Hunting and Wildlife Coach/Adult Leader Training-Register Now!

• February 2-3, 2013, College Station, TX

• Registration via 4-H Connect December 1-30, 2-12, Late Registration December 31, 2012-January 6, 2013

• $50/Coach, Adult Leader Candidate, or Assistant Coach/Leader Candidate. No charge for Extension Employees. ($75 late registration)

• Certification is mandatory for all adults who will lead a 4-H Shooting Sports Hunting & Wildlife project.

4-H Hunting & Wildlife is a 4-H Shooting Sports discipline and much more. During the 4-H Shooting Sports State Games each summer, youth can register to participate in this discipline that offers live firing events as well as interactive events that challenge the knowledge and skills of the contestant. The live firing events are designed to simulate as closely as possible the type of shooting one would do in a hunting field rather than on a shooting range. One design of this training is to prepare an adult leader to coach youth in the Hunting & Wildlife Shooting Sports discipline and certify them to train their youth to safely and responsibly use the four firearms (shotgun, smallbore light rifle, muzzle loading rifle, and bow) in live firing situations. This certification will allow the coach to regularly instruct their local youth and coach them in the Hunting & Wildlife events sponsored by 4-H. This certification will not allow an adult leader to become a coach of a specific shooting discipline within the 4-H Shooting Sports Program that involves further competitive use of a specific firearm (i.e. an adult attending this training cannot return to a county to become a lead coach in any particular discipline—rifle, shotgun, archery, or muzzleloading—in that county 4-H program.)

The training is also designed for any Adult Volunteer Leader wishing to work with their local youth in a hunting or wildlife project or a combination of the two. During the training, participants will become certified as Texas Hunter Education Instructors. This certification does not obligate the recipient to provide courses to the public. However, the certification does allow them to provide basic Hunter Education training and certification to the youth they lead. The agenda will also include information on the Texas Youth Hunter Education Challenge (a competitive event through NRA, sponsored by the Texas Hunter Education Instructor Association), the Texas Youth Hunting Program, and many more related programs, activities and opportunities for youth.

The training will be interactive with indoor and outdoor activities including live firing of all firearm types, simulated hunting scenarios, and various other outdoor skills and education. Participants will take home a variety of curricula, resources, and experiences that will allow them to begin or enhance a Hunting & Wildlife project for their local youth. Registration for this event is completed online via 4-H Connect. Any actively enrolled Adult Volunteer Leader, Extension employee, or senior 4-H youth is eligible for this training. Actively enrolled youth who have reached age 14 by September 1 of the current 4-H year may participate in a training as an Assistant Coach/Leader Candidate. Please Note: to be eligible to become a Certified Coach in the Hunting & Wildlife Shooting Sports discipline, you must be minimum 21 years of age or older. Adult Volunteer Leaders under age 21 may be certified as an Assistant Coach. All Assistant Coach Certifications are eligible for upgrade to full Coach Certifications upon reaching age 21.