FRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 7
Outdoor Rec
Online versus classroom
hunter safety courses
By Nick Myatt
Many kids in our coun-
try lead ridiculously busy
lives. A fter school parents
rush them around to piano
lessons, baseball games,
church groups, and other
extracurricular activities.
Finding time for kids to
fi t in the commitment of
a Hunter Safety class has
become increasingly dif-
fi cult.
State fi sh and wildlife
agencies have taken steps
to make Hunter Safety
less of a barrier to youth
participation. One of the
most signifi cant changes in
many states has been the
addition of online hunter
education classes instead
of traditional classroom
style courses.
Choosing between the
two course types can be a
tough decision for parents
and I am sorry to say I am
not going to have a straight
answer for you.
The Answer Is – It
Depends.
It depends on what you
want your young hunter to
get out of the course, their
maturity level, their learn-
ing style, and many other
factors that only a parent
can judge.
My Personal Preference
– Online.
Online Hunter Safety of-
fers greater fl exibility and
will likely not confl ict with
other obligations in your
kid’s complicated lives.
Taking the course online
is a more effi cient use of
the parent’s and child’s
time and will give the
minivan a little rest after
all those soccer practices.
Just because it is online,
does not mean that there is
not an instructor – You Are
The Instructor.
The online version will
allow you to move at the
appropriate pace for your
kid, spending more time on
areas you want to empha-
size or your child does not
understand.
If you follow this blog
and are introducing your
young hunter to hunting
long before they can even
shoulder a gun, then your
kid will likely already
understand many of the
things taught in the class.
In a perfect world, the
course will just be used to
meet a legal requirement
because you have already
taught them everything in
the course!
(On the blog online is a
short video introduction to
the online courses at Hunt-
erCourse.com, the online
Hunter Safety company
used by 28 states and 5
Canadian provinces.)
Total Control Over
Who Teaches Your
Hunter.
Another selling point
for the online option is it
allows you to infl uence and
teach your kid what and
how you want them to be
taught.
I have worked with
many incredible Hunter
Safety instructors over the
years. These individuals
are knowledgeable, dedi-
cated, and often volunteer-
ing a great deal of their
time to ensure the safety of
our youth.
Having said that, I have
also run into a Hunter
Safety instructor or two
where I have not agreed
with their methods, their
beliefs on some wildlife
management issues, or
their ethics so the online
version gives a parent total
control.
The Benefi ts of Class-
room Hunter Safety.
While my preference is
online, I can also make a
strong case for having your
young hunter attend Hunter
Safety in the classroom:
A Hunter Safety instruc-
tor may expose your youth
to another perspective or
something that you may
not have thought of.
Many Hunter Safety in-
structors have successfully
graduated more students
than they have grey hairs
on their head. This experi-
ence means they have
“been there and done that”.
Lets face it, some kids just
don’t listen to their parents
but they will listen intently
to others. Frustrating but
true!
A classroom session is
a good way for kids and
parents to meet other hunt-
ers and may open up new
hunting opportunities or
areas.
Hunter Safety instruc-
tors are a dedicated bunch
that often put on other
events and clinics after
your hunter has gradu-
Why advertise with us?
David Conn
david@thebakercountypress.com
or call 541.523.5524
Baker City, Haines,
other areas
Wendee Morrissey
wendee@thebakercountypress.
com or call 541.805.1688.
Sumpter, Bates,
Richland, Halfway,
Medical Springs,
Keating
Family owned and operated.
Packed with local news!
La Grande Swim Club sent four swimmers to the How-
ard Jones Memorial Senior Swim Meet on June 19-21,
held at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham. Swim-
mers had to be at least 13 year-old and have the qualify-
ing time standard to enter this prelim/fi nal swim meet.
Two of the La Grande swimmers were from Baker City,
Jared Miller (16) and Riana Scott (13).
All of the La Grande swimmers competed well and
made fi nals every night at this large, competitive meet.
The girls fi nished 10th and boys 14th out of 19 teams.
Ladies bridge
club winners
THE OUTDOOR COLUMN
This week’s guest
columnist, Nick Myatt, is
the author of the popular
blog GrowingHunters.
com. Readers can visit that
site and sign up for free
updates! Hunting stories
and comments are always
welcome on his blog.
Swim meet
results
• Low rates per
column inch &
promotional deals
• Color at no
additional charge
as space permits
• Friendly,
professional sales
staff
• All display ads
are also posted
to our Facebook
page, which means
thousands of
individuals see
your ad from that
source alone.
We’re the only
local paper that
offers this service!
ated from the required
basic course. By taking the
online course, your youth
may be missing out on
those opportunities.
Hunter Safety instruc-
tors can be excellent
mentors for your youth and
their classroom courses
are part of the heritage and
culture of our sport.
Hunter Safety Field
Day.
