Official Hunter Safety Courses for Today’s Hunter
Approved by IHEA-USA and your state hunting agency
Join us in this Into the Outdoors episode as we welcome the elk back to Wisconsin! But wait...maybe you didn’t even know they left?
Elk were completely eliminated in Wisconsin for over 130 years due to unregulated hunting and loss of habitat, but in recent years, restoration programs, conservation groups and Native tribes have worked together to successfully reintroduce elk to wilderness areas where they once roamed.
Watch as Adventure Team members Zach and Aubrey investigate what makes these animals important to the Ojibwe tribes, and how conservation, treaty rights and public lands played a role in their return.
In this Into the Outdoors episode and related Into the Outdoors @Home topic videos, we learn how and why the Ojibwe tribes worked so hard to bring the elk back to Wisconsin. We also learn about Native American Treaty Rights and their impact on the elk reintroduction.
Find links to the Into the Outdoors @Home topic videos below. These custom learning videos are designed to share with your entire classroom. You’ll also find other educational content, including custom lesson activities that blend peer-driven learning and hands-on activities.
The information in our video and on this page was made possible by our educational partners.
If you haven't yet explored our Pioneers In Conservation page yet, please take a moment to at least watch the video there. Why? Because understanding the history of America's conservation programs can help us better understand and project the future of our conservation programs. The formula is pretty simple, really. When nobody funded hunting and fishing, people hunted and fished until populations were all but wiped out in many areas. Nobody regulated and managed those species then because there wasn't a funded agency or funding for management. Two prime examples are the billions of passenger pigeons that are now gone forever, or fish such as the Arctic grayling that once filled the cold water rivers in Michigan.
Let's decode this a little more. America's conservation programs are run by agencies and organizations. Those agencies and organizations are made up of teams of conservation professionals who have dedicated their careers to conservation of fish, wildlife and ecosystems. It costs a lot of money to run those agencies and employ those teams of conservation professionals. So where does all that money come from to fund conservation programs across the nation?
America's conservation programs are funded from two major sources; 1) fees paid by people who participate in various outdoor pursuits, such as anglers and hunters who buy licenses each year, 2) special "excise taxes" paid on certain items purchased for outdoors pursuits. So the bottom line is that if fewer people fish, hunt, and purchase related outdoor gear, there will be less and less money to fund the agencies and conservation programs that all Americans enjoy. To learn more about the details of funding of America's conservation programs, click on the LEARN MORE tab below.
It's somewhat of a "user pay" principle. Fewer outdoor people equates to less conservation funding, while more outdoor people means more funding for conservation programs. Of course there's one small twist in all this. Only about 5% of Americans hunt and only 10% fish. Yet this relatively small funding slice of society pays for the majority of conservation programs that 100% of all Americans get to enjoy. So to continue getting funding for conservation, Conservation Educators need to get more people interested and actually involved in outdoor pursuits. Their jobs combine being part educator, part salesperson, social media and promotional expert, and using a variety of public engagement programs that focus on something called "R3"... 1) Recruitment, 2) Retention, 3) Reactivation... of people who fish, hunt, trap, and participate in shooting sports and other key outdoor pursuits.
To discover how these Conservation Educators connect the public with the rewards of being actively involved in conservation related pursuits, watch the video here, and have your teacher conduct the lesson activities below so your entire class can share in understanding how conservation works for all of us to enjoy.
So are YOU interested in a career as a Conservation Educator or R3 Coordinator? If you're unsure, contact one in your state to learn more about all the things they do for the future of conservation programs.
This wildlife education program is made possible with support of these key educational partners. You and your teachers can link to their websites for additional information and educational opportunities.
At SCI Foundation’s American Wilderness Leadership School location in Jackson, Wyoming, educators and students learn about conservation, wildlife management, and outdoor recreation through outdoor, hands-on activities. Their Hands on Wildlife (HOW) program provides educators with conservation education instructional tools they can use in hands-on instruction.
In the lesson activity that accompanies this Into the Outdoors @Home video, students will contemplate how a moment captured in time from one person’s perspective can inspire other people to make the future better. One person can make a difference, if they have vision, passion and motivation!
Students will also examine the balance needed in ecosystems through the web of life, and revisit the idea of survival, and how through our hobbies and interests, we can make a difference as an individual and as a group.
For more information and resources related to hunting and conservation, visit Hunter-ED.com
The information in our video and on this page was made possible by our educational partners
Students often have the misconception that they are too young to do anything important, big, or life changing. However, many skills, occupations and hobbies that enrich our adult lives can start when we are young.
In the lesson activity that accompanies this Into the Outdoors @Home video, we are going to examine how youth can get involved now in something that will enrich and shape them throughout their lives.
For more information and resources related to hunting and conservation, visit Hunter-ED.com
The information in our video and on this page was made possible by our educational partners.
Hunting anywhere is challenging, especially for an inexperienced hunter on open land. In order to be successful, new hunters need the guidance of a mentor, so that they can learn about the animal's behavior, how to use the terrain and ground cover, and what factors could make the hunt successful. They also need to be shown what is safe or unsafe so they don’t cause danger to themselves or other bystanders and area residents.
