Montana Youths Spend Thousands Of Hours A Year Learning About Hunting And Fishing

Print

The numbers are staggering. Nearly 40,000 Montanans took part in or assisted in teaching an educational fishing event this year and about 10,000 individuals graduated from a hunter education or bowhunter education course in 2003, according to statistics tracked by Montana, Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Another 300 youngsters took a voluntary trapper education course.

“Thousands of young people a year are learning about angling and hunting, gun safety and conservation in the state,” said Dave Hagengruber, FWP’s angling education coordinator. “These kids gain new skills and confidence and learn about positive recreational alternatives that they can pursue the rest of their lives.”

Another attention grabbing statistic is the hours of instruction youngsters receive.   For instance,

*  teachers involved in the “Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs” program reported 8,000 classroom hours of teaching about fishing and Montana’s aquatic resources.

*  the 1,700   instructors for the hunter and bowhunter education programs volunteer about 25,000 teaching-hours annually and teach about 500 classes a year.

*  volunteer fishing instructors spent almost 12,000 hours this year providing instruction at youth fishing events.

“The time donated by teachers and volunteer instructors in the hunter education and aquatic education programs is valued at more than $500,000,” Hagengruber said.

FWP’s hunter education and aquatic education programs are paid for by federal dollars which FWP matches with time donated by its volunteers. That means the state does not have to use cash or hunters’ license dollars for this program.

Hagengruber said the largest angling event in 2003 was the FWP & Walleyes Unlimited Great Falls fishing day in June, with about 2,000 participants. Hunter education classes in Billings, Kalispell, Missoula, and Great Falls regularly enroll as many as 300 students per fall or spring session.

Details on FWP’s Hunter Education, Bowhunter Education and Aquatic Education programs are available on the FWP home page at www.fwp.state.mt.us, click on Education, or call 406-444-9736.