Regardless of whether
you chose to complete
the coursework online or
in the classroom, there is
typically a required “fi eld
day” where your youth
will practice live fi re and
demonstrate safe handling
of fi rearms. This fi eld day,
provides a valuable addi-
tion to the online course
and may add some of the
positive aspects missed by
not attending the class-
room course.
Now Time For Your
Decision.
Only you can decide
what is best for your kid
and what you want them
to get out of the training.
Whatever your choice, the
course will benefi t your
young hunter, but it will
not replace a hands-on
approach from you as a
parent and mentor.
Some of the safest
hunters I have known are
youth who have recently
completed Hunter Safety
because it is fresh in their
mind.
Hunter Safety and Edu-
cation does not stop when
your young hunter receives
their certifi cate in the mail;
it continues for a lifetime.
The Quail Ridge ladies bridge club winners for July 1
are as follow: 1st Martha Cassidy; 2nd Barb White; and
3rd Karen Lewis.
Haines Rodeo
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Steer wrestling sponsored by Premier Auto was won
by Jesse Brown at 8.25, followed by Michael McGinn at
9.12, David Clark at 11.25, and Cody Wilcox with a time
of 13.53.
Junior breakaway sponsored by Baker City Carpet
Express was won by Danielle Jennings with a time of
1.87, Samantha Kerns at 2.47, Kallie Roeser at 2.75, and
Quincy Pendergrass fi nishing in 3.0 seconds.
Junior barrels sponsored by Sunfi re Real Estate/Mi-
chelle Dollar was won by Jacie Jane Shaffer in a time
of 17.594, followed by Milo Grubaugh at 17.814, Katy
McKay at 18.003, Charmayne Briggs at 18.372, Allie
McDaniel at 18.387, and Rylee Deal in at 19.14.
Barrel race sponsored by DLX Ranch was won by
Samantha Kerns in at 17.179 seconds, followed by Jandi
Briggs at 17.276, Remie Taylor at 17.348, Amanda Evans
at 17.441, Claudia Brower at 17.714, and Maddie Pender-
grass at 17.838.
Stock saddle bronc competition sponsored by Haines
Steak House was won by Konnyr Merik with a 75, Cole
Rawlins with a 75, Bruce Cox at 72, and Taylor Kerns
with a score of 70.
Bull riding championships sponsored by McGinn
Brothers was awarded to CJ Santana with a score of 86,
and second place fi nisher Montana Barlow with a 63.
Baker/Union team roping contest was won by Riley
Brown and Nick Colwell in a time of 16.25 seconds,
followed by Bobby Harrell/Lexie Harrell in at 13.26,
Samantha Kerns/Taylor Kerns at 28.09.
Champion cow milkers are Matt Morford and Wade
Joseph.
The Cow Race was won by the team of Jacob Spar,
Ethan Lowe and Patrick Green.
The Cowhide Race champs are Brent Kerns and Lance
kerns of Friday and Brent Kerns and Colt Cobb on Satur-
day.
Forester
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
Random
Acts of
Kindness
Each week The
Baker County Press
will include a list—
all anonymous, of
course—of the good
deeds and random
acts of kindness
people from around
the area have wit-
nessed. To include
something you’ve
seen or experienced,
email News@The-
BakerCountyPress.
com with “Random
Acts of Kindness” in
the subject line. We’ll
be sure to include
your story.
• We were impressed
to hear other hik-
ers tell their kids to
leave the fawn that
was bedded down
in the grass alone. It
was up the hill and its
mom had to be near.
They wanted to cause
no harm, and I liked
seeing animals treated
with sense.
Harvey mentioned issues with timber land in the Balm
Creek Reservoir area, stating that some prescribed burns
have devastated the area. He said he plans to speak with
Whitman Forest District Ranger Jeff Tomac soon about
the related issues, including the large amount of blown-
down trees, and to suggest timber sales as one solution.
Chase talked about Buck Gulch road issues, stating that
a contractor working with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS)
has caused extensive damage to a portion of the road,
including felling trees and causing boulders to block the
road. He discussed issues with the USFS and a couple of
miners in the area, including blocked access to a mining
claim due to locked gates. Harvey said that he and others
discovered recently that that particular road is an RS (Re-
vised Statute) 2477 road, having been listed in 1900, and
that he will be informing the USFS that the road needs to
be back in working condition.
Bainter, Executive Director of the Baker County
Chamber of Commerce, voiced some concerns about
some state legislation, regarding the effects of manda-
tory sick leave, retirement issues, and what effects there
would be, with raising the minimum wage in the state,
through the voting process. She said she spoke with, and
explained the issues to Senator Jeff Merkely, with raising
the minimum wage, and the effects on businesses.
McComb made some comments about stagnant wages
in the U.S. for decades, due to the migration of jobs
offshore, and automated industry. He said that workers
have lost their bargaining positions, and that profi ts have
all gone to the top 1%. There’s a lot of money nationally
he said, that needs to be put into the hands of working
people, so they can have a living wage, and not have to
worry about every penny they spend.
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