop calling it "the gun course"? its the basic hunter education course needed for any type of license, regardless of your weapon) when i was 12 and then the bow course when i was 14. The bow course covered ALOT of the same material, and I found it unnecessary.
As I recall, the basic hunters education course was 3 evenings. I would suggest adding an optional 4th evening jsut for bow coverage. You get your safety education certificate, and then get the extra bow cert. without all the overlap of two courses.

I'm not saying that education is bad (or killing the sport, ha!), but i just don't see the need for a mandatory safety course for a bow when someone already took the hunters safety course. A bow may be different from a gun, but the safety issues are still the same, or the lecture could be modified in the basic course to also cover bow safety.

vietvet50

In the New York state sportsman education Instructor policies and procedures manual Page 14 it states Minimum hours for Each class starting with Hunter education which is 10 hours and 8 hours for Trapper education and8 hours for Bowhunter education these are there are no maximum number of hour stipulated. I do the bowhunter class in 8 hours that includes the classroom and field portions which is the blood trailing and shooting portions. If You get with Your local instructors in many cases they will split it into two weekends 4 hours each time, I gave a course last weekend at the convenience of the students on Sunday, We teach what is required by the State and are all volunteers, If You need things changed get with the regional directors and see If You can get things changed We as instructors will be glad to do it in less time. Thanks Ron Region 5

nybowhunter

I just signed my 12 y/o up for a 3 day (5:30 -9:30) hunter safety course in Lockport, NY, region 9.I took the class when I was a Boy Scout (I think it was maybe 6 hours in the 70's) and again when my oldest went through it in 2002.Personally, I thinkone course should cover everything. There is no need to tack on an additional classfor bow. Also, online courses should be made more readily available.

Part of the problem our legislators have is the in-fighting among hunters when it comes to laws. They see that we can't agree on what should or shouldn't be allowed and it makes it very difficult to get anything changed. Cross bow is the perfect example. They will not introduce cross bow becasue of our own people not wanting it. We have enough problems with the Antis let alone our own hunters. So, we lose more hunters and the in-fighting continues. People really need to start looking at the big picture instead of simple protecting their little world. To add to my point, just look at the fighting this post has caused. How do you expect any changes to happen if we can't agree.

Guys...we are losing a percent or more of our hunters every year. We need to find a way to band together to make proper changes for the future of the sport just like our fathers and Grand faters did for us.

nightfalls

Well theres alot killing the hunting here in NY this year 09/10 they raised the license fee's instead of 68 for all my tags now its 98 and on top of that my daughter was suppose to be going in the woods with me but between the cost of hers and mine theres no way I'm hunting so as of this year I'll be quiting something I love to do so much. They should have waited till the economy starts getting better before raiseing the cost now their just making it that much harder they truely are trying to kill hunting all together.

johnnyc531

I actually took the bow course twice, once in the scouts when I was about 15 and again when I was 26 the 1st year I hunted; (because I couldn't find the certificate from the first time and becuase I figured I could use a refresher anyway) I think the bowhunting course was actually far better then the general hunting course even for general hunting, seemed to be more about actual hunting skills for ethical hunting then general safety like for example how not to get hypothermia that seemed to be too much of a focus in general hunting course for me, then again being I'd gone through scouts that stuff was just a repeat of knowledge I had. I actually was lucky to have a mentor to hunt with, I can't imagine trying to gut my first deer just from what I'd learned in a hunter safety course, something can be said for hands on experience and learning with someone that knows what they are doing. I'd actually like to see a optional course offered in hunting skills and techniques with less book work and more hands on instruction for people that don't have the advantange of a mentor to hunt with till they learn the ropes.