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.

[A4effort]

My 9 year old daughter took it last year, and I agree on the muzzle control was the main focus. I taught her all the different ways to hold the rifle safely, but they were mainly looking for one controlled way of holding it thru the course, and it was with two hands, close to the body, muzzle straight up.

[Little Dave]

As far as passing the class, either will work.  The best experience for a kid will be to enroll in one of the full week classes.  The classroom is an entirely different experience and a better way to coach him in safe handling, attitude of safety.

[danderson]

 The best experience for a kid will be to enroll in one of the full week classes.  The classroom is an entirely different experience and a better way to coach him in safe handling, attitude of safety.   


       

[pianoman9701]

 

When they're 8, the experience of firearm handling with others will slam home the importance of safety. I wouldn't do the online course for anyone unfamiliar with firearm handling and safety as everyday practice. When you make a mistake online it's just another mistake. When you make it in a class, you learn. 

[lilhornhunter]

I took it last year and it was not as hard as I thought it would be! I actually thought it was easier than the tests I take in school even though the hard part is you have to get 16/40 answers correct but you can go with him to the classes and write that's what my dad did. and after the whole thing, the next day I think there is a final test which is the shooting range.
 

[lilhornhunter]

I mean you cant get more than 16 wrong

[brew]

i've been a hunter ed instructor for going on 7 years and here is my  :twocents  have them go to a classroom and take the week long course.  we teach ours around the first of May at Yelm High School.  Get the booklet well ahead of time and go through it with them over and over until they can recognize and decipher the terminology used (conservation vs. preservation, carrying capacity, muzzle control, etc...). Weather the student reads the test themselves or it is read to them they have to be able to grasp the concepts in the manual to pass and most do if they pay attention to the classroom curriculum.  as far as handling the firearms its not beneficial to the students to come into the class and not be familiar with firearms.  Why are you bringing a student to class to get their hunter ed certificate if you yourself are not familiar with firearms and cannot show them the basic fundamentals of safety ?  Muzzle control-always keep the barrel pointed in a safe direction--that is most of what this course is about.  Think about the geometry of an 8 or 9 year old person...why would you have them carry the gun with the muzzle pointed upwards if others in the group are around?   i am over 6'2" tall....what do you think i see when i'm walking behind an 8 year old carrying a gun "safely" in either a shouldered or sling carry position ? all i see is the hole in the muzzle of the gun.  get them used to carrying it across their body with the muzzle pointed down at around a 45 degree angle with one hand on the fore-end and the other on the butt stock away from the trigger assembly.  The only reason they should have to lift the muzzle up is to either fire on identified game or aid in the loading/unloading of shells...and that angle should only be around 45 degrees and away from their hunting companions.

[brew]

just got the word that our class should be available on-line for registration March 18th.  Classes will be held at Yelm High School starting the week of May 4th.  We will be doing 2 classes at the same time so registration should be around 50 students.  It is a week long class with the culmination of range day that Saturday.  If you have any other questions please let me know.  text messages are fine

bryan

360 280-3853

[ATM green head machine]

it was super easy mine was a bubble test good luck



                 -ryan

[police women of America]

sorry I think he's a little to young 
maybe try again when he turns 10.
the courses are like 5 hours and its a lot harder to concentrate then the online course. you should get him a little notebook so he can write down what he learns in the course.

[Buck Rub Jr]

I passed mine at 8 years old. I did 100+ hours volunteer work during the field days at the Tacoma Sportsmans club and my dads been teaching there since he was 18 and he says a lot of kids that age pass the course and I remember seeing quite a few when I was there. Should be no problem if you work with him!

[elkoholic]

Go to the online study guide and print out the summary at the end of each unit and go over that info with your child. My 10 year old son had zero trouble with the class after he studied that info he missed 1 question on the test but the instructor re-asked it to him while he was grading his test and he answered it correctly that time. My 6 year old daughter wanted to get involved when we were studying and she could andwer about 75% of the questions I asked.

[PA BEN]

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.

Just an FYI; I was corrected about what to call a firearm in a field course with one of my daughters. I called it a weapon and the instructor said this is a hunter safety class, It's firearm safety. I was in law enforcement at the time and was used to calling them weapons. If you think about it a weapon is for self defence classes. 

[Bob33]

I've attached a study guide that we issue to our students prior to class.

[ghosthunter]

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.

Just an FYI; I was corrected about what to call a firearm in a field course with one of my daughters. I called it a weapon and the instructor said this is a hunter safety class, It's firearm safety. I was in law enforcement at the time and was used to calling them weapons. If you think about it a weapon is for self defence classes. 

You will find that differnet instructor teams use "firearm" for different reasons.

For me weapon does not discribe a firearm although it can be a weapon.

Think of it like this, If you had a table of firearms and you told a student to pick up that weapon. They really would not know what firearm to pick up. But if you say bring me that 20 ga. shotgun than they know exactly what you want.

If you had a table with a shotgun , knife,crowbar, and stick on it and you told the student to pick up that weapon, most would bring you the shotgun, but in fact anything on the table could be made a weapon by a person.

If you call a student up, have them describe the items on the same table to the class and stand by for questions. Than ask "What is the most dangerous weapon up here. The corect answer would be the student. Since the student can make anything on the table a weapon.

The point.... is if the student miss handles the firearm it can become a weapon. But handled corectly and safely it is just a firearm like any other item we use to acomplish specific things.