We just finished a very successful Department of Natural Resources Firearms Safety Class this last Saturday with 21 students, which included one mother also taking the class. There will be an article either in this weeks paper, or shortly there after regarding the donation of a youth size .22 rifle that is used in the field day portion of the class from the Ringnecks Forevermore group, the donation to each student of a blaze orange hat and trigger lock from the Wahoo Valley Chapter of Minnesota Deer Hunters and pop that was provided by Coast True Value. These donations are greatly received with many thanks from me.

There are many people behind the scenes that usually get forgotten but I want to personally thank them. Without them we wouldn't have the success that we take for granted. The staff in the Community Education office especially Julie Pollack who helps with all the "prep work", getting the information out to the area schools, taking registrations, lining up a place to teach Firearm Safety Classes .

The staff at Central Lakes College which allows us the use of a room for two weeks for the classroom portion of this class and Butch Goltz for all the "arranging and re-arranging" of the classroom for us. The volunteer instructors, Jon Hamberg, Richard Allen and Caleb Silgjord who donate their time, knowledge, and experiences for this class. The Staples Sportsmen's Club, who have for as long as I can remember provided a meal for all the students on field day, and Katie Brotherton, the cook of this springs class. And last but not least the parents who have taken their child to classes for the last two weeks, and gave their assistance to the field day portion of the class.

The criteria that is used for passing this course is, a written test, field day activities (re: handling firearms in different situations safely) and judging the maturity level of the student. Maturity level is usually easily seen and the younger the student, it becomes more difficult for me to give them a passing mark.

Just last year, a law was passed that an 11 year old may take a deer during the deer firearms season without having taken a Firearms Safety Class if they have an adult within reach of the shooter and that adult will have to use their tag for that deer.

I personally have very strong feelings against this law. For years I have taught that one must have a Safety Certificate before hunting big game, to do this they must be 12 years old. The maturity level is not there, and there is usually a serious size issue of the youth, as most legal calibers of rifl es for big game limits the safe use of the firearm.

I can only hope the adults of these 11 year olds realize this and seriously think about allowing a youth of this age to take a deer. I believe it would be more advantageous to allow the youth to observe the hunt at this age and when they turn 12 take Firearm Safety class. Allow them the time to mature.

This is just the beginning of a wonderful lifetime sport for these students. The safety of this sport is now in their hands. Having taught this course for almost 18 years now I realize I can't teach everything in just two weeks, I now need the parent's guidance in working with the students of this class. Getting them familiar with the firearm that they will be using before the hunting season, to help teach them what an "ethical and responsible sportsperson" should do in different situations that they will run into while out in the field.
Darlys Hamberg, Staples
Lead DNR Firearm
Safety Instructor