IHEA News Releases RSS Feed

Yamaha Donates ATV for Auction

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 20:45:03 GMT

Yamaha Outdoors donates Grizzly 350 4x4 ATV to International Hunter Education Association

Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A., recently announced it will donate a Grizzly 350 4x4 to the International Hunter Education Association (IHEA) to be used as a fundraiser. The ATV will be featured as a special auction item on www.gunbroker.com beginning September 1, 2011, and continuing for 30 days to October 1. All of the funds generated will be used in support of the IHEA’s mission and operations.

The winning bidder will be able to pick up the Grizzly at their nearest Yamaha dealer.

“Yamaha is extremely pleased to be able to support the IHEA,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha’s ATV/SxS group marketing manager. “The IHEA’s mission of continuing the hunting heritage by developing safe, responsible and knowledgeable hunters parallels Yamaha’s efforts to promote and encourage the safe and responsible use of ATV’s.”

IHEA Executive Director Wayne East remarked: “We are excited to partner with Yamaha to bring you this charity auction. The IHEA would not be able to fulfill our mission if it wasn't for the support of our sponsors and members and we would like to thank Yamaha for this generous donation.”

Features of the Grizzly 350 include On-Command push button 2WD, 4WD and 4WD with differential lock, the industry’s most durable fully automatic Ultramatic transmission, four wheel independent suspension and much more.

IHEA Endowment Donation Recognition

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 16:10:05 GMT

The International Hunter Education Association would like to express its deep appreciation to Dr. Edward Kozicky for his generous donation of $10,000 to to create the new Kozicky Endowment. The IHEA's most prestigious annual award is the Kozicky Award and this endowment will be used to fund this award in perpetuity. Dr. Kozicky was the first executive director of the IHEA, and he has been an ardent supporter of the IHEA mission and programs since the beginning.

We would like to thank Mary L. Catron of Anchorage, Alaska for a $50 memorial contribution in memory of Harold “Jim” Sisbach, an avid hunter.

The IHEA would also like to thank Mr. Ray Coffey for donating $800 to the IHEA Endowment Fund, Mr. Lenny Rees for his donation of $100, Mr. Steve Langford for his donation of $20.00, and Gary Dunda for his donation of $10.00.

In honor of Homer E. Moe we would like to thank the following individuals for their contribution to the IHEA Endowment Fund:

Richard L. DeGowin
Raymond A. Lindsey
Ward and Margaret Olsen

All of these donations will be matched dollar for dollar by the IHEA Foundation. These donations and any donations are sincerely appreciated and help us with our mission "To continue the heritage of hunting worldwide by developing safe, responsible and knowledgeable hunters."

Thank you!!

Learn more about the IHEA Endowment and Planned Giving

The Cartridge Comparison Poster

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:00:05 GMT

The IHEA teamed up with Cartridge Comparison Guide to bring you a new educational poster. This poster features all of the most common cartridges and shotshells depicted in life size, and would be an excellent addition to any classroom. Instructors get this poster at roughly half price. Go to http://ihea.cartridgecomparisonguide.com for more information.

Firearm Safety Rules

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 19:40:03 GMT

Follow 4 basic rules and make hunting even safer

Hunting is one of the safest ways to enjoy the outdoors. To ensure hunting remains safe and becomes ever safer, the International Hunter Education (IHEA)Association IHEA recommends hunters and shooters follow four basic rules of firearms safety

The four basic rules of firearms safety, known by the acronym TABK, are as follows:

T - Treat every firearm as if it were loaded. Never assume a firearm is unloaded.

A - Always point the firearm in a safe direction. Even if an unwanted discharge occurs no one will be hurt if you always point the gun in a safe direction.

B - Be sure of your target and what is beyond your target. Make absolutely certain you can positively identify your target and what is beyond it. Make sure there are no other hunters, houses, vehicles, or other animals beyond your target in case your bullet, or shot if you are using a shotgun, misses your target or travels through your target. Never shoot an animal that is on the horizon as you cannot be sure of what is behind that animal

K - Keep your finger out of the trigger guard and off the trigger until ready to shoot. Also, make sure that branches or other objects do not contact the trigger guard or trigger.

