Hunters education in Colfax
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For the first time in over forty years Hunter Education Training offered in Colfax will not be conducted in the familiar classroom format, according to Jim Nosker, lead instructor for the Colfax Hunter Ed instructor team.
Instead of traditional classroom sessions, the instructor team will put on an Internet Class Field Day 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Saturday, September 21 at the Dunn County/Colfax Shooting Sports Complex. To take part in the field day students must:
1. complete an on-line Hunter Education Course;
2. preregister for the field day;
3. bring to the field day proof of having successfully completed the internet class.
There are three on-line courses approved by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. All three of them, as well as registration for the field day, can be located on the DNR’s Go Wild internet site, Nosker said.
Cost of the online courses vary, from a low of $13 to a high of $24.95. Content of the various courses are not the same, even though all three are meant to prepare students for the field day. Not all of the courses are Wisconsin specific, but rather are designed for use by students across the country,
Cost of the field day is $10, as set by the DNR. The fee has to be paid at the start of the day. Any checks should be made out to Colfax Hunter Education.
Nosker said the switch from traditional classes to Colfax’s experiment with internet training has already generated complaints. The change was brought about by a variety of factors, the most prominent one being a marked shortage of instructors. He explained that at its high point the Colfax instructor team numbered seven but the group has been steadily dwindling due to people moving away or deciding that after many years of service they’ve done enough.
New instructors have not joined the group due to the time commitment required first to become certified and then to put on a course. He noted that for the 18 hour classroom based course each volunteer instructor puts in about 30 hours while the lead instructor logs far more.
Another reason for switching to an internet course is that the DNR is pushing the idea. For years the DNR has been insisting that Wisconsinites have been clamoring for internet based classes. Additionally, at instructor in-services the agency has repeatedly claimed that younger students learn better over the internet than they do in a traditional classroom.
According to the DNR, internet courses and the internet field day are designed for “the busy student or working adult that cannot fit a traditional class into their already busy schedule.” Students must register with a certified internet field day instructor and then complete the online training before attending the field day. Online coursework with 80% passing score or higher is required to obtain a field day permit which allows a student to attend a Wisconsin hunter education in-person internet field day.
After passing the internet course, students will spend a day with instructors reinforcing what they have learned online and practicing basic firearm safety and handling skills. They will be tested on what they have learned at the end of the field day. The field day is mandatory to earn a hunter education safety certification.
Nosker said calling the September 21 session a field day is somewhat of a misnomer because the class can be conducted mostly indoors and the outdoor part requires little more than a parking lot. No shooting is required for the field day and he explained that because of the amount of time the one-on-one testing requires and the limited number of instructors, there will be no time to make shooting available during the eight hour class. However, if he can get sufficient range safety officers to volunteer there might be an opportunity for students, after they’ve passed the course that day, to spend some time on the range.
Lunch will be provided courtesy of the Colfax Sportsmen’s Club.
For more information contact Jim Nosker at azen.outdoorbum@gmail.com or 715-962-4237.