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More than two dozen Kingston Springs residents recently attended a hunter education class presented by the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA) at the Kingston Springs Fire Station on March 29 and 30.
Passing the TWRA Hunter Education Program at least one time is a mandatory requirement to obtain a hunting license in the state of Tennessee, and this session was scheduled to coincide with the upcoming Tennessee turkey hunting season which opens on April 13.
With more than half of the participants under the age of 18, for many it was a rite of passage
into the popular sport of hunting. Rather than tales of trophy bucks and marksmanship,
however, the emphasis of the 12-hour course was focused on firearms safety and respect for
wildlife.
“About 40% of every household in the United States have at least one firearm in the home,” said course instructor Roger “Bubba” Parker, who, in addition to his other roles with the Town
of Kingston Springs and the Kingston Springs Fire Department, has been a certified TWRA Instructor for the last seven years. “Even if the kids don’t hunt, even if the parents don’t hunt, if you take this course you’re going to learn how to handle a firearm in a safe manner.”
Over the two-day course, adults, and children as young as nine-years-old, learned about
different kinds of rifles, how to handle them properly, and safety techniques when hunting in
the forest, brush, or boat. Participants then had to pass a fifty-question test to gain their
certification and eligibility to purchase a Tennessee hunting license.
About 5% of Americans participate in the sport of hunting, with license sales indicating
that the participation rate among Tennessee residents may be double the national average.
Not only does the state boast ample forests and wetlands with abundant game and fowl, but
Tennesseans seem to appreciate the connection with nature that is associated with hunting.
“Hunting is a family sport for us,” said Parker. “It lets you get away from daily life. We don’t
have to harvest animals every time. There’s just a connection with the family being in the
woods, or fishing, or boating.”
Kingston Springs resident Jason Callies, an experienced hunter of thirty years – who was
accompanying his 13-year-old daughter Lilly as she took the course for the first time – agreed.
“There is a lot of camaraderie in hunting. It’s a very special bond. It’s not all about the hunt,”
said Callies. “Sometimes it could be the time getting that breakfast biscuit together at the gas
station as you head out, or seeing a sunrise out in the marsh or in the woods.”
New to the sport was Jana Stephens who was taking the course with her 12-year-old son, Ian. Stephens has never hunted before, but took an interest because her husband is a hunter.
“I think hunting gets people outside and it can be a family event. Getting kids away from electronic devices, and even adults away from electronic devices. It just is something different to do rather than sitting doing nothing,” Stephens said.
While some find the killing of animals unsavory, Parker points out that responsible animal
conservation is necessary for a natural balance within our wildlands. Without hunters reducing
the number of animals, some species – such as deer – would quickly overpopulate, causing
increases in disease within the herds, unsafe migration into roadways and developed areas or even widespread animal starvation.
In addition to firearm safety and hunter education, the course also offered instruction on
emergency first aid and trauma bleeding taught by Stop The Bleed, a program offered in
association with the American College of Surgeons and the Department of Defense.
The TWRA generally hosts the Hunter Education class at least twice per year in Kingston
Springs, with the next session tentatively planned for July.
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