HUNTER SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAMME 



This programme which was taken over from Fish and Wildlife Branch, and 

 became the responsibility of Operations Branch on Nov. 1, 1966, is designed to 

 teach hunters safe and proper gun handling. In Ontario, it was initiated in the 

 fall of 1957 on a voluntary basis. The game and fish clubs requested this 

 programme and agreed to supply the instructors and teach the course to young 

 hunters across the province. In remote areas, and those sections of Ontario where 

 there are no clubs, the teaching is the responsibility of the Department. 



On September 1st, 1960, it became compulsory for all "first-time" hunter 

 to take this course. 



The following table gives briefly the progress that has been made in training 

 the young hunters: 



STUDENTS GRADUATED 



Students Total 



Year Per year to date 



1957 281 281 



1958 1,688 1,949 



1959 2,780 4,729 



1960 10,917 15,646 



1961 15,267 30,913 



1962 15,082 45,995 



1963 20,387 66,382 



1964 18,652 85,034 



1965 17,577 102,611 



Applications for instructors are screened and approved at district offices. 

 Training material is then sent, followed by a brassard from head office. Instructors' 

 workshops are held frequently, where problems can be smoothed out, policy 

 explained and new teaching methods demonstrated. 



Game and fish clubs instruct approximately 54 per cent of the students; the 

 remainder being instructed in organizations such as Boy Scouts, service clubs, 

 cadet corps, Canadian Legion etc. 



Instructors are covered by liability insurance for personal and property 

 damage. 



District offices supply instructors with manuals, literature, registration cards, 

 report cards, certificates of competence, safety posters, etc. 



Available to clubs on loan are films, slides and defective firearms, all for 

 use in classroom demonstrations. 



At the present time, there are three ways in which to obtain a hunting 

 licence: 



(a) Produce an old hunting licence issued in any jurisdiction, or 



(b) a certificate of competence which shows the applicant has taken the 

 Hunter Safety Training Course, or 



(c) complete an application for a licence (form HT 14) declaring that he 



has had previous hunting experience, either here or elsewhere, and has 

 been isued a licence by a competent authority. 

 Non-resident hunters are not required to comply with the mandatory phase 

 of the programme. 



The reporting and recording of hunting accidents was instituted in the year 

 1954, but it was not until November, 1959 that the cooperation of the Ontario 

 Provincial Police was enlisted to develop complete statistical records of these 

 hunting accidents. 



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