Currently, it is estimated more people are injured from elevated stand-related injuries than all other incidents combined. "If you are hunting from an elevated stand, make sure you are properly using a full body safety harness, also known as a Fall Arrest System (FAS)" said Wayne East, executive director for IHEA. "Also, make sure you read and follow the manufacturer's directions on proper use of your safety harness."

With some common sense and the proper use of safety equipment, you will ensure that you and others will safely enjoy your hunt

For more information, visit IHEA.com.

To help spread the word about hunting safety, view and use the following public service announcements for web, print and video at OutdoorRoadmap.com

2009 IHEA Hunting Incident Academy

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:20:31 GMT

For immediate release: October 8, 2009
Contact: Tim Lawhern (608) 266-1317 timothy.lawhern@wisconsin.gov

Watch the news media coverage from ABC affiliate WTXL by following this link:
http://www.wtxl.com/Global/story.asp?s=11276371

FWC: ‘CSI in the swamp’

The scene is disturbing. A lifeless body is in the woods. A 12-gauge shotgun is next to the dead, middle-aged man. Conservation law enforcement officers are notified and when they arrive, a man tells them he was hunting when he came upon the body. He had heard shooting prior to the discovery, but observed no one – other than the deceased. It is up to the officers to determine if this death is a result of natural causes, suicide, murder or an unwanted discharge of the victim’s firearm.

This is an actual case, which occurred in Iowa, re-created by the International Hunter Education Association (IHEA) for training. In the humid, damp woods of north Florida, the scenario is played-out by actors to help educate conservation officers on how to investigate hunting-related incident scenes in the field. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) hosted the training at the Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy (Quincy) and the Joe Budd Aquatic Education Center (Midway), just outside of Tallahassee. The class of 36 is made up of fish and wildlife officers from around the country.

“Last year, hunting incidents in Florida doubled, and we want to change that,” said Bill Cline, director of hunting safety for the FWC. “We call this training ‘CSI in the woods’, or in Florida, ‘CSI in the swamp.’ This training helps us look for clues as to what happened at a hunting incident. If an injury or death could have been avoided, we want to pass on what we learned to hunters so they know how to avoid similar behavior.”
Like most any outdoor activity, there is the risk of injury. With firearms involved, the injury may be more serious. Nevertheless, nationwide, for every 100,000 hunters, there are only five hunter incidents. Overall, hunting is safe and Tim Lawhern, president and co-director of the IHEA, stands by this.

Lawhern has been with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for more than 20 years and knows a thing or two about hunting safety.

“International statistics indicate that the chance of a hunter getting killed while hunting is exactly the same as the chance of any person getting struck by lightning,” Lawhern said.
He also knows that not everything is as it appears.

“Sometimes a murder, suicide or attempted suicide is disguised as a hunting incident,” Lawhern said.

As was the case of the hunter finding the body. Evidence at the scene revealed that the man had committed suicide. He attempted to make his death look like a hunting accident so his wife and two children could collect on his life insurance policy. He was also religious and his religion forbids suicide.

In another re-created scenario, a Georgia conservation law enforcement officer is shot by a turkey hunter. The officer was checking to see if the hunter, accompanied by his unarmed daughter, was hunting over bait – which is illegal. The shooter shot at the officer from 28 yards away, believing he was shooting at a turkey. The officer was hit on the lower part of his body and he nearly bled to death. Due to his injury, he was forced to retire. The hunter broke one of the cardinal rules for hunter safety – be certain of your target.

“There are four rules that every hunter, or anyone else with a firearm, needs to follow,” Lawhern said. “First, treat every firearm as if it were loaded, even if you think it is not. Second, always point the muzzle in a safe direction. Third, be certain of your target and what’s beyond it. And fourth, keep your finger outside of the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot.”

For one instructor at the IHEA training, hunter safety is particularly personal. On two separate occasions, a decade apart, a hunter shot Capt. Mike Van Durme of the New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation. The 34-year veteran was shot in 1986 by a man in a boat who was shooting frogs with a .22 rifle. The shooter didn’t see Van Durme who was in uniform and in plain view, standing on a dike. When the man shot at the frog, the shot ricocheted off the water and struck Van Durme in the ear.

