It Could Never Happen to Me, Never in a Million Years · Million Years Lessons Learned, After the Shot How Matters, Hunting Ethics and Fair Chase. ww w.IHEA-USA.org This issue made

For Distribution in Canada, El Salvador, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa and the United States of America.

Volume 16, No. 3Fall 2016

It Could NeverHappen to Me, Never in aMillion Years

Lessons Learned, After the Shot

How Matters,Hunting Ethics andFair Chase

www.IHEA-USA.org This issue made possible by Fall 2016 • Hunter & Shooting Sports Education Journal 3

FeaturesThe International Hunter Education Association – UnitedStates of America (IHEA-USA) is an organization involvingsome 70,000 instructors across the United States ofAmerica. The IHEA-USA is affiliated with the Association ofFish and Wildlife Agencies.

The Hunter & Shooting Sports Education Journal is theofficial publication of the International Hunter EducationAssociation-United States of America. It is published fourtimes annually (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter) and distrib-uted to more than 70,000 administrators and volunteerinstructors in Canada, El Salvador, Mexico, New Zealand,Peru, South Africa and the United States of America, that areresponsible for education programs that total 750,000hunters annually. The purpose of the publication is toincrease the skill and effectiveness of hunter education inadministrators and instructors so they can improve theenthusiasm, safety, ethics and proficiency of their students asthey embark on lifetime enjoyment of hunting and theshooting sports.

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United States of AmericaMission Statement:

Continuing the heritage of huntingworldwide by developing safe, responsible,

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Cover Photo by Boone & Crockett ClubVol. 16 No.3 – Fall 2016

Departments

10 It Could NeverHappen to MeBy Doug Moore

Never in a MillionYearsBy Erik Burney

14

4 President’s Corner:Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund forTomorrow’s Needs Act

By Megan Wisecup, President IHEA-USA

6 USFWS Update: A New Hunter Education Program in Ohio By Jordan Phillips and Chelsea Herrick

20 Lessons Learned, After the Shot By Sgt. Keith Byers, GA DNR, retired

36 NSSF Notes: NSSF Has Resources for Hunters By Jennifer L.S. Pearsall, NSSF Director, Public Relations

H unting is an important wildlifemanagement tool that main-tains the health and abundance

of game species and the balance of ournatural resources. Hunters play animportant role in managing wildlife andit is their excise tax dollars paid throughthe Pittman-Robertson Federal Aid inWildlife Restoration Act of 1937 (PRFunds) and hunting licenses and feesthat pay for the majority of wildlifemanagement.PR Funds create a direct link between

those that hunt and participate in theshooting sports and the resourcesneeded to expand and enhance opportu-nities to hunt and shoot. Known as theNorth American model of wildlifeconservation, this user pays publicbenefit model is extremely successfulbecause sportsmen and women and theindustries that serve them have alwaysbeen willing to pay extra to enhance,expand and protect America’s hunting,shooting and conservation heritage.

As hunters, shooters and volunteerinstructors who work closely withprograms funded through these dollars,it is imperative that we understand theneed to update the provisions of thePittman-Robertson Act.

Present LawThe Pittman-Robertson Wildlife

Restoration Act of 1937 uses theproceeds from a federal excise tax tofund grants to state and territorial fishand wildlife agencies for projects tobenefit wildlife resources and to conductprograms for hunter education. Theexcise tax is set at 10% of the wholesaleprice for pistols and revolvers, and 11%for other firearms, as well as shells orcartridges. An 11% tax on archery equip-ment (broadheads, bows and equipmentthat attaches to bows) and $0.49 perarrow shaft is also deposited into thefund. Total collections from these taxeswere approximately $814 million inFY2013 and $825 million in FY2014.

All of the revenues from these excisetaxes go into a special account called theWildlife Restoration Fund administeredby the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service(FWS) in the Department of the Interior.Grants from the Wildlife RestorationFund may be used for: restoration,conservation, management and enhance-ment of wildlife and their habitat;providing public use and access towildlife resources; and providing foreducation of hunters and developmentof shooting ranges.

Reasons for ChangeThe increasing urbanization and

suburbanization of our population hasmade it more difficult for the public toparticipate in hunting and recreationalshooting. As the base of hunters andrecreational shooters narrows, the PRWildlife Conservation funds likewisedecline. Without increasing user fees,taxes, or imposing a new federalmandate, this legislation will preserve

the current user-pay funding ofwildlife conservation for generationsto come. The future of the sportsmenand women activities we all enjoytoday requires bringing more peopleinto our community.

The Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund for Tomorrow’sNeeds Act will:Clarify that a purpose of the Pittman-

Robertson Act is to extend financialand technical assistance to the statesfor the promotion of hunting andrecreational shooting;Clarify, by removing an existing

prohibition on “public relations,” thatstate spending for management ofwildlife areas and resources mayinclude spending for the promotionof hunting and recreational shooting; Clarify that the construction, opera-

tion, and maintenance of publictarget ranges under the Basic Hunter

By Megan Wisecup, President IHEA-USA • [email protected]

President’s Corner

Modernizing the Pittman-RobertsonFund for Tomorrow’s Needs Act

4 Hunter & Shooting Sports Education Journal • Fall 2016 This issue made possible by www.IHEA-USA.org


Education funding is not restricted toranges that include hunter safetyprograms; andExpand the Multistate Conservation

Grant program by allocating $5 million

per year (from current archery taxcollections) for hunter and recreationalshooter recruitment project grants thatpromote a national hunting and shoot-ing sport recruitment program and

related communication and outreachactivities.Ensure that traditional wildlife conser-

vation remains the primary focus ofthese funds, the legislation would put acap (25%) on the amount of Section4(b) funds that can be spent on hunterand recreational shooter recruitmentover a five year period. Expand the definitions section of the

Pittman-Robertson Act to include adefinition of “hunter recruitment andrecreational shooter recruitment” activ-ities and projects and make clear thatPittman-Robertson act funds undersections 4(b), 4(c), and 10 may be usedfor hunter recruitment and recreationalshooter recruitment. The Modernizing the Pittman-

Robertson Fund for Tomorrow’s NeedsAct is currently supported by 35 nationalsportsmen and women’s conservationorganizations. To continue to monitormovement on this legislation, visit:www.congress.gov/ and search forSenate Bill 2690 (S 2690) and House ofRepresentatives Bill 4818 (HR 4818).n

O hio is looking at innovativeways to create and keep newhunters. Studies have shown

that people who don’t have anyone toteach them to hunt or shoot, or whodidn’t grow up in a hunting family, havea difficult time getting started in the sport.Knowing this, the Ohio Department ofNatural Resources (ODNR) Division ofWildlife is crafting new approaches atcreating lifelong hunters through a pilotprogram called Learn to Hunt.

How it Came AboutThe idea of creating a new hunter

program, which focuses on multipleinteractions with participants over anextended period of time, emerged fromthe hunter adoption model. This modelcategorizes hunters and potential huntersinto three broad categories: recruitment,retention, and reactivation. For example,people in the recruitment phase areaware or interested in hunting but don’tcurrently hunt. The lapsed hunter isaware of hunting because he or she usedto hunt and is listed in the reactivation

phase. Conservation agencies ideallywant hunters in the retention phasebecause they participate every year.A successful hunting introduc-

tory program needs to transitionaway from traditional one-timeinteractions to a mentored approachwith multiple interactions. In orderto learn a skill, such as hunting, andto feel confident enough to usethose skills independently, potentialhunters need mentors and a socialsupport network. This new programtargets people who had an interestin hunting and shooting but lackedthe experience or opportunity. Atarget group was identified and aschedule of events was set for the Learnto Hunt program.

