A special time of year. The youth turkey hunt.
April 10, 2012
There are two days that many first-time Minnesotan hunters will have marked in their 2012 calendars: April 21st and 22nd. Why? It's the Youth Spring Turkey Hunt. Unlike the other days of the season, these two days will allow young hunters to get the first crack at these elusive birds. For most, it will be their first time out hunting period.
Full Article: A special time of year. The youth turkey hunt.
Fantastic And Original Hunting Gift Ideas
December 6, 2011
If you have a hunting enthusiast on your shopping list this year, then only fantastic hunting gifts will do! For passionate hunters, there is no better gift than a new toy to get him or her excited about getting out in the blind or in the treestand. To wind up your thinking gears, here are some great gift ideas to consider for that special hunter in your life.
Full Article: Fantastic And Original Hunting Gift Ideas
High on Safety: Make Treestands Dangerous for Game, Not Hunters
November 23, 2011
When Scott Cleveland went hunting last week, he must have thought he would come home with something better than two broken ankles. After falling 25 feet from a treestand, the 45-year old hunter was left to crawl three hours through the woods, unable to walk because of his injuries. Thankfully, the hunter was eventually rescued. It could have been much worse.
Full Article: High on Safety: Make Treestands Dangerous for Game, Not Hunters
The World’s Most Dangerous Game To Hunt
November 9, 2011
When you mix guns, wild beasts and Mother Nature, danger is inevitable. Most hunters are already familiar with Big Five game, a term coined by white safari hunters to describe the 5 most dangerous and challenging animals to hunt. Here we'll look at the Big Five, and other dangerous creatures you may not have expected.
Full Article: The World’s Most Dangerous Game To Hunt
10 Best Hunting Apps For the Tech-Savvy Outdoorsman
September 28, 2011
One of the biggest thrills about hunting (besides taking home your big trophy) is the ability to detach from the daily grind and feel at one with nature. But heading off into the wild with nothing but yourself, your gear and of course, your hunting license, might leave you feeling out of touch with everyone and everything around you. To help solve this, just bring your Smartphone, that way you can connect when you want and still enjoy your time.
Full Article: 10 Best Hunting Apps For the Tech-Savvy Outdoorsman
Debunking Rumors About Weird Hunting Laws
September 8, 2011
There are about a jillion 'weird/dumb laws' websites out there in virtual wonderland, but just about all of them are missing one important thing: credible references indicating where they found these crazy laws! For instance, according to one of these websites, "In New Jersey, it is against the law for a man to knit during fishing season" but good luck trying to find out why.
Full Article: Debunking Rumors About Weird Hunting Laws
10 Animals Hunted (or Nearly Hunted) To Extinction
September 28, 2011
Extinction brings up some pretty interesting evolutionary considerations. Estimates say that by mid 21st century 30% of species may be extinct. In the end, extinction will be the ultimate fate of all species- but how long it will take to get there will depend heavily on humanity’s future courses of action.
Full Article: 10 Animals Hunted (or Nearly Hunted) To Extinction
Nature’s Most Skilled Hunters
June 20, 2011
Showcasing sharp intelligence and amazingly sophisticated hunting methods, let’s look at some skills you may not learn during your hunter safety course and take an in-depth look at the fascinating hunting techniques of nature’s most skilled hunters.
Full Article: Nature’s Most Skilled Hunters
Amazing Hunter-Gatherer Societies Still In Existence
May 27, 2011
Before the agricultural revolution, human beings spent more time on this planet as hunter-gatherers, relying on nature’s resources and their own survival instincts to sustain themselves. The advent of farming changed all of that. With the increasing contact hunter-gathering societies had with farmers and herders, hunter-gatherer populations decreased in sweeping numbers throughout the course of history.
Full Article: Amazing Hunter-Gatherer Societies Still In Existence
“Harness Up Before You Go Up”
March 10, 2011
Have you ever tried to put on a full body harness at 5:30 in the morning when it is cold and dark? You know it might be a little challenging. Better yet, instruct your students to pick out a harness and demonstrate putting one on correctly from a pile of webbing that resembles a tangled octopus. To students this might be a daunting task. There is a solution. Full body harnesses have come along way in keeping hunters safe while climbing into and out of elevated stands.
Full Article: “Harness Up Before You Go Up”
Focus: Catch It If You Can!
February 17, 2011
At the end of January, I found myself in Swansea, South Carolina for three days of intensive training with the National Sporting Clays Association at Live Oaks Sportsman’s Club. This training prepared Jimmy Mootz, Outreach Coordinator for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries in Virginia, and myself to become National Sporting Clays Association Level I Certified Instructors. What a blast! There were nine individuals in the class from three states. Rick Smith and Donny Roth were our instructors. I was impressed with their style and the years of experience they had between them. You could not ask for anything better, it was great training. One of the many things I came away with included the question: How do you teach hand and eye coordination if you are instructing a group of new shooters?
Full Article: Focus: Catch It If You Can!
There is not Enough Food!
February 3, 2011
Conservation is a topic that can be boring to some of your students in either a field day or a classroom setting. The younger students in the class, at times, tune out because this topic is usually taught in a lecture style with pictures and students quickly loose focus. Larry McAdow is a hunter education instructor with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and an International Hunter Education Association Hall of Fame Award Winner. We continue to have great conversations on how to integrate active lessons within field day activities and the traditional classroom.
Full Article: There is not Enough Food!
Was Socrates a Hunter Education Instructor?
