Ten receive Distinguished Hunter Education Instructor Award

Wayne Stocks (far left) and Tom Widman are recognized with the Distinguished Instructor Award by ODFW Director Roy Elicker, Fish and Wildlife Commission Chair Marla Rae, and ODFW Hunter Education Coordinator James Reed in Bend. Photo courtesy of ODFW.

SALEM, Ore.—Ten hunter education instructors were recognized with the Distinguished Instructor Award Sept. 30 in Bend during the Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting.

“The instructors that received this award have achieved the highest level in the hunter education program,” says ODFW Hunter Education Coordinator James Reed. “They are Oregon’s ambassadors for instructing kids in proper firearm safety and ethics and they make a major difference in passing on the Oregon hunting tradition.”

Individuals are eligible for this award by accumulating a certain number of points, which are awarded based on the number of classes taught, number of hours taught, and performance of other activities that benefit the Hunter Education program. Only about 10 Distinguished Instructors awards are given each year.

Each award recipient received a “Continuing the Heritage” print signed by ODFW Director Roy Elicker and Fish and Wildlife Commission Chair Marla Rae.

Under Oregon law, persons under 18 must pass a hunter education class before they can hunt. The classes cover important issues including hunter ethics and respect for private landowners; wildlife management and identification; firearms handling and safety; hunt preparation and techniques; survival; and introductory bowhunting.

All classes are taught by volunteers dedicated to passing on the tradition of hunting to future generations. The Hunter Education Program would not be possible without the services of these volunteers who invest their time, knowledge and skills.

There are currently 680 active instructors in ODFW’s Hunter Education program and they annually teach about 8,000 students. For more information, visit https://www.dfw.state.or.us/education/hunter/index.asp

A list of the award winners, their hometowns and their years spent teaching hunter education follow:

• Teresa Cotton (Brookings), 15 years
• David Jarschke (Bend), 16 years
• Ralph Klein (Sutherlin), 16 years
• Chuck Boatman (Hines), 17 years
• James Hunt (Portland), 17 years
• William Polly (West Linn), 16 years
• Emmett Walker (Hermiston), 12 years
• Todd Burk (Aloha), 11 years
• Tom Widman (Tigard), 15 years
• Wayne Stocks (McMinnville), 22 years