[bretts]

Knowing a few people that will be taking part in the deer gun season this year for the first time, and seeing every year in the news about hunting accidents really got me thinking about something. It really bugs me that a person born before 1961 does not have to complete hunter's safety classes. Why is this? I think this is ridicilious, everyone should have to take hunter's safety no matter the age. It just seems odd to me that this has been a long standing law in north dakota. IMO I believe everybody should have to take hunter education classes. IDK is there some logic to this?

 

[redlabel]

Gotta start somewhere:

Optional hunter education began in North Dakota in the 1970s. In 1979 hunter education became mandatory through legislative process and required that all people born after 1961 complete a certified course in order to purchase a hunting license. Since then more than 130,000 persons have been certified. The program is funded on a seventy-five/twenty-five percent split between the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act and the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

 

[bretts]

I realize that, but, your telling me that people starting hunting for the first time...which with the popularity of deer hunting/bird hunting is happening quite a bit the past years, they don't need hunters safety? Scary. I'd trust a kid 15 years old with hunters safety over somebody fifty years old without. Example, hunted with a few people over the weekend, never hunted with them before, a few older guys, two of them walked with the finger on the trigger for pheasants. Just because people have some age to them doesn't at all mean they are trustworthy while out hunting. This law needs to be changed so all people must have hunters safety.

 

[Fallguy]

I see what you are saying bretts. However, as with anything, you have to start a new rule somewhere. At the school I teach at, they just increased the credits needed for graduation. The new freshmen have to take more classes than the sophomores need. I realize that may be different in that you have a limited number of years to get it done, but I suppose they decided on a starting point for Hunters Safety.

Perhaps it was made that way so they could have a manageable number of people taking the classes. Can you imagine otherwise? You may have 1000s of people taking the class initially (including the people born before 1961), then you would have a huge dropoff in the years following, when you make only new young hunters (after 1961) take it. I don't know it's just a thought I had, it may be due to some other reason.

There is something you can do in your power: refuse to hunt with anyone you feel is unsafe. I know in my group that deer hunts we have a guy we won't let hunt with us anymore because of something he did a few years back.

 

[dakotashooter2]

In all probability it was likely felt that after a certain amount of experience it would lend itself to "safe" hunters. So those that already had 20 or 30 years experience were deemed to be reasonably safe. However this has not played itself out. Statistics show that older hunters (those with experience but no hunter safety) are the cause of a high percentage of hunting accidents. Another thought may have been "you can't teach an old dog a new trick". It may have been felt that older hunters are just not going to change their ways, though that does not excuse not trying. I think everyone knows a few older hunters without HS that are downright scary to hunt with. I am not required by ND law to have it but it was required for me in MN before I moved back here. What probably should have been done was an abreviated program for those born prior to "61" and a stagered compliance timeline.

 

[redlabel]

I realize that, but, your telling me that people starting hunting for the first time...which with the popularity of deer hunting/bird hunting is happening quite a bit the past years, they don't need hunters safety? Scary. I'd trust a kid 15 years old with hunters safety over somebody fifty years old without. Example, hunted with a few people over the weekend, never hunted with them before, a few older guys, two of them walked with the finger on the trigger for pheasants. Just because people have some age to them doesn't at all mean they are trustworthy while out hunting. This law needs to be changed so all people must have hunters safety.

You're not that far from your wish. Today the youngest person in the field without hunter safety is either 46 or under 11. I doubt if there are very many people picking up hunting when they are in the 40's, 50's, or 60's.

Plus a lot of us took hunters safety with our sons or daughters. I did in 2000, because you must have a hunter safety certificate no matter how old you are for Colorado Elk Hunting.

Don't kid yourself into thinking that because someone has a hunters safety certificate that they are a safe hunter. Plus, before hunter safety came along most of us were taught how to handle firearms safely. I know I learned in the Boy Scouts and also had it drilled into me by my step-father and older brother when they taught us how to shoot and hunt with him.

I would like to say a big thank you though to all those Hunter Safety Instructors who have given of themselves to help make this a successful program.

Thank You!