NRA often gets calls this time of year from people who want to hunt, but are unable to find a hunter education course. Or else they tried to get into a course earlier in the year, but could not find one close enough to home, or that fit their schedule.

Hunter education is a good thing, obviously. NRA actually helped get it off the ground in 1949, working with the state of New York. Since then, our proven hunter education principles have been adopted by one state and province after another, and our hunter safety materials are used in many classes. The value of hunter safety training can be easily seen in the decline of hunting accidents. Between 1997 and 2007, hunting accidents declined nearly 77 percent, from 1,038 to 239, according to the International Hunter Education Association ( IHEA).

But it’s a problem when well-intentioned people, simply trying to fulfill a state’s regulations, can’t get into the course they need to do so.

More and more, this seems to be a particular problem for young people who are trying to balance school, weekend jobs, sports, extracurricular activities, and sending 400 text messages a day. But it’s a problem for adults, too, who might have to take a course to satisfy an out-of-state license requirement. In Colorado, for example, anyone (resident or non-resident) born on or after Jan. 1, 1949, must have a hunter safety card to get a license. (Cards from other states are accepted.)

It is thus disturbing to hear Wayne East, executive director of IHEA, say, “Like the overall number of hunters, the number of hunter ed instructors is dropping, too. Part of the problem is aging,” he said. “And there is a need to recruit instructor teams, not just individual instructors.” 

And even in states like Virginia, where the number of hunters is actually increasing gradually, “There are still local shortages, especially in some localities,” said Virginia Hunter Ed Coordinator David Dodson.

While suggesting to hunters, “Don’t wait until the week before the season to find a course,” East also said that states recognize the problem and are taking steps to address it.  Many states now allow NRA-backed youth-mentored hunts, which, contrary to what anti-hunting groups claim, do not eliminate hunter education requirements, but defer them for a year or two. While exact rules vary, youth mentored hunts typically require that an experienced, licensed hunter, over 21, have immediate control of the youth throughout the hunt, and only one firearm be present. Essentially, the responsibility to ensure the youth acts safely is accepted by the mentor. The hunter education course is still required, but can come later. (Check your state’s regulations on youth-mentored hunts before embarking on one.)

More and more states are also starting online hunter ed classes. Students might still have to spend two to six hours of class in the field in front of an instructor, but the rest can be done online.

Last year, West Virginia found a really good solution by mandating that elective hunter education courses be offered in the schools for students in eighth through the 12th grades. This decision made it a lot easier for kids to schedule hunter education and relieved parents of yet another chauffeuring responsibility. Other schools systems need to be looking at this option.

While states have paid staff to coordinate hunter education programs, the vast majority of instructors are volunteers, and the requirements to become certified vary by state. Virginia, for example, requires an 18-hour training program and a background check.

That’s not a bad investment for any experienced hunter who wants to do something to help bring more people into the tradition we love. If you’ve never considered becoming a hunter education instructor, give it some thought. At least contact your state’s hunter education coordinator to see what it takes. Or contact IHEA for help at 303-434-7233 or visit www.ihea.com.

Of course, you can also get involved in training youngsters by serving as a volunteer or coach in NRA’s Youth Hunter Education Challenge. Call 703-267-1508 to learn about starting a YHEC program in your area, or send an e-mail to maguilar@nrahq.org.