When Shawn Smith was in high school, he attended a hunter safety course. Now with a son of his own — 17-year-old Colin — the Lowell dad wanted to give the teen the same opportunity to learn the basics of becoming a responsible hunter.
To that end, he enrolled Colin in the recent two-day Indiana Hunter Education Safety Course at Cedar Creek Family Golf Center in Cedar Lake.
“I’ve taught my son some of the basics, but there are things I don’t remember or may not have thought of,” Smith said. “This (class) seems to cover everything.”
The Indiana Hunter Education Courses, sponsored in this area by the Lake County Parks Department, provide instruction in safe firearm use and handling while hunting and in the home, hunter ethics and responsibility, game identification and conservation management.
Those born after Dec. 31, 1986, are required by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to be certified in Hunter Education before they can purchase a hunting license, so many in the recent class were young.
Brandi Chalmers of Cedar Lake brought her son Kaleb, 10.
“A full knowledge of firearms is part of the process for hunters,” she said, as her son perused the table of more than a dozen guns that were laid out for demonstrations.
She added that Kaleb was engrossed with all the information he was receiving and didn’t realize there was so much to learn.
“I’m excited to be here,” the youngster said. “But I really want to be safe about it too. They’re showing us how.”
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The free course has no age restrictions, but any child younger than 11 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian during every session. In order to pass the course and receive certification, participants had to attend both days and pass a written test.
In addition, all hunters — regardless of age — need this class if they want to hunt out of state or participate in state-sponsored hunts. Adults are encouraged to take the class with their youngsters so they can reinforce what is taught.
Sessions are conducted by volunteer instructors and Indiana conservation officers.
A retired Munster police officer, Doug Simpson, who has taught this type of education for more than 15 years, facilitated the first day of the recent two-day workshop. His topic was firearms and muzzles.
“Your No. 1 safety is your finger,” he told the audience of 27. “That’s what makes a gun fire.”
He went on to discuss three basic components of a firearm — action (heart of the firearm with moving parts that load, fire and eject shells or cartridges), stock (serves as the handle of the firearm) and barrel (metal tube through which the projectile travels.)
A nearby table held a variety of firearms that Simpson used for demonstrating. No live ammunition was used.
Hebron dad Arthur Mink and his son Devin, 6, were among the 27 attendees.
“Devin has shown an interest in deer hunting, and this course is a first step,” Mink said. “He’s learning how to safely hunt, which is important to not only himself but to the others he will be around.”
Chris Orange, manager of Grand Kankakee Marsh Park, served as speaker on the second day of classes. He focused on wildlife conservation.
A one-hour closed book exam completed the course.
“Those who pass the exam will receive a certified hunter’s education card that is good for life,” White said.
Sue Ellen Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Lake County Parks Department: 219-796-7275 or www.LakeCountyParks.com.
Learn more
Indiana Department of Natural Resources: 219-879-5710 or www.in.gov/dnr.