Hunter Safety Course questions

[joe_dumy]

I am posting  this here because who would be able to answer me better about how hard is the hunter safety coarse then the youth hunters.

My son Grady really wants to go hunting but he is only 8 and hasn't passed his hunt safety coarse online. The online version requires a lot of reading. I think if there was more videos he would pass no problem. So my question is if he cant pass the online version would the classes be a much better choice or are they basically the same. Hands off and here is the text book.

Now Grady is pretty experience around hunting and gun safety, even helps me reload. But he made a mistake and tried to hide a live shot gun shell in the grass so he could get it later. Seems like I may have underestimated his drive to hunt and not spent enough time on hunter safety. So his consequence was not more shooting or reloading until he passes his hunter safety coarse. Well that consequence is not going so well for me as I thought he would go right through the online coarse and be back doing the things I love with me. So hopefully you all say that the 6 day is easier in the fact that you dont have to read so much and there is more hands on teaching, that makes it easier to take the test.

Maybe he is to young and I put this consequence out to early and I have to wait till his reading catches up. I hope not because when I let his sister shoot a few rounds through her 22 I don't hear the end of it for a while.

Anyways any help you can offer Grady and I is appreciated.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

My 8 year old daughter took the in person class, it was much easier as it was like being in school, she got to read along and ask/answer questions.
Most importantly was the safe handling portions because she is pretty small and a full sized weapon was pretty difficult, but she got through the course.
The fact that Iand her sister were there with her helped also.

[elk247]

I don't mean to spread rumors but, rumor has it the minimum age for youth to take hunter education could move to 12 years old. I would suggest you have your son in a class asap. I need to get my 10 year old through a class also. Better safe than sorry. Good luck.

[Bob33]

I don't mean to spread rumors but, rumor has it the minimum age for youth to take hunter education could move to 12 years old. I would suggest you have your son in a class asap. I need to get my 10 year old through a class also. Better safe than sorry. Good luck.

I can dispel that rumor. Therw is a bill that would make it 8, but it won't pass.

[elk247]

Thanks BOB33. That's good news.

[steen]

Have your son take the youth course, they go over things numerous times and drum it in their heads.  If he pays attention he should pass fine.  We will even have an adult read the questions to them to make it easier for them to understand the question.  Some kids have a hard time understanding the question when they read it themselves. If he doesn't pass he can try again the next year.  You can ask him the questions at the end of each chapter in the hunter safety book to help him if you wish. Sometimes handling the gun is the hardest, especially small children.  Help them with loading and unloading a gun, (make sure your practice ammo is a dummy) drill into them to keep their finger off the trigger unless ready to fire.  Muzzle control is a huge problem with small children in our classes.  They have a hard time focusing on the gun and the instructor at the same time, therefore the muzzle seems to "travel" where ever they are looking.  I hope this helps. Good luck!

[joe_dumy]

Steen having a hard time finding the youth program. Can you point me in the right direction. Also do they have to wait an entire year before retesting. I can't find that info either.

[Bob33]

There is no such thing as a "youth course".

[bobcat]

http://www.register-ed.com/programs/94

[runningboard]

Steen having a hard time finding the youth program. Can you point me in the right direction. Also do they have to wait an entire year before retesting. I can't find that info either.

as Steen has pointed out by going to a regular class the child will get to handle many different firearms under the instruction of the teaching team and get to go over the material in the book in a classroom setting with the other students. we also have a teacher read the test to our students who are young or have reading trouble.
the time recommended to retake the course is not set in stone. I could recommend a student wait a year depending on their maturity, grasp of material, stature, etc. etc. but a parent could take them to a class elsewhere the very next week without my knowledge.
as to his age, I have had several 8 year olds pass, along with my youngest student a 7 year old girl.

[joe_dumy]

Thanks all, Sounds like the live classroom is the place to go. I will be signing up for a class soon. He is pretty excited and starting studying again. We will see if it last for two weeks. If so we are going to sign up.

[Bullkllr]

Have your son take the youth course, they go over things numerous times and drum it in their heads.  If he pays attention he should pass fine.  We will even have an adult read the questions to them to make it easier for them to understand the question.  Some kids have a hard time understanding the question when they read it themselves. If he doesn't pass he can try again the next year.  You can ask him the questions at the end of each chapter in the hunter safety book to help him if you wish. Sometimes handling the gun is the hardest, especially small children.  Help them with loading and unloading a gun, (make sure your practice ammo is a dummy) drill into them to keep their finger off the trigger unless ready to fire.  Muzzle control is a huge problem with small children in our classes.  They have a hard time focusing on the gun and the instructor at the same time, therefore the muzzle seems to "travel" where ever they are looking.  I hope this helps. Good luck!

Having had 3 kids go through, I would say this is sound advice.

Some courses are specified for youth, some adult, some mixed. It's the same course, just depends on who's running it (Tacoma SC does it this way).

Retests can be done anytime. Hard part would likely be finding a class that is not full.

Most of the failures I saw (and they are INSTANT failures) were due to handling mishaps, specifically muzzle control. I saw several kids leave in tears after passing all phases with flying colors, only to cover someone with a muzzle and get failed immediately. It happens.

Best advice I can give is to do lots of handling practice. Make sure it's in a variety of situations. They will need to load, unload, cross fences, get in and out of boats, etc. all safely. It's very easy to maintain muzzle control when it's just "kid/dad", whole different story when around other people.

[joe_dumy]

Great advice, I will do some more handling with him make sure he understands proper handling in all situations.

[steen]

Steen having a hard time finding the youth program. Can you point me in the right direction. Also do they have to wait an entire year before retesting. I can't find that info either.

We do two a year up in Whatcom Co. but that is a long drive for you with the requirement being 5 days.  I don't know of any in your area. You could give Dave's Sportshop in Lynden a call and he (Dave) might be able to find one in your area or send you in the right direction.

[runningboard]

Have your son take the youth course, they go over things numerous times and drum it in their heads.  If he pays attention he should pass fine.  We will even have an adult read the questions to them to make it easier for them to understand the question.  Some kids have a hard time understanding the question when they read it themselves. If he doesn't pass he can try again the next year.  You can ask him the questions at the end of each chapter in the hunter safety book to help him if you wish. Sometimes handling the gun is the hardest, especially small children.  Help them with loading and unloading a gun, (make sure your practice ammo is a dummy) drill into them to keep their finger off the trigger unless ready to fire.  Muzzle control is a huge problem with small children in our classes.  They have a hard time focusing on the gun and the instructor at the same time, therefore the muzzle seems to "travel" where ever they are looking.  I hope this helps. Good luck!

Having had 3 kids go through, I would say this is sound advice.

Some courses are specified for youth, some adult, some mixed. It's the same course, just depends on who's running it (Tacoma SC does it this way).

Retests can be done anytime. Hard part would likely be finding a class that is not full.

Most of the failures I saw (and they are INSTANT failures) were due to handling mishaps, specifically muzzle control. I saw several kids leave in tears after passing all phases with flying colors, only to cover someone with a muzzle and get failed immediately. It happens.

Best advice I can give is to do lots of handling practice. Make sure it's in a variety of situations. They will need to load, unload, cross fences, get in and out of boats, etc. all safely. It's very easy to maintain muzzle control when it's just "kid/dad", whole different story when around other people.

another thing to be preparing your kid for is to pay attention to those other people walking in front of his muzzle. have seen that more times than I care to remember. kids get excited to do a task and walk right in font of someone else loading/unloading etc.