And So it BeganThe kick-off to this new hunter

program started at a public library inColumbus, Ohio. The library regularlyfeatures a series of how-to programs foradults, so a two-hour program on hunt-ing in Ohio was offered. Non-hunting

adults gathered one evening, withan interest in learning more abouthunting. At the conclusion of theprogram, the attendees weresurveyed to see if they had aninterest in participating in a pilotLearn to Hunt program. Theirreaction served as a great start tothe program, and everyone inattendance wanted to participate. Over the next several months,

these soon-to-be hunters wentthrough a variety of hands-ontraining sessions, including shoot-ing, hunter education, game care,gun cleaning, cooking game, andat the conclusion, their first hunt-ing experience. The trainingsessions for shooting took placeover several weekends at a local

conservation club. Most of the partici-pants had never held a firearm before,let alone fired one. The club members

graciously welcomed the group, andmany of the club’s members assisted thenew shooters in the learning process. Inan unforeseen benefit to the club, manyof the participants began attending theclub’s public shoots outside of class toimprove their skills. Interaction and active participation

are essential to get a first-time hunterhooked. To introduce this group to hunt-

By Jordan Phillips and Chelsea Herrick

USFWS Update

A New Hunter EducationProgram in Ohio


Photo Courtesy of Ohio DNR, Division of Wildlife

Photo Courtesy of Ohio DNR, Division of Wildlife


ing, the participants traveled to a pheas-ant preserve. The day was filled withplenty of action for the new hunterswith multiple bird flushes, dogs work-ing the fields, safe shots, and greatconversation during and after the hunt.Many participants commented howcomfortable they felt with a shotgunafter being taught the correct handlingand shooting techniques. The Learn to Hunt pilot program was

deemed a short-term success. Participants

showed an interest in hunting and hadpurchased hunting licenses. Since then,several participants have even investedin their own hunting equipment andfirearms. Over the long term, the ODNRDivision of Wildlife will continue tomonitor to see if participants continue toacquire hunting licenses.

Next StepsA mentored hunting program requires

extensive teamwork and preparation to

realize the goal of recruiting more huntersto Ohio. Conservation clubs and otherpartners host many excellent events toteach or introduce different aspects ofhunting. By combining and coordinatingthese separate events into severallessons, participants will be able to buildon their hunting knowledge one step ata time. Essentially, each conservationclub and participating partner will be alink in a fun chain of events to teachethical, responsible, and knowledgeable

hunters. Tweaking the currentshooting and hunting programsthat clubs currently host creates acomplete mentored huntingprogram without increasing theworkload on any particular group. For more information about the

Learn to Hunt Program, pleasecontact Eric A. Postell, OutdoorEducation Supervisor, OhioDivision of Wildlife. Email him [email protected].

About the Authors:Jordan Phillips grew up in

Michigan spending most of histime hunting and fishing. Jordanattended Hocking College wherehe obtained his Associate’s Degreein Wildlife Sciences. After gradu-ating, he was hired by the OhioDivision of Wildlife. Jordan worksat the Division of Wildlife DistrictOne office located in Columbus,Ohio as an Outdoor SkillsSpecialist. Jordan spends any andall of his free time hunting, fishingand enjoying time with his wife,Morgan and daughter Madelyn. Chelsea Herrick is the Outdoor

Skills Specialist for the OhioDivision of Wildlife, serving 19counties in Southeast Ohio.Chelsea is responsible for thehunter, trapper, fishing, archeryand shooting sports education inher district, as well as training newinstructors to help carry on thesetraditions to future generations.Coming from a hunting- and fish-ing-oriented family, she has spenther whole life connected to theoutdoors. She attended OhioUniversity where she received herBachelor’s in Communications.n

T hose that know me know that Ihave spent a lifetime aroundfirearms, over forty years of

experience. I’ve hunted that entire time,I’ve taken multiple self-defensefirearms classes, I’ve dedicated years toraising money for the Friends of NRA,and finally, I have been a hunter educa-tion and bowhunter education instructorfor the State of Alaska for the last fiveyears. Up until this point, I have hadexactly one negligent discharge with ahandgun at age 16. Because I onlyviolated one of the four rules of firearmsafety, the only victim in that case wasthe floor. Other than that, and this recentincident, I have fired tens of thousandsof rounds without a problem. I onlymention this to put context on my levelof experience, not as an excuse, just forpeople to realize that we can never betoo careful.My friend Erik and I had booked a

four day blacktail deer hunt with a wellknown transporter to hunt on MontagueIsland in Prince William Sound. Thiswas a boat-based trip where we spent

the nights on a converted trawler andthen were transported to the beach witha smaller skiff each morning to a loca-tion of our choosing. We were picked upright at dark every evening. On the firstday we discovered that this hunt wasgoing to be tough. There was about six-inches of crusty snow on the ground andit was nearly impossible to move with-out making a racket. We spent a great deal of time catching

up and visiting. Over the last few yearsour friendship had become closer andwe were both really enjoying our timeout in the woods. It was probably notthe best hunting strategy, but time in thefield isn’t always about hunting. Hegraciously allowed me to shoot a buttonbuck he spotted on day one, but otherthan that we had been seeing very fewdeer. Sign was everywhere, but theycould hear us coming from hundreds ofyards away. I won’t speak for Erik, butI was getting pretty frustrated.On day four I changed a couple things

in my routine. Two comments weremade the night before that caused me to

change my patterns. First, werecomments made by the boat crew thatthere was no reason to carry the VHFradio I had along for emergenciesbecause they’d only hear it from thebeach. Second, were comments that youreally didn’t need binoculars for the shortdistances deer were seen at. Being tiredof carrying the extra weight, I left thebinoculars behind and left the VHF radioon the beach. Along with the VHF radioI left my arctic clothing that I carried in adry bag for emergency purposes. After sorting our gear out on the

beach, we had a brief talk and decidedthat we would keep our talking to aminimum and walk very slowly for thatday. Neither of us was wearing any typeof bright clothing, much less hunterorange. Neither of us discussed any sortof plan if we lost sight of each other. Within a few hours we had become

separated. I’d been steadily working myway up some steep terrain and Ibelieved that Erik was somewherebelow me. I’d been following some bigbuck tracks and they were fresh.

It Could Never Happen to MeBy Doug Moore

The ride to the hospital. It took two hoursfor this helicopter to fly from Kodiak to thelocation of the incident. The logistics of apotential rescue should be a factor in allplans for wilderness hunts.


