bowhunters safety course

[ericmerg]

doing mine today im hoping the practice shooting is done between 10-15 yards or i might not get pie plate shots frequently as im using aluminum and i think 2 have a slight bend

[Breakfast Boy]

When I teach my Bowhunter Education classes, we don't shoot at all.  It's more about the parts of a bow, treestand and bow shooting safety, first aid, etc.  Just fyi.

[T Lail]

here in NC when we teach our course, the "State" highly discourages us to have students shoot......never have quite understood this as Bow Ed was at first set up to be an advanced course,to be taken after Hunter ED......  

[calgarychef]

In the IBEP course on the field techniques day the first thing we ask the students to do is write down their effective archery range.  At the target butts it's pretty interesting that most students actually can't shoot as well as they thought-go figure!  The old iron deer is the best way to demonstrate this but most people steer clear of it.  I think it's a really good way to illustrate the need to get closer to the animal than most new hunters think.

[ron w]

Shooting is not mandatory in New York, it used to be for special hunts on State Land that were opened up for bow only....no longer. They may ask you to shoot to check your form or your tackle to see if your safe. I taught for 15 years in New York!

[Al Dente]

There is no proficiency part of the bowhunters education class in nys.  Safety is stressed, target practice is for the ethical student to take part on his/her own.

[toddster]

Here in illinois on a special hunt they had us do a proficiency test, "pie plate" at 20 yards.  Keep this in mind was a special small area the state opened up for control and monitored by UofI.
So, I show up with my longbow on one of the days there are 15 of us, and yes I am the only trad guy.  We shot 5 arrows, then the conservation guy scored them, they all had to be in the "plate".  Out of the 15 of us me and three others did it.  This shocked me!!  So, of course the others threw a fit and said only takes one arrow.  So, they decided to reschedule.  I threw a fit!  "What is the purpose of having proficiency test if you change the rules?  What do us three get for passing the right way?"  "Well, we have to have so many hunters and need to make it fair" Conversation response.  "What about fair to the game!!!, Are you guys going to check on those hunters tackle to ensure they are using the same stuff they Qualified with.  Because I tell you, they will come with small arrows, and target bows to qualify, they go to there "hunting bow".  The answer, "Nope, as long as they get the numbers, which we will probably lower it to 3, that is all that matters.  I then had my say and never went back.  This is why states set minimum laws for equipent and weapons to harvest game.  Because they don't want to regulate it and do what needs done.  I kind agree, a hunter has to have the ethics to be proficient with the weapon, but they also need to be teaching that to children in school.

[joe skipp]

Al is correct, there is no proficiency testing. As an Instructor, I do have the right to hold off giving you your certificate if I feel you can't shoot the bow accurately out to 15 yds.

We have had only a few occasions where we did this. If a student, shooting a Wheel bow or Trad bow can't hit the vitals of a whitetail 3D target at 15 yds...and I mean shooting over, under, or hitting them in the stomach, rump or head...he will have to come back when he's practiced more and shows me he is proficient.

Sorry..but I can't turn a fellow loose in the woods knowing in my heart he hasn't put the time in to properly learn to shoot his bow. To me, that's unethical on my behalf.

[Bowwild]

Wow, that's a wad of guys failing a likely hunting distance. Causes me to suspect many other important skills these fellows might be lacking; I wonder if those fellows could tell the difference in 20 vs 30 yards?  Have they ever met a broad head so sharp they were afraid of it?

Personally, while I don't think anyone should hunt unless they have a "gimmee distance" and don't shoot beyond it, I'm not a fan of proficiency testing for bowhunters. If the gunners don't get it then neither should the archers. Archers have no monopoly on poor shooting.  Frankly, a fringe hit on a white-tail will do less damage and the deer recover more quickly and completely than a tissue-destroying bullet.  

Don't get me wrong, a missed or wounding shot bothers me greatly, so much so that I'm a very conservative shot.

Just so we aren't just picking on the archers. I once worked at a wildlife office with a public gun range just outside my window (yep, noisy).  I've had guys come in with muzzleloaders that didn't know how to load them. I've seen slug gunners unload a magazine 30-50 yards down range at a half sheet of plywood with a group a bit larger, and say "Miller Time".  

Good news is those dudes weren't the norm but they were all too common.   Of course some guys are great on "game" shots but not on... I've never put much stock in that excuse.

[lpcjon2]

In Jersey you have a book( workbook to complete), an instructional class, a written test, and be able to put 3 arrows out of 6 in the pie plate at 15 yards(I think its 15yrds).For some reason if you pass with a bow you can just use the cross thing with no education needed.  All gunners must do the same and show they can use the weapon.

[stickbow ed]

Im an instructor in south jersey we had a student show up with a recurve bow trying to take the shooting part of the exam problem was the bow was not strung string was on in the stored position he was telling me he borrowed it from his uncle said he shot the bow the day before i support the shooting part 100% needless to say i had to fail him another women showed up with a cross gun problem was she wasnt strong enough to cock it failure #2 trying to keep the woods were i hunt safe

[chinook907]

In Alaska, there's a proficiency part.  You shoot at I think 4 different 3d targets, 2 arrows each target (1 standing 1 kneeling), have to put at least one in the kill zone for each target, and can only miss the zone on 2 arrows total.  Distances 9 - 28 yards.  A fair number of people take the test more than once after failing.

[Al Dente]

Just to add to my post and to Joe Skipp's, the group that I teach with will not give a class past the end of July.  Not because we won't fill it up, but because we, as instructors could not let an archer into the woods just before the season opens.  A solid two-three months of practice, not getting  certificate the week before the opener.  There are some who do this, and I/we personally frown upon it.  A certificate does not a bowhunter make.

And as Joe stated, we can not issue a certificate if we feel that the student is not ethical or competent, even if they pass the written exam.

[ericmerg]

well i got it done passed the exam with a 100% and the shooting wasnt graded but they did watch us i shot the iron doe target because i felt like it was a good day broke 2 aluminum 2117's but hit the kill zone 14  times out of 20 the rest where clear misses (under the animal) the broken shots where about an inch behind the pie plate killzone

[ron w]

Well done.....I hope you have a great journey in your bow hunting career!! Just remember to always have fun!!