Home Study

BY GARY THOMAS
PHOTOS BY CHAS. J. DEES

In this fast-paced society we live in, there's not always time to do everything we would like to do. That's true for adults and youngsters alike.

And that's the premise behind the Department of Natural Resources' Hunter Education Inde

Beginning your hunter safety education at home won't save you time, but it does allow you to choose the time you want to do it.

pendent Study Program. The two year-old program began in the fall of 1998, and is designed to give individuals the opportunity to complete part of their hunter safety training at home. By working through an independent study book and then taking a test, an individual can get credit for five hours of hunter education training.

"This is not so much a savings in time as it is in allowing a person to pick the time they want to study," says Jeff Hopkins, assistant safety education administrator for the DNR. "It actually takes more time to complete the independent study program—about 8 to 10 hours more—than it does attending a traditional class. However, it allows students to go at their own speed, and they can choose the time they want to work on it. They still have to pass a written test and attend five hours of classroom training to get their hunter safety certificate."

The test has 35 multiple choice questions, and students have to get 28 (80 percent) of them correct before they can advance to the final five hours of the class. In addition, the instructor goes

William Gilman, Springfield, helps his son Devin complete a section of the hunter education study book at home. The independent study program has been offered by the Department of Natural Resources since 1998.

After completing the home study booklet, students must attend five hours of classroom training, much of which is hands-on. These students in Sangamon County are learning the safe way to get in and out of a boat while hunting waterfowl.

through the workbook to ensure the student has completed that work and grades 15 random questions from the workbook.

How tough is the pre-test?

"The test isn't easy, but if you do the work in the book, you shouldn't have any problem passing the test," Hopkins says. "Last year we had 46 students choose to get their hunter safety certificate this way, and only three of them failed the pre-test."

While there is no age limit on who can take the independent study class, it is not recommended for youngsters under 16 years of age.

"There is no time limit in completing the work, and we encourage parents to help their kids, but it's still pretty intense work," Hopkins says. "The study guide is 86 pages of reading, and then students must answer all the questions in a 40- page workbook."

Why not allow students to do the entire class by home study?

Hopkins says the independent study program provides students with a good working knowledge of the basics of hunter safety. The final five hours of classroom instruction includes more hands-on activities—how to cross a fence with a gun, loading and unloading a firearm, use of safety belts in tree-stands and information about eye and ear protection.

"In addition, our hunter safety certificate is reciprocal with all other states and most Canadian provinces," Hopkins says. "That reciprocity is based on the premise that the holder of the card has had the proper training. If we were to go to just home study, our card would not be acceptable to other states or Canadian provinces. "If you're older and you just read the home study book, you can probably pass the test, even if you're not familiar with hunting," Hopkins said. "But the information in a book can't replace the one-on-one hands-on training students get in the classroom setting."

If you decide that you'd like to take the independent study method to get your hunter safety certificate, you need to call ahead to register for a class. There is at least one class in each of DNR's five regions four times a year. For more information or to find a class near you, call 1-800-832-2599. DNR's TTY number for hearing impaired is (217) 782-9175.

July 2000  19