Arizona's Online Hunter Safety Course Celebrates First Year

Participation indicates program accommodates future hunters

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Time constraints and a reliance on technology have impacted all aspects of society, and the educational arena is no exception. Internet-based education programs—including hunter education—have evolved to better accommodate students’ schedules and learning needs in today’s fast-paced world.
  
The Arizona Game and Fish Department introduced its online hunter education program one year ago to provide a convenient option for students unable to take the traditional classroom program.
  
Since its introduction last August, 940 students have successfully completed the self-paced study portion of the online course. However, to become fully certified, students must also successfully pass a mandatory “hands-on field day” within 90 days of completing the online course work. To date, 532 people have done so and have become fully certified. That number is expected to increase as temperatures cool for the outdoor field days.
  
While the online course is new, hunter education in Arizona has been around for more than 50 years and is considered one of the best in the nation. The traditional classroom course continues to certify approximately 4,000 students each year.

Due to the success of the program, starting Sept. 20 there will be an online field day taking place the third Saturday of each month at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in the conservation education building.
  
Arizona has an excellent hunter safety record. Even though hunter education is only required for youths age 10 to 13 that want to hunt big game, there is only an average of three hunting accidents per year, and fatalities from hunting accidents are even rarer.
  
Moreover, nearly every accident recorded could have been avoided by observing the fundamental lessons taught in hunter education, which are wearing hunter orange clothing and following the “tab plus one” (T.A.B. +1) rule:  T=Treat every gun as if it were loaded; A=Always keep your muzzle pointed in a safe direction; B=Be sure of your target and beyond; +1=Keep your finger outside the trigger guard until ready to shoot.

Arizona offers several options for taking hunter education courses. In addition to the new online course, there is a 7- to 10-hour introductory classroom course, the traditional 20-hour basic course, and the 28-hour combination course which includes bowhunting education, all of which require successfully completing the mandatory hands-on field day. For a list of available classes, visit www.azgfd.gov/education, and click on the “hunter education” link.

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