Hunter safety course

[GRIMJIM]

My son and I spent the weekend in Steger taking the Illinois hunter safety course. It was pretty cool and we both passed. They brought up a lot of points that I already knew but it didn't hurt at all to be reminded. They had a bunch of different firearms there to show the younguns all the different kinds of actions. They actually let them handle them and showed a lot of safe gun handling techniques.

Legally you may not be required to take this course, I was born way before the date of requirement, which if I remember was 1980, but if your kid needs one you might as well go with. It is good for your lifetime and is required of everyone in some states out west. It is valid everywhere, no matter which state you take it in too.

[S.B.]

About 25% of the youth we run through this coarse in Dwight, attend with a parent.

[GRIMJIM]

That's too bad, all of the younger ones had parents with them.
there were a few stray older teenagers though.

[andyhunter]

I too attend a safet this past weekend with my son. we went to the course put on by Cabelas in Hoffman Estates, IL. i was surprised that there were over 75 people attending , with more then half being women with their daughters! i have hunted for 30 years, and someday will hunt in Colorado, so i needed it, but i really was happy taking it with my son... and yes, we both passed! The instructor there was very good! I think everyone should be required to take it! I have seen too many "seasoned" hunters do some stupid things when hunting!

[Glanceblamm]

GRIMJIM WROTE:

Legally you may not be required to take this course, I was born way before the date of requirement, which if I remember was 1980, but if your kid needs one you might as well go with.

andyhunter wrote:

and someday will hunt in Colorado, so i needed it,

I had a valid card from 1969 and could kick myself for losing it when it comes to out of state hunting. This was not required at that time but was issued by the DNR and taught by a licensed officer. No documentation was probably made at that time (unless you would still have your card) because it was not required as said. Oh well, a refresher is always good and it would be easy to do since you would probably be driving a youth in to get his card.

[S.B.]

GRIMJIM WROTE:

Legally you may not be required to take this course, I was born way before the date of requirement, which if I remember was 1980, but if your kid needs one you might as well go with.

andyhunter wrote:[/b

and someday will hunt in Colorado, so i needed it,

I had a valid card from 1969 and could kick myself for losing it when it comes to out of state hunting. Oh well, a refresher is always good and it would be easy to do since you would probably be driving
A Youth in to get his card.

Randy,
there is a website you can access and print out a legal replaceinemt? I'll try and get a link to it, for you. Do you know where you took the coarse and when?

start here:

http://www.dnr.state.il.us/safety/card.htm
Steve

[GRIMJIM]

Good luck,  according to the master instructor at the class I attended this weekend the dnr filing system up until a couple of years ago was a cardboard box stuck in a corner. I hope they can find your information.

[S.B.]

It's computerized now, Jim. I heard that story, also. My two youngest boys took the course back in the '90s amd recemtly gpt a replacement card through this system?

[GRIMJIM]

Yeah but he's talking 1969. I hope they have it for him.

[S.B.]

That's about when I first took the course. Didn't have mine so I went through it again.

[GRIMJIM]

That's not such a bad thing though. I didn't have to have one to hunt in Illinois but I'm glad I took it.

[Glanceblamm]

Thanks for that link Steve and I will be sure to check it out. Those records were probably stored in a cardboard box that got buried for sure but may have been computerized in the early PC day's depending on the help that was avalible at that agency.
I do remember that the laminated card came in the mail and looked quite official rather than just being a token effort.

Edit: No luck as the currrent search dates were 1993 through 2007. Thanks for your efforts on getting me that link though.

[GRIMJIM]

Yeah, I was hoping it would be a little more official as well. I'm going to get ours laminated when I get the chance. They did give us a cool blaze orange shoulder patch though.

[S.B.]

Got a call from the head instructor last night: Dwight is going to host a class on October 25th & 26th if any here need a class. At the VFW in Dwight starting at 8:00 A.M.
Steve

P.S. We had about 80 students in attendance and everyone passed the exam. Had about 10 dads and 2 moms there.