Periodically I’d catch a glimpse of thedeer out ahead of me. I never spookedhim and continued to follow his tracks.At some point I decided to take a breakin the sun. I’d been working hard andwas about to quit climbing the mountainI was on. After a power bar and water, Iconvinced myself that I would regret itforever if I didn’t finish the climb. Igathered my gear and quietly crept intothe dark woods. There was very littlesnow in the deep woods and I usuallywould pick up the buck’s trackswhen I reached an opening. AsI entered the woods I heardcrunching off to my left. My brainautomatically assumed it wasErik because I’d yet to hear a deermaking a crunching noise. Deadahead of me I caught a glimpse ofmovement.That glimpse of movement was

Erik waving his brown hat to getmy attention. I saw it as a deer’stail waving across the white patchon the rump. His outstretchedfingers, encased in brown leathergloves looked like antlers. Iquietly stepped behind the sprucetree I had just come around andshed my pack. I extended mywalking stick that had a shootingsaddle on top, mounted my rifleand looked up the hill into thedarkness. I had the scope powerturned up too far, so I relaxed andlowered it to 3x. I looked back upthe hill, located what I thought wasa deer’s rump, looked a little rightand saw what looked like theantlers of a deer grazing. I couldclearly see the top hump of thedeer’s shoulder; I lowered halfway down, settled my breath andfired the shot.In an instant both of our lives

changed forever. Immediately afterthe recoil I couldn’t see anythingin my scope anymore and for amoment I felt that excitement of ashot well fired.That moment was short lived.

Erik cried out that I’d shot him. Ilooked left, because that’s where Ithought he was, and shouted thatI’d shot a deer. I honestly thoughthe was screwing with me until he

slid down the slope into a patch of light.I honestly don’t know what happenednext, but I do remember removing theround I’d automatically jacked into thechamber after the shot. I put the rifledown and quickly ran up the hill a fewsteps. At that moment I’m sure Erik andI were communicating, but I don’t recallwhat was said. I do know that the reliefof him talking to me brought me out ofthe panic. I quickly turned heel, realizingmy med kid was in my pack. I grabbed

it and headed up hill. In my earlier lifeas an EMT I’d treated three GSWs andonly one had survived.I cannot describe the relief I felt when

I arrived to see a relatively minor woundon Erik’s shoulder. Don’t get me wrong,a 30-06 to the top of the shoulder is amajor deal, but it wasn’t as major as I’dseen. I buried my shame and a flood ofother emotions and went into medicmode. I carry several appropriate GSWbandages in my kit and an Israeli


compression bandage did the job nicely. I can’t recall the order of our conver-

sation, but I know we talked about theseverity of the wound. One thing that I’llnever forget though, is Erik telling methat in no way would this ever affect ourfriendship. No kinder words were everuttered by a man to another man.Once bandaged, we made a plan to

head to the beach. I carried all the gearand Erik made his way on his own.

Unfortunately, even wounded, Erik is aspeedy dude. At one point I lost him andthat caused me more panic. Once againwe didn’t communicate well enough. Itall worked out as he was at the beachdigging into my emergency bag for theradio. Luck was on our side and the crewof the boat heard our calls.The boat crew was extremely profes-

sional and they began communicatingwith the U.S. Coast Guard for an

evacuation. Erik was evacuated to ahospital in Anchorage and was releasedthat night. I spent the night on the boat waiting

for our scheduled departure the nextmorning. I sat in my small room in thedark trying to reconcile what happened.Even after Erik described his hat andglove waving, I still could not see himin my mind. I still saw a deer and I stillsee a deer to this day.

I learned some valuable lessonsthat day. I had been a hypocrite byteaching people in my huntereducation classes to wear hunterorange in the field, yet I hadn’tbothered. Nor did I encourage myhunting partner to wear it. I chose to be lazy and leave the

weight of my binoculars behind. Iallowed myself to be swayed byothers to forget the value ofbinoculars in the field. Had I beenwearing them, I most likely wouldhave been able to identify my targetin the dark woods.I let my pride and competitive-

ness get in the way of my goodjudgment. I’ve always been acompetitive person. Hunting shouldnot be a competitive endeavor, butit’s pretty tough to watch everyoneelse harvest deer and not be able todo so yourself. The frustration ledme to see what I wanted to see. Iwas convinced I was seeing a deerand I was convinced I was takinga 100% for-sure shot. My brainwould not allow any other thoughtsinto my analysis. I have spent the months since

this incident trying to educatemyself on the tricks the humanmind can play when we desire tosee something so much that itbecomes reality to us; even whenthe image is completely wrong. Ihope to learn more and share thatwith others in the future. On November 18th, 2015 I

negligently shot one of my bestfriends and one of the finest humanbeings I know. I make no excuses.I made an error that I thought wouldnever happen to me, and that’sprecisely why it happened to me.n


O n November 18th, 2015, myhunting partner and dearfriend shot me in a terrible

case of mistaken identity. I’m going toshare what happened from my perspec-tive, along with our analysis of what wedid wrong, emphasis on “we.”Yes, he shot me, but we both made

mistakes, and this incident follows afairly common pattern with mishaps—itwas the result of a series of small errorsthat individually were not seriousenough to raise any red flags and alterour decision-making.We were on the last day of a four day

hunt and we’d seen few deer and shotonly one—a button buck. Over theprevious three days we spent too muchtime walking and talking together. Withthe deer rut in full swing we hadexpected the hunting to be far easier, sofor this last day we decided to separatemore and move slower. We were feeling

This photo was taken of Erik Burney the daybefore he was shot. “Except for the greenbandana, this is what I was wearing when Iwas shot.”


Our “motel” in the distance and our ride to and from the beach.

Never in a Million YearsBy Erik Burney

pressure to put some meat on theground. On this morning the sun cameinto view at 10:22am. I know because Istopped to take a picture as the suncrested the jagged horizon formed bya mountain range that runs alongMontague’s north-south spine. The daywas beautiful—clear, calm, and about25 degrees.After snapping a few pictures I

looked to see my partner 150 yardsaway to the east of me crossing an openpark on a northbound line to the southface of a steep, flat-topped hill coveredin mature timber. I was at the westernedge of the same park and began climb-ing northwest towards an open saddleabout 400 yards away. After glassingfrom the saddle, I turned east towardsthe top of the hill. I was heading up theeast face of the hill as my partner

headed up the south face. As I began myclimb we’d been out of sight of eachother for ten minutes or so. When I gotto the top I veered left and followed anarrow deer trail along the north rim ofthe hill. When I’d worked my way abouthalfway up, I turned south. The timberwas heavy enough that there was littleto no snow on the hilltop, just frozensphagnum moss covering everythingand it took only a couple of minutes topick my way across.Standing on the south rim facing the

sun I was struck by how pretty the scenewas. I dropped off the crest anddescended a few yards to get a betterangle for taking pictures. After snap-ping a couple photos I was interruptedby the sound of movement off to myright at my level. I slipped my phone inmy pocket and brought my binos up


I took this photo about three minutes before and ten feet uphill of the spot I wasstanding in when I was shot. My partner is behind me and downhill but he hasn’t seenme as the “deer” just yet. If your hunting partner was standing here wearing subduedclothing, would you recognize them as human?

trying to make out some part of a deer. Ilooked and looked but saw nothing so Imoved downhill a bit more to get abetter angle. Still nothing. Then, about a minute later I again

heard movement off to my right but thistime well downhill and again I scannedwith my binos. This time I found theface of my partner looking up at methrough a lane in the brush. He wasabout 60 yards west of me and another30 yards downslope. Seeing him Irelaxed and had the thought I’d makemy way down to him and we’d havelunch, but first I tried getting his atten-tion. I did not consider yelling outbecause I didn’t want to spook any deerthat might be playing cat and mousewith us on this hill so I waved at himand could see his facial expression well

enough to tell that he wasn’t recog-nizing me. Then I pulled my hat offso he could see my full face andwaved some more. My rifle slingbegan to slip off my shoulder and Istopped to adjust it. As I turned andwaved at him again, it happened. What I’m about to describe

happened in a fraction of a secondbut it seemed like slow motion—thiseffect is known as TemporalDistortion and it happens becauseyour brain records what your eyessee much faster than your conscious-ness can process it. I saw the muzzleflash followed by the air ripplingfrom sonic waves in front of thebullet. I felt the “fwizzzz” of thebullet passing over my left thumbjust as it hit me with a sharp, heavysmack. Lastly, I heard the boom ofthe shot. I was essentially lookingdown the barrel when the trigger waspulled and saw it all because I wasrelaxed and not anticipating it. Iwatched my friend shoot me andnever saw him shoulder his rifle orprepare to shoot. It never entered mymind that I could be confused with adeer. Never in a million years did I


Left: This is what a mere flesh wound froma 30 caliber hunting bullet looks like. Thedoctor told me that had it hit just an inchin any direction but up, I would have likelybled to death within two minutes. This isfive hours later in the emergency room.


