 Conservation Officer Joyce Kuske (L), Paulette Pappenfus, and RTO Frank Rezac (R)
Paulette Pappenfus, the third-generation owner of Pap's Sports Shop in Little Falls, is the recipient of the 2014 DNR Firearms Safety Instructor of the Year award. She received the honor at this year's Minnesota Game Fair in Anoka.
To help young people have a safe outdoors experience, Pappenfus has been organizing and teaching DNR firearms safety classes since 1981. She learned firearms safety and an appreciation of the outdoors from her father.
She was among the earliest female firearms safety instructors in Minnesota. She recalled, "I remember one of the earliest classes had one female, and she was afraid to come into the room until she found out another female would be helping as an instructor. Today, up to 40 percent of her students are female.
Pappenfus said many of today's youth lack a mentor to introduce them to the outdoors. "Mentors are very important. We've seen youngsters who can score 100 percent on a written test, but have absolutely no idea how to safely handle a firearm because they lack outdoors experience."
She believes that mentors are very important to youngsters learning to hunt. She enjoys working with young people, assuring they become safe, responsible hunters. Pappenfus said she accepted the award for all DNR volunteer instructors.
Congratulations, Paulette!
We appreciate your efforts in helping our firearms safety program continue to be the successful program that it is. It is you, our Volunteer Instructors, who help make the firearms safety program one of the nation's finest. Thank you!
We are experiencing an increase in the number of youth who are completing the HunterCourse.com online course and are in need of a Field Day.
As you know, demand is always higher in the fall, we would appreciate you considering scheduling a Field Day in your community within the next several weeks. Conducting a Field Day for a group of students in your community will help these future hunters to attain their required certification, and also allow them to enjoy the fall hunting season, which is fast approaching.
Please call us so that we can assist you with any questions or materials you need to conduct your Field Day.
Thank you for volunteering!
Also as a reminder, if you are conducting a traditional classroom course, and can accommodate students who have completed the online course into your field day, below are the basics of what to cover to include them:
1. Collect the Field Day Voucher from the student, as proof of completion of the online course.
2. Have Parents fill out Parental Release Form for their child/children.
3. Administer the 15-Question Quiz (if you need a supply of the Quiz/answer sheet, we can email it to you or send it with your supplies).
4. Reference our Pocket Guide – the information in green is what needs to be covered if including online students into your field day.
These students will now be able to join your classroom students in the scenarios and range activities. If you have questions, please contact your Regional Training Officer or the Safety Training Office.
 Here is a good example of a chamber indicator that one of our volunteer instructors fabricated using an empty shotgun shell, weed whip line and epoxy. Thanks to Bob Koenig of Motley for providing the sample.
CO Jeff Halverson has recently been assigned as the acting Regional Training Officer for Region 1. He began his new duties on August 12. Halverson was the Conservation Officer for the Staples station previously, and is looking forward to working with you in his new role.
Congrats, Jeff!
Kevin Neitzke has been promoted to the Metro Regional Training Officer (RTO) position. Neitzke, who has been the acting RTO for the Metro area in the past year, officially begins his duties on September 23, 2015.
Congrats, Kevin!
As you know, we are now offering online courses for the ATV/OHM safety training program, for youth and adult. Currently, we are working with the vendor on the completion of the online Snowmobile Safety course as well.
We want you to know that, at this time, you can continue accepting completion paperwork from students who have completed the ATV and/or Snowmobile CD for this season.
As we work toward reducing costs of the ATV/OHM and Snowmobile online courses, we will be adding an additional vendor to our website. The course content will be similar and just as comprehensive as the traditional classroom and CD course material, and will meet our stringent standards for safety training. Students who complete the online course will print out a Certificate of Completion to turn in at the field day.
As always, if you have any questions or issues regarding this, please give us a call.
You will soon be seeing a new handout in your supplies for ATV and Snowmobile Classes.
Below is a sampling of the popular rubberized wristbands that contain a simple message for folks, and we wanted to utilize this device as a reminder for students to complete their safety training certification by going to the DNR website to obtain their safety certificate.
As you hand them out to students, please take a moment to explain the purpose of these wristbands.
The Education and Safety Training Section is once again
partnering with MN Outdoor
News publication to offer a free, 3-month youth subscription for
anyone ages 11-17 who successfully completes firearms safety certification in
2015. Please remind your students of this offer during your class or
field day! For more information, click on the link: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/outdoornews/index.html
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