Van Durme was more seriously injured when he was shot a second time in 1996 while he was hunting, off-duty. As Van Durme was walking through short grass, a deer ran between him and another hunter. Though Van Durme was wearing the required bright orange vest and hat, the hunter failed to look beyond the deer and fired. In an instant, Van Durme realized he was being shot at and turned away. The slug ran along his left shoulder. His injury could have been fatal, but his instantaneous reaction likely saved his life.

“It was my crime scene, but I was the victim,” Van Durme said. “The shooter was with four other people and when he realized what he did, he tossed his shotgun into the woods. I had to sort that out and make arrests – two of the hunters were felons and it is unlawful for felons to possess firearms.”

Though Van Durme made arrests and collected evidence immediately after being shot, nearly 24 hours later it hit him how close he had come to death.

“I was in my church choir the next day, singing the closing song,” Van Durme said. “Then I thought, I don’t want to be a part of this anymore – a victim, or having people congratulate me and telling me how great I was. I just felt my life energy leave me. Being shot is traumatic.”

It took a while for Van Durme to get back to hunting, but eventually he did. He uses his near-death experience to improve hunting safety.

“I’ve been instructing since 2000,” Van Durme said. “I instruct at every academy in my state and my incident has lead to a comprehensive 12-page report on hunting incidents.”

Though a stranger shot Van Durme, IHEA president, Lawhern says that in the majority of cases, a friend or family member shoots the victim. He also stresses that in one-third to one-half of the time, hunting-related shooting injuries are self-inflicted. These are the things that Lawhern and others who investigate shooting incidents have learned.

“Every crime scene should be investigated as if it were a member of your family,” Lawhern said.

FWC’s Cline agrees. “Hunting is a great sport,” Cline said. “We want everyone to come home from hunting safe and sound; bagging something is secondary to that.”

IHEA Responds to False Allegations by PETA

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:20:35 GMT

Contact: Wayne East
Tel: 303-430-7233
E-mail: exdir@ihea.com

For Immediate Release

June 25, 2009

IHEA RESPONDS TO FALSE ALLEGATIONS BY PETA

Federal Heights, CO – In a letter to the editor, a senior staff writer for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) falsely quoted the International Hunter Education Association.

Currently there is a mentor hunting bill in the State of Wisconsin Legislature that in part would lower the minimum age requirement of youth hunters to 10 if accompanied by an experienced adult mentor. It also allows other hunters of older ages to hunt without first taking basic hunter education so long as the mentor has or is otherwise exempt by law. This is a similar bill to many that have been passed in other states over the last several years.

In their letter to the editor, PETA says, “the Association (IHEA) believes these statistics (the rate of youth under 18 being involved in incidents) will only grow as the age at which children are allowed to handle guns is lowered.”

“This statement was manufactured by the author of the letter to the editor and is an outright lie,” said IHEA Executive Director, Wayne East. “The IHEA has never and will never state that youth incident rates will only grow as the age which children are allowed to handle guns is lowered, as PETA claims in their letter to the editor. The IHEA in fact supports youth involvement in hunting and the shooting sports as long as it is done in a safe, ethical manner.”

All attempts to contact the author of PETA’s letter to the editor went unanswered.

Lawhern Elected President of IHEA

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:20:38 GMT

Lawhern elected president of International Hunter Education Assn.

MADISON -- For the second time in his 20-year career with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Hunter Education Administrator Tim Lawhern has been elected president of the International Hunter Education Association.

“It is significant for Wisconsin,” said DNR Secretary Matt Frank of Lawhern’s unanimous election to lead the 37-year-old association whose members include New Zealand, Peru, Australia, South Africa, Mexico, Canada and the United States. “It shows we have a tremendously respected program with good oversight and leadership since Day One.”

A Tennessee native hired as a DNR game warden before being named hunter education administrator in 1994, Lawhern is the only member of the international association to be elected president twice. It is the professional association for 67 state and provincial wildlife conservation agencies and 70,000 volunteer instructors.

