Remembering Key Points!

When I grew up, I had a way for remembering key points, lists, taxonomy and other subjects by way of alphabet soup (which I also loved eating).  I could generally put things together in such a way as to TRIGGER my remembrance of a concept or phrase thru Anagrams!

In Hunter Education, concepts that we remember via anagrams include: STOP (Stop - Think - Observe - Plan!), 4 C's (Careful, Considerate, Courteous, Capable); 4 R's (Responsibility, Resource, Respect, Restraint) - the list goes on!

I came across a social media post from a friend, Greg Simons, Wildlife Systems, Inc., who listed our mutual colleague and friend, Dr. Bill Eikenhorst's 5M's and, naturally, Greg had me at the title of his musing, "The Essence of Hunting" (See article below.)  Thanks to them, I have a new anagram to use in hunter education when it is useful in helping others understand key points to learning or teaching "safe, responsible, knowledgeable and involved hunting and shooting practices" -- our MISSION (no anagram needed for what is printed across our foreheads).  LOL....AOK?

Steve Hall, Hunter Education Coordinator

Cave Creek Wildlife Manage. Coop

THANK YOU ALL FOR A JOB VERY WELL DONE! - Doug DuBois, Jr., Chief Huntmaster & Hunter Ed Inst, Austin

• 49 Hunters; 42 Harvested Deer; 18 first-time harvests!!!
• 75 Animals Taken.  (In 2019 with 67 youth hunters 58 animals were harvested.)

Photo:  Andrew Davis, with his mother, Debra, took this nice axis spike during the 2021 "Super Hunt" at the Sasko Ranch.

"Caps off to Chet Miles (center), Tom Chenault, Craig Meeks, Chris Kadlachek, Joseph Kadlachek, Mark McCombs and Tommy Taylor for safely and nutritiously serving our food and beverages.  Their COVID precautions were well executed and everyone had plenty to eat and drink. THANK YOU, GUYS.  And THANKS to SCI-Austin for the first class cooking equipment!" - Doug DuBois, Jr., Austin

Chris Mitchell, Texas Youth Hunting Program Director (L), spoke to the Cave Creek Super Hunt Participants during the Friday Safety Orientation, alongside head chef, Chet Miles, and founder & landowner Ronnie Ottmers (R),who, in 2004, met with Austin Woods and Waters, and Hunter Ed Instructor Kent Brenneman, Georgetown  to form the partnership - 18 years strong!

Mitchell said, "I just want to say how proud I am of you all.  As I mentioned Friday evening, when people are discovering or rediscovering the need to be outdoors, (it) is really, really important TYHP is there!  Saturday evening, I went to visit another of the 10 hunts we had that weekend and one of the parents commented around the campfire that it was a TYHP hunt that gave them something to  look forward to when most of the other activities they had were not available. The cook team did a superb job under some really unusual circumstances, the Partners TPWD, AWWC, SCI, Cave Creek WMA, TYHP Huntmasters and volunteers, and numerous donors were all indispensable.  Of course, Doug’s meticulous planning brought it all together.  THANK YOU!!!"

Steve Hall, Hunter Education Coordinator, who has been involved in all 18 Super Hunts, presented a Texas Youth Hunting Program "Certificate of Appreciation" from Chris Mitchell, TYHP Director, to Heath and Rozanna Sasko, whose hunters harvested multiple white-tailed and axis deer as part of the Cave Creek "Super Hunt."  Thanks to ALL Landowners who participated as spearheaded by Ronnie Ottmers, Superhunt Founder, and the Cave Creek Wildlife Management Association.

Harper Wildlife Management Association

The hunt honors the memory of Jacob Krebs, who died at age 18 chasing his dream to become a Navy Seal. The hunt hosted youth thru TYHP, but also served people who have a connection to law enforcement or the military, especially wounded veterans. Hunter Education Instructor, Will Krebs, Fredericksburg (See photo) and his family spearhead the hunt --, arranging meals, education activities and seminars, Saturday night presentations and keynote, dancing and just plain FUN -- to go with three separate hunts for deer, turkey, hogs and exotics.

Koy Coffer, shown here taking photo of two successful participants at the recent Texas Youth Hunting Program (tyhp.org) "Jacob Kreb's Memorial Hunt" sponsored by the Harper Wildlife Management Association, is one of many volunteers and landowners that assisted with the Kreb's Hunt A total of 18 youth took 32 whitetails (30 does) and 8 exotics. A BIG THANKS to all who participated in the 2021 Hunt!

