Inside This Issue

Coordinator’s Corner ... 1Websites/Passwords .... 22015 HIT Instructor of the Year Awards .......... 2Director’s Awards ........ 3New Instructors ........... 3Instructor Notes .......... 4Staff Contact Info ........ 4

DID YOU KNOW?The IHEA instructor webpage has special offers for volunteer instructors as a small token of appreciation. Over 75 outdoor and shooting sports companies are listed, check it out!

http://ihea-usa.org/instructors/special-offers-for-instructors

I’m not sure if anyone else feels like this, but 2015 flew by! I thoroughly enjoyed getting the chance to meet with so many of you face-to-face. I’m always impressed, although not at all surprised, by the number of comments that we receive from students who were impressed with the individual knowledge and quality of education that you all are providing. All of your volunteer time and everyone’s willingness to accept and provide constructive feedback about the HIT Program is greatly appreciated. The HIT Program requires a team effort and we’re looking forward to what 2016 will bring.Here is a brief synopsis of the stats from 2015.

• 35 new volunteer Hunter Ed. Instructors were certified• 26 new volunteer Bow Ed. Instructors were certified• 5 new volunteer Muzzleloader Ed Instructors were certified

HIT Certification courses were taught in 47 different cities and villages during 2015 and we had 444 active volunteer instructors. In 2016, here are a few items that are new or will get updated/revamped as the year progresses:

• NEW-Instructor timesheets (to collect volunteer hours for Federal Aid match)• Instructor shirts• Hunter Ed test questions• Online Bowhunter Ed course and instructor manual

If you have any questions or ideas for the program, please contact HIT staff.

Hunter Information & Training

Program News

Winter 2016

Coordinator’s Corner-Ginamaria Smith

Class TypeNumber of

ClassesCertified Students

Volunteer Instructor Hours

Hunter Ed 166 2,228 4,801Bowhunter Ed 86 932 1,304Muzzleloader Ed 22 126 369Totals: 274 3,286 6,474

Class Type# of Instructors that

Taught at Least 1 Class Name of Instructor

Hunter Ed 221 Paul Houser (Palmer)taught 17 classes

Bowhunter Ed 93 Mike Robbins (Anchorage)taught 11 classes

Muzzleloader Ed 30 Bill Tyra (Anchorage) taught 5 classes

Hunter Information & Training Program News

Winter 2016

IHEA Instructor Resource Sitewww.ihea.com

Alaska HIT Program Sitewww.huntereducation.alaska.gov

2015 HIT Instructor of the Year AwardsThe Steering Group chose the following volunteers from the nominations submitted by co-instructors:

Basic Hunter Education Instructor of the Year-Somerset JonesSomerset Jones has been a hunter ed instructor since 2009 and has instructed 48 classes for the HIT Program. He is also a muzzleloader ed instructor. He has been instructing firearm safety courses in one form or another for over 20 years in the military and civilian police forces. Somerset can always be counted on to fill a vacant instructor slot with little to no notice and constantly encourages hunters to become better marksmen and women.

Bowhunter Education Instructor of the Year-Mike RobbinsMike Robbins has been a bowhunter ed instructor since 2007 and has instructed 56 classes. In 2015 he taught half of the bowhunter ed classes in Anchorage (11 classes). Informally Mike is a great ambassador for the sport of archery and bowhunting by encouraging others to either develop an interest or to advance their participation in the sport. He can always be counted on to do an excellent job teaching the first section of the class about the history of bowhunting. He helps the class see that every time they pull back the bowstring they are like our ancestors.

HIT Outstanding Educator of the Year-Alexandra BrownAlex Brown is a volunteer hunter ed instructor, Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) instructor, Youth Rimfire League head coach and organizer, and NRA instructor. Her teaching style is described as encouraging, entertaining, warm, and a gift to the HIT Program. Alex’s passion is firearm safety, and she especially focuses on youth and women. In 2012, Alex wanted to have a “next-step” program after hunter ed for students interested in riflery, so she started the Youth Rimfire League at Rabbit Creek Shooting Park and is just about to start the fourth successful session.

Lifetime Achievement Award-Wesley EricksonWes Erickson was nominated in memoriam after passing away last October following a courageous two-year battle with cancer. Wes was certified as a hunter ed instructor in 2006 and a bowhunter ed instructor in 2007. He taught 40 classes, including traveling to Port Alsworth, Quinhagak, Savoonga, and Mountain Village to teach and promote hunter education. Wes also volunteered to teach middle school field days in the Anchorage area which usually occurred during daytime hours when many other instructors are not available. Perhaps the most valuable contribution that Wes made in 2015 was the fact that he continued to teach and share his knowledge at a time when he was challenged personally. It is very evident that he cared a great deal about the Hunter Education program and what it does for the future of hunting and firearm safety. His efforts, no doubt, would have continued longer, if he had been able.