The Denver, Colo.-based international association develops curriculum standards and training methods, hosts a national academy for hunting incident investigations, and an academy for administrators among its varied duty list.

Lawhern said the two biggest challenges he wants to tackle during his two-year term as president involve revamping the association’s communications practices and adopting standards for hunter education for basic and advanced training to be used worldwide.

“The worldwide trend of youth involvement (in hunting) is down,” Lawhern said, adding the association must revamp its communications to involve social networking and other electronic methods to reach today’s youth. “We will focus on communications and relationship-building.”
A benefit of worldwide standards for training will mean reciprocity -- meaning a student who completes a course in one jurisdiction will be allowed to hunt in any of the other IHEA member jurisdictions. For example, the course in Peru will be recognized under Wisconsin requirements.

One big reason Lawhern was asked by the association’s members to seek the office for a second time is the fact there are 5,000 volunteer hunter education instructors in Wisconsin.

“Wisconsin is blessed to have the greatest and largest volunteer instructor corps for hunter education in the world,” Lawhern said.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Lawhern, DNR Hunter Education Administrator - (608) 266-1317

Federal Sponsors Volunteer Instructor Award

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:20:46 GMT

Contact: Jason Nash
ATK Commercial Products
800-322-2342 (ext. 3878)
or Tim Brandt (x3833)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE E-mail: pressroom@atk.com

Federal Premium^® Sponsors Volunteer Hunter Education Instructor of the Year Award

ANOKA, Minn. – February 25, 2009 – Federal Premium^® will name the Volunteer Hunter Education Instructor of the Year at the annual International Hunter Education Association (IHEA) Conference. This event will be held April 22-25, 2009 in Toronto and nominations will be taken until March 13.

Nominees for this award must have made a contribution to Hunter Education in 2008. Anyone who has significantly advanced the cause of safe hunting on a voluntary basis through extraordinary service in training or education is eligible.

Picking One Winner

After March 13, a panel of impartial and knowledgeable judges will pick a group of finalists from all the submissions. A selection committee from IHEA will then narrow the field to three. One winner will be named Volunteer Hunter Education Instructor of the Year and each of the three finalists will be honored during the IHEA Awards luncheon.

Federal Premium has a long history of supporting Hunter Education, and sponsoring this award continues that tradition. “Volunteers are the most valuable assets of hunter education programs across North America,” said Ryan Bronson, Federal Premium conservation specialist. “This award provides a great opportunity for each administrator to recognize individuals who have made significant program contributions in their respective jurisdiction.”

Something for All Nominees

Nominees from every state or province will receive a hunter education pack from Federal Premium. All of those up for the award are encouraged to attend the annual conference and be recognized during the luncheon.

Nomination forms were mailed to all Hunter Education Administrators, and are also available online here. Forms must be completed, submitted and/or received/postmarked by March 13, 2009.

Send to:

International Hunter Education Association
Attn: Wayne East
272 W. 92^nd Ave., Suite 103
Federal Heights, CO 80260

About Federal Cartridge Company

Headquartered in Anoka, Minnesota, Federal Cartridge Company has been providing hunters and shooters with high-quality rimfire, centerfire and shotshell ammunition since 1922. It pioneered the Premium category of ammunition and is part of the world’s leading ammunition manufacturer, ATK Armament Systems. For more information on Federal, visit www.federalpremium.com.

About ATK Armament Systems

Headquartered in Utah, ATK Armament Systems is the world’s largest ammunition manufacturing entity generating approximately $1.5B annually in sales. The organization manufactures small caliber military ammunition, medium caliber military ammunition, medium caliber gun systems, rocket motors, ammunition propellants, commercial and military smokeless powder, law enforcement and sporting ammunition, ammunition related products and is the operator of two U.S. Army ammunition manufacturing plants. The organization employs approximately 6,000 people. Find out more about the Commercial Products division at www.outdoorwriters.atk.com.

About ATK

ATK is a premier aerospace and defense company with more than 17,000 employees in 21 states and approximately $4.5 billion in revenue. News and information can be found on the Internet at www.atk.com.

IHEA Responds to NC School Clash Over Shooting Competition

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:20:58 GMT

Click Here to read the news story about North Carolina's Wake County School District and their decision to prevent their Future Farmers of America marksmanship team from competing in a state sponsored tournament that has operated successfully for 30 years.

