Don K

OK, for those of you that teach Bowhunters Education or those that can answer some of these I would like to hear from you.

Does your state have a bowhunting education course other that the NBEF one?

Does your bowhunting education courses (NBEF or other) get good support from the leadership above?

Do you know if your state helps fund these courses?

Do these classes cost the students to get enrolled?

Do you have a problem getting students for the classes?

If the classes you teach need impovements where do you think they need to be improved?

The bowhunting organization I belong to wants to put education as a priority. Answering these questions would help me in this discussion.
Im interested in the responses to these questions. You can post them here or send me a email.
[email protected]
Thank You
Don

Hikchick

Hi, Don. I am an instructor for Idaho. I'll try to answer as best as I am able.

1) My husband and I only teach the NBEF program, it is all that is required for the students to then earn their certificate of completion. However, my husband does offer to anyone in the class further instruction on bowhunting if they ask for help. He will help anyone. (Since he has more experience than I do, I gladly let him do this!)

Oops... missed one....
All I know about it being governed is that our local Fish and Game suck horribly about supporting us as instructors. I refuse to work through them anymore to obtain any help or support. I go straight to the top for this.

2) The only funding that our state gives us is our supplies for the students. Any time that we put into it is volunteer work on our part. Because of a love for the sport and wanting others to be as educated as possible we continue to teach this course, despite the difficulties with our Fish & Game department. (Unfortunately, they give us more of a headache than the students do!!)

3) The only cost to the students for our class is $8. It helps to cover the cost of the supplies for the state. I know it doesn't cover all of the supplies, but it helps.

4) We currently have 23 students signed up for a class this weekend and another list being signed by more students. Getting a class going has never been the problem. Rather, we can't seem to teach enough of them.

5) Our problem with this course are as follows. First, I think it needs to be a longer course. We are supposed to have it finished in 12 to 13 hours. Too short for the amount of information that I feel needs to be included in the class. Second, we have received new manuals 2 years ago. However, our test has never been updated to follow the current manual. So it is difficult to teach from both manuals.

6) I firmly believe that even with the problems that we have had with this program, it is extremely beneficial to our students. I always tell my students that if they come away with 1 new bit of information that they didn't have before, then I've done my job. I am a strong believer that the ethics that are taught in this course should be learned by all. I believe that it makes the student think about their choices. I alsohave found that when you teach the part of your state's laws, most people never had a clue as to what they would have needed to do to be a legal hunter. Most of our students are older teenagers and adults. So this is information that is reached a much needed audience.

Hope any of this helps.

Roseaukaine

1 - No - but we use materials from various state agencies to accomplish the course.

2 - Not really - we are self-governing

3 - yes - our state funds all materials, books,and equipment

4- there is no charge for the course

5- most of our classes are pre-registered, and fill up frequentlyl (50-80 per class)

6 - A big improvement would be to have more instructors available at each course - right now, it's just 2 in my district.

PA Hardwoods

I am a Bowhunter Education Instructor for Pennsylvania. I am certified through the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

1&2) If I had to rate the support from above for the Bowhunter Ed course in PA it would probably be a 5 or a 6 out of 10. Right now there is not enough money being put into it. But each year that is getting better and in a few years it will become mandatory for bowhunters in PA to be certified.

3) Yes the state helps fun our course

4) Yes it is $18 per each student and all that money does is covers the cost of the course materials for each student.

5) Not usally most of our students are adults who are going to other states to hunt and need the certification to hunt in that other state. I would like to see more young hunters taking the course.

6) One area I really would like to see added to the course would be some sort of a Proficiency test, such as being able to put 3 arrows in an 8" pieplate at 20 yards. I know New York and I think New Jersey have proficiency parts to their courses as well as Alaska I think. I would also Like to see more time spent on setting up and selecting equipment. But overall the PA course is very good and puts the right amount of emphasis on ethics and Treestand safety, two areas that are keys to the survival of bowhunting and bowhunters.

Don K if I can be of any more assistance to you please feel free to send me a PM and maybe we can discuss any more questions you have further.

Don K

Thanks for the offers and replys. I teach Bowhunter Ed here in Illinois (NBEF) and was wondering how things where going in other states.


Don

fshafly2

I am a former instructor here in MD (currently on the inactive list):
1. No
2. No - not a state requirement, but a requirement on the military bases within MD. BTW, "good" is a qualifier that is subject to personal interpretation...
3. Yes, in that they certify instructors and provide instructor material.
4. Cost is up to the team ($6/student max).
5. Classes were never crowded, see #2.
6. Hard to teach a rookie the basics in 10 to 13 hours, there should be an advanced hunter course...

R/fsh

121553

Hi Don, I'm a certified instructor here in the state of montana and NBEF is our guidlines as this is pretty much accepted throughout the states and canada. The course is free of charge and is funded by the state (thanks non-residents) and our classroom is completely full each year of about 30 students. Its a cram course of about 16 hours watching vidioes and having guest speakers in a classroom, there is no bowhandling or techniques taught but mostly focus on hunting ethics, equipment, regulation review, survival and mostly common sense situations. The course is conducted by myself and the fwp's biologist and another volunteer. The state of montana rewardstheir instructorsby sending a subscription to "montana outdoors", and a yearly banquet, and some freebees such as shirts and knives, ect.
I think if you look at anything hard and longenough its easy to find ways to improve on anything. (except me)If I could change anything, I would make it mandatory to have a day at the archery range. I would like to see a fee for the course to be charged if the money went back to the fish and wildlife for enhancement, but not to line the pockets of others. I think maybe a reason the state doesn't charge a fee is b/c of 95% of our students are under 18 and the state is trying to promote hunting to our younger generation due to the fact that there are being fewer licenses being issued. We are gradually loseing our sport and its not b/c of the anti's, its because our younger generation appears to be more preoccupied with electronics.[X(]

Bobby