January 20, 2011
I taught cognitive skills in a maximum-security environment and I learned that using the Socratic Method of self-evaluation worked with my students. It led to a high degree of problem solving and critical thinking. The Greek Philosopher Socrates used this method to spark debate and correct contradictions in the way individuals perceived the world around them. What a genius! So, what does Socrates have to do with you as a hunter education instructor? As I thought about Socrates and his methods, I asked myself; is there a way that would help my students critically think and problem solve when it came to hunter education and the sport of hunting?
Full Article: Was Socrates a Hunter Education Instructor?
The Power of Positive
January 6, 2011
When teaching your students a new skill or new information, you want to keep the learning process positive. This is easier said, then done. Individuals learn faster and retain the information for longer periods of time when they learn what they aresuppose to do, as opposed to what they are performing incorrectly. When you teach using positive sequential steps, building on previous skills, your students will be engaged and interested in attempting the new skill.
Full Article: The Power of Positive
The Times, they are a Changing
December 16, 2010
I have been a member of the National Rifle Association for many years. I always smile when I reach into the mailbox and pull out the new issue of the American Hunter magazine. I enjoy reading all of the articles. In the December 2010 issue, the article that really caught my attention was an article by Lacey Biles, NRA-ILA Hunting Policy Liaison.
Full Article: The Times, they are a Changing
Learn to Move… Move to Learn!
November 18, 2010
David A. Sousa, Ed. D. wrote a book titled ‘How the Brain Learns’. What a wealth of information for anyone desiring to become a more effective teacher. His work involves the science of how a student’s brain learns and retains new information for short term and long term memory. After reading the book from cover to cover, I wondered if we, as instructors could adapt some of the ideas to hunter education classes and field day exercises. I looked to the section of the book using movement to enhance learning and found the hunter education manuals to be full of scenarios that have opportunities to incorporate movement. We must first understand what movement will accomplish for us:
Full Article: Learn to Move… Move to Learn!
A Clear View
November 11, 2010
When I first started teaching the muzzle loading section, I wondered….. how you could actually show the students the loading process? The problem was that when demonstrating the proper and safe loading process, the only equipment we had to use was the barrel from a muzzle-loading rifle. The barrel was hardened blued steel! What I needed was a barrel that was clear so the students could see the “simulated” black powder filling the barrel and the bullet being pushed down the barrel and being properly seated. The added bonus was, having the ability to stop the bullet half way down the barrel and opportunity to explain: “When the bullet is not properly seated on the powder charge, the air space between the top of the powder charge and the bottom of the bullet is considered an obstruction, which creates an unsafe condition.” This training aide can be used in a regular hunter education class or a field day exercise where muzzleloading is offered as part of a live fire range.
Full Article: A Clear View
Refuse to be a Frog!!
November 9, 2010
I was out scouting for signs of deer one warm fall afternoon; the leaves had just begun to turn into the vibrant color palette marking the change to a new season. While sitting and taking a break by a small pond, I noticed a small frog making his way to the water’s edge. The small frog encountered a barrier that impeded his forward travel. As I watched the little fella, he continued to jump forward only to run into the barrier and bounce off, only to try again and again, with the same result. From my observations, the frog could only jump in a forward direction. This behavior reminded me of when I first started teaching.
Full Article: Refuse to be a Frog!!
Which Way Did They Go?
October 28, 2010
In the United States, there are millions of acres of public and private land where you can hunt. How is a friend or loved one to know where you will be hunting? Where will the search and rescue team begin looking if you are late coming home? These are great questions that anyone should ask of themselves before venturing out in the great outdoors. As instructors, we should teach our students how to develop a hunt plan that addresses these concerns.
Full Article: Which Way Did They Go?
Seeing is Believing
October 21, 2010
It is said that our ancestors were better hunters than we are and it could very well be true. After all, they had to be. Either they harvested game or they did not become ancestors. The other reason that comes to mind is that they lived in the environment they hunted. For us an unsuccessful hunt means stopping at the burger doodle on the way home.
Full Article: Seeing is Believing
After Taking the Shot
October 14, 2010
Tracking an animal after you have taken the shot can be one of the most difficult tasks presented to any hunter. This brings up an important question.
How does an instructor teach the students about blood trailing and provide a meaningful tracking experience for the student?
You can set this up, with minimal costs, on any hunter safety trail, a grassy area or a wooded lot where the field day is conducted.
Full Article: After Taking the Shot
The Art of Blending In
October 7, 2010
Camouflage is a way that animals blend in to their surroundings. As instructors, we can help our students understand how camouflage works and how it can help us blend in. The task is how do we make it fun and exciting in the classroom or a field day activity? I think one of the answers is to play a great game of “Hide and Seek”.
Full Article: The Art of Blending In
Hitting the Mark
September 30, 2010
If you ask any great marksman, they will tell you that to become a proficient marksman requires many hours of practice. The question we have to ask ourselves as instructors is "how can we facilitate our students to start on this path of becoming a safe and proficient marksman and have fun at the same time?"
Full Article: Hitting the Mark
What An Eye Opener!
September 23, 2010
For an instructor it is very important to distinguish between the styles of learners and how to adapt to those different styles in the way we teach. The last blog I asked if you would look at how individuals were communicating with each other. In this blog, we look at how individuals communicate and their style of learning.
Full Article: What An Eye Opener!
Do You Really Understand Your Students?
September 9, 2010
Some would say that all you (the instructor) have to do is to tell your students what they need to know. Your students will understand and the woods will be safe forevermore.
In a perfect world, this would be true.
Full Article: Do You Really Understand Your Students?