Many of you have seen or heard about "R3" - Recruitment, Retention and Re-activation.  The concept arose from the realization that with the decline in hunting & shooting sports participation in America comes the decline in species and habitat conservation (North American Wildlife Conservation Model).  The decline is such that many in the conservation community are hugely concerned with the BUSINESS MODEL of fish and wildlife conservation for the next 50 years and beyond. This is akin to issues that Aldo Leopold and others posed with the vast wildlife declines back in the early 1900's.

Enter the Council to Advance Hunting and Shooting Sports and its National Action Plan that seeks to bolster strategies to overcome the threats and barriers to participation. Those leading the R3 charge are hosting a National R3 Symposium May 21-23rd in Lincoln, NE to begin the broad awareness and support for the plan. Texas has begun to put its State's plan in place and will seek YOUR advice soon!

YOU, as Hunter Education instructors, have taken the lead for many existing strategies for the last 50 years. Given continued funding levels, I expect you will to continue to play one of the more critical roles in future strategies such as engaging new and more diverse customers, mentoring and training new hunters, gaining access to hunt on private lands, funding the acquisition of new public places and maximizing opportunities on shrinking landscapes.

Here's to YOU -- for continuing to play an integral role these next 50 years --whether you are serving as hunter education INSTRUCTORS, hunt MENTORS or hunt MASTERS!

Steve Hall, TX Hunter Education Coordinator

Hunter Adoption Model: Adapted by Dunfee and Byrne 2013 from earlier research conducted by Decker et al; Seng et al; and others

REGISTER NOW!

Camp Young Judaea, Wimberley; Friday - Sunday - April 20-22nd; PLEASE COME!

The Camp has been reserved for YOU to join us this year at the Annual Conference, sponsored by YOUR Association - the Texas Hunter Education Instructor Association!

FEATURING:

• AREA CHIEF MEETING FRIDAY evening 
  
• SEMINARS & TARGET SHOOTING on SATURDAY 
  
• AWARDS BANQUET - SATURDAY evening 
  
• THEIA GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING SUNDAY morning

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Welcome Reception & Hospitality
  
• TPWD & THEIA UPDATES
• Hunting 101 Workshops
• Live Fire Standards - Rifle, Handgun, Shotgun
  
• Partner & Mentor Programs
  
• Hunting Ethics & Persuasion Training by Michael Sabbeth, last year's Keynote 

LUNCHEON KEYNOTE SPEAKER/PRESENTER: 

Dr. Bob Norton - Author of The Hunter - Development Stages and Ethics 

INSTRUCTOR AWARDS BANQUET:

• HE Hall of Fame Recipients
• Volunteer of the Year (TX)
• Regional Volunteers of the Year
• Law Enforcement Officer of the Year
• Professional Educator of  Year
• HE Instructor TEAM Award
• HE PARTNER Award 
  
• THEIA's "T.D. Carroll" Award

N TX, Monica Bickerstaff, D/FW monica.bickerstaff@tpwd.texas.gov; 972-263-1219 w; 469-601-8349 c

S TX, Brock Minton, Corpus brock.minton@tpwd.texas.gov; 361-825-3249 w; 361-944-3617 c

SE TX, Heidi Rao, Houston heidi.rao@tpwd.texas.gov; 713-829-1377 c

W TX, Randy Spradlin, Abilene randy.spradlin@tpwd.texas.gov; 512-923-3509 w/c

C TX, Morgan Harbison, College Station, morgan.harbison@tpwd.texas.gov; OR, Steve Hall, Austin steve.hall@tpwd.texas.gov; 512-389-8140; 512-550-7330 c

PHOTO - Hunter Education Staff (L to R): Morgan Harbison, Randy Spradlin, Brock Minton, Heidi Rao, Steve Hall and Monica Bickerstaff

Monica Bickerstaff, N TX Hunter Education Specialist, coordinated a Tree Stand Safety Instructor Certification Workshop taught by John Louk, Executive Director, Treestand Manufacturer's Association (TMA). Assisting Louk was L.J. Smith, expert litigator in tree stand and hunting incidents, former MS Hunter Education Coordinator (retired) and former president of the International Hunter Education Association. Special thanks goes to Texas Hunter Education Instructor's Association (THEIA) for providing breakfast, lunch and refreshments. Thanks, too, to the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center for providing an excellent venue for the training! PHOTOS: (Above) Lindsay Hodgdon, THEIA president, 'student' teaches how to successfully climb into and out of a hang-on stand, including a controlled fall/recovery out of and back into the stand.  (Below)  Front row: (l to r) HE Instructors David Hammonds, Lindsay Hodgdon, Travis Tidwell and Glen Hayes.  Back row: Instructors Larry Holland, TMA's LJ Smith, Mike Bira, TMA's John Louk, Monica Bickerstaff, Steve Russell, Brent Heath, David Pasternak and Lloyd Love. 

April 17-18th - Camp Young Judaea

Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow is a professional and university student training program orienting folks with little or no knowledge of hunting and conservation to a week-long Hunting 101, Hunter Education and Wildlife & Conservation primer, including an actual hunt.  Texas Parks and Wildlife is conducting its second CLFT short course entitled "Hunting for Conservation" primarily for non-hunting employees and partners that work with hunters and related constituents on a daily basis.  If you know of a partner at the last minute that can benefit in such a primer to hunting, please contact steve.hall@tpwd.texas.gov

The 3rd annual Texas-NASP State IBO 3-D Challenge Tournament and 13th annual Texas-NASP State Tournament and Scholarship Championship were held at the Bell County EXPO Center on March 21 & 22nd, and the event was another HUGE SUCCESS!

A total was 454 participants competed in the 3-D Challenge (Hunter/Bow Hunter Education-assisted) with 188 girls and 266 boys. A total of 2,134 students competed in target archery, 113 more than last year, including 11 more schools.  

Dorothy Cobb, Allen High School 12th grader, shot a record 292 in 3-D and a 297 in the bullseye tourney (both out of 300) -- highest scores among all archers at each tournament.

Below (l to r):  Monica Bickerstaff (NTX), Heidi Rao (SE TX), Randy Spradlin (W TX), Danny Deaver (Lone Star Bowhunter's Assn.- LSBA), Steve Shedd - LSBA, Travis Glick (TX-NASP staff member) and HE Instructor Larry Holland joined the IBO national coordinator, Ryan Bass, in serving 454 participants at this year's IBO 3-D Challenge.

HOUSTON - Over 20 Hunter Education Instructors from Houston and surrounding cities attended a new instructors course and Instructor "Meet and Greet" (ORS Update, News, Events, Rodeo Laser Shot schedule, etc.) on February 9th, spearheaded by Heidi Rao, SE TX Hunter Education Specialist. THANKS for your commitment to hunter education within the largest population center in Texas!

St Luke Men's Club Wild Game Dinner March 3rd

SAN ANTONIO - Rich Hite, San Antonio, reported that instructors Jim Ford and Bob Vela once again provided a hunter education display and materials for 750 guests and about 100 workers at the annual dinner -- one of the largest of its kind in the nation.  Way to go guys!