Hunters safety.

[fast-eddie]

My two step kids are taking there hunters safety course righ now and I pay then extra $10 dollars to sit and retake it, I figure I may learn or relearn something.I havent taken it since I was Ten years old and I figure it would be easier for me to help them if I re-take the class as well. The instructor is your classic one-upper, give him a story or an instance and he always has to top it.

Yesterdays class he had the whole class loading and unloading everything from SA revolvers to leverguns, with dummy ammo. He also told everyone that the .22 mags that they were unloading were called clips, and that magazine is wrong


I think this is fine, but a three hour class of doing this seems like a little much. He claim it was to help with muzzle control, but his left something to be desired. The guy had two SA revolvers, one had a transfer bar and the other didn't. He had both cocked and pointed at himself (whch my step-son quickly pointed out ) showing them to each kid in the class. Then I looked back as he was showing the kid behind me and both were pointed at the small of my back. In a 3 hour class devoted to muzzle control this isn't a very good showing of the instructors awareness.

I decided not to say anything, because the bulk of the good practices that the kids learn will be learned from me and the people that we hunt with. I just want them to pass, the class and learn the basics of firearm safety.

My question is, would you have said somethng?

[DiscoRacing]

I probably would have inquired if he always points a barrel at a person.. especially himself.

[rantingredneck]

If the instructor has a supervisor. Report him.

It's not worth getting into a urinating contest with him right in the middle of the class, but you should report your observations to the person he reports to.

Not sure where you are located, but here in NC, we instructors are all volunteers. Each district has an education coordinator. That person is my boss when it comes to Hunter's Ed. If I screw up, he needs to know........

[langenc]

Turn em in for sure..

[Greg.B]

Yep, find his supervisor or coordinator and report it.

Here also, in Indiana, the instructors are volunteer. We're also not permitted to charge any fees for the class. Regardless of that, if I were messing up in class, I'd want someone to speak up, and if it was a kiddo that noticed it, they'd get extra credit from me We're there to teach the kids GOOD habits, not bad. However, not knowing what type of a person he is, it's probably better to not speak up directly to him and just go to the coordinator.

[gunnails]

I think it's cool you retook the class wth your kids, always good to bond.

And at the same time you are showing them that safety is so important that you are willing to take the class again just perchance you learn something, good example of a good Dad .

[fast-eddie]

I'll try and see who his supervisor is.

The kids to like it so far, they already want to go moose hunting.LOL. I told them I'm going to have to warm them up to some bigger rifles than the break open .22, but my stepson keeps telling me that all it takes is one shot to the head.LOL.

[bswiv]

I might be a little off on this but in many places, and I think FL is one too, the Hunter Safety instructors are unpaid volunteers. If that's the case it might be worth the time to call the supervisor and complain in a "constructive" way if possible.

If most of what he did kept the kids intrest then focus only on the dummy part. Got to consider the posibility that his replacement might be WORSE.

And yes the whole idea of having a gun handled in the way you describe makes me nervious too...........

[Art Eatman]

I'd have made an opportunity to speak privately--and politely--with the instructor as to the safety issue. "Praise in public, remonstrate in private." I wouldn't likely go higher up the chain of command unless the instructor was arrogant against any reproof.

[Daryl]

I took a HSC back in '79, and had to re-take it to get the permanent bonus point for the big game drawings that Arizona offers.

I lost the book after the first class, and was the only person in the class to ace the test at the end.

I got a real kick out of the instructor when he did a demo at the range. He set a grapefruit up at 15 yards to show how much damage a 30-06 would do to it, and then missed it three times in a row before he finally hit it. I'm pretty sure he was thinking his rifle would hit high at such a close distance, so aimed low. That, combined with the fact that a scoped rifle actually shoots low at that range if sighted properly caused him to undershoot the grapefruit. There was three holes through the box it was sitting on.

As prone to mistakes as some of these instructors may be, they perform a valuable service to the hunting and shooting community. For that I'm grateful, and certainly hold nothing against them for being human.

Some are, of course, better than others. If one was having trouble with muzzle control, I'm not sure I'd turn my kids loose at the range with him unless I was there to "supervise".

Daryl

[Waterengineer]

Art Eatman says:

"Praise in public, remonstrate in private."

I say:

That right there is a good idea.

[Gbro]

One could say, "You get what you pay for"
Seriously someone needs to evaluate what he is doing!
In the student manual that we use there is an evaluation form, That would be one way, but contact the conservation officer also.
I know that I am not perfect, and TBS in my adult class I instruct the class to bring anything unsafe up immediately! And that they do not have to be nice in how they do that if I violated any safety rules because that is what is deserving.
Again, I am, and no-one else walking earth is perfect.

It seems like some might question the $10.00 fee, We charge $7.50 for a class and can also charge an additional $7.50 to use for classroom materials (I never do), The fee is just administrative I would guess.