April 23, 2008

Superintendent Daniel Barnes
Wake County School District
3600 Wake Forest Road
Raleigh, NC 27609

Dear Superintendent Barnes,

We’ve learned that representatives of the Wake County School District recently took administrative action to prevent a high school affiliated Future Farmers of America marksmanship team from participating in a government sponsored shooting competition organized by the State of North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. The reasoning, as characterized by school officials, was that “ammo and students don’t mix”.

As sportsmen based conservation groups and active advocates of passing along the rich heritage of hunting and shooting sports to our country’s youth, the undersigned organizations are deeply concerned about this decision and in fact, regard it as a counterproductive measure in preventing gun violence.

Each year, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission organizes this event, which is comprised of skeet shooting, rifle marksmanship, archery, and navigation competitions, to promote firearm safety and teach young people interested in shooting sports about the consequences of unsafe gun handling. We view this as valuable experience that instills guidelines for responsible behavior in team members that they will carry into adulthood. Without officially sanctioned events such as this, many young people would not have the opportunity to learn how to safely pursue their interest in hunting and shooting thus possibly causing unsafe conditions in the field for themselves and fellow sportsman. Lessons in personal responsibility, patience, care for equipment owned by others and many other benefits of participating in these types of activities extend beyond the practice range. We also believe that the actual risk of bodily harm posed by participation in a state-endorsed, fully adult supervised event such as this is extremely remote and should not have influenced the school district’s decision. According to a study released by the National Safety Council, accidental deaths involving firearms are at an all time low with the fastest rate of decline taking place over the last decade. This was largely attributed to education programs sponsored by state wildlife agencies (such as the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission), the firearms industry, and organizations like the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the National Rifle Association.

We are extremely disappointed in the decision of the Wake County School District and hope that this inappropriate action will serve as an example of the type of policy that will be avoided in the future.

Sincerely,

Archery Trade Association

Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Boone and Crockett Club

Bowhunting Preservation Alliance

Catch-A-Dream Foundation

Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation

Dallas Safari Club

Delta Waterfowl

Ducks Unlimited

International Hunter Education Association

Mule Deer Foundation

National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses

National Rifle Association

National Wild Turkey Federation

National Wild Turkey Federation, North Carolina

National Shooting Sports Foundation

National Trappers Association

North American Bear Foundation

North American Grouse Partnership

Orion the Hunters’ Institute

Pheasants Forever

Pope and Young Club

Quail Unlimited

Quail Forever

Quality Deer Management Association

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

Ruffed Grouse Society

Safari Club International

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

Texas Wildlife Association

U.S. Sportsman's Alliance

Whitetails Unlimited

Wildlife Forever

Wildlife Management Institute

CC:

NC State School Board Chairman Howard N. Lee

NC State School Superintendent June St. Clair Atkinson

The Honorable Beverly Eaves Perdue

Wake County School Board

Fred Harris, Executive Director North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

IHEA Welcomes Wayne East - New Executive Director

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:20:43 GMT

As President of the International Hunter Education Association, it gives me great pleasure to announce that the IHEA has hired a new Executive Director. Wayne East will be stepping into that position beginning March 17. Wayne is a native of Colorado with a Bachelors degree in Wildlife Management and a Masters in Public Administration. He has worked for the Colorado Wildlife Federation as their Executive Director and was a strong candidate for the IHEA Executive Director position in 2006 when Gary Berlin was hired. Wayne brings his knowledge of non-profit operations and an exuberance that will lead the IHEA forward for many years.

Twenty-two highly qualified individuals submitted applications for the Executive Director position. The Interview Committee worked hard to narrow the field to the top five candidates. The IHEA was fortunate to have such a high caliber of applicants to choose from.

Gary has agreed to a contract extension to make the transition for Wayne as smooth as possible. He will continue in an advisory role for over a month and then be available until it is determined that his services are no longer needed.

Please join me and the IHEA Board in welcoming Wayne East as our new Executive Director.

Mark Birkhauser
President
International Hunter Education Association