Waterfowl ID course

[Dead Ringer]

Moving the discussion over from the Swan thread.

Opinions on a mandatory waterfowl ID course or test for waterfowl hunting.

Go.

[CocoZoo]

I'm all for more regulation and testing. We are all too stupid to get through life. Thank goodness for government and bureaucrats! If it wasn't for them, we'd all be trembling in a corner somewhere trying to bite our own face.

(I'm in a sarcastic prick kinda mood today, Sry..... Happy hump day!)

Sent from my SGH-I317M using Tapatalk

[Sprite]

A whole separate course? Nope. Including waterfowl ID in the hunting course? Absolutely.

-Nick

[trimmer21]

I've read every post in Dr.Catcin's latest thread and pretty much support/agree with most......except for this one. The LAST thing we need,at least,as far as hunting and fishing is concerned,is more regulation from the nanny-staters. I'll support including identification in the OHEP courses,but,adding another level of testing and examination is foolish. As with all other hunting and fishing,the onus should fall squarely on the individual. To the greatest extent,we must rely on everyone to know what they're doing and to take full responsibility when they screw up.

[mojo stick]

I've read every post in Dr.Catcin's latest thread and pretty much support/agree with most......except for this one. The LAST thing we need,at least,as far as hunting and fishing is concerned,is more regulation from the nanny-staters. I'll support including identification in the OHEP courses,but,adding another level of testing and examination is foolish. As with all other hunting and fishing,the onus should fall squarely on the individual. To the greatest extent,we must rely on everyone to know what they're doing and to take full responsibility when they screw up.

i have said it all a long the hunting course should be far more in depth. the turkey course should be put in with the hunting course and as too the waterfowl ident. there is no reason why hunters should have to pay fee apon fee to hunt turkeys and waterfowl.
My personal opinion the more courses you start trying to push on hunters the more decrease in hunters you will see.

i personally dont think the hunting course teaches enough to new hunters. i hunt with a lot of different types of hunters throughout the year all great guys , i have to wonder what this course is teaching them when they show up with a box of gun parts and ask me to put it together for them. or they have no idea how to load the gun they just purchased.
that right there tells me the hunting and pal course should be far stricter.

[Rugger]

I remember there being a waterfowl identification portion to my OHEP and hunting license exam. Has that changed?

[skeeter1]

I've read every post in Dr.Catcin's latest thread and pretty much support/agree with most......except for this one. The LAST thing we need,at least,as far as hunting and fishing is concerned,is more regulation from the nanny-staters. I'll support including identification in the OHEP courses,but,adding another level of testing and examination is foolish. As with all other hunting and fishing,the onus should fall squarely on the individual. To the greatest extent,we must rely on everyone to know what they're doing and to take full responsibility when they screw up.

x2..................

[Hardcoreducks]

I remember there being a waterfowl identification portion to my OHEP and hunting license exam. Has that changed?

Its been 15 years since I did my course but I am pretty sure we did waterfowl ID. I think the courses vary. The guy who taught me mine was excellent we even went to the range to practise shooting all the different kind of guns. I have heard of courses bring rammed into a weekend and not all the material being covered. I think a mandatory waterfowl ID section would only make sense

[Sprite]

I remember there being a waterfowl identification portion to my OHEP and hunting license exam. Has that changed?

It's not near rigorous enough to properly identify the many species of waterfowl found in Ontario.

I remember helping with the bird count at Luther opening day a few years ago. Three guys showed up with a limit of ducks to the check in. When asked what they had shot, the man responded with "big duck and little duck".

-Nick

[Fenelon]

I don't see why an ID module couldn't be built in to the existing hunting cert course, and be made mandatory for all instructors to cover. It could easily be done in a 1.5 hour AV presentation - combo of PowerPoint and video. All of the required footage exists now eg. Cornell library, Sibleys and Thayers series. Could include stills of both sexes, as well as "pass-by"flight shots from straight out and overhead. Add a bit of video with audio, showing take-off and landing characteristics, call in flight, flight characteristics. Emphasis should be made on non-target species that are usually shot - eg. grebes, gulls, herons, Northern Harrier, Caspian Tern, Cormorants, Bitterns, Loons. This could be an intro exposure to swan separation too. End the module with a self-test section that's maybe "30 mins long - maybe call it "shoot or don't shoot - short video blurbs and/or stills of how these animals will be encountered during a hunt . Throw some low-light pics in too. Teach the hunter that often it's better to let the bird pass when ID is not positive.