My Hunter Safety Experience: A Day of Learning and Fun
On Sunday, August 18, I had an incredibly fun day earning my Hunter Safety Certificate alongside my two oldest boys. I had no idea what to expect since I’d never taken the course before, but it turned out to be such a rewarding experience.
I wasn’t nervous, but we were definitely the least experienced folks there. Many of the kids getting certified come from long lines of hunters. While my husband, dad, and brother hunt, it’s not exactly their passion.
So, there I was, among a sea of about 50 kids, doing my best to keep up. But what we had in store for us was just a delight.
We ended up going to the Wildlife Center at 2022 W. 14 Mile Rd. in Bitely, MI. My neighbor, Mike Kwast (who’s on the Board of Safari Club International), had kids getting certified too, and this was the location they suggested.
I had never shot anything other than a BB gun, so when they told us we’d be shooting five shots at targets, I was pumped!
We received a general overview from the DNR and then broke into four groups for five different stations:
Target Practice
Treestand Practice
Crossing a Fence or Stream
Tour of the Facilities
Tracking and Survival Skills
As a novice, I couldn’t help but think how important these skills are, whether you hunt or not. There are so many life lessons we learned that day—lessons that are basically rules to live by.
The key takeaways were the importance of leaving the area better than you found it, doing the right thing even when no one is looking, and picking up trash when you see it.
We also got a lot of coaching on proper hunting etiquette, such as why you shouldn’t post your kills online out of respect for those who don’t hunt, and the importance of following the rules. The conservation officers explained that these rules are in place to maintain a healthy balance in wildlife, sharing how we’ve successfully brought back the turkey population.
Here are the four main rules they really emphasized:
Always have control of your muzzle.
Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
Know what’s in front of your target and what’s beyond it.
Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot.
In the end, the day was about much more than just earning a certificate. It was about learning valuable life skills, bonding with my boys, and gaining a deeper appreciation for the responsibilities that come with hunting. I’m so glad we took the time to do this, and I’m looking forward to putting these skills to use!
Here are the classes if you’re interested in taking one. You’ll need to complete either an online or in-person class before participating in a field day. The cost was $50 per person for the online class and $10 per person for the field day.
