Hunters Education Class and Muzzleloaders

[boondocker]

Hi all

I am a Pa Hunter ED Instructor (volunteer) and the club I belong two puts on 1 or 2 classes a year. There is 5 of us out of a 400 member club that do this which is friday sat. and sunday. At first I was volunteer to the insructors then I went and got certified with the PGC and background check. We have a real comprehensive course that covers all firearms including flints,bow and trapping. There is a lot of prep work and post work to a class as well as helping special needs students. It is very gratifieng helping young and older adults in our sport. We get volunteers ( club members) to help us with the class which is a great help and some of you should would really enjoy helping out so you should check with local clubs and see if you can help. Some might be wary in this PC correct (sue) world and thank you nicely and say they handle it. On sunday after grad. we have a private shoot with the pupils with supplied ear and eye protection free courtesy of the club. As Paul said some things get messed up but we try to catch it as we have a great group of instructors (volunteer) helping each other out. If it was easy everyone would want to do it. Ever wonder how you a get 100 people in the room to shut up, just mention volunteer and you can hear a pin drop. Boon

 

[paulvallandigham]

Yeah, Boon. Its get about as quiet, here, too. I have stopped telling people generally how long I have been " volunteering " to teach both hunter safety and boating safety. They really think I am nuts. ( or, at least, that seems to confirm their suspicions!) :blah:

 

[hawkchucker]

I teach the BP in Ma and we use the TC New Englanders for our range days. However we do allow others to bring thier own and some states only use what they have on hand. Those states usually used the confiscated rifles.

Unfortunatly most new BP hunters believe all the hype of the inlines and generally feel that they are way superior.

Good thing however is that it does open thier eyes to traditional ML by taking the classes.

Ill trade a Ma. BP patch for your state in interested?

 

[boondocker]

Hi Hawk

I we had a State BP Patch I would surely trade you. They just give us enough HTE patchs to cover the class. The only thing we get as instuctors is the monthly game news mag and they was talking about canceling that go figure. We do get a annual dinner to get the updates and awards and such but the budget cuts are there , next will probably be bologna sandwitchs and koolaid at a state park pavillion lol. Good huntin Boon :rotf:

 

[hawkchucker]

Yah we get the mag also. But also get a couple of things in the mail several times a year. If ya want the official Mass instructors pen let me know. They are really something. I guess the wegh 2 pounds. :haha:

Actually send me your addy in a PM and I will send ya out one of our patches.
\

 

When I took my daughter to the classes 8 years ago the only muzzeloader they had was an orginal flintlock that the instructor used every year for deerhunting.It had been in his family for generations.

 

[Keppy]

Good job.:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :hatsoff: :hatsoff:

 

[George Holton]

My two cents. I used to be invited to the local high school history classes and to the middle school to bring my hand made flinter and appear in period clothing. Now the schools in Michigan go ballistic if you even approach with a firearm of any kind. I sounded off to the administration{a Masoonic brother} about this. Nothing doing, I kind of miss it. The same guys run the hunter education around here and are very fair. Bob

 

[mp510]

When I took my hunter-ed course, a decade or a little more ago, in Vermont, muzzle loaders were briefly discussed in cleass, and discussed on par with conventional firearms in the course book. At the time, the Vermont course also had a practical demonstration, where you demonstrated that you could safely handle the weapon in the field. The weapon that I was assigned was a .45 ML of unknown make (it was a half-stock percussion side-lock). The first step was to show it was unloaded via the ram-rod method. Carrying it was on half cock. At various points, there was various animals (they used 3D archery targets) set up in the small wooded area, and at each one, we were quizzed on the safety/legality of taking a shot at each animal. The live fire portion however was on an indoor range, with bolt action .22LR rifle.

 

[paulvallandigham]

The federal law allows the administrator to give permission to people to bring guns on school grounds. Your state law may be a problem, but here in Illinois, which is about the most backward state in the country when it comes to gun laws, our law also gives the administrator authority to allow guns on the school grounds, for educational purposes. That allows rifle teams to continue, and for H-S courses to continue to be taught in and within 1000 feet of a school. You might look into your state laws on that, and then go back to the administrator. Its a shame that the kids can benefit from your willingness to volunteer to help them learn about their history. If the administrator does not change him mind, send a letter to the members of your school board, with acopy of the Michigan statutes that allow him to give permission to you to come on campus. I suspect they will be much more willing to take advantage of your kind offer.

 

[George Holton]

Hey I lived in Ill. too Peoria. I was head of their forestry section. Alooong time ago. These people are not going to give in, they know it all and I am too darn old to tolerate them and their airs. So since they know it all, let them figure how to educate those that don't care anyway. Have a happy Christmas in the land of Lincoln and by the way ,does the Prarie Marksman train still run? bob