As we head into fall semester 2019 we grow closer to September, which means college football and hunting season in the South. ABAC’s associate professor of wildlife ecology and management, Dr. Vanessa Lane, has been doing her part to ensure that ABAC’s students are knowledgeable and prepared for hunting season.
Lane and others in the Wildlife and Natural resources program at ABAC have been busy over the past year offering educational courses for students. In February, ABAC hosted the first-ever “Learn-to-Hunt” program that allowed students to receive hands-on experience and taught them the basics of becoming a hunter. In the same month, Lane hosted a three-hour “Squirrel Biology and Hunting Strategy” course for students.
On Aug. 5 and 6, Lane hosted a Hunter Safety Course in the Yow Forestry Wildlife Building. She and Tift County’s Game Warden Kristie Carpenter, co-taught the course with Game Warden Eric White providing assistance. Eleven students participated in the two-day courses full of hands-on learning activities.
“We covered many topics, including how to identify firearms and ammunition types, safe use of firearms in the field and at the range, how to safely maintain and store firearms and a basic introduction to primitive hunting tools (such as compound bows, crossbows and muzzleloaders)” said Lane. “We also discussed how to treat everyone with respect, including the animals being hunted and people who may not necessarily agree with hunting as a whole. We emphasized how responsible, safe hunters are important ambassadors for wildlife management and hunting traditions in the United States.”
The course is a part of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Statewide R3 Initiative to “Recruit-Retain-Reactivate” hunters. The course is free to participants because it is funded by the Georgia Wildlife Federation and is open to anyone who wants to attend. It’s not too late to take part in the fun either. Dr. Lane will be hosting a second hunter safety course on Oct. 7 and 8. Lane and Carpenter will be the instructors for the course.
To register for the course, go to http://www.gooutdoorsgeorgia.com and create an account. Applications can be found under the Events/Volunteering tab once the account is created. Be sure to search for the October dates located in Tifton to ensure your spot. For more information, contact Dr. Lane at (229) 391-4811 or vlane@abac.edu.
