Syracuse.com - It's a little late to be seeking out a hunter/bowhunter safety course

[HuntingNY-News]

I haven't received any angry calls yet, but I'm sure they'll be coming.

I haven’t received any angry calls yet, but I’m sure they’ll be coming.

They’ll come from sportsmen and sportswomen who are unable to get themselves or their children into a bow or hunter safety course this fall. The course is a requirement for first-time hunters to get a hunting license.

I received an email, a sort of “heads-up” about the situation Friday morning from Michael Arnold, of Camillus, who coordinates the volunteer instructors for Onondaga County.

“We will have completed 25 gun courses through the first week of October, with no other courses planned,” he said. “We will have completed 10 bow courses through the end of September, with no other courses planned.”

Arnold said the gun safety courses began being offered in February, and bow courses in March. Courses early in the year often had empty seats.

“Or put another way, there were ample opportunities for would-be registrants to attend either a gun or bow course in the first six months of the year. And we conducted the same number of courses in total in 2012 as we did in 2011,” he said.

Arnold said he and other instructors have already started to get some grief.

“Last Thursday, we registered 60 for a home study/online course — and turned away 64,” he said. “Some were understanding, some were disappointed and some were angry and abusive.”

At this point, only one course remains this fall in Onondaga County. The course, offered over three days (Oct. 4-6), is at the Pompey Rod and Gun Club, and students must pre-register in person at the club from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 1.

Arnold said it’s the same story every year.

“People are angry when volunteer instructors don’t schedule and conduct more courses proximate to the opening days of the big-game seasons — or putting it another way, convenient for them and inconvenient for hunter/volunteer instructors,” he said.

Arnold pointed out that many of the instructors are hunters who are getting ready for the fall season after teaching courses for months. The early start of this year’s bow-hunting season for deer (Oct. 1) has moved things up for them.

On top of that, the idea of an 11th-hour hunter safety course doesn’t sit well with many instructors.

“Many instructors have safety concerns when it comes to certifying people to hunt mere weeks before the opening day of the big-game hunting season because there is little time for a novice to become proficient with a firearm,” Arnold said.

Mike McPeck, of Skaneateles, a master hunter/bowhuunter safety instructor (he gives courses and teaches others to teach them), agreed with Arnold.

“I am also proud of our volunteer instructor staff that participates in classes and gives their time so others can enjoy our great outdoors through the sports of hunting and trapping,” he said. “It’s just sad that folks (the general public) who wish to take our classes don’t have the foresight to get into classes earlier in the year.”

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog