near misses prompt mn dnr to promote firearms safety

From the NorthlandNewsCenter.com
published Oct. 14, 2008

Minnesota conservation officers are literally coming under fire this hunting season.

A recent DNR report says three game wardens have been nearly hit by accidental gun discharges.

One of those incidents happened near Grand Marais when a moose hunter accidentally fired his rifle just before an officer started checking licenses.

Russ Isola is a Minnesota DNR trained gun safety instructor.

He thinks all hunters should take a safety course that would reduce the dangers conservation officers and other hunters face in the field from improper gun handling.

“The hunter education program definitely corrects that!” says Isola.
He states it’s not young kids that are unsafe.

“The older hunters are the ones you actually have problems with because they haven’t had a hunter education class.” according to Isola.
That’s because Minnesotans born after 1979 have to graduate from the class to get a hunting license.

In the class, students get the scoop on proper gun handling. Russ demonstrates on an old Higgins 12 guage.

“If you take a look, you can see the firearm is empty and it’s pointed in a safe direction.”

Most hunter education classes in Minnesota have already wrapped up for 2008 but there is a self study option.

“If you are 18 or over you can go online and do a course if you are 18 or older.”

Isola, who’s been a safe hunter all his life, says firearms safety is a life or death matter.

“That’s why you definitely want to be safe because hurting somebody will definitely put a crimp in your day.”

Dave Anderson, the Northland’s News Center.

Procedures for Independent Study On-Line Course:
Step 1: Complete the activity “Using your Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations handbook” . Print out and show to the volunteer instructor at the field/exam session.
Step 2: Complete the Hunting dilemmas worksheet. Print out the questions, write your answers on a separate sheet of paper, and show to the volunteer instructor at the field/exam session.
Step 3: Complete the on-line course located at IHEA online . Print out your results to show the volunteer instructor.
Step 4: Assemble and bring to the field/exam session a basic survival kit as suggested in the IHEA on-line curriculum.
Step 5: Attend and successfully complete the field/exam session. Contact a DNR Certified Firearm Safety volunteer instructor to review your independent study coursework and to schedule an exam session and field day with the instructor, either in conjunction with a currently scheduled class or coordinated individually.

You will be provided with a temporary certificate upon successful completion of the above steps. A certificate will be sent to you from the Safety Training office. Certification endorsements will also appear on your Minnesota resident driver’s license or identification card when you obtain or renew it.
Cost: The fee is the same as the traditional Firearm Safety course of $7.50 – $15.00 collected by the instructor. Checks can be made payable to the Department of Natural Resources. The fee amount is subject to change at any time without prior notice.