It was an emotional moment for us both. Here we were, acouple of manly men, both with lots of experience in theAlaskan backcountry, suddenly dealing with a situationneither of us ever believed could happen to us.

ever think something like this wouldever happen to me, I was a conscien-tious hunter and part of that was beingchoosy about who I hunted with.I somehow stayed on my feet and in

a voice that was half yell, half terrifiedshriek cried out “Oh ****, ______ youjust shot me!” Without hesitation mypartner yelled back, “No I didn’t! I justshot a deer!” THIS IS IMPORTANT. Even as I

cried out that he shot me, my partnerwas convinced he’d been shooting at adeer. For a second he thought I wasplaying with him.I yelled back, “NO YOU DIDN’T!!

YOU SHOT ME!!” I slumped backagainst the steep hillside and into apatch of full sunlight. It was then that hefinally saw me for me. He reactedimmediately and raced up to me withhis medical kit. Fortunately, he hadonce been an EMT and had treatedgunshot wounds before. He had agunshot dressing in his pack and withinfive or six minutes of being shot mywound was dressed and the bleedingcontrolled. From this point I had to walkabout a mile back to the beach and ouremergency duffel stashed in the brushnear where we were dropped off. I dugthe marine radio out of the duffel, hailedthe boat, and set in motion my eventualhelicopter ride to the emergency room.It was an emotional moment for us

both. Here we were, a couple of manlymen, both with lots of experience in theAlaskan backcountry, suddenly dealingwith a situation neither of us everbelieved could happen to us. But it did,and here’s why:

#1. Hunter OrangeI wasn’t wearing anything bright. My

green and brown clothing contributed tothe optical illusion that turned me into adeer. Hunter orange is not required inAlaska but it’s a good idea, especially in

the dark woods. If I’d been wearinghunter orange I probably wouldn’t havebeen shot.

#2. CommunicationAt the moment he pulled the trigger

my partner thought I was 400-500 yardsoff to his left. If we would’ve met todiscuss our intended plans prior to leav-ing each other’s sight my partner wouldhave known I was on the hill above himand I probably wouldn’t have been shot.

#3. BinocularsLong considered an essential piece of

gear, binoculars allow you to distin-guish what’s actually there from whatyou think is there. How many timeshave you seen an animal in the distanceonly to have your binos reveal a stump,or a bush, or a rock? We were only 70yards apart—if my partner hadn’t lefthis binoculars behind that morning Iprobably wouldn’t have been shot.

#4. Pressure to SucceedThis is a contributor to many mishaps,

not just hunting-related and we men areespecially vulnerable. It was the last dayof a fairly expensive “meat” hunt, andbetween us we had only shot one smalldeer. We both felt pressure to kill at leastone deer each and that narrowed mypartner’s focus and inhibited his abilityto see what was actually there instead ofwhat he wanted to see. Had my partnernot felt pressured to hurry up and putmeat on the ground I probably wouldn’thave been shot.

#5. Failure to Verify the TargetYou might be wondering why this

isn’t number one since it is the ultimatesafety check. If he’d verified his target Iabsolutely wouldn’t have been shot…except that he did verify his target. Hewas convinced, beyond a shadow of adoubt, I was a deer and so he shot with

confidence. That he was wrong isanother issue. This was not a case ofshooting at movement or some othergross negligence. My partner lookedat me through a riflescope for about30 seconds before shooting. He neversaw me for me and if any of theabove-mentioned things had beendone he probably would have seenme and I wouldn’t have been shot.The man who shot me remains my

good friend. He is careful and consci-entious and yet, despite that and allhis years in the woods and on therange, he made a terrible mistakebecause his mind played a trick onhim. Between the thick woods, mydull clothing, the angle of the hill, andthe way the light struck the scene hewas convinced he was looking at adeer. All of the cues he was relying ontold him what he saw had to be a deer.When I took off my hat to expose mypale face he saw a deer’s white rump,and when I waved at him withoutstretched fingers he saw antlers.The bottom line, and the thing I

want you to take away from this, is ifmy friend could make this mistake socould you.n


Please Remember the IHEA-USA When Writing Your WillAs you know, the International Hunter

Education Association – United Statesof America has a commitment to preservingand protecting our right to hunt as well asour hunting heritage. By providing for theIHEA-USA in your will or trust you willhelp to ensure that future generations willget to experience the same kind ofoutdoor experiences that you hold sodearly. Please read this testimonial:"The mission of the International

Hunter Education Association – UnitedStates of America is so pure that forthose of us that hunt and believe ineducation first and legislation last, Ipersonally have included in my Last Willand Testament 1/2 of my estate beawarded to the IHEA-USA. Hunting forme has been one of life's great disciplinesand made me a better person in so manyways. Having an understanding of ourconnection with the land, how we both

collectively and individually influence ournatural resources and the opportunity toactively participate in the management ofthose resources is key to the future ofour hunting heritage."

–Tim Lawhern

You can set aside:• A specific dollar amount • A percentage of your estate's value • All or part of the remainder of your

estate in your will or trust • All or part of the proceeds of a Life

Insurance policy or Retirement PlanAll donations received from this program

will be deposited into our PlannedGiving Endowment and will be utilized forlong-term funding of the organization.The interest earned from this Endowmentwill be used for general operations for theIHEA-USA.

We urge you to consult your attorney in

preparing your will or trust and hope thatthe following language will be helpful inproviding a bequest to IHEA-USA:"I give, devise and bequeath___% of

what remains of my estate (or $_______)to the International Hunter EducationAssociation – United States of America(Tax ID # 37-1145157), a charitablecorporation presently having offices at800 East 73rd Avenue, Unit 2, Denver,CO 80229"

IHEA-USA is a non-profit 501(c)3corporation organized and existing underthe laws of the State of Colorado.

Bequests of any size are gratefullyaccepted and sincerely appreciated.However, while IHEA-USA can accept giftsof land, we are not in a position to holdproperty for any reason. Any land givenoutright or bequeathed to IHEA-USA willbe immediately sold. The proceeds ofwhich will be used to fund our programs.