Somerset Jones of Chugiak

Mike Robbins of Anchorage

Alex Brown of Anchorage

Wes Erickson of Anchorage

Hunter Information & Training Program News

HIT Steering GroupRick Sterling (Interior) alaskawindfall@alaska.net

Steve Shiell (Rural Alaska) sshiell@pwscc.eduPaul Houser (Southcentral) houserfam9@yahoo.com

Martha Peck (Southcentral) martha.a.peck@gmail.comBruce Bowler (Southeast) cozylog@alaska.net

Winter 2016

Welcome to Our New InstructorsBasic Hunter Education:Anchorage: John Henshaw, Brendan Hughes, Francis Marley, Molly McCarthy, Bobby Ruby, Dora Sigurdsson, James LescoDillingham: Nathan CoutsoubosEielson AFB: Casey JobeFairbanks: Michael Degman, Stuart Johnson, Allison, Mogensen, Carl RobertsHomer: Angela Brewer, Joseph BrewerTalkeetna: James BrazeauWasilla: Clifford Kaltreider, Maio NishkianWe are always looking to recruit new volunteer instructors. If you know of anyone interested, have them visit the website (www.huntereducation.alaska.gov) and fill out the application. Once we receive their application we’ll contact them about attending instructor training. The HIT Program covers travel costs to attend the training or if there are enough interested instructors in an area we’ll send HIT Staff to conduct a training.

2015 ADF&G Division of Wildlife Conservation Director’s Achievement Awards

Lee Rogers was awarded the Director’s Achievement Award for Wildlife Outreach. Lee has been with ADF&G since 1980. He started out as a Fish & Wildlife Technician working in remote locations, ran the Rabbit Creek Shooting Park (RCSP) as Range

Manager for 14 years, and has been the HIT Program Project Assistant since 2001. His retirement date is set

for April 29, 2016 and he is leaving very large shoes to fill. In all positions, Lee demonstrates a high degree of integrity, and his genuine enthusiasm for teaching the public about the outdoors, wildlife management, and firearm safety has helped to advance ADF&G’s mission statewide.

The RCSP staff (pictured from left to right: Scott Cunfer, Billy Gallagher, Dora Sigurdsson, Scott Graziano, and Bernie Punzalan) were awarded the Director’s Achievement Team Award for Public Service. The staff at RCSP demonstrates exceptional public

service on a daily basis. Although comprised of only four permanent

staff and one non-permanent staff, they efficiently and safely run a facility that can cater to over 300 public patrons daily. In FY2015 there were 34,881 range users who safely made use of the archery, handgun/pistol, centerfire rifle, rimfire rifle, instructor, and shotgun ranges. The friendly and knowledgeable RCSP staff assists new and seasoned shooters with the safe use of firearms and helps to promote the shooting sports and our hunting heritage in Alaska.The Awards were given in recognition of outstanding service and contributions to the public, the Division, and Alaska’s wildlife.

Asst. Director Tony Kavalok presenting the award to Lee Rogers

Asst. Director Tony Kavalok presenting the award to the RCSP staff

Board of Game Statewide MeetingMarch 18th-28th in Fairbanks

The Board of Game invites you to share your comments for the Statewide meeting. The deadline for comments is Friday, March 4th. There are a number of proposals that you as instructors may be interested in since they involve permit hunts, archery equipment, crossbows, crossbow education, and bowhunter education.Here is a link to the Board of Game website where you can submit comments for the upcoming meeting or learn more about the Board of Game and how to submit proposals. http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=gameboard.main

Hunter Information & Training

Program News

Winter 2016

Instructor NotesHIT Staff

Contact Information

AnchorageGina Smith 267-2196

Lee Rogers 267-2373

Kirk Lingofelt 267-2534

Marc Much 267-2241

Gail Volt 267-2187

Fax: 267-2323

FairbanksBob Hunter 459-7375

Tom Halverson 459-7211

Fax: 459-7332

JuneauJeff Jemison 586-4101

Fax: 586-4107

2015 Certification CoursesThe HIT Program is definitely statewide! In 2015, for the first time ever according to our electronic records, classes were taught in Whale Pass, Sleetmute, Nikolai, Venetie, and St Paul Island.

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Region 1-Southeast15 Hunter Ed12 Bowhunter Ed1 Muzzleloader Ed280 students certified

Region 2-Southcentral73 Hunter Ed33 Bowhunter Ed13 Muzzleloader Ed1,533 students certified

Region 3 & 5-Interior & Northwest43 Hunter Ed32 Bowhunter Ed5 Muzzleloader Ed751 students certified

Region 4-Central & Southwest35 Hunter Ed9 Bowhunter Ed3 Muzzleloader Ed722 students certified