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Class Review of Mass Wildlife: Basic Hunter Education

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Class Review of Mass Wildlife: Basic Hunter Education

In preparation to learn to hunt, we needed to take a Basic Hunter Education course per law in Massachusetts. We opted to take the 2-day independent study version of the class. We attended in person presentations on January 7th and the 21st in Danvers.

We had a homework booklet to fill out in during the middle weeks, and had to hand them in before the second class. This allowed us to spend less time in the classroom and cover the required material. See what we learned on our first hunting trip here: 10 Things I Learned on my First Deer Hunt

Basic Hunter Education

by Mass Wildlife at Danver's Rod and Gun Club

Price: Free

Duration: 2 days (8 hours each)

Location: Massachusetts, USA

Website: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/hunter-education-course-descriptions

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Ready to learn yourself? Directory of Hands-On Learning

Review of Hunter Education:

Day 1: AM We covered the legal aspects of hunting. It was boring stuff, but necessary and the instructors did their best to inject personal stories. They also covered the ethical considerations and how to be a respectful hunter.

Day 1: PM After the morning lectures there was a hands-on portion in the afternoon. We broke up in groups and rotated through stations. Including, proper handling of hunting rifles including bolt-action, lever action, and pump action rifles and shotguns.

We practiced walking in groups with proper handling and positioning of the firearm. This hands on portion got us familiar and comfortable with the fake firearms and was a good break from the lectures.

Day 2: AM  There was more morning lectures and summary of the homework. The staff did their best to teach the culture of hunting, not just the legal and ethical aspects. They tried to instill the idea of hunting good etiquette as well as hunting best practices.

Day 2: PM We then headed outside on a very cold January day to learn tracking techniques, proper set-up and use of a tree stand. We learned about crossing fences with firearms.

The instructors were inclusive of the diverse age and backgrounds of the students. From the middle-schooler with their parents to the middle-aged first timers; there was a range of students taking the class with us.

Final Exam: At the end of the second day, we needed to pass a written exam in order to receive our certificate of completion. We passed! Of the +100 students in the class, everyone passed except for one middle-schooler who didn't understand some of the wording but passed upon oral examination.

There was the option for extra time on the exam if needed as well as someone to read the question aloud if reading was an issue. The class prepared us very well for the state certification exam.

We even earned a "cool" hunter education graduate patch!

Hunter Education Graduate Patch

All in all, it's the type of course you take once in your lifetime so you can buy a hunting permit. After that, and a bit of hands on learning there is no need to repeat this class or any similar to it.

Key Take-Aways from Basic Hunter Education:

  1. Wear your hunter orange.
  2. Treat every gun as if it was loaded.
  3. Know where your bullet will go.
  4. Only shoot if 100% certain it is safe, ethical, and legal.

I will say these classes are not offered very often and tend to fill up fast, so we had to stalk the Mass Wildlife page to learn of new offerings and jump on signing up. They are typically offered after hunting season in December/January/February.

Read More:

  1. 10 Things I Learned on my First Deer Hunt
  2. Review of Russ Cohen: Wild Plants I Have Known...And Eaten
  3. Directory of Hands-On Learning

Are you thinking of taking a hunter education course? What's holding you back? Let us know in the comments below.

Ready to learn yourself? Directory of Hands-On Learning

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What to Expect in Mass Wildlife Hunter Education Course | A class review
Class Review of Russ Cohen: Wild Plants I Have Known…And Eaten

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Class Review of Russ Cohen: Wild Plants I Have Known…And Eaten

On March 2, 2017 the Burlington Public Library invited Russ Cohen to give a presentation on foraging for edible plants as part of their survival month. This free event happening right down the street was just was I was looking for.

Wild Plants I Have Known...and Eaten

by Russ Cohen

Price: Free

Duration: 2 hours

Location: Massachusetts, USA

Website: http://users.rcn.com/eatwild/bio.htm

Book: Wild Plants I Have Known...And Eaten

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Review of Russ Cohen:

While Russ offers woodland strolls to discover plants in real life, this class was taught in the library conference room. He brought along a power point filled with photos of the plants and his collections over the years. Cohen stepped through the seasons, explained what types of plants were available and where to find them.

He added colorful stories to his lecture and brought samples of his Autumn Olive Berry fruit leather to sample. He also brought along some wild nuts to try, as he weren't in the field, he did his best to bring along the plants he was talking about. He covered a range of plants local to the New England/ Massachusetts area.

I left with the confidence to search out Autumn Olive berries of my own, and give wild foraging a try. Russ points out that some species, like the Autumn Olive are easy to identify in a stage different from their harvest-able stage.The Autumn Olive is actually an invasive species in Massachusetts, but was accidentally planted in highway medians throughout the state.

The Autumn Olive bush blooms white flowers in May with silver almost Sage looking leaves. Then in fall around late August the bush will develop small red berries with silver spots. I identified a bush in a local park during May and waited for it to fruit in August.

Autumn olive blooming and fruiting

I also left with a copy of his book (paid for), Wild Plants I Have Known...And Eaten which includes a great chart with which plants are in season for foraging when. This chart points out the peak time to harvest the plants, includes recipes and how to eat the foraged plants. As there were many plants covered, I was not able to memorize/learn all the plants in the 2-hour lecture. One of his field walks may provide this hands-on learning experience.

Russ also covered the legal and ethical considerations of foraging. He encouraged everyone to properly identify plants before you eat them but also know if they are a protected species, or an invasive species.

  • Invasive species can be harvested greatly and removing them by foraging may actually help the environment.
  • Protected or sensitive species should not be harvested, even if it is edible.

Russ also talked about ethically leaving berries for the birds and leaving a good percent of the harvest-able foods for the local animals and ecosystem.

I would love to take another class with Russ in the woods to learn first hand to identify the plants and recognize them into their natural habitats. I recommend taking a field walk with Russ Cohen.

His schedule can be found on his website: http://users.rcn.com/eatwild/bio.htm

His book can be found on Amazon: Wild Plants I Have Known...And Eaten

Read more:

  1. 10 Things I Learned on my First Deer Hunt
  2. Starting Seeds or Buying Transplants: Which is Better for Your Garden?

Have you ever taken a class with Russ Cohen? Let us know your experience in the comments section.

Join the Modern Self-Reliance Community

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Class Review of Russ Cohen: Wild Plants I Have Known...And Eaten
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