T here has been a lot written aboutHunter Safety and safe gunhandling over the years. In the

last decade, with frequent attacks on our2nd Amendment rights and anti-huntinggroups steadily growing in our society,Hunter Education has become a main-stay. Not only does Hunter Educationhelp in these battles against our 2ndAmendment rights and our sport, it alsoprotects us as hunters when we practiceit afield. With that said, HunterEducation focuses on all aspects of safegun handling in the field while hunting.Most of it is while you are out in thefield with friends, family, or you as asole hunter. Most of what we teachfocuses on before we take a shot orwhile we are in the process of taking ashot at our intended quarry. What Iwould like to discuss here is whathappens after we take the shot.After we have identified our target

and what is beyond, taken aim with ourgun or bow and either pulled the triggeror let the arrow fly, is when we ashunters are in a most vulnerable state.

Why, you might ask? Have you everseen anyone with buck fever? You havejust seen the game animal that you havebeen hunting. Your excitement builds,and then comes the adrenalin dump andfinally you pull the trigger. Your game isdown! The excitement of that momentcan be overwhelming for some. If youare a hunter, this moment and that feel-

ing is one of the reasons we hunt. It’s agood thing!Let’s say you have just taken the buck

of your life. He is definitely down. Youare 20 feet up a tree in some kind of treestand. Your adrenalin is pumping; youare shaking all over from the excite-ment. Your first thought is, I have to getdown and see this buck up close, I can’t

believe I bagged him! This is one ofthese moments we have dreamedabout. This, my fellow hunters, is thetime we need to slow down and takea few deep breaths and calm down.Why? Because with all this excite-ment, you’re in the perfect state ofmind to make a gun handling or treestand safety mistake and turn theperfect hunt into the perfect disaster.Over the years we have investi-

gated several of these hunting inci-dent/accidents that occurred after theshot. In this incident, the hunter shotat a deer from a climbing tree standwith a .30-06-bolt action rifle. Thedeer ran off after the shot but thehunter was sure he had hit it. In hisexcitement after the shot, he cham-bered another round and forgot toput the safety of the firearm in thesafe position. To add to this problem,he then decided to get down and lookfor the deer. Resting the muzzle of

Lessons Learned, After the ShotBy Sgt. Keith Byers, GA DNR, retired

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the firearm on his boot, he took his haulline and ran it in front of the trigger. Hethen pulled up on the haul line to lift the

firearm, which put pres-sure on the trigger, there-fore firing the gun andsending a .30-06 roundthrough his foot. As a hunter, when you

are out in the woods andfields of our great world,you want to practice huntersafety always. It is myopinion that we are often atour most vulnerable condi-tion after we take the shot.That brief, exciting timefilled with adrenaline, iswhen we are most likely touse bad judgment or justforget the rules of HunterEducation. This is the timewe need to recognize thiscondition and savor it forwhat it is. It is also a timeto step back, slow down,take a few deep breaths,

clear our heads, and settle down beforewe take any further action. Alwaysremember: Safety First and Always!

“Lesson’s Learned” is a regularfeature from the retired wildlife officersupervisors at Hunting and ShootingRelated Consultants LLC. They are alsoauthors of BLOOD on the LEAVESReal Hunting Accidents And Lessons inHunter Safety.n

Lessons Learned: - All the rules of safefirearms handling applybefore, during and afterthe shot is fired

- Always keep the muzzlepointed in a safe direction

- Always unload your firearmbefore going into or out ofyour tree stand

- Never secure your haul lineto the trigger guard

S ocial media is lighting up withdebates about a host of topicsthat seemingly just keep coming.

Whether it’s how far of a shot is too far,hunters getting death threats for postinghunting photos on their Facebookpages, or hunting behind a high fence isnot hunting, to shooting feral hogs withan AR from a helicopter and calling ithunting, or good idea or bad idea to puta GoPro on a spear, spear a black bear andpost the footage on the Internet. How wehunt, or how someone else hunts mustmatter. The truth is, it should matter.We’re hunting today, not solely

because of sportsmen’s efforts to restoregame populations from dismal to robust,but because in a democratic societyhunting is still supported by the majorityof citizens. It is true that when earlyconservation leaders like Theodore

Roosevelt and the organiza-tion he formed, the Booneand Crockett Club, began tonationalize the concept ofconservation, there wasresistance. It was counter-intuitive to say that the bestway to save what was left ofdwindling wildlife popula-tions was to continue doingwhat was leading to theirnear extinction, but that’sexactly what Roosevelt andthe club did say. Publichunting should continue,but in a sustainable mannerconducted under a frame-work of laws, a code ofconduct and an approach that supportedan overall conservation ethic.All significant human activities are

sooner or later conducted under a code,or set of guidelines, that direct appropri-ate behavior. Without this order there

How MattersWho wants to talk about hunting ethics andfair chase? Evidently, a lot of sportsmen do.

Theodore Roosevelt, founder of the Boone and CrockettClub, helped to popularize the concept of fair chase byrefusing to shoot a defenseless black bear while on ahunt in Mississippi in 1902. The result was this nation-ally-released cartoon, the birth of the Teddy’s Bear, and astandard of ethical conduct in the field sportsmen havefollowed since.

By Keith Balfourd,Boone & Crockett Club

would simply be chaos and the activitywould become unacceptable to bothparticipants and non-participants.Consequently, ethics apply in everythingwe do, including hunting. Our gamelaws direct ethical behavior in manycases, but just because something islegal, does that mean it is ethical, orgood for the public image of huntersand hunting? Beyond the laws estab-lished by society, ethics are a matter ofpersonal choice left to each individual.Personal ethics are just that, personal,but individual actions—good and bad—represent the entire group. This is thesticky part when talking ethics.Because of the personal nature of

ethics, they can be a divisive topic.Some would say talking ethics onlydivides hunters. Others say ethics uniteslike-minded hunters under a commonbanner. Then there’s fair chase.The ethics of fair chase are not as

clearly defined as people would likethem to be. Beliefs about what is andwhat is not fair chase, like all personalvalues, fall on a continuum. Fair chase

is more a matter of the “spirit of thehunt” than a strict written code. Huntingbeliefs and practices may change overtime, but the process of analyzing a situ-ation and properly evaluating theoptions that will lead to a well-reasoneddetermination of what fair chase is (andis not) stays constant. An understanding of fair chase is

complicated further by the fact that “fair”has many meanings and uses in theEnglish language, i.e., fair ball, fairweather, fair skin, fair chance, fair play.When the word “fair” is paired with“chase,” it implies hunting is fair orequal—the literal meaning of fair.Hunting is not fair. It is not a field sportlike baseball or football where theparticipants agree to the rules ofengagement beforehand. In hunting, theprey has not agreed to anything, nordoes it have an equal chance in mostcases to kill the human hunter. For mostspecies, escape is the only option.Therefore, the meaning of fair chase isbased on the definition of “fair” thatrelates to legitimate, honorable, genuine,

or appropriate in the circumstances. Tocomplicate matters further, fair chase isassociated with the notion of “sporthunting” in the eyes of many huntersand non-hunters even though it does notresemble any sport played on a field orcourt. The term “sport” in hunting meansonly a sporting approach. That approachrecognizes the advantage of humancapabilities, including technologies, andrepresents a desire to constrain so as togive the animals pursued a legitimatechance to escape. It also recognizes thathumans are the alpha predator and thereis a need to limit our advantage, whichis one of the underpinnings of sustain-able use conservation. There is no denying the fact that what

was once unacceptable is now increas-ingly becoming acceptable. Will therebe a price to pay for the end justifies themeans? Will hunting’s public approvalrating be affected? Are we turninganti-hunting into anti-hunter, or has thisalways been the case? It’s a goodconversation to have, and one we mustnot be afraid to have.n


W e started our series onEthical Hunting in theSpring issue of the IHEA

Journal. In summary, we conclude thatethical behavior is the foundation forsafe, responsible hunting—indeed, forparticipating in any shooting sport. Weall want our students to be ethicalparticipants in hunting and shootingsports; to be safe, not to hurt others andto present themselves in a positive way. In Part I we covered Using Dialogue.

