HUNTER SAFETY TRAINING

06/02/00

Twelve-year old Edward, last of the Hucklings, just completed his hunter safety training course, in Colorado. He was trained by one of my heroes--a legend in the business.

Edward was the only kid in the class who knew something about the very large 74-year-old man standing before them. He'd heard a few things.

Papa-Bear Whitmore learned to survive outdoors, on his own, in the summer of 1938. He was at the Lake of the Ozarks, in Missouri. He was 13 years old.

His love affair with the psychology of survival has taken him all over the world. He has taught thousands of survival courses to tens of thousands of adults who wanted to know how to stay alive in the Arctic, the desert, or in-between. And to kids, any place they needed to know.

I digress. With your permission, we'll talk survival next week. This is about hunter safety training. But, then, hunter safety training is also survival training, isn't it?

Whitmore was adopted into the Choctaw Nation in 1952. Given a name which translated to "Father Bear," he officially opted for "Papa-Bear." It is by this handle that the IRS and the rest of us know him.

In 1958, he was a trainer for the National Rifle Association, the outfit which developed hunter safety programs. He taught rifle, pistol, shotgun handling and shooting, as well as many of the hunter safety classes. A decade later, he became one of Colorado's first volunteer hunter safety instructors. To date, Papa-Bear has trained between 15,000 and 20,000 hunters.

Virtually all states require hunters born after a given date (1/1/72 in our state) to show a hunter education certificate before buying a license.

The rules are much the same from state to state and class to class, although each instructor will have his or her own way. Papa-Bear's presentation is focused on three: 1) Treat every firearm as if it was loaded; 2) There is no such thing as a "safety;" and 3) Never point a firearm at anything you don't intend to shoot, kill or destroy.

Of course, he has a few survival tips to plant in young minds, too: 1) Tell someone where you are going and when you will return; 2) Never say "never," because it could happen to you; and 3) When it does happen to you, remember that Papa-Bear taught you to stay put, make a fire and shelter, and start signaling. And be glad you put together your little kit for the occasion.

Papa-Bear is one of my heroes. Anyone willing to give so much time to the future of hunting, and firearm and outdoor safety, is a hero. We have heroes here, too.

Mark Bennett is the head instructor for courses in our county. Four other instructors will work with him in upcoming classes at the Forest Service office in Cle Elum. They're all volunteers. The five dollar fee doesn't even cover costs: the rest is picked up by people all over the country who buy hunting and outdoor gear, through a special tax.

The course includes 10 hours (three evenings) of classroom instruction covering firearms and outdoor safety, wildlife management and hunter responsibility. A five-hour day at the range with small-bore rifles and shotguns is the capper. The range day includes an "Ask Permission of a Landowner" exercise, and an experience of learning to deal with anti-hunting hecklers in the woods. There is a trail safety walk, involving fences, gates and logs. Students must pass a written test, and demonstrate both safe firearms handling skills and a positive attitude.

The next class is scheduled August 14 to 19 (contact Paul Horish @ 674-7366), and another will be September 11 to 16 (call Mark Bennett @ 674-7512). Pre-registration is a must, as the classes are limited to 25 students. This is important. I recommend the courses for people who want their kids to learn to handle firearms safely, too. Get your kid signed up.

Anyhow, after he earned his certificate, I asked Edward about the course. "Well," he said, "mostly it was very interesting. The safety test was fun, and Papa-Bear had great stories. And now you can teach me to really hunt with you."

Papa-Bear says he's ready. I have no doubt about it.

[Copyright James L. Huckabay, 2000]

Jim Huckabay teaches in the Department of Geography at Central and is the author of "WILD WINDS and Other Tales of Growing Up in the Outdoor West." He can be reached by e-mail at wildwinds@cleelum.com