Bow Hunter Education Class..

[22Plinker]

Sooooo..... I am attending a Bow Class on sunday August 20 up near Williamstown.  I know I have to bring my "homework" with me but I thought I saw something about getting out and actually doing some shooting while there.  There is no mention of it that I can find but do we need to bring our bows?  I suppose it wouldn't hurt to bring it anyway, I just have a hard time imagining being in a single class for 8 hours straight (minus lunch).

[Wrangler]

35 minutes ago, 22Plinker said:

Sooooo..... I am attending a Bow Class on sunday August 20 up near Williamstown.  I know I have to bring my "homework" with me but I thought I saw something about getting out and actually doing some shooting while there.  There is no mention of it that I can find but do we need to bring our bows?  I suppose it wouldn't hurt to bring it anyway, I just have a hard time imagining being in a single class for 8 hours straight (minus lunch).

When I took my bow hunting class one of the requirements to pass was showing you had the ability to safely shoot your bow. I have been told that this is not mandated by the state and is not equally applied to all classes. At the time i took my class the shooting was on another day after the completion of the classroom requirement and written test. 

[moog5050]

No bow shooting when I took the course but doesn't hurt to have it. 

[22Plinker]

Thank you guys for the quick replies.  Its not that I have a problem with it since i have been practicing my ass off the last few weeks.  My main reason for asking is it was my plan to swing by and grab my bow tag after the course as long as its all done in one day

 

[Robhuntandfish]

I took mine years ago at the Camden rod and gun club.  We did shoot bows at the end but they didnt test anybody but just offered tips which I thought was great .  They helped people out with bows and shooting etc. I would say bring it along and get some practice in at the very least. 

usually they also get you outside to do a blood trail instead of sitting as well. Have fun 

[Robhuntandfish]

I took it with a buddy and he didnt get to practice much before the class.  When he shot he took the horns off the 3D target and the guy said "guess you like to hunt does!"  and he still passed.  lol

[grampy]

I went with my grandson last year, and they shot their bows as part of the course. All were encouraged while shooting and it was a fun part of the day! Did not matter how good or bad you shot, great shooting tips were given. This was at the Woodlawn Sportsmans Club in Rotterdam. Great group of instructors there.

[Adkhunter1590]

Took my course many years ago but we didn't shoot at the one I took. We did do the mock blood trail though. Can't hurt to bring the bow with ya

[ATbuckhunter]

When I took it back in 09 we had to shoot. I was exempt from it since I had not gotten my bow yet. 

[growalot]

This is encouraging to hear.. not a single course I went through gun and bow ,for myself and both the kids was shooting done. I take that back. My gun course and it was just 3 of us that shot clay pigions

[grampy]

When I took the bow course in the early 80's we shot our bows. Most of the bows being used were recurve at that time. Out of ten or so guy's taking the course, only 2 or 3 were shooting the super fast, cool looking, Bear Whitetail Hunter. A couple years later I went over to the dark side and got one myself.

[moog5050]

6 minutes ago, grampy said:

When I took the bow course in the early 80's we shot our bows. Most of the bows being used were recurve at that time. Out of ten or so guy's taking the course, only 2 or 3 were shooting the super fast, cool looking, Bear Whitetail Hunter. A couple years later I went over to the dark side and got one myself.

How many were accurate with that recurve?  Just curious if hunters spent much more time practicing when that was the primary option.  

[grampy]

There were a couple guys just starting out that summer that were able to hit the 20 yard target with their trad bows, but not very accurate. But my buddy and I had been shooting since the summer before and were quite accurate out to 30-40 yards with our Bear Kodiak's. As well as the majority of the recurve shooters, as some had been shooting longer than we had. My buddy got me started using his bow, in the back yard nights after work. And when I got my own, it was friendly competition between us. Like "lemme see ya make this shot" kind of stuff. The second year of shooting we got the crazy idea of taking the course and actually trying to kill a deer!  We both did.

