50 Years of Success Continues...

As we celebrate '50 Years of Success', it is fitting that we recognize the centerpiece of that effort -- the VOLUNTEER instructor! Since the program's inception in Texas, over 26,000 volunteer individuals have completed the necessary training steps to gain certification and pass on proper outdoor, hunting and firearm "knowledge, skills and attitudes". VOLUNTEER Instructors motivate others to contribute significantly to conservation efforts. Perhaps most importantly, VOLUNTEER Instructors serve as role models, coaches and mentors to others -- exhibiting safe, legal and ethical hunting/shooting sports behaviors -- for life!

As a volunteer, myself, for many outdoor education programs and, historically, as a volunteer hunter education instructor serving Colorado Division of Wildlife, I can honestly empathize with the role, hard work and dedication we all have for the cause of HUNTER EDUCATION & FIREARM SAFETY.  THANKS for that commitment, for without it, we simply would not have realized the success of the program in saving lives and making for a better outdoor environment for all. HERE'S TO YOU!

Steve Hall, Hunter Education Coordinator

First held in the United States in 1974, National VOLUNTEER Week celebrates opportunities "to recognize the impact of volunteer service and the power of volunteers to tackle society’s greatest challenges, to build stronger communities and be a force that transforms the world. Each year, we 'shine a light' on the people and causes that inspire us to serve -- recognizing and thanking volunteers who lend their time, talent and voice to make a difference in their communities." 

In hunter education, we applaud your efforts to TRAIN & TEACH, and serve as a ROLE MODEL for safe, legal, and ethical hunting and target shooting practices.  We also applaud you for donating countless more hours teaching advanced coursework and conducting activities at OUTREACH events.  YOU help Texans become more aware of good outdoor habits that reduce accidents/incidents, bolster compliance with wildlife and hunting regulations and enhance outdoor behaviors and responsibilities.  YOU help them become advocates and ambassadors for hunting, target shooting, conservation & the outdoors!

ANNUAL INSTRUCTOR CONFERENCE - April 22-24th

YMCA Camp Cullen, 460 Cullen Loop, Trinity, TX 75862

Celebrating 50 years of Hunter Education!

Email Heidi.Rao@tpwd.texas.gov for INFORMATION.

Volunteer Credited with First Course

Thomas Womack, Austin - Thomas was credited with the first official course, February 28, 1972.  He was one of 897 instructors certified between December 1971 and April 1972 via an orientation packet and exam, modified from the NRA Hunter Safety materials at the time.  The packet was sent to over a thousand individuals that responded to a statewide press release and a recruitment TV press announcement shown at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPfT-fXZNd8

Photo: Thomas Womack, Austin (L) receives a top-level incentive award from Assistant Hunter Education Coordinator, John "J.D." Peer in the early eighties.  Incentive awards represented a way to annually recognize volunteers for achieving high program success -- including # of students taught, # of classed held, attendance at in-service workshops and tenure. 

In the seventies, the NRA sponsored a partner in-service training program known as the "NRA/NAAHSC Academy". In Texas, any instructor that attended six qualifying Academy workshops: 1) Program Orientation and Teaching Skills, 2) Game Laws, Ethics and Responsibility, 3) Survival and Wilderness First Aid, 4) Rifle, Shotgun & Handgun, 5) Primitive Sporting Arms, and 6) Wildlife Management and Conservation, received a national patch of recognition (see photo) along with plenty of incentive points over six weekends of training.  Most workshops were held at the 4-H Center near Brownwood (Workshops #1 - #5); YO Ranch (Workshop #3); Kerr Wildlife Management Area or the Pineywoods Conservation Center near Broaddus (Workshop #6). The training as morphed into what we call Hunting 101s today and are still being taught within each region or at the annual Instructor's Conference. (See above.)

Volunteers Piling More on their Plates

Instructors teach more than basic student courses each year. Many are involved in teaching advanced hunter education, outreach activities or they VOLUNTEER for other programs (see below) of partner groups -- serving the same mission in hunter education -- "to promote safe, responsible, knowledgeable, and involved hunting and shooting sports practices".  Two large school efforts include the National Archery in Schools Program and the Student Air Rifle Program  - gymnasium target sports programs taught by professional educators, hunter education instructors and other volunteers.

Texas Youth Hunting Program (TYHP)

Chris Mitchell, TYHP Director (R), promotes the Texas Youth Hunting Program (TYHP) statewide including actual hunts, events and via social media such as podcasts. The TYHP Program annually takes reaches 2,000+ young hunters, hosting them and their guardians on over 200 hunts throughout Texas, most on private lands.  Recently, they have begun an adult onset (mentor) series of hunts to expand opportunities for Texas families, even more. The do this through the extraordinary effort of TYHP "Huntmasters" and other volunteers.