Special THANKS to the youth hunters’ families, the Watson Family,  TYHP's Bob Barnette, Fort Worth - Huntmaster and Bowhunter Ed Instructor, Monica Bickerstaff - N TX Hunter Education Specialist, Erin Wehland - TPWD Biologist, Game Wardens Shaun Bayless & Ray Milloway, Lampasas County, Guide Eli Blackburn and TYHP staff and volunteers.

- Submitted by Immanuel Salas, N TX Community Archery Specialist (Photo:  Immanuel shows Ashton a few tricks to skinning and processing her deer.)

1. Go to "Top Ten" List

The "Top Ten Priorities List" located at Instructor Resources Page on the TPWD Hunter Education Website, is a way to prioritize the behavioral problems Texas hunters cause and measures and teaching considerations and methods that hunter educators can share via coursework, or as part of youth/mentor hunts and anytime hunters gather.  The List is divided into the Five Hunter Education Program Goals (see January Target Talk) -- the first two providing empirical data on hunting incidents and violations on which to focus.

2. SAFETY First - A Firearm Safety Primer

From PARTNER programs such as NSSF's Project Childsafe, and safety programs, SafeGunStorageTexas.com, a Texas Department of Public Safety campaign, and NRA's Firearm Safety and Training Programs, there is ample information to teach the "10 Commandments of Shooting Safety".  The rules are the hallmark of hunter safety education efforts since the 1940s. The rules were developed by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI) along with NRA and others and used in New York with the first mandatory program in 1949. The rules are covered in the "Top Ten" list.

3.  Taking a Good Shot

TIC -TAC-TOE Shot Placement Exercise ™

A new training aid to teach successful shot placement for white-tailed deer (and other big game species) was developed by Cross Trail Outfitters (CTO). To get yours, please email your regional specialist (see below) or Austin at steve.hall@tpwd.texas.gov 

4. The HONORABLE, Ethical Hunter

Michael Sabbeth, Denver, has completed his training manual for instructors with strategies for persuading both internal (students) and external (e.g. media and non-hunters) audiences on the value of hunting in conservation. The manual has tips and ideas for helping everyone understand the values and benefits of hunting, helping students aspire to being honorable hunters and how to deal with attitudes by those who don't understand or oppose hunting. The manual also will be available around late February to early March to instructors through your regional specialist and at Ethics Training Workshops held specifically for instructors to do a better job teaching subjects that make the students better citizens as well as hunters.

Game Wardens Conduct Course

Heidi Rao, SE TX Hunter Education Specialist, reported that Jefferson County Game Warden Joshua Sako coordinated a Hunter Education course at the Boy Scout Hut in Beaumont on January 10^th.  He and fellow wardens Jamal Allen, McKenzie Crow, and Stephen Satchfield certified 29 students.  Sako said “(We) had a great time and they are ready to go out and demonstrate to be a safe hunter!”  Thank you, all wardens, for your service and continued support of keeping everyone safe out there!

Doug Lambert, Burleson, shared this photo of a successful bowhunter who took this nice deer during the November 20-22 drawn hunt a the Hagerman National Wildife Refuge -- a popular draw for bowhunters throughout Texas.  Since bowhunters have to show proof of bow hunter education certification and shooting proficiency, Doug and his team of  instructors not only lead the wagon by teaching many classes in N TX each year, he and the others also volunteer many hours at the hunts themselves (three in 2020).  He said about 16 deer were taken during this November hunt -- the photo showing one of two biggest deer taken. Thanks, Doug, to you and the North Texas team, including Monica Bickerstaff, N TX Hunter Education Specialist!

"I’ve recently found myself thinking more about “The Essence of Hunting” and what that should look like when we promote ourselves as hunter-conservationists and as we advocate on behalf of hunters and hunting. My friend, Dr. Bill Eikenhorst, and I have enjoyed on-going discussions about what he refers to as the “Five Ms of Hunting” and I think this provides a nice framework for me to share some thoughts regarding the fundamental essence of hunting, from my perspective.

Mystery- When there is too much certainty of the kill, does this take away from the Mystery that partially helps define hunting, and separates hunting from the simple act of killing? The importance of “Mystery” also begs the question of can you know too much about a particular animal? The unknown, the uncertainty, the Mystery....it’s an integral property of the product and experience. You remove too much Mystery from the hunt, it is simply no longer hunting...it’s killing.