It is through dialogue and questioningthat the instructor explores a subjectin-depth and evokes an analysis deeperthan what would develop by merelystating rules. Dialogue elicits thought,

which is foundational to ethical decision-making the field. We also covered Focusing on the

Facts. Fact-finding is important becausefacts lead to the truth, but truth is not anend in itself. We explained that factsshould be collected and interpretedwithin a moral framework, conclusionsshould be made based on those factsand actions should be taken based onthose conclusions.In the Summer issue of this article

(Part II), we took it a couple of stepsfurther and covered Why Something is“Good,” which covered you, as aninstructor, explaining why an act is or isnot ethical. We addressed the Sanctity

of Life, which means that hunting mustbe done in a way that honors the dignityof the animal and eliminates or reducessuffering.We also addressed that Doing Good

is Not Easy. A quick review of this tellsus that it is easier to be ethical on thefirst day of a hunt than on the last day ofan unsuccessful hunt. Human naturetends to compel us to cut corners, totake the easy or expedient way. Ethicalhunting requires not only mastery of thefacts but also self-discipline, self-controland introspection.This final, and hopefully meaningful

concept to you as an instructoraddresses our fifth and final point:

BEYOND THE HUNT—A Summary of Tips forTalking About Ethical Hunting The final in a three-part series from the Spring and Summer issues of IHEA JournalBy Michael G. Sabbeth


5. Link Actions to PersonalCharacter and VirtueIt is a shallow and dismal life to take

the easy or unethical way. Instructorsshould inspire students toward virtuousbehavior and one of the best ways to dothat is to demonstrate the relationshipbetween specific actions and largerethical themes such as personal honor,self-respect and moral integrity. Show your students how actions illu-

minate their moral character. Link anaction (not taking the shot, picking upthe empty hulls) to character and honor.Show how virtuous behavior leads todeveloping a moral conscience and tothat unique joy derived from self-worthand self-respect. The unethical huntermay not only wound a deer. The uneth-ical hunter wounds himself.The instructor or parent should have

a dialogue about the entire huntingexperience; the sunsets as well as theharvested animal. Mark Cousins, HunterEducation Coordinator, ColoradoDivision of Wildlife, wrote, “This iswhat I think is often lost in today’s

instant society, everything is hurried andnot enough time is taken to enjoy all theaspects of the hunting trip.” A dimension of that time for enjoy-

ment includes talking about the ethics ofthe hunt. Don’t worry if you think youcannot cover every ethical aspect. Donot be deterred even if you think yourverbal skills lie somewhere between theRain Man and a silent movie. Thestudents want you to help them becomestronger people. They want to knowright from wrong. The lessons you teachabout ethical hunting will permeate likequicksilver into all facets of their lives.It all begins with a dialogue and askingsimply, “What do you think?”n

Michael Sabbeth is a lawyer inDenver, Colorado. He lectures on ethicsand rhetoric to law associations andcivic and business groups. He is theauthor of the newly-published book,The Good, The Bad & The Difference:How to Talk with Children AboutValues. To learn more, visit his websiteat www.kidsethicsbook.com

Send Us Your Stories!One of the main goals of the Journal is

to provide a platform for the exchangeof ideas and teaching experience that canhelp improve the education process of themore than 700,000 new hunters annually.In order to fulfill that goal we

need the input of instructors in thefield. Please submit your stories and/orphotos about teaching techniques thatwork for you, thoughts about the state ofour hunting heritage today, anecdotalstories about “it happened to me” in class,visual training aids, etc... don’t worry aboutspelling or grammar.Every submission that is chosen for

print receives a gift from supportingmanufacturers.

Send your submission to Susie Kieferat [email protected].

No computer? You can mail your submis-sion to: IHEA-USA Journal, PO Box 432,Wellington, CO 80549.

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New ProductsLansky QuadSharp Knife Sharpener

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1998, and has always been considered aleader in the Hearing Protectionmarket. Continuing to innovate,their Pro 200 electronic earmuffs were recently updatedwith a more modern look andmore attractive price. Charles Ricci, Executive Vice

President, Altus Brands, LLC(which owns Pro Ears)commented, “This has alwaysbeen a real nice entry-level hear-ing protector; super compact,dual circuit boards for realpersonalization, our uniqueDLCS™ compression technology, verycomfortable and a robust spring formsteel headband for added durability.They are ideal for outdoor shooters—

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A knife is an essential tool forhunters and, as everyoneknows, a sharp knife is safer

than a dull knife. A dull blade makes youwork harder and more prone to exertingtoo much force, which can cause adangerous, misdirected cut. With a sharpblade, you can easily make clean cuts,where you want them.

Lansky Sharpeners, a leader in inno-vative sharpening technology, has addedthe new QuadSharp to their ever-expanding line of quality products so

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the legendary Lansky Controlled-Angle System, one of the mostpopular sharpening kits on themarket today in many hunters’homes and workshops.With the QuadSharp, designed

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H unter Education instructorsmake immeasurable contribu-tions, volunteering their time,

energy and resources to promote safeand ethical hunting and, by recruitingand mentoring thousands of students,assuring our hunting traditions arepassed to future generations.In recognition of outstanding efforts

among the thousands of dedicatedHunter Education instructors, Gallery ofGuns is proud to annually recognize andreward six instructors who have goneabove and beyond, instructors nomi-nated from among the legion of dedi-cated instructors making such adifference in so many lives.In this issue, we highlight three

Gallery of Guns Champions of HunterEducation winners. Watch for our nextissue in which we announce three moredeserving award winners.

Christopher Collins Boise, Idaho“Christopher Collins embodies what

it means to be a hunter educationinstructor and role model to both youthand beginning hunters,” explainedIdaho Southwest Region VolunteerServices Coordinator Jaime Creson innominating Christopher for the award.An instructor since 2013, Christopher

has taken the lead on 33 courses, aver-aging 11 courses per year, and assistedsix others, certifying 689 students. For his outstanding contributions, he

received in 2013 the Jack Edwards

Rookie of the Year award, a prestigiousaward unique to the Idaho Fish andGame’s southwest region and in 2016received the program’s highest honor,the Commissioner’s Continuing theHunting Heritage award. To qualify,recipients must reach the 3,500-pointlevel, a level that takes most instructorsat least 15 years to reach. Christopherachieved it in three years.Christopher participates in most

