Hunter, Bowhunter Education Instructors Honored

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Hunter and bowhunter education instructors from north central Montana were honored recently in Great Falls.

Two Chouteau County hunter education instructors – George Rice of Big Sandy and Lones Wigger from Carter – were honored in February for 50 years of teaching.

Hunter education began in Montana in 1957. Rice and Wigger are among a handful of instructors that started with the program and are still teaching. Their names were placed on a hunter education hall of fame plaque that hangs in the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 4 office in Great Falls.

Besides Wigger and Rice, 42 other instructors received service awards ranging from 5 to 25 years. All award recipients receive a plaque; additional awards include: an engraved knife for 10 years, an FWP belt buckle for 20 years, a .357 pistol for 30 years, a monogrammed jacket for 40 years, and a hall of fame plaque for 50 years.

In FWP Region 4, almost 300 volunteers teach hunter and bowhunter education. These instructors certify more than 1,000 students each year.

Region 4 hunter-bowhunter instructor awards by county:

 

50 YEAR HUNTER

GEORGE G RICE – CHOUTEAU

LONES W WIGGER – CHOUTEAU

 

25 YEAR HUNTER

GARY R OLSON – PONDERA

 

20 YEAR HUNTER

JEROME HITCHCOCK – CASCADE

RALPH CORBETT – PETROLEUM

 

20 YEAR BOWHUNTER

PATRICK PARKER – CASCADE

GARY QUENZER – GLACIER

STAN HUHTALA – LIBERTY

ROBERT ROONEY – MEAGHER

BERNARD WIDHALM – PONDERA

RUSS OFFERDAHL – PONDERA

DEWAYNE PECHIA – TETON

JUANITA PECHIA – TETON

MICHAEL SHERRARD – TOOLE

 

15 YEAR HUNTER

RAYMOND WROBEL, SR – CASCADE

FREDERICK BEYER – CASCADE

KATHLEEN IRWIN – FERGUS

LAYNE KRUMWIEDE – FERGUS

GARY ELLINGSON – GLACIER

ROBERT HAMMER – JUDITH BASIN

ANTHONY PRINCE – CASCADE

 

15 YEAR BOWHUNTER

FREDERICK BEYER – CASCADE

 

10 YEAR HUNTER

CHRISTOPHER GRAHAM – CASCADE

JAMES CAMPBELL – CASCADE

MIKE NICOLA – CASCADE

JOHN MION – CASCADE

DANIEL GROVE – CHOUTEAU

MICHAEL STEINHAUSER – FERGUS

SHAWN NORICK – LIBERTY

BEN FORKIN – MEAGHER

WARD FIFIELD – TETON

 

10 YEAR BOWHUNTER

JAMES CAMPBELL – CASCADE

 

5 YEAR HUNTER

COLLEE KUHN – CASCADE

STERLING CAMPBELL – CASCADE

GLENN SIROKY – FERGUS

CLARENCE WESTBURG – FERGUS

RUSSELL BRADLEY – FERGUS

CHRIS YAEGER – FERGUS

DOUGLAS CALTRIDER – MEAGHER

DAN SCHULER – TETON

 

5 YEAR BOWHUNTER

STERLING CAMPBELL – CASCADE

CARL WUERTZ – FERGUS

JAMES ELINGS – GLACIER

DEBORAH SOLUM – LIBERTY

 

 

George Rice of Big Sandy receives award for 50 years of hunter education instruction.
george rice 2.JPG