Pennsylvania House approves a bill to move Hunter-Trapper Education into the schools

Harrisburg — In an effort to make Hunter-Trapper Education more accessible to students across the state, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives resoundingly approved House Bill 2460 (180-22) to provide opportunities for the course to be taught in schools.

The bill, sponsored by House Game and Fisheries Committee Chair Rep. Anita Kulik, D-Allegheny, calls for the Pennsylvania Game Commission to develop an age-appropriate Hunter-Trapper Education Program, including firearms safety instruction, for students in grades 6-12.

Schools could opt to incorporate this as an extracurricular class, or as part of an existing course for the purpose of outdoor recreation activity. Responsibility for this task will reside solely with the Game Commission, as to not add any burden to the Department of Education.

“Students are our future, and they represent the next generation of Pennsylvania hunters,” said Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith.

“The reality is, kids have so many things competing for their time and attention. The Game Commission applauds Chairwoman Kulik, and this legislative effort to provide hunter education in schools because it’s a great way to expose more students to the lessons of wildlife conservation and potentially pique their interest in wanting to participate in hunting themselves.”

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Under state law, all new hunters must successfully complete the Game Commission’s basic HTE course before obtaining a hunting license. Students who would take the course in school would be eligible to purchase a license after they successfully complete the course in school.

“I believe that it is imperative that hunter and trapper education be provided in our schools, to help ensure that current and future generations have an opportunity to learn safe hunting and trapping practices,” said Rep. Kulik.

“This is especially important for our youth, who are interested, but may not otherwise have an opportunity.”

Throughout the course, students are taught the ethics of responsible hunting behavior, basic firearms safety, basic shooting skills, basic firearm and archery hunting techniques, wildlife management, outdoor preparedness, and the basics of fur-taking (trapping).

Firearms and ammunition would not be brought into a school building as part of the instruction.

The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation applauded Rep. Kulik, a member of the bipartisan Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, for her work on this bill.

“Bringing hunter education courses to schools is one of the foundation’s top priorities, as it is key to the recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of sportsmen and women, which in turn drives essential conservation funding,” said Kaleigh Leager, the foundation’s Mid-Atlantic States manager.

Pennsylvania isn’t the only state looking to make Hunter-Trapper Education opportunities more accessible in our schools through legislation. According to the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Pennsylvania would be joining several other states including Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, West Virginia, Illinois, Tennessee, New Mexico, and most recently Georgia, whose governor signed similar legislation into law on May 5.