IHEA-sponsored youth hunts, mentor-ing students and sharing his knowledgeduring their first hunt. He is currentlyworking on classroom training videosthat will be linked to the IHEA websiteto help instructors. Christopher is alsoproducing a video to advertise IHEA atnew instructor orientations.“Christopher always goes above and

beyond volunteering for every project,”Creson said. For example, Christopherand his wife, Crystal, videotaped twomentored hunts, then gave each partici-pant a keepsake video of their hunt.On a more personal level, Christopher

stepped up when a young hunter educa-tion graduate lost his father and grand-father, leaving him with no one to teachhim hunting skills. Christopher invitedthe boy and his mother to his home todiscuss firearm safety and huntingskills; then accompanied the boy on acoyote hunt—and has made plans for ahunt this fall.Christopher got his start in hunter

education as a scoutmaster, earning hisNRA certification so his scouts couldearn shooting merit badges. But heknew there was more he could do. Itbugged him when he saw unethicalpeople taking kids hunting, startingthem on the wrong foot. “I wanted to tryand make a difference,” he said.“If we’re not ethical, we’re not going

to have hunting much longer,” he said.“I want to make sure this way of life cancontinue and I can pass it to my kids andwhoever wants to hunt.”Christopher said he’s learned to

balance hunter education with his careerand family life. He’s a senior businessanalyst at Micron Technologies work-ing on mobile applications to allowemployees to work from their phones. “My wife is very, very patient with

me,” he said. “If she didn’t understandhow passionate I was about this, howmuch I enjoy teaching it, she wouldn’tlet me do it.” He said Crystal is involvedtoo, often accompanying him on youthhunts. “And I take my son, Caden, outwith me as well, starting when he wasthree,” he said. “He’s five now, and it’sbuilding that passion in him already andwhen he is 12 he is going to be a youthinstructor with me.”“With my career, I just have to walk a

fine line between my late-night meet-ings and my classes,” he said. “It’stough,” he said, “but if you really wantto do something you can fit in in yourschedule.”Christopher wants his students to

learn more than basic safety rules. Hewants them to have an interest in hunt-ing and “most importantly, I want themto have an understanding of what ittakes to be an ethical hunter,” he said.“That will have such a huge role in uskeeping our hunting heritage alive.”

Pam JacksonOxford, Alabama“I cannot think of anyone who has put

more time, heart, and soul into keepingour youth and adult first-time hunterssafe in the woods,” said Alabama

Champions ofHunter Education

In recognition of their outstandingefforts, each of these winning huntereducation instructors will receive oneRossi R92-57001 R92 45LC CarbineLever Action Rifle.


Hunter Education Administrator MarisaFutral about Pam Jackson. “Pam givesof herself without a second thought andnever complains about any expense shemay incure while doing it. Pam isalways the first to arrive and the last toleave, ensuring that all of our events aresuccessful from start to finish.”For 26 years, Pam has donated count-

less hours to teaching hunter educationto her community and throughout thestate, Futral said. A charter member ofAlabama’s hunter education associa-tion, Pam has served as the board’ssecretary/treasurer for seven years.Pam’s enthusiasm for teaching knows

no bounds. She has helped with NRA’sYouth Hunter Education Program, theAlabama Cooperative ExtensionSystem’s 4-H shooting sports programand Alabama’s Step-Outside events.And, for the past 14 years she hasvolunteered at Alabama’s biannualBecoming an Outdoorswoman programwhere she teaches “Beyond Band-Aids,”drawing on her knowledge and experi-ence as a registered nurse to teach basicfirst-aid and survivial skills.“Prevention is my key thing,” Pam

said. “Be prepared and don’t panic,that’s two of the things we teach upfront. We can prevent problems bybeing prepared.”Pam is able to combine three loves

into hunter education instruction: herlove of family, nursing and hunting.She and her husband, Jerry, received

their hunter education instructor certifi-cation together in 1990. Her son likeshunting and often accompanied her asshe taught classes. Their daughter hasn’tcaught the hunting bug. For the past fiveyears Pam and Jerry have hosted youthhunts on their property. “That is a hugejoy to us,” she said. “I’ve had the oppor-tunity of being with several of them asthey got their first deer. Very exciting.”Pam is an acute-care nurse practitioner

and also teaches nursing at a communitycollege.Many times she has taught first-aid

and safety aspects of hunter education.“One of the big things my husband and Idid was use videos and slides to encour-age safety with guns and in treestands,”she said. “We gave them the option tolook at them or not because some were

pretty gross, but realistic. We try to instillin people that once you pull the trigger,you can’t take it back. You have to besure of your target and beyond.”Her Becoming an Outdoorswoman

course is popular. “A lot of them don’thave any idea the kind of things youmight see or encounter when you are inan outdoor setting, even just hiking,”she said.Hunter education provides similar

opportunities. “There are a lot of chil-dren now who have only their momtaking care of them and many of thosemoms don’t know the first thing abouthunting or safety,” she said. “A lot oftimes if children are interested themoms will come so we get to teach bothof them and help them have a safe andhopefully successful hunt. But even ifthey’re not successful as far as taking adeer, it is successful in that nobody getshurt and they’ve enjoyed being in theoutdoors.“I really don’t want to see anybody

have an accident in the field and that iswhat hunter education is about. Somany folks don’t think it can happen tothem so we try hard to make sure theyunderstand it can happen to anyone.”

Nathan Pettigrew Odessa, TexasAs skilled and dedicated as he has

been as a hunter education instructors formore than ten years, Nathan Pettigrew’scontribution has had far-reaching effectsbeyond the Hunter Education classroom,according to Texas Hunter EducationAdministrator Steve Hall.In addition to certifying more than

1,300 students, Pettigrew serves on theTexas Hunter Education Instructor’sAssociation board of directors; has


attended 22 conservation and ethics-related workshops; has served as abowhunter education instructor since2007 and, since 2015, as HunterEducation area chief, certifying not onlyhunter education students but alsorecruiting and training new instruc-tors—as well as monitoring instructorsin his area and assisting them in theclassroom and field.“Nathan has crossed the classroom/

outdoors barrier,” Hall said, by introduc-ing photography hunts in cooperationwith the Texas Youth Hunting Program(TYHP), a non-profit organizationdedicated to introducing hunting andproviding hunting opportunities foryouths. Nathan serves as regional coordi-nator of TYHP, assisting other volunteer“huntmasters,” providing guidance andequipment.“The youth hunts hold a special place

in Nathan’s heart,” Hall said. “Not onlydoes he see the kids on a daily basis inthe classroom, but Nathan also seesthem after school at House of theSycamore Tree.” Nathan and his wife,Micah, founded House of the SycamoreTree in 2013 as a place where troubled

youths and adults learn useful skills tohelp them cope. House at the SycamoreTree is described as “the best place in thePermian Basin that offers individualswith disabilities and at-risk (challenged)youth a place to live life,” Hall said.“Nathan “exemplifies what we

should aspire to be as individuals,” hesaid. “Nathan’s ethos is to serve. Hedoes so without question or asking forrecognition.”Nathan’s start in hunter education

came when he was a high-school agteacher. “I wanted my kids to experi-ence the outdoors so I talked to myadministration and got approval to teachhunter education in class,” he said.From there, the classes broadened,reaching into the local college.“The outdoors has been important to

me my entire life,” he said. “Since I wasfive years old I’ve spent every day ofmy life out there, every day I can. If I’mnot actually in the field, I’m thinkingabout the field. It’s a heritage. It’s every-thing we learn about ethics and what’sright and wrong, and integrity.“It’s characteristics that youth need

that they don’t get today; that they can

get by learning to appreciate theoutdoors, so I wanted to pass it on.”Nathan is now a biology instructor in

an alternative education center for at-risk high-school students. His wife,Micah, is a special-needs teacher. “Sowe combined both our crafts” andopened the non-profit House of theSycamore Tree.This year, with a grant he received, he

plans to implement a TYHP photogra-phy hunting class for at-risk students,combining hunter education, outdoorsand photography.He also takes special-needs kids

hunting on his personal lease and a lot ofweekends are spent on TYHP programs.“Every bit of my life revolves aroundhunting and being in the field and everybit of my life revolves around huntereducation,” he said. “The most important thing they can

learn, in addition to safety, is ethics,” hesaid. “I’m a strong believer in what weteach in Hunter Education, that there isno referee. You have to do what is righteven when no one is looking. You haveto be the one controlling the ethics anddoing what is right.”n

History of IHEA– First Hunter Education CoordinatorMeeting held in 1967.

