It was late in the year 1967 when eight or ten concerned bowhunters met in upstate New York to discuss problems and solutions within their sport. What they had observed in the field behavior of other bowhunters, many of them friends, dramatized the need for what would later become the International Bowhunter Education Program (IBEP). Bill Wadsworth , considered the father of Bowhunter Education, was among those present at the NY meeting. Shortly afterward Bill was asked to chair the bowhunting committee of the National Field Archery Association (NFAA). Thanks to the support of the NFAA the IBEP was started in state after state. In 1979 the National Bowhunter Education Foundation was founded with Bill as its leader. A meaningful goal was developed: "To instill in Bowhunters a responsible attitude, and to assist them to adopt and follow an acceptable behavior toward people, wildlife, and the environment in which they hunt". The IBEP would be the vehicle for accomplishing this goal using its standardized manual dubbed the "deer book".The first voluntary BE course in Pennsylvania was given sometime in 1974. Though well intentioned, and light-years ahead of the educational opportunities available to bowhunters at the time, the program had some problems. The course was conducted by a loose knit band of concerned Bowhunters acting as instructors. Instructor training varied and there was no consistency in presentation or content. Much instructor opinion and folk lure was injected into the presentation and though the underlying material in the "deer book" was always the same, recognizing the IBEP from site to site was a chore. Approximately 14,000 Pennsylvanian Bowhunters graduated from the IBEP in the twenty-three years it was conducted in this manner.
The UBP was formed in 1985 and mandatory BE became one of the charter goals of the organization. The founders saw the results of the existing BE program and realized that those that voluntarily attended the course were the same individuals that wanted to learn to act responsibly. Those that needed the course seldom enrolled.
In 1997 the NBEF began to rebuild the BE structure within PA. Leadership was changed and charged with reaching more of the states Bowhunting population. Instructor training was instituted. Formal training requirements were instituted. New course guidelines were enacted to help ensure consistent presentation of the IBEP. Most importantly, the PGC began to show an interest in the program. Due primarily to new blood in the position of Hunter-Trapper Education Chief by the name of Keith Snyder, openness now existed to take the existing program under the PGC roof and gain legitimacy as an official state run program.
By 1999 several groups interested in BE within PA had been brought together and were talking about helping the PGC to roll the IBEP under its wing. Several thousand dollars were needed to purchase standardized equipment and the initial inventory of student manuals and supplies. Realizing the direct relationship to its charter BE goal, the UBP was first in line with an offer of $8000.
January 1, 2000 marked the launching of the PGC's Bowhunter Education program. The IBEP would continue to be the base curriculum. The program continued to be voluntary for student and instructor and was self-funding through a student enrollment fee of $12. Course presentation was standardized and strictly adhered to. The course was delivered over a two-day period with a minimum of twelve hours of instruction. Annual instructor retraining was also instituted. The presentation of the IBEP was modified based on modern educational principals of learning modalities. Not every student absorbs information in the same way. Some learn best by hearing, others by sight, and some must touch and do. The major concepts of the IBEP were now presented in multiple ways to accommodate each of the different learning modalities. The quality and consistency of the course was very good and was totally focused on achieving the goal of modifying behavior in the field.
In 2001 a milestone was reached in PA. Over 1000 students were graduated in a single year. The program was definitely moving forward but certain problems still existed. The two-day format was a stumbling block for many perspective students as well as very labor intensive for the volunteer instructors.
On March 1 of this year the PGC’s BE program was again modified. The duration of the course was shortened to eight hours but with a distance learning component added. The student now receives a video, workbook, and manual to study on his own. The fee is now $18. The distance learning portion will take four to six hours but is self paced and done in the comfort of ones own home. This home study material is focused primarily on the knowledge-based objectives of the course. Things like "this is a broadhead", or "this is a recurve bow", or "the unwritten law of the bowhunter", etc. are now done at home. The classroom portion of the course is even more focused now on skills objectives like recovering a hit animal, using a fall restraint device, shot selection and timing. This is accomplished through lots of hands-on skills training.
Unfortunately a problem still exists with the program. Though a solid BE infrastructure is in place, the students that voluntarily enroll continue to be the ones that need the course the least. Those that act irresponsibly in the field usually have little desire to sit in a class. This is why the UBP has opened dialog on the subject of mandatory BE for all first time bowhunters. There is no accomplishment the UBP has done, and no goal the UBP has, that will affect the future of bowhunting more than Mandatory BE for all first time bowhunters. This may seem like a small step, but stop and think for a minute; Basic Hunter-Trapper Education (HTE) was implemented the same way in PA. Only first timers needed to attend, all others were grand fathered. But, if you are under the age of forty, odds are that you will live to see the day when every licensed hunter in PA will be a HTE graduate. Why can't we do the same with bowhunting?
Even without mandatory BE in PA things are in pretty good shape. I've been involved with BE on a state level for quite awhile now and have had the opportunity to see and talk to many other BE coordinators from other states. When compared to all other states and countries where the IBEP is delivered, the overall quality of PA BE is without a doubt, the best in the world. Thanks to all the UBP members that help to make it that way by giving their time as instructors!
If you would like to become an instructor call the PGC HTE office in Harrisburg at (717) 787-7015 and ask for a BE instructor application packet. If you haven't attended the course or if you have friends that haven't attended, classes can be found at http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=461&q=153107, or by calling the PGC Region Office serving your county. The Region Office numbers are listed in the Hunting and Trapping Digest. If you have any questions about the course, call Brooke Hershiser 724-668-8214 or Ned Connelly 610-284-1477.
Brooke is a UBP Life Member and the PA Chairman of the National Bowhunter Education Foundation. He has been involved with bowhunter education in PA as a student, instructor, regional coordinator, and chairman. With co-chair Ned Connelly, UBP Life Member, they have worked hard to better the status of bowhunter education in PA. Working with the PGC, the UBP, and many like-minded partner organizations the groundwork for further advancement of Bowhunter Education (BE) within PA is now in place.
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