December 3, 2024 – Theodore Roosevelt once said “What a man does for himself, dies with him. What a man does for his community lives long after he’s gone.” While the 26th president was noted for many powerful quotes, he often commented about giving back to the community. The conservation world is lucky that we have so many dedicated people.
Many of us who work in education programs such as the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) and Hunter Education have been deemed passionate when it comes to conservation. Noted educators Tim Beck from Indiana and Steve Hall in Texas have had the good fortune of being involved in many exciting efforts over the years. The importance of that work, as well as our place in conservation’s grand history, has never been taken for granted. In all these adventures, we were supported by men and women who volunteer their time and talent each year out of passion and dedication for teaching others. That has never been lost on us.
Today, outdoor enthusiasts have many opportunities to give back to the hunting and shooting sports. The most important is teaching our next generation the knowledge, skills, and abilities to enjoy hunting and shooting sports safely but also to represent these sports with the respect they deserve. Most kids today do not grow up hunting and fishing and many households with very little connection to the outdoors. These new hunters need quality education from experienced volunteers.
Every state in the country requires some manner of hunter education for new or young hunters. Most work is done by passionate volunteers. In fact, over 45,000 volunteers provide for hunter education and bowhunter education across North America, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam. Each instructor is supported by a state coordinator within their state fish and wildlife agency. Instructors and coordinators are supported by the International Hunter Education Association (IHEA) which is affiliated with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. The National Bowhunter Education Foundation (NBEF) also works closely with IHEA, state coordinators and instructors supporting quality education and standards. Today, all states teach to the same set of IHEA standards, making hunter education an incredibly effective tool for new hunters as they navigate their path to being a sportsperson.
We have heard from many hunters who will suggest they don’t feel they have enough experience to be an instructor. Nothing could be further from the truth. Few of our current 45,000 instructors will ever rise to the level of Daniel Boone. These are simply good men and women who enjoy hunting, at various levels, and want to give back. They realize that the success of hunting in the future will rely on helping new kids and adults, representing a diversity of backgrounds, safely enjoy these time-honored traditions. Most states offer workshops that aid certifying the volunteer as an instructor.
Many hunter educators, like myself, began teaching in our college days. It led to a lifetime of enjoyment and, for some, has shaped our careers. The feeling of impacting so many young people is just incredible. It’s not uncommon to hear stories of young adults stopping an instructor in the store to say something in appreciation. They share their successes as their faces light up and we realize that hunting has impacted their lives much like ours.
“I often tell my instructors the proverbial check is in the mail because we never know when that check may come in but when it comes it will be an aha moment, and you will know that all of your time and effort was very well spent in sharing your passion and making a difference in someone’s life,” said Tim Beck, Indian Hunter Education and NASP Coordinator.
To learn more about becoming a hunter education instructor, visit your state fish and wildlife agency web page to connect with your state coordinator.
The coordinator will help you navigate the state requirements. Becoming certified is a simple task but the impacts you can have over a lifetime are incredible. Each of us knows there are young men and women heading out to the woods this fall who can still hear our voices and our choice words regarding the incredible importance of safety. We will never know how many lives we have impacted by a young hunter safely ascending a tree stand or handling a firearm or bow correctly because they attended one of our classes.
We do know that long after we are able to head to the woods to enjoy the great outdoors with family and friends, we can rest comfortably knowing others have found a lifetime of that same enjoyment and that we had a small part to play in helping them.
Jeff Rawlinson is the Vice President for the National Archery in the Schools Program. Prior to this role, Jeff served as an Assistant Division Administrator with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission where he worked for over 25 years. While serving Nebraska, his team had oversight of recruitment, retention and reactivation of hunters and recreational shooters, hunter/bow hunter education, hunter outreach, National Archery in the Schools Program and shooting range development for the commission.