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OK I am supposed to go hunting tomorrow and I was told that I didn't have to take the hunter's education course if I am a veteran. Today somebody told me that is not so. So what is the correct answer? Do I need to bring along my DD-214 (discharge papers) if it is true and I don't have to take the class?

gregthehand wrote:OK I am supposed to go hunting tomorrow and I was told that I didn't have to take the hunter's education course if I am a veteran. Today somebody told me that is not so. So what is the correct answer? Do I need to bring along my DD-214 (discharge papers) if it is true and I don't have to take the class?

I see an exemption if you were born on or after Sept. 2, 1971, but not for veteran. When were you born?

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publication ... education/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

According to the link the class is required for those born on or after that date. Older people are the ones exempt.

Seems like an arbitrary date.

Were people born before Sept. 2, 1971 born with the knowledge of how to hunt safely?

I was born in 1982. I guess I will be an observor tomorrow.

So what this is saying is that prior to that date it is generally considered that you just know how to deal with firearms and hunt. While I completely agree with that assumption I find it sad that we as a nation have drifted so far from our roots and sometimes feel the need to apologize for our country ways.

I'm ranting alot tonight...I should stop.

You can get a one time exemption for hunter's ed, but then you will have to take it the next year before you can get a license.

dcphoto wrote:Seems like an arbitrary date.

Were people born before Sept. 2, 1971 born with the knowledge of how to hunt safely?

Of course we were!

I would bet it has something to do with when the law went into effect and grandfathering those who had already been hunting.

I'm not saying I agree... It's just my guess.

gregthehand,
No need to observe tomorrow. You can still hunt. Here are the rules.

If born after xxxx, 1971, you "must" have a Hunter's Education card. The course costs $15 and is offered at several ranges and outdoor sports stores, including Bass Pro. Bass Pro Grapevine has a class the second weekend of October (Ithink). It's a 10 hour course over 2 days. 1 day in the classroom and one day outdoors with firearms.

If you're going hunting before the next class, you can still hunt by purchasing a 1 year exemption, called a Deferral. This allows you to hunt the current season without the class, but you must take the course before you hunt next season. You can get the deferral at the time you buy your hunting license or anytime afterward. You can buy it anywhere you buy hunting licenses, including Walmart. It costs $10 and just takes a few minutes.

Good luck hunting tomorrow.
Tregs.

Camp Bullis does not abide by the "I was born prior to September 1972". You will need a hunter safety course to hunt on Camp Bullis. I don't know if this is true on other military installation.

dcphoto wrote:Seems like an arbitrary date.

Were people born before Sept. 2, 1971 born with the knowledge of how to hunt safely?

I am convinced that someone in the Legislature/TPWD had a kid born on 9/1/1971 and got the date set to 9/2/1971 to exempt that individual. Makes as much sense as most of the garbage that comes out of Austin.

ETA: Of course, it may have something to do with the license's effective date being 9/1, but why that year?

Crossfire wrote:You can get a one time exemption for hunter's ed, but then you will have to take it the next year before you can get a license.

Well worth it...

and when you do the Hunters Ed class, do it online first...that way, actual classroom time is around 5 hours.

Question: "Of course, it may have something to do with the license's effective date being 9/1, but why that year?"

When the TX Legislature passes new laws, they often go into effect on Sept. 1 or January 1. The hunter education requirement was passed in the late 1980s when they (I believe the 1987 Legislature) needed to pick a "cut-off date" and it was determined to be anyone who was not at least 17 years old on Sept. 1, 1988. Colorado has had for many, many years a cut-off date of "born on or after January 1, 1949". Some, but not all federal lands, require hunter education regardless of what year someone was born. The "deferral" option mentioned above was not a part of the original Texas legislation, but was implemented by TPWD a few years ago.

OK. That makes sense. Thanks!

dcphoto wrote:Seems like an arbitrary date.

Were people born before Sept. 2, 1971 born with the knowledge of how to hunt safely?

Why yes, we were.