Magic- When you combine the challenges of the pursuit, along with the mystery of the hunt, in wild habitats, you begin to create Magical moments. These Magical moments cannot always be cookie-cut between one hunter and the next. There are spiritual and special experiences that are sometimes unique to the occasion and may be uniquely personal. This aspect of “the hunt” is one of the greatest challenges of answering the question, “Why do you hunt?” These Magical moments are sometimes so esoteric, that they are virtually impossible to frame-up through words ... these moments are Magical. It should be our aim to keep them this way.

Majesty- As hunters, we should have a duty to show immense respect and appreciation for the game animals we hunt. Only then will those individual animals be seen in a light that brings Majesty and honor to the lives of those animals, ultimately allowing the hunter to not only appreciate that animal’s presence on this earth, but to also allow the hunter to respect the finality of death. And as we tamper too deeply with the natural state of wild animals, do we allow artificial practices to erode the Majesty of those wild animals by encouraging the important values that we hold for livestock to usurp the unique values that we hold for wildlife?

Meat- The resourceful nature of hunting is the most rudiment reason why humans historically depended on successful hunts in order to subsist. Today, responsible hunting ethics include the wise use of the meats from our game animals. The locavore movement of people hunting for food is a refreshing reminder that the trophy should not simply be measured by inches of antler or horn but should also be based on ounces of wholesome protein that nourishes our bodies. And metaphorically, when we talk about meat, let’s not forget that there should be plenty of “meat” derived from the overall experience of the hunt, as when that proverbial meat is lacking, so is retention for those who participate in the activity.

Maturity- We often talk about the importance of Maturity of the big-game animals that we harvest, regarding how that is an integral component of a quality herd management program. However, even more importantly, let’s not overlook the importance of Maturity in the mindset of the hunter. Hunter Maturity is generally a graduation process, characterized by ideals and values that uniquely evolve as a hunters navigate through their time as hunters. One of the more obvious examples of this is when the emphasis that is placed on the kill exceeds the emphasis that is placed on the other features of the hunt. In my line of work, I occasionally see hunters that seem to think that the dollars spent on the hunt are the equivalent of dollars spent at a retail store....they sometimes fail to realize that they are not buying a target in the form of a large-antlered animal; rather, they are paying a fee to have access to special wild places to pursue wild animals, coupled with the provided services that accompany these adventures. Only when we appreciate the entire suite of the features of the hunt can we enjoy the sweetness of the Mature fruits from the hunt. And it’s this Maturity that serves our hunting community well by projecting a good image, by allowing hunting ambassadors to be stronger advocates because of the enhanced context that help define them as a hunter, and by allowing each of us to better understand ourselves as responsible humans who depend on wild things and wild places to enhance our quality of life."

"Hunting = Conservation" - by Greg Simons, General Mgr - Wildlife Systems, Inc.

Photo: Keith Jackson with the Texas Trappers and Fur Hunters Association demonstrates how to properly skin a gray fox at a Trapper Education workshop held in 2016.  For over 25 years, the Association and its officers/members such as Jimmy Brooks, "Big Earle" Blakney, Dan Hepker and Keith have donated their time training hunter education instructors and students in trapping techniques -- safety, equipment, trap setting, lures, fur uses, fur bearer biology and behaviors, trap releases, skinning, processing, fur care and buying, and related topics.  Students put their new knowledge and skills to use setting their own overnight traps during the workshop.  This "Trapping 101" workshop is part of the new advanced hunter education series.  It is open to the public.  Email Brock.minton@tpwd.texas.gov to check on last-minute availability.

The booklet entitled Aging Whitetail Bucks on the Hoof by Dave Richards & Al Brothers is available to instructors for use in Deer Hunting 101 and related advanced hunter education coursework. Along with deer jaw bones for aging deer once taken, this booklet serves as a centerpiece for discussing wildlife management concepts such as population dynamics, producing healthy habitat, buck to doe ratios and herd nutrition/genetics. Please order through your regional specialists directly from steve.hall@tpwd.texas.gov.

In Memory....Terry Erwin, former Texas Hunter Ed Coordinator

Hunter education administrators, partners and friends continue to spread Terry's ashes throughout North America and in other countries that he visited -- his last wish.  By doing so, they spread the mission of hunter education and honor Terry's legacy in the process at sites dedicated to conservation, the outdoors, hunting and Hunter Education -- THANKS to all!