[OldNewbie]

When I took the class near Watertown in 2015, they had us shoot at a target, at pretty close range.  They had some low poundage 'practice bows' (e.g. high school PE class type) for anyone who didn't bring their own.  Several people missed the target completely, but no one failed the class.  

[ckprax]

I took the course on Saturday in Thornwood. We had to shoot at a target at a short, unknown distance. Some shot multiple times until they hit the bullseye, The instructors would give out pointers to help them along. There were misses and somehow a bow blew apart (I didn't see how). I only got to shoot a single arrow but I guess that's good.

We also went over tree stand safety, shot placement and blood trailing.

Nobody failed.

[22Plinker]

So i got my class finished on Sunday.  25 attendees and 2 failed the 40 question test at the end!  I don't even understand how... they practically gave you the answers.  Overall I think it was decent.  Silly that they make you read the book and do homework and then they just read the book to you and make you take a shorter test than the homework.  Basically just did the homework twice.

[left field]

Did the two that failed get the certificate? 

[22Plinker]

13 minutes ago, left field said:

Did the two that failed get the certificate? 

That I don't know.  I got my certificate and I was out of there.  Only 6 people left inside when i got mine and the two that failed were both there.

[mowin]

When I took my bow course back in '79, IIRC, we had to shoot, and hit a certain sized bullseye at 20 yrds if we wanted to hunt public land, or certain public lands. Can't remember exactly.

My grandnephews take there course Sep 9th. They don't have bows yet. Trying to save up the money as there mom can't afford to get two bows let alone one. 

[jjb4900]

I may be wrong, but if shooting a bow accurately or at all for that matter isn't a mandatory state requirement for a certificate, then I can't see how some instructors can decide to add it to a course and pass or fail people on it.

[left field]

2 hours ago, 22Plinker said:

That I don't know.  I got my certificate and I was out of there.  Only 6 people left inside when i got mine and the two that failed were both there.

Just curious. I don't think they fail anyone, but rather just go over the wrong questions. Nice to know that someone who blew a rudimentary common sense test is out in the woods with a weapon.

 

[ATbuckhunter]

13 minutes ago, left field said:

Just curious. I don't think they fail anyone, but rather just go over the wrong questions. Nice to know that someone who blew a rudimentary common sense test is out in the woods with a weapon.

 

Never heard of anyone failing and not getting the certificate at the end of the class. I remember the instructors told us that even if we failed, they'd make sure we passed in the end. I've heard stories of them giving a new test and telling them the right answers, but explaining why they were right. It was one of the easiest tests Ive ever taken, with most of it being common sense questions. 

[chiefbkt]

Remember it's a course on bowhunter education, not a shooting course. They are under the impression you will put in the required time to become an accurate bowhunter capable ethically taking wild game. All they can do is score you on your knowledge of it.

[dbHunterNY]

glad it went well.  i just helped teach one just over a week ago at a rod and gun club.  we had a covered range with targets from 10 - 50 yards.  some brought their bows and others didn't.  we had Mathews Genesis bows to fit about anyone to try just for fun and exposure.  i even brought my own hunting bow more for discussion.  tried to help everyone at the range.  many left with a lot of confidence.  some didn't bother to shoot at all.  other screw up horribly or just a little but were too proud to except any of my advice.  i wish everyone brought a bow if they had it.

[left field]

7 hours ago, chiefbkt said:

Remember it's a course on bowhunter education, not a shooting course. They are under the impression you will put in the required time to become an accurate bowhunter capable ethically taking wild game. All they can do is score you on your knowledge of it.

It's not just a course, it's a license to bow hunt. And if someone fails they should be required to retake the class.

My Hunter's Ed was a disaster. The guy was so overwhelmed he just screened a silly video from 1972 on safety then handed out tests. When we were done, he took the completed test and handed over the certificate and didn't so much as glance at the answers.