Scott Flowers
Hunter safety class scheduled this weekend
Future class to be held on October
A hunter safety class is being offered on Aug. 25 and Aug. 26 at the new Best Western on Highway 87 North located next door to Taco Bell.
The class is being sponsored by Wulf Outdoor Sport and the purpose of the class is to teach new hunters hunting safety, and first aid in case of an emergency.
“It teaches basic gun safety, usually on the first day on the second half of the day someone from EMS or a nurse will come in to demonstrate first aid,” said Tasha Jones, one of the event organizers. “They teach them how to carry their guns and clean their guns including pistols, rifles, and shotguns. They bring guns to show the students.”
Mike Hanson, Texas Game Warden, will be one of the instructors present at the class, and he will go over many of the specific regulations of hunting.
“They teach them the game laws, when the seasons start and end and gun safety basically. They give them the hunting manual that you can get when you receive your hunting license. It shows all of the different seasons and what you can kill, what you can’t kill, which county it’s legal to kill this in and which county it’s not, because they aren’t all the same,” said Jones. “A lot of counties like Shelby County and Panola County are completely different on what you can kill on some animals.”
Firearms are not the only focus of the class as other hunting instruments are also covered.
“They go over bow hunting specifics with them. They bring different types of bows and show them how they all work, let them touch, feel, and look at them. They show them all of the different arrows and the heads that go on them,” said Jones.
This is a one time class, and it is not necessary to take it again as the student will receive certification following the test.
“Once you’re certified you’ve got it for life, you don’t have to re-take it. You have to have it to hunt in the state of Texas, and you have to have it in most other states to buy an out of state hunting license,” said Jones.
Further information can be obtained at http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/hunter_education/online.phtml/ through the TPWD website.
The current class is full at 30 students, but another one is being planned for October. The date for the October class is unknown at this time. The current class is on Aug. 25 and will be held from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and on Aug. 26 from 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
If someone would like to attend the class they may show up in case someone does not attend, and if they do not arrive they can take their place.
“It’s $15 to a take the class. All of the money goes to the state. Nobody that teaches hunter safety makes any profit whatsoever, it’s a volunteer program.”
All who wish to attend the October class must pre-register.
Contact Sherryl McGown at 936-598-4665 or Tasha Jones at 936-598-9568 and leave a message, someone will get back with you.