Outdoor Tomorrow Foundation

Scot McClure, Outdoor Adventures Program Director, Outdoor Tomorrow Foundation (shown here accepting a 'Hunter Education Partner Award" in 2021), leads the bandwagon training Outdoor Education and other teachers in schools (all levels) as hunter education and archery instructors, among other outdoor topics. In April, he posted, "There are now 800 schools offering Outdoor Adventures! School number 800 is the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders in Austin, a nationally recognized public all-girls school focused on leadership, college readiness, project-based learning, and STEM. Outdoor Adventures is the perfect addition to this school that emphasizes experiential learning!" #outdooreducation #outdoorstomorrowfoundation #outdooradventures #wegetkidsoutside

Since 1993, Outreach programs such as Becoming An Outdoors-Woman has involved volunteer educators passing on knowledge and skills to women in all hunting and target sports categories including field dressing of deer (see photo).  Many women participants get so excited, that many go on to become volunteers and educators for the program, some like Jeanette Hood, Ft. Worth (along with her husband, Jeff) who originally signed up as a student then has now taught for nearly three decades!  Without volunteers "who look like me", many of outreach efforts would not be as effective reaching new audiences.

Join TYHP and Attend a Huntmaster Training Today!

The Texas Youth Hunting Program (THYP) kicked off “Training Season” in early March with a combined TYHP Huntmaster Training with a TPWD Hunter Education Instructor Combo course.  Led by Bob Barnette, TYHP Field Operations Coordinator for North Texas (3rd from RT), a group of great volunteers completed these courses at Lake Mineral Wells State Park.  The group enjoyed presentations from Game Warden, Ronald Mathis, and Monica Bickerstaff, N TX Hunter Education Specialist.  If you’re interested in Huntmaster Training, we have several more courses available this year – we’d love to have you join us!

RECOGNIZING VOLUNTEERS

2020 Regional Instructor of the Year

Daniel Sanchez - Edinburg, received his 2020 South Texas Regional Instructor of the Year Award from Brock Minton, S TX Hunter Education Specialist, during the South Texas Hunter Education Instructor Meeting held at Estero llano Grande SP in the RGV. Since his Hunter Education Instructor certification in 1994, Daniel has taught over 4600 students and earned over 8200 Incentive points. He was inducted into the TX Hunter Education Hall of Fame in 2008 and remains active in outreach events throughout the RGV. THANKS, Daniel! CONGRATS!

Kalkomey Enterprises, Dallas, the 1st TX "Internet Provider", supports volunteers through their customer service, promotions, published hunter education student manual, "Today's Hunter"  (used in Texas since 2004), bow hunter education student manual, "Today's Bow Hunter" and 3:1 Pocket Guide, DVDs, advanced hunter education and, most recently, the "Firearm Fundamentals" series being launched by IHEA-USA in partnership with States, including the Texas Parks and Wildlife's Hunter Education Program.  Kalkomey also sponsors award banquets and other activities of the hunter education instructors and the Texas Hunter Education Instructor Association.  Photo:  Greg Gulliver, Ontario, CANADA (L) and Rebecca 'Becca" Medeiros, Dallas, with Kalkomey, Enterprises, took the time to visit Steve Hall, Hunter Education Coordinator and Kimberly Sorensen, Boater Education Coordinator, on a stop-over in Austin while traveling around Texas. Thanks to Chris Meyer, Cotulla, hunter and bowhunter education instructor, and his son-in-law, Bobby Nolan, Becca later shot her first feral hog with an 'air bow' as part of Greg's and her "field research" -- hunting new species using relatively new methods of take. 

Bow Hunting 101 Taught in April

Bowhunter Education, Bowhunting 101 and Mentor Bow Hunt by TYHP -- All the programs coming together R3-style!

The first weekend in April, four (4) young bow hunters and their guardians attended a TYHP Youth Bow Hunt, hosted by the Ashby Bowhunting Foundation (ABF), with Dr. Ed Ashby, himself, at his West Texas ranch.  Earlier, participants completed Bowhunter Education, and then attended a Bowhunting 101 led by ABF president and bowhunter education instructor, Rob Neilson, Cypress, in Spring, Texas, addressing the 12 Factors Affecting Arrow Lethality at Texas Archery. Rob outfitted the hunters with 12-Factor, optimized arrows donated by GrizzlyStik.  The ratio of 1-to-1 archery instruction was provided by Josh, Bee Caves, at Sportsman’s Finest, who guided, alongside volunteers Connor, Andy and Immanuel Salas, TPWD's N TX Community Archery Specialist. Chris kept everyone fed as TYHP cook, and Bob Barnette, TYHP Field Operations Coordinator for North Texas, served as TYHP 'Huntmaster'.  Many forces cooperated to provide the hunter’s this unique opportunity. Although no exotics were taken, a wealth of knowledge and experiences was gained in the presence of one of bow hunting’s great - Dr. Ashby.

HQ HE Administrative Support Available!

512-389-4999 - General Hunter Ed Hotline

Kevin Vo - Hunter Education Administrative Asst Kevin.Vo@tpwd.texas.gov

Andrea Cleveland - HE Administrative Staff
Andrea.Cleveland@tpwd.texas.gov

Keith Powell - HE Administrative Staff - M, W, F
Keith.Powell@tpwd.texas.gov