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| Lisa Metheny
To Lisa's list of articles NBEF - PREPARING YOU FOR
THE HUNT
You think that you’re prepared, right? Not quite, have you invested
any of your time into a class that will help you become a safer hunter
and a more successful hunter?
Designed for all ages and experience, even our youngest hunter, a ten
year old, was able to follow along and learn valuable lifelong lessons
while participating in the course. She gleaned an amazing amount
of information from these top notch, dedicated instructors and the well
rounded course the NBEF has developed.
Proper safety harness selection and instruction is thoroughly covered in this course. Being able to view side by side the many types of harnesses available to the consumer is very helpful. The instructors show you how to properly fit and wear a harness, how to tie safety knots and demonstrate the importance of a guide rope while you’re climbing in and out of your stand or hanging your stand are seriously covered in this program. By providing actual demonstrations it is much easier for hunters to see and understand the proper use of the harnesses and stands. Many hunters think that once they get in their stands and throw the tether strap around the tree that they have covered all the safety bases. However just the act of climbing a tree is dangerous. If you factor in the risks that most of the climbing we hunters do up to our stand is done in the chilly darkness of morning or climbing down from the stand after a long day of sitting only increases our level of risk. This is where the importance of a good guide line is vital and this is covered in detail in this course. After completing this course many hunters, including me, realized that we were taking unnecessary risks each season. This section of the course did more than just talk about safety and proper stand placement. The hands-on demonstrations really drove home the point of this critical but often overlooked aspect of hunting. Have you ever thought of what would happen if you did fall from your stand? Even if you have your harness properly attached and fits you correctly you are still in danger of serious injury or death. Carrying the proper equipment in your pack can increase your chances of surviving such a fall. Again this course stressed several situations that hunters may find themselves in. In addition to the obvious safety overtones of this course, most of
the participants walked away with an increased ability to actually harvest
a deer should they get fortunate enough to get a shot. According
to NBEF information the average success rate for the general bowhunting
population is about 11% while for graduates of this course the average
rate climbs to about 25%".
It is the little tips and tidbits the instructors provide throughout
the day that help increase your chances of harvesting a deer. These
tips include examples of how to properly call a deer, which attractants
work best in which situation and proper shot placement. All add up to a
more knowledgably hunter.
Understanding the anatomy of the animal you are pursuing is vital and
should be considered an important factor in your hunt regardless of the
weapon you carry. The whitetail deer for example has more nerve
endings closer to the skin and not as many in its vital organs. Animals
harvested with the use of a bow die from hemorrhage rather than shock or
blunt trauma associated with a firearm. So knowing where the vitals
are on your prey and where to put that shot is extremely important for
both the hunter and the animal. It should always be a top priority
to harvest the animal in the most humane way possible regardless of your
weapon.
The NBEF instructors do an excellent job creating situations where the participants can range the distances of the targets, helping the hunter gain more confidence of this often difficult task. Stressing the importance of practice throughout the year is another message the NBEF instructors pass along to the class. This course was not about proper shooting techniques, the instructors
will leave that to the Pro Shops. In fact no participants even shot a bow
in the classroom.
This day long seminar is chocked full of how-to and hands-on segments. This class seemed to fly by with the frequent breaks and the insightful information provided by the NBEF and their knowledgably volunteers. The NBEF staff of volunteers was genuinely interested in helping all of us to become safer and better hunters. Combining all their years of bowhunting experiences and interesting
class demonstrations makes this class worth taking. The NBEF bowhunter
safety classes are a valuable resource available to us all and I guarantee
that you will walk away having learning something.
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You
have dreamed all season long about getting into the woods and hanging your
tree stand. You have practiced all summer with your bow or gun and
are now confident in your shooting abilities. You have probably spent
a small fortunate on your weapon of choice and have a truckload of necessary
hunting accessories.
