Hunters Hit the Books

Posted on July 3, 2012

While many hunters think the only hunting-related books or courses they’ll ever attend are those for basic hunter education, more and more hunters are finding reasons to return to classes—and take a seat. That’s because an increasing number of states are offering opportunities for hunters to learn more about hunting and the prey they pursue.

One example was the recently held courses in California that taught the fine points of wild boar hunting. If you missed the course, you can find a 41-page online booklet to provide several useful pointers such as range, hog habitat and how to field dress a wild boar. More than a dozen other “how-to” clinics are also being held across California to teach details on hunting wild turkeys, upland game, waterfowl and big game.  More details are at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered/advanced.aspx

Minnesota offers similar courses and includes programs to help hunters learn how to hunt moose, bears, wild turkeys and other species. This state and several others also offer advanced archery education courses that deliver details to enrolled students from shot placement to blood trailing techniques. Most of the advanced courses go into more detail than any basic hunter education course could ever provide, and many courses have hands-on projects where you can try the technique being covered in actual field conditions.

Montana offers a unique course to help hunters identify bears, and to possibly help any hunter in the field who is facing an irate bear determine if it’s danger –or very BIG danger—just ahead. Details of the online course are at http://fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter/bearID/.

Mississippi is another state offering courses, and there hunters will find intermediate and advanced shot gunning courses. These courses might help you down more doves and ducks this fall, so sign up.

Many of the advanced hunter education courses are offered only during the summer months, so most states urge you to find a course and sign up today. And nearly every state is offering the basic hunter education course that new hunters are required to pass before becoming long-term hunters. Now is also the best time to locate and enroll in those courses—or begin home study—because fall will be here soon.

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