Important Updates for Instructors
 Wendy Koons: The PGC's New HTE Program Administrator
Hello instructors! My name is Wendy Koons, and I’m your new Hunter-Trapper Education Program Administrator. After living “out west” for 20+ years, I’m very happy and excited to be back in my home state! I grew up in Waynesboro, PA, believing most everyone hunted, fished and enjoyed the outdoors.
My dad was my number one mentor, and a bit of a celebrity within the local hunting community. His love of the outdoors was contagious, and it was imparted upon me at a very young age. Through observing his successful quests for squirrels, rabbits, pheasants, ruffed grouse, doves and many white-tailed deer, as well as his instruction, I learned a great deal about rifle, shotgun, archery and traditional black powder muzzleloader hunting, along with other important outdoor skills.
New Fillable Flyer for Advertising HTE Classes
You’ve asked for it and here it is! An easy way to advertise your HTE classes.
Enter your class date, time and location.
Add your contact information, print and post in your community.
Prospective students can view and register for your class or any other available class by using the web address or scanning the QR code.
|
Revised Instructor Activity Report Form
Introducing the Revised Instructor Activity Report Form! No more confusion over filling out multiple lines and signing several places to record class hours.
All your information for a single day of teaching can be entered on one line, sign and you’re done!
Please remember – DO NOT RECORD PARTIAL HOURS – Round down to the nearest hour.
See the instruction section on the form for details.
The goal of this revised form is fewer errors, less need to return forms for corrections, and more cost-share hours recorded.
|
2022 Outstanding Instructor of the Year Awards
Pennsylvania’s Hunter-Trapper Education instructors collectively donated over 17,000 hours of time and certified over 15,000 new hunters and trappers during the 2022-2023 fiscal year. Your time and dedication to teaching safe, responsible, ethical hunting and trapping practices in our state is sincerely appreciated.
Among our state’s dedicated instructors are those who go above and beyond. At the July 7th Commissioners meeting, six instructors, who had been nominated by their local game wardens, were presented with Outstanding Instructor of the Year Awards, with one instructor also received the award for Statewide Outstanding Instructor of the year.
Award recipients for the 2022-2023 fiscal year include:
Mike Griffin – NC Region
James Kirkpatrick – NW Region
Thomas Markward – SE Region
Benjamin Halsted – SC Region
Erin Cunningham – SW Region
Scott Dibble – NE Region/Statewide Outstanding Instructor of the Year
2022 HRSI ANALYSIS
During 2022, a total of 14 HRSIs were recorded in Pennsylvania, of which none were fatal. This is the lowest number of HRSIs recorded in Pennsylvania since 1915. The incident rate (expressed as the number of HRSIs per 100,000 participants based on general license sales) was 1.65, which was a decrease from the 2021 incident rate of 2.11. Over three-quarters of HRSIs reported in 2022 were inflicted by others (78.6%). An analysis of offenders’ ages revealed that individuals ages 20 or younger, had the lowest incident rate with 3 HRSIs.
The highest incident rate occurred among offender’s ages 21-50 with 47 HRSIs. In addition, over 50% of offenders had 10 or more years of hunting experience and were all in-person hunter trapper education graduates.
The majority of HRSIs occurred during daylight hours (78.6%). Weather reported shows 71% of HRSIs occurring during overcast or clear skies, with only 2 incidents occurring during inclement weather: including rainy, foggy, or snowy conditions. In addition, 50% of HRSIs occurred in woodlands, while 42.9% of HRSIs occurred in fields.
The primary cause of HRSIs in 2022 were “victim in line of fire” resulting in 50% of incidents. Other causes for HRSIs included unintentional discharge, shot for game, and hunters who slipped or fell. Approximately 42% of offenders were pursuing deer, most of which were using a rifle. Other HRSIs occurred by offenders in pursuit of pheasant (28.6%), dove, fox, and grouse.
https://www.pgc.pa.gov/HuntTrap/Hunter-TrapperEducation/Pages/Hunting-RelatedShootingIncidents.aspx
|
