Hunter ed students get hands-on training at field course

To purchase or apply for a Montana hunting license, anyone born after Jan. 1, 1985, must complete a hunter education course issued by Montana, any other state, or any Canadian province.

These classes are free to attend and cover basic information and skills related to the safe handling of firearms as well as basic instruction in wildlife management, game identification, landowner/hunter relations, hunter ethics, and Montana hunting laws and regulations.

For the last two years, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Hunter Education Courses have been online only, another derailment due to the pandemic. These are a self-paced course and available for anyone 12 and older. (Youth must turn 12 by January 16 of the current license year).

Once certified, graduates may purchase or apply for licenses. The online course provides a convenience for those who are comfortable with eLearning or who already have a solid firearms and hunting background.

No in-person field course is required, however, FWP strongly encourages participation at a voluntary in-person field day. And on June 18, one of the first field days was held at the Mineral County Shooting Sports Association’s building and range near Lozeau.

Tom McCloskey, Volunteer FWP Firearms Education Instructor said, “When Covid hit, the classes were only online, and they will continue to be offered online as well as in person. But as instructors, we felt that they (students) needed hands-on experience. Even if they haven’t taken Hunter Education yet, this is a time to give them the chance to handle firearms and archery equipment. And we’ve tossed in some turkey and elk calling demonstrations to try and get them more interested in hunting. Something to draw them in.”

This was the inaugural class in Mineral County so there wasn’t a strict agenda but a mental list of what the instructors wanted to cover that day.

John Benda has been a volunteer bow instructor for the FWP Hunter Education program for 28 years. Ken Quitt started as a bow instructor in the Thompson Falls area in 1986. These two took the class outside to share working knowledge, experiences and vital information to seasoned archery hunters and some soon to be hunters.

“As accurate as bow hunting equipment is these days, there is a lot that can happen when shooting between you and that animal using a stringed propellant arrow that is different from a firearm. For beginning hunters, we want you to limit your shots to 30 or 40 years. Typically, 30 yards when you’re in a wooded environment and if you’re hunting in the plains or a field, no further than 40 yards. We want you to take close accurate shots”, explained John Benda.

This was at the start of the yardage exercise where five different laths had been laid out with a 3-D bear target at the end which became the first question: “How far is it from here to the bear?”

He asked everyone to write their answers down to discuss later, and then walking up to each lath, “Now how far is it to the bear?” (Lath A to the bear was 88 yards).

There were casual explanations of why archers should always take an orange hunting vest with them. The different rattling techniques for deer during the length of the rut. The safest way to install and climb into a tree stand. Benda demonstrated how you start low and move up a few feet making a ‘Z’ pattern to create a low fog screen when using bear spray.

Bill Pickett, Range Officer for the MCSPA who has extensive Law Enforcement/SWAT experience shared that bear spray is ineffective on many dogs.

“Granted, when we’d send in our shepherds, they were amped up on adrenaline, but they’d blow right through tear gassed rooms to get the bad guys. Bear spray was the same way to them.”

The day was packed with shooting techniques, survival strategies if lost, blood trailing, orienteering with a compass when your GPS becomes ineffective. Gun calibers and muzzleloader safe handling was in the late morning along with calling different critters.

This educational class was under the direction of the Montana FWP with volunteers as instructors. They are optional and not required for any certification but are a great addition for those that have already taken a hunter or bowhunter education course.

In-person, Instructor-led Hunter Education courses have returned and students ages 10-11 can take the in-person course and hunt as an apprentice but will not be fully certified until the year they turn 12. Students who choose to take the in-person course must attend all classroom sessions, the field course, and pass a final exam. These are led by volunteer instructors who are passionate about preserving Montana’s hunting tradition, teaching firearm safety, ethics, and other outdoor skills.

For Hunter Education course information, visit: fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter-education.