Traverse City Record-Eagle

Dave Richey

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August 23, 2008

Dave Richey: Educating the bow hunter

BY DAVE RICHEY

There are many things in life that go well together. Ham and eggs. Tea bags and hot water. Bow hunting and IBEP?

Whoa, back up a bit! Bow hunting and IBEP? Explain that one.

It's simple. Those four letters stand for the International Bowhunter Education Program, an advanced course in hunting with a bow and arrow.

It requires some explanation and advance information to understand this program. Bow hunting has become a very big business in this state, and archer numbers have leveled out at nearly 400,000, and these sportsmen will take to the fields and woods in about five weeks with a bow in hand in search of an antlered buck or a doe.

Hunting with a bow also has grown by leaps and bounds in other states, and keeping track of the many out-of-state regulations for bow hunters is a daunting prospect and one guaranteed to give any sportsmen a major headache.

That some bow hunters are successful and many are not is a matter of fact. For many, a shot at game may be taken; however, whether they make a clean kill, miss or wound and lose an animal, depends on the quality of that person's training.

Some sportsmen may be ready for the upcoming season but many will not be. Add that many resident bow hunters are keenly interested in hunting with a bow in other states and some Canadian provinces, the need for this program quickly becomes apparent.

Normal hunter education programs fail to take bow hunter training far enough to make all sportsmen qualified to hunt with stick-and-string, and many people never practice properly to be accurate enough to make killing shots. Such things should never happen, but sadly, they do.

Much more is required of a person who wants to become an effective bow hunter than simply owning a bow and being able to hit the bulls-eye with an arrow on occasion. The hunter must be proficient in many other aspects of bow hunting in order to be considered thoroughly competent and proficient with this hunting method.

Bow hunting requires many hours of shooting practice and an in-depth knowledge of big game anatomy to be efficient, and this is where an IBEP course can help. Hunters will learn how and when to draw, aim and shoot, and some sportsmen must learn to respect the game being hunted, the land they hunt on and learn to recognize and respect other sportsman in the field. No one can ever say that being thoroughly prepared for a hunt is an easy task.

It's not. Sportsmen, by taking classes such as the IBEP class, earn their stripes and the opportunity to legally hunt in an ethical manner. Note too that taking this class does not eliminate the need for a proper Hunter Education class. The archery class simply builds up the knowledge and skill levels of new hunters.

It's certainly true that a person can buy a 3-D target and shoot in the back yard. Hunters can shoot from a ladder stand or their roof to imitate elevated shots, and they can shoot from ground level. They also may practice shooting through brush and between trees, and take shots at more open targets. Practice at shooting an arrow is a key point.

But it's easy to question whether this is the best available practice because there is very little excitement involved in shooting paper or 3-D targets for many people. The heart doesn't pound like a trip hammer when one shoots at a motionless and inanimate target; in fact, just the opposite occurs when hunters prepare to shoot at a game animal. The anxiety of getting a close-up shot can cause some hunters to make a poor shot if they are improperly trained or if they lack considerable bow hunting experience.

Ralph Cagle of Hazel Park is a bow hunter and a master IBEP instructor. This organization has become well-known over 30-plus years for its ability to train bow hunters, quickly and effectively.

The organization now falls under the oversight of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and when an IBEP student graduates from this class, their name and file is kept on record by the DNR, just as Hunter Education certificate names and numbers are saved.

IBEP offers periodic eight-hour how-to courses that can turn sportsmen into more effective and skilled hunters. And the training is highly recommended because people become more aware of the need to improve not only their hunting skills but their public image as well. There is no charge for the course.

"This course is mandatory in many states and Canadian provinces," Cagle said, "but it is not necessary in Michigan at this time to have a successful IBEP certificate before buying a bow hunting license. But, such a certificate is required elsewhere. The course is usually taught by a two- to four-person instructional team, and it's highly recommended for beginning archers and even advanced bow hunters."

An IBEP certificate is required to hunt with a bow in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Vermont. The certificate also is required to bow hunt in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Quebec.

Cagle, an IBEP veteran instructor, said the normal course includes at least five hours of classroom study and at least three hours of in-the-field instruction. It is designed to allow sportsmen to become safer and more accomplished bow hunters. It also can improve the manner in which bow hunters look at themselves and their pastime.

"Students, regardless of hunting experience, will learn the fundamentals and responsibilities of safe bow hunting," he said. "Even a veteran bow hunter will learn something new from this class."

He said the field instruction includes topics such as safe tree stand use, trailing techniques, hunter safety, hunting ethics, how to handle anti-hunters, and much more. Knowledge of game laws is stressed, as is how to care for meat taken during a bow hunt.

Classes cover basic survival equipment; what is kinetic energy and how does it affect arrow flight; planning bow hunting trips elsewhere; and one key thing is how to improve hunter-landowner relations. Learn the things bow hunters do that are not appreciated by non-hunters.

"Our efforts are to turn students into better and more responsible hunters," said IBEP assistant state director Doug Brown. "We teach things such as which bow shots to take and which ones to avoid; how to be a safer hunter, much about wildlife conservation, how to practice shooting, how to more easily recover game and much more."

Brown can be contacted at (616) 874-8778 or e-mail at browndouglas@sbcglobal.net.

The IBEP Web site is best accessed by going to the state Department of Natural Resources site at www.michigan.gov/dnr/ and clicking on Recreational Safety Classes. Go to classes, search for the type of classes, such as bow, hunter education, etc., and click on announcements. Look for the IBEP listing and click there to find the classes nearest you.

An IBEP course was held recently in Traverse City, and the next scheduled class within the Record-Eagle coverage area, will be at the Missaukee County Conservation Club in Lake City on Sept. 8. Phone (231) 839-7826 for more details.

"This is a complete course in bow hunting," Brown said. "We also cover bow hunter responsibilities, proper hunting equipment, wildlife conservation, how to scout for game, how to choose a hunting spot, when to shoot and a great deal more."

Dean Hall, a downstate assistant state IBEP coordinator, said most IBEP classes are held in conjunction with a sportsman's club. There also may be a need in specific locations for certified instructors to help teach classes.

"Some bow hunters do not know the exact location of vital organs on a bear, deer, turkey or other game animal," Hall said, "and that can lead to a bad arrow hit and wounded game. We strive, through in-depth education and numerous visual aids, to teach our class attendees how to avoid taking bad bow shots that offer a low percentage chance to kill game cleanly and quickly."

Hunter Education classes are found throughout the state but some areas still do not have IBEP classes. Brown, Cagle, Dean and other instructors are trying to rectify that problem.

Make no mistake about it: it's not a law in Michigan and many other states that bow hunters must have an IBEP certificate to buy a nonresident or resident archery license, but such regulations may soon come. And, if a sportsman wishes to hunt with a bow in those states and Canadian provinces noted above, taking this class becomes a major consideration.

To hunt in those areas means that taking an IBEP class is not an option. It is a necessity.

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