In the lesson activity that accompanies this Into the Outdoors @Home video, we will consider the value of mentorship in first time experiences. Hunting requires a good amount of skill, careful observation, careful movements, and knowing the right time to act. These skills come through experience, which would be difficult to gain on one’s own, without the benefit of someone who can share, guide, and interpret the experience.
For more information and resources related to hunting and conservation, visit Hunter-ED.com
The information in our video and on this page was made possible by our educational partners.
In the lesson activity that accompanies this Into the Outdoors @Home video, we will examine the purpose for taking hunting classes, either as a youth or adult. Students will learn to identify what skills are needed for hunting and do scenarios that will help them think about planning a hunting trip (or other trip into the wilderness) while honing their logic skills and survival instincts.
After brainstorming and practicing their wilderness survival skills they will be able to answer the Critical Question, “What basic skills are needed before embarking on a hunt?”
This activity is best done in a group setting, and can include either indoor or outdoor creative activity time whereby students will practice their group cooperative and problem solving skills.
For more information and resources related to hunting and conservation, visit Hunter-ED.com
The information in our video and on this page was made possible by our educational partners.
Anyone, anywhere can get started hunting with the right tools and guidance! Hunting anywhere is challenging, especially for an inexperienced hunter. In order to be successful, new hunters need to get certified in hunter education within their state. New hunters can also benefit from the guidance of a mentor, someone to teach, guide and help them as they get started.
You may be interested to know that hunting is also closely tied to sustainability and conservation efforts. Hunters play a huge role in restoring and protecting habitats for animals who live in an ecosystem, and modern hunters work to help balance wildlife populations.
In this Into the Outdoors episode and related Into the Outdoors @Home topic videos, we see that learning a new skill like hunting can lead to an incredible journey of personal discovery. We also learn the ways in which hunting and wildlife conservation efforts go hand in hand.
Find links to the Into the Outdoors @Home topic videos below. These custom learning videos are designed to share with your entire classroom. You’ll also find other educational content, including custom lesson activities that blend peer-driven learning and hands-on activities.
For more information and resources related to hunting and conservation, visit Hunter-ED.com
The information in our video and on this page was made possible by our educational partners.
When European settlers began spreading across America's wild landscape, their guns combined with uncontrolled market hunting dramatically impacted the estimated 45 million white-tailed deer that inhabited the countryside. In fact, market hunting decimated deer populations to the point that only an estimated 300,000 deer remained in the United States by 1903. With such a downward spiral, they seemed doomed to near extinction, right?
But thanks to the birth and evolution of "wildlife conservation" and modern wildlife management, things changed dramatically for the white-tailed deer. Now there are about 100 times more deer, some 30 MILLION that now inhabit North America. Think about that for a moment… 100 times more deer today than 100 years ago. And today, the “whitetail”, as many people call them, represent the nation’s most abundant wild game resource and one of America’s great conservation success stories… all rolled into one.
So who, what, and when changed to reshape the future of wildlife populations in America? Watch the full Emmy-winning TV episode here. Or, for classroom or distance learning, explore the related classroom videos with special lesson activities in the "Educational" section of the website. In particular, explore; Managing Black Bears, Managing White-tailed Deer and the Birth of Wildlife Conservation.
This wildlife education program is made possible with support of the follow educational partners. Teachers can link to their websites for additional information and educational opportunities, such as their American Wilderness Leadership School Youth Program.
At SCI Foundation’s American Wilderness Leadership School location in Jackson, Wyoming, educators and students learn about conservation, wildlife management, and outdoor recreation through outdoor, hands-on activities. Their Hands on Wildlife (HOW) program provides educators with conservation education instructional tools they can use in hands-on instruction.
Pheasant hunting is in our heritage, and is an outdoor recreation that many people include in their lifestyles today. Huh, so what’s the big deal? Why are people so into game bird hunting?
Well, there are several ways to discover and share the wildlife and conservation education in this show.
First, you can kick back with family or friends to watch this entire half-hour television episode to get the full content in one sitting. Kinda like enjoying a full course meal. Yum-yum.
Then there's the shorter, custom segments on the noted links below. These are the custom "classroom" or learning videos with some bonus content designed to share with your entire classroom. On these links below you'll also find lots of other educational content, including custom lesson activities for your teacher to take your entire classroom on a three to four day journey of peer-driven learning blended with fun and hands-on pathways to try outdoor pursuits yourself.
Whichever way you decide to enjoy the fun and educational content, it's a win-win way for you to get engaged with pathways to discovering more about yourself and the great outdoors.
Official Hunter Safety Courses for Today’s Hunter
Approved by IHEA-USA and your state hunting agency
Okay, so there's several great ways to enjoy and share the wildlife and conservation education in this show.
First, you can kick back with family or friends to watch this entire half-hour television episode to get the full content in one sitting. Kinda like enjoying a full course meal. Yum-yum.
Then there's the shorter, custom segments on the noted links below. These are the custom "classroom" or learning videos with some bonus content designed to share with your entire classroom. On these links below you'll also find lots of other educational content, including custom lesson activities for your teacher to take your entire classroom on a three to four day journey of peer-driven learning blended with fun and hands-on pathways to try outdoor pursuits yourself.
Whichever way you decide to enjoy the fun and educational content, it's a win-win way for you to get engaged with pathways to discovering more about yourself and the great outdoors.
Approved by IHEA-USA and your state hunting agency