Nebraskaland

38 Nebraskaland • August-September 2024 New Requirements, Same Outcome The Hunter Education program has undergone changes over the past 50 years, including increases and decreases in classroom instruction time, how it is off ered, who must take it, and even the name, which has evolved from Hunter Safety to Hunter Education. One of the major changes was the addition of a mandatory Bowhunter Education program in 1993, addressing a need to educate hunters in a growing sport that required a slightly diff erent skill set. In 1996, new regulations required anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1977, to pass a fi rearm or Bowhunter Education course, a move that would eventually require all hunters to have completed training, as was already the norm in some states. In 2008, recognizing that this requirement might cause those unwilling to invest the time to take a course to simply forgo hunting altogether, and that the majority of accidents involved hunters under the age of 30, the law was changed to require hunters ages 12 to 29 pass a course before hunting. An exemption certifi cate was also created in 2008, allowing those who have not completed a course to hunt with an experienced hunter, a change made to provide opportunities for individuals who get a last-minute invite to hunt from a friend or family member, possibly helping recruit a new hunter. In 2001, as youths were becoming more involved in sports and other activities, an independent study course was off ered as an alternative to classroom work. In 2013, online courses were off ered to meet the requirement for those age 16 and older, and hybrid courses for youths ages 12 to 15 were added. This included an online course and a two-hour Hunt Safe session that emphasizes fi rearm, archery and tree stand Brenda Fulk – Not Just for Boys Brenda Fulk of Mitchell has long known that hunting is not just for the boys. "More women are hunting and shooting than 25 years ago," she said, thinking back to when she was certified as a Hunter Education instructor in 1999. Statistics back that up. An estimated quarter of hunters in the U.S. are now women, and they're often referred to as the pastime's fastest-growing demographic. When Fulk started, only 3 percent of Nebraska's Hunter Education instructors were women. That number, 28, has since doubled. The 56 women teaching Hunter Education in the state today represent 11 percent of the total. Game and Parks welcomes female perspectives in the classroom and on the range. Of course, we've known that women are as capable shooters as men since Annie Oakley became an international sensation, but anatomical differences make the process dissimilar between genders. "Women hold firearms a bit differently and the sights sometimes don't line up," she said. "The male instructors don't always understand that." She knows one of the male instructors well. Her husband, Brad, has attained the title of master instructor. The two have taught courses at sites throughout the Panhandle, passing on the knowledge they've learned in the field. That knowledge and love of hunting was also passed on to their four now-adult sons. One harrowing experience stands out in Brenda's mind and has prompted her to emphasize teaching the budding hunters in her classes to be prepared. In September 2012, she was hunting doves with her youngest son and his friend when they discovered the body of a man who had been missing for four days in a canal that crosses their Sioux County ranch. She said it was a traumatic experience, but she uses the experience in the classes to this day, stressing the importance of being aware of location and surroundings, having ample supplies, and having a plan to contact help in an emergency when in the field. "I talk about how rural of an area we live in. You cannot put our address in GPS and get to our house," she said, illustrating the necessity of these lessons and how every hunter should take them seriously. Her memories of the outdoors and the classroom are positive. Brenda said she and Brad are teaching the children of those who took their classes years ago. The couple doesn't have plans to stop doing it anytime soon. "We will keep teaching until we can't anymore," she said. by Justin Haag PHOTO COURTESY OF BRENDA FULK

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