New York

Terry's longtime friend, Mr. Bob Soldivera, Emmaus, PA, with Crosman for decades and who initiated many Boy Scouts of America programs on behalf of hunter education and the airgun industry, spread Terry's ashes in New York State. Bob was an instructor for New York Department of Environmental Conservation for 22 years and also staffed an air gun event for TPWD Wildlife Expo for years.

"Terry's ashes rest in New York soil. It was an honor and privilege to be selected. Terry was a good friend and I will miss him. - Sincerest regards, Bob"

Bob Soldivera and his daughter, Susan Soldivera Kiesling, Wayne, PA, traveled back to New York to spread Terry Erwin's ashes, as he wished. Bob and Susan have fond memories of shooting sporting clays in Nova Scotia with Terry and Burna. They had been friends for many years. Bob selected the Conference House (Billop Manor) on Staten Island where, on September 11, 1776, George Washington, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin met with British Admiral Lord Richard Howe in attempt to resolve the conflict peacefully. Sadly, Lord Howe lacked the authority to acknowledge American independence and the conflict continued. The Billop House is also significant in that it is the Southernmost point of New York State and it is on the waterfront of the Kill van Kull waterway between Staten Island and New Jersey.  Thanks to Susan for also taking the photos! 

Missouri

Thanks to Kyle Lairmore, Missouri Department of Conservation Education Section Chief, who wrote, "My wife and I ventured out of on a snowing day hike with our pups.  It was a perfect opportunity to fulfill the wishes of Terry by spreading his ashes in Missouri.  It is my understanding that Terry reached the highest point in many aspects of his life whether that was with his family or as a volunteer hunter education instructor.  It was only fitting that we spread his ashes on the highest point in Missouri at Taum Sauk Mountain State Park.  It was an honor to contribute to Terry’s last wishes and I hope we fulfilled them to his expectations.  Please share the email and photos with Terry’s family."  

Washintgon

Thanks to David Whipple, Hunter Education Division Manager for Washington Dept. of Fish & Wildlife, who said, "I met one of my hunter ed staff at Paul Bunyan Rifle and Sportsman’s Club, and deposited Terry’s ashes at the foot of their Paul Bunyan statue.  The club is very involved with hunter education and some of our most dedicated instructors teach there, and are either current or past presidents or board members.  Three of them are previous recipients of the Terry Hoffer Memorial Firearm Safety Award, which is Washington’s “hunter ed instructor of the year award” named after a game warden who was accidentally killed by an elk hunter trying to unload his rifle inside his truck.  Our field coordinator who accompanied me Saturday is a former club board member and Terry Hoffer award recipient. It was a beautiful sunny day in Western Washington. Thanks go to Terry for all his contributions. RIP Terry Erwin."

Pennsylvania

THANKS to Meagan Thorpe, Hunter Education Administrator for the PA Game Commission for spreading Terry's ashes and mission at Eastern side of Haldeman Island on Pennsylvania’s State Game Lands #290, in a wooded area along the Susquehanna River. From that location you could see nothing except trees and the water. Thorpe said, "Please pass our condolences on to his family, and let them know that we were honored to assist in fulfilling Mr. Erwin’s final wishes."

Mexico

A BIG International GRACIAS to Terry's good friend and colleague, Mr. Edgar Wenzel. Edgar sent a nice video from one of his favorite hunting locations south of Puebla, Mexico.  Terry assisted Mexico in training their first hunter education instructors and Texas has been partners ever since, conducting many training workshops and international conferences --collaborating as neighbors, but as Edgar put it --as friends, too.  Thanks, Edgar for taking the time to honor Terry's services to your program and his friendship with you!

Clairon (Clair) Lowe Huff, Draper, Utah passed away on December 14, 2020 from complications due to Covid-19. Clair was born in1932 and married Elizabeth Neil Campbell in February 1952 in the Salt Lake Temple. They had five children. He served our country in the Air Force during the Korean War. After his honorable discharge he obtained a degree in Range Science from Utah State University. He was hired by Utah Fish and Game, now Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, in 1956 as a Conservation Officer and retired in 1984 as the Division’s Assistant Director. After retiring, Clair served as Executive Vice President for the International Hunter Education Association well into his 80s. We will miss you, Clair -- thanks for your service to the Hunter Education community!