Basic hunter education: the hunter information & training (HIT) program develops, maintains, andprovides effective training to promote firearms safety, knowledge, and ethics to youth and adults…

Basic hunter education: the hunter information & training (HIT) program develops, maintains, andprovides effective training to promote firearms safety, knowledge, and ethics to youth and adults tobecome responsible hunters and shooting sports enthusiasts. The following certification courses aretaught by over 400 volunteer instructors statewide: hunter education, bowhunter education, crossboweducation, and muzzleloader education. These courses assist in teaching the skills, knowledge, andattitudes necessary to be a safe, responsible hunter. The HIT program is also actively involved in outdoorrecreation programs designed to recruit and retain new hunters into the shooting sports and preserveour hunter heritage. The expected results of this project are to:1. Increase the safe handling of firearms and reduce hunting-related firearms incidents.2. Raise awareness of the need to hunt in a safe, legal, ethical, and responsible manner.3. Enhance public understanding of wildlife conservation and management.4. Encourage lifelong learning and outdoor participation among hunters and shooting sports enthusiasts.enhanced hunter education: hunters and shooting sports enthusiasts play a huge role in wildlifeconservation by providing funding for wildlife restoration and hunter education programs through thepurchase of licenses, firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment. Therefore, increasing hunter andshooting sports participation is important to the hunter information & training (HIT) program. Thepurpose of this grant is to offer enhanced programs for hunter education, hunter development, andfirearm and archery safety which will introduce individuals to and recruit them to take part in hunting, target shooting, and archery. These enhancement activities include, but are not limited to HIT programalaskans afield clinics, the national archery in the schools program (nasp), the becoming an outdoorswoman (BOW) program, youth conservation camps, youth shooting leagues, and outreach events. These enhanced programs have had a significant impact on introducing new, young people to outdooractivities. Many of the activities provide safe firearms instruction, and many participants move fromshooting targets into hunting as they look for additional challenges and enjoyment of the outdoors. The expected results and benefits from this project include:1. Encourage people to take greater advantage of hunting and shooting opportunities.2. Embolden people to get their whole families involved in hunting, and provide them with greaterknowledge and skills to make them safer and more responsible hunters.