Texas parks & wildlife hunter education program and Hunter Dan

A little over a year ago I got into Hunter Education. This is a volunteer program with Texas Parks and Wildlife. At one point I figured this program was just another way for government to get money from me. Man, was I wrong. The education program is very instrumental in reducing the number of hunting incidents and making hunting a safer, more enjoyable sport. It harps on safety AND ethics. As a matter of fact, this class doesn't teach you how to hunt per se, but how to be a better individual and represent the hunting community in a positive way.You need not be the greatest of hunters to be in this program as is obvious since I was allowed in. Just be willing to donate some of your time. It does take some effort, but the payoff for me has been well worth it. I have instilled at least a little in the way of ethics and safety into my students.TP&W also puts on workshops throughout the yearfor it's volunteers. These programs are very enjoyable and very informative.

	One of the perks of teaching is once and again you might come across a celeb. I assisted on a class in CutNShoot (real town, i swear). This is Kevin Black. He and his son took our class and passed! Then Mr. Black was gracious enough to perform a few songs.
Another perk is the workshops that TP&W put on. This little guy was part of our studies on alligator and their habitat. Yep, you guessed it, his mouth is taped shut.
	Some classes have a chance to work outdoors, such as this one, This allows a better feel for some of the subject matter. That in turn, makes classes more interesting.
This is the teaching team from my Coldspring class; L to R ; Chris, Myself, Ken Grau, Game Warden Aryn Corley, John Meekins, and H.L.

INSTRUCTIONAL AIDS

	I use many items to help teach my classes. Everything is fair game. The boat seen here along with inner tubes becomes a boat on water to simulate being on the water.
Asimple display case for models turns into a nice display for broadheads. Doing this allows students to see different types without exposing any sharp edges to them. Though this display isn't finished, it does show what I am trying to make.A big thank you goes to Mr.Copeland of Cleveland,Texas and to archeryexperts.com for their assistance on this display. Hopefully it will be done soon.
	Ok, so I get to play with dolls too. I use these Hunter Danfigures for treestand safety. Which hunter is safest hunter? Are you sure? would you hunt from a make shift stand like the one in the middle? I used to.

Check out the following links for more on the workshops put on by Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Turkey hunting workshop

Alligator workshop

Wingshooting responsibillity

Texas Parks & Wildlife Hunter Education Program