We recently drove to Superior, Arizona for my daughter to complete her Hunter Safety Course. She spent last week viewing and testing online all of the Arizona Hunter Safety materials and learned some valuable information on hunting practices, firearm safety, conservation efforts and general techniques.
Being my daughter, she had already been well versed and had a history with firearm safety, but it never hurts to reinforce these principles. In Arizona, they use the term: TAB+1 which is an acronym for:
T – Treat all firearms as loaded.
A – Always keep your muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
B – Be sure of your target and beyond it.
+1 – Keep your finger outside the trigger guard until ready to fire
The weather was slightly wet and cold, but there was a full class of young students ready to take part in their “Field Day”. I had also decided to take the course to support my daughter, review the materials (I took a California Hunter Safety class back in 2011), as well as to take part in Arizona’s bonus point program. Experienced hunters who take the course get a Bonus Point permanently added to their Draw status every year following the course. For those not familiar with the Draw system, every state has a limited number of Big Game Tags (permissions to kill a single animal) that they issue for each species, per year. Because it is a limited number, there is a lottery, or “Draw” that is held every year. Each hunter that applies for a Tag is given one chance or “Point” every year they apply, until the year they Draw a Tag. In most states, each year that a hunter does not get Drawn, increases their chances for the next year. Think of each Point as a raffle ticket. Each year you apply and do not win a Tag, you get an additional raffle ticket for the following year’s drawing. So if you did not win a Tag this year and have been applying for 5 years, next year when you buy one raffle ticket, you will actually receive 6 tickets. This way, your chances of being Drawn increase every year, until you get Drawn, and your points reset to zero. The Bonus Point Program adds one additional point to your tally, every year. This way, in Arizona I start every new cycle with 2 points on any Big Game Draw.
The day started with us taking a test to confirm we had absorbed the info from the online course. My daughter scored a 92% and I scored a 94% (not that we were competing or anything). The rain had let up for a little bit, so we were on track to do some shooting, simulated animal tracking and practice for safely walking outdoor terrain with a firearm.
This began with each of the kids demonstrating how they would safely climb over a fence or other obstruction and then what kinds of rifle carry techniques they would use when walking as a group. This seems simple and easy to overlook, but to safely negotiate terrain and obstacles with a firearm in a group is, for many new hunters, a safety skill that will prevent many accidents. It also trains one to be constantly aware of the direction of one’s muzzle–a fundamental skill that all people who handle firearms (hunters or non-hunters) always need reinforcement.
They set up a scenario with the kids to determine what constituted a safe, legal and ethical shot on a deer, and really honed in on the ethics of hunting. Noting that just because something is legal, does not mean it is always ethical. Most hunting occurs without others watching, so the importance of doing the “Right Thing Even When Not Being Watched” was an important point that was constantly reiterated. Once the scenario progressed to a safe, legal and ethical shot with good shot placement, they tracked the animal via hoof marks in the sand, and a simulated blood trail (tomato juice drips on the ground). All the while the kids were evaluated on their safe practices and judgement in the field.
As the kids finished this portion of the Field Day, it started to rain. It was hoped that all the kids would be able to experience some basic marksmanship training on the range with the local Sheriff’s Firearms Instructor, but the rain turned into small bouts of hail. It was decided that they would just demonstrate the power of some of the firearms that are used in hunting to emphasize the importance of Firearm Safety. They shot (and exploded) a 2 foot by 2 foot ice block with a .30 caliber rifle. All kids present commented as to how they could feel the shock blast in their chests!! Then they shot a can of tomato soup with two quarters resting inside the can using the same rifle, resulting in the can exploding and the impressions of the quarters pressed into the metal lid of the can!! Afterward they shot a large watermelon–which also exploded, and finally ended with a 12 gauge shotgun obliterating a head of cabbage at 10 yards. All examples showing how not just the projectile (bullet) causes destruction, but also the shock and speed at which firearms work.
In all, the Field Day was excellent in turning the information online that everyone read, into proper practice. It was another example of “knowing vs. knowing about” (see Marc’s Core Tenets #6)–Many of the kids knew the information by reading it and watching the videos online and from printed materials, but actually DOING the skills and practicing them in the dynamic environment of the “Real World” gave them a more deeply rooted understanding and impression of the necessary awareness and skills for safety. Although the weather cut short the actual firearms Range-Time, the course gave everyone the proper start for some good practice in the future.