Nebraskaland

August-September 2024 • Nebraskaland 41 fatality. "The proof is in the performance for Hunter Education," said Kyle Gaston, coordinator of the program. "The number of yearly hunting incidents has decreased dramatically. That is the main goal of Hunter Education. It has succeeded. "It is one of the most successful and scalable educational programs state wildlife agencies have ever off ered." N Visit HuntSafeNebraska.org to learn more about the program. Interested in becoming an instructor? Contact Kyle Gaston, Hunter Education coordinator, at 402-471-6134 or Kyle.Gaston@Nebraska.gov. Jade Wawers – Teaching the Next Generation Every hunting season since Jade Wawers was born, she's been out in the field with her parents chasing deer, pheasants or waterfowl. The eldest of four girls, Wawers caught the hunting bug the hardest. She began working at the Dick Turpin Education Center at age 17 and, at the time, knew she wanted to make a career of studying wildlife and helping future hunters. "The second I turned 18, I was asked to become an instructor. I knew about hunting and hunter safety," Wawers said. "It was a great way for me to get more involved with the agency and what they do for hunting and hunters." Wawers, now 25, keeps busy as a master's student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln working on a wild turkey monitoring project. Her research often pulls her to western Nebraska, sometimes as long as seven months out of the year. She's conducting a trail camera study to evaluate the distribution and composition of mesopredator communities in Nebraska and how they affect wild turkey populations. Turkey also happens to be her favorite game to hunt. "I hear a lot of people say that turkeys are dumb — that they're a stupid bird," Wawers said, "but try hunting them and you see how smart and clever they can really be." Although Wawer's job as a UNL wild turkey technician keeps her busy, she continues to teach Hunter Education one to three times per year, from two-hour Hunt Safe sessions to the longer 8-hour classroom courses. She prefers the longer format, as it allows time for students to practice on the firearm or archery range. They'll also practice crossing fences, and she might even simulate a blood trail or do a mock pheasant hunt to get students engaged. In 2022, she recognized a need for an adult-only classroom and organized a Hunter Education course for college students and other prospective hunters age 18 and older. Most prospective hunters her age don't necessarily want to take a class with a "bunch of 11-year-olds," she said. Not only was the adult class well- received, it was also one of her more memorable experiences as a hunter education instructor. "I love teaching adults because they are capable of going out and hunting after the class, so you can keep up with their success stories. They'll send me pictures of their first deer, first turkey ... It makes me so incredibly happy and proud to see them going out," Wawers said. In contrast, she doesn't necessarily receive the same follow-up from younger students who attend classes under the mentorship of their parents. Hunter Education instructors aren't paid for their time. Wawers says she teaches because she wants to be a part of bringing along the next generation of hunters. "Safe hunting is something that can be overlooked," she said. Hunter Education should be taught early, and sometimes, parents need the reminders, too. by Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY, NEBRASKALAND Through June 1, 2024, 383,715 people have received their Hunter Education certificate. In 2023, about 400 volunteers donated 7,394 hours to teach 313 classes and certify 5,371 students. Of the current volunteer instructors, 29 have 40 or more years of service, and five have 50 or more. Shown here is the first Hunter Education patch given to students in 1972. The Facts 3

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