– Steering committee was formedin 1971.

– North American Association ofHunter Safety Coordinators wasformed in 1972.

– Renamed to International HunterEducation Association (IHEA)in 1989.

– IHEA restructures into independentnational organizations (IHEA-USA,IHEA Canada and IHEA Mexico)in 2012.

– IHEA charter organization wasformed in 2016.

IHEA Purpose– Provide collaborative platformfor international entities of IHEA,the hunting industry and hunting-related NGOs

– Identify needs/opportunities; provideinput/influence

– Build consensus for standards andreciprocity

– Provide legitimacy and support tocountries

– Messaging related to value of huntingand role of hunting in conservation.n

IHEA World Charter signing meeting attendees (left to right): Edgar Wentzel, IHEA-Mexico,Megan Wisecup, IHEA-USA President, Shawna Bellavance-Aufner, IHEA-Canada, CarlArnold, South Africa Hunters & Game Conservation Association

IHEA World Charter Organization is Formed

10% DISCOUNT TO ACTIVE HUNTER ED INSTRUCTORS!

B ut did you know that the NationalShooting Sports Foundation(NSSF) has a variety of resources

hunters can use year round whether it’swhitetail deer, jack rabbits, pheasants orcoyotes you’re after?NSSF is the trade association for the

firearms industry, meaning its primarywork involves serving the interests ofits manufacturing, retailing and rangemembers and finding ways to improvetheir businesses. Of course, those

businesses wouldn’t be without millionsof hunters and recreational shooters outthere using their products and services,and so NSSF also works to serve thepublic. Let’s take a look at just a fewof the resources you can find onwww.nssf.org under the “Hunting” tabthat are specifically intended to improveyour time in the field.Find a Place to Hunt—This link allows

you to search more than 1,000 birdhunting preserves, research available

state hunting lands through state wildlifeagency links and federal land wherehunting is allowed through the U.S. Fish& Wildlife Service’s link.Find an Outfitter—Ready to take on a

new hunting adventure but not surewhere to start? Seek out a reputableexpert for your next hunting challengethrough links to the governing guideassociations for dozens of U.S. statesand Canadian territories.Game Recipes—“From field to table” is

By Jennifer L.S. Pearsall, NSSF Director, Public Relations

NSSF Notes

NSSF Has Resources for Hunters

With hunting seasons in full swing for big game, upland game, waterfowl andmany small game and varmint species, we know that many of you reading thismagazine are spending every available hour afield, filling tags and freezers andmaking memories.



the mantra of almost any hunter.Discover all sorts of delicious ways touse the meat you worked so hard to putin your freezer.Share Your Harvest—If you’ve had an

exceptional hunting season and find your

freezer overflowing, then donatinghealthy, fresh game meat to local chari-ties makes tremendous sense. Yourhard work and the animal don’t go towaste, and you get a chance to make adifference in the life of someone who’s

struggling. This link has a greattable showing the impact huntershave when they donate their gamemeat to charitable food banks, andyou’ll find a link that let’s yousearch for donation sites near you.There’s much, much more. Just

under the “Hunting” tab ofwww.nssf.org alone you’ll find alibrary of videos on subjects suchas getting your bird dog ready forthe season, winghsooting safetyand how to prep for your first elkhunt, among others. We also have alink that lets you print your owntargets, great for making sure thatrifle’s sighted correctly or getting

some extra practice in before you headto your tree stand, and there’s a terrificlink that lets you send a personalizedemail postcard invitation to a friendasking them to join you on a hunt. Let’s not forget about safety—In fact,

let’s make that your first priority everytime you pick up your firearm to prac-tice, go hunting with it, clean it, put itaway for safe storage or even just pickit up to admire it. The “How to GetStarted” link under that same “Hunting”tab has loads of safety information,including a full list of firearms handlingsafety rules and links to finding a huntereducation course near you. Whenyou’re done there, click on the big“Safety” tab back at the top ofwww.nssf.org. There you’ll find alibrary of firearms safety videos, linksto finding safety courses, downloadableliterature on firearms safety and wildfireprevention (which should be part of anysafe hunter’s knowledge bank whenusing firearms outdoors), a full catalogof safety materials teachers can accessand information on NSSF’s ProjectChildSafe and “Own it? Respect it.Secure it.” nationwide firearms safetycampaigns. No matter what game you pursue this

season, NSSF wishes you the best ofluck. Enjoy this special time afield,whether it’s time by yourself in anevening deer blind or pushing thepheasant fields with a dozen friends andfamily members, but above all else besafe in what you do—because safe iswhat makes these great times greatmemories.n

StayTightSling AddsSafety, Hands-FreeCarry for Hunters

S tayTightSling provides animportant measure of safety—and convenience—when carrying

a firearm on your shoulder by a sling.Hunters have long struggled with

keeping a slinged firearm on theirshoulder, and often resort to holding thesling in place with one hand or the other.StayTightSling solves that problem andallows you to keep both hands free forclimbing, stalking, carrying other items,using binoculars or any other task.Controlling your firearm and assuring

it is pointed in a safe direction is animportant aspect of hunting andStayTightSling adds to that control factor,assuring your firearm doesn’t slip offyour shoulder and cause a safety hazard.StayTightSling attaches to your sling,

wraps around your torso and reattachesto the sling to provide safe and hands-

free carrying. A quick-releasesnap allows you to quicklydeploy your firearm when theneed arises.StayTightSling will also fit

any type of shoulder-strapdevice, such as golf bags, beachbags, briefcases, laptop cases orany other shoulder-strappeddevice you want kept in placewith the ease of hands-freecarry. Also, it adjusts for acomfortable fit on virtually anysize person.Attachment is easy. You

simply attach the metal clip toyour sling, remove the slingfrom the firearm and slide thereceiver half of the buckle ontothe sling about 12 inches belowthe swivel, then reattach yoursling to the rifle. Then, yousimply cinch it tight around your torso.It can be quickly changed from one

carry item to another in just a coupleminutes so you can use it on multipleitems.

The StayTightSling comes with a one-year manufacturer’s defect warranty.Available at StayTightSling.com. Thereis a $10 discount to Instructors using thecode “IHEA.”n

Instructor Discount Corner

Hunter Education Instructors have the opportunity to purchase many items at a discounted rate on the "Special Offers" section of the IHEA-USA website! Foryour exclusive access go to: www.ihea-usa.com/instructors/special-offers-for-instructors. Just click on the company hyperlink you are interested in and,when prompted, enter "gohunt" as your password. The password has no space and is all lowercase.

Instructor Access for IHEA-USA WebsiteFor more information go to: www.ihea-usa.com/instructors/special-offers-for-instructors


Documents

It Could Never Happen to Me, Never in a Million Years · Million Years Lessons Learned, After the Shot How Matters, Hunting Ethics and Fair Chase. ww w.IHEA-USA.org This issue made