Colorado Hunter Safety Conclusion Course

[Huntin_GI]

Does anyone here know how the conclusion course for a Colorado Hunter Safety is ran? My daughter is 9 years old and we are going through the online study and her conclusion course is at the end of March. They mention live fire in the registration process but considering its at a community center in Loveland, I don't wholly believe that will take place.

The reason I am curious is if there is a live fire portion, I want her to be familiar with the platform. We have been using a break action youth 22lr to get her familiar with guns but if they hand her a pump action 410 and ask her to load, simulate firing, and then unload, she will be clueless. Not to mention, she is a little weakling therefore holding a 410 up and executing that process will be impractical.

The whole reason we are doing hunter safety so early is because I will start entering her into draws around the West next year so I wanted to get the hunter safety portion out of the way.

 

[Seth]

I can’t speak to that one, specifically, but all the live fire I’ve been a part of in SW CO has been with bolt action 22LR.

 

[cnelk]

Its been about 20 years since my kids went thru the course in Loveland.
If I remember correctly, they did the course at the Chilson Center and the next day we all met at an outdoor range and they shot a 22 few times.
It wasnt a proficiency /accuracy test, just basically safe gun handling and shooting.

 

[cnelk]

Also - In Colorado kids need to be 12 [before the season start] before they can get PPs.

 

[dieselchessy]

Not familiar with Colorado, but it’s been my experience that the instructors are there to help and teach people, and that they do their best to accommodate folks.
I don’t see them handing your daughter an unfamiliar firearm and expecting her to use it.

My first kid they shot a 20 gauge at target, could use a rest. No requirement to hit the target. Just had to be safe. Then they walked a course with archery targets and had to say if the shots presented were safe and legal.

Second kid was all indoors. They had prop guns and practiced safely crossing a mocked up PVC fence, handing off a firearm, ect….

Again, the instructors have never seemed to have the goal of failing kids. Quite the opposite.

Have her study the regulations, hunters safety rules, history, pitman Robertson, ethics, conservation, habitat and populations basics, ect…
My 9 year old boys had no issue passing. I’d imagine a 9 year old girl would have less issue than a boy as long as the desire was there.

 

[Quadzilla32]

Does anyone here know how the conclusion course for a Colorado Hunter Safety is ran? My daughter is 9 years old and we are going through the online study and her conclusion course is at the end of March. They mention live fire in the registration process but considering its at a community center in Loveland, I don't wholly believe that will take place.

The reason I am curious is if there is a live fire portion, I want her to be familiar with the platform. We have been using a break action youth 22lr to get her familiar with guns but if they hand her a pump action 410 and ask her to load, simulate firing, and then unload, she will be clueless. Not to mention, she is a little weakling therefore holding a 410 up and executing that process will be impractical.

The whole reason we are doing hunter safety so early is because I will start entering her into draws around the West next year so I wanted to get the hunter safety portion out of the way.

From what I was told its classroom then you get a dinky little 22 and have to shoot a target a couple times. If she has been shooting and knows basic stuff I wouldn't not see her having any issues. Getting her into a course is another problem, seems like almost all of them are either closed or waitlisted. Its kind of ridiculous that you need to take this course but they have limited seats.

 

[LongWayAround]

My girlfriend's class shot a .22 at the liberty firearms range by Scheels.

 

[dieselchessy]

Pretty sure the instructors are volunteers or nearly so as well as the venues being free/volunteer. Appears that way in my state.
I think the proper approach for folks frustrated with the wait lists and booked classes would be to become a hunters safety instructor and help fix the problem.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is a nationally recognized leader in conservation, outdoor recreation and wildlife management. The agency manages 42 state parks, all of Colorado's wildlife, more than 300 state wildlife areas and a host of recreational programs. CPW issues hunting and fishing...

cpw.state.co.us

 

[Quadzilla32]

Pretty sure the instructors are volunteers or nearly so as well as the venues being free/volunteer. Appears that way in my state.
I think the proper approach for folks frustrated with the wait lists and booked classes would be to become a hunters safety instructor and help fix the problem.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is a nationally recognized leader in conservation, outdoor recreation and wildlife management. The agency manages 42 state parks, all of Colorado's wildlife, more than 300 state wildlife areas and a host of recreational programs. CPW issues hunting and fishing...

cpw.state.co.us

The problem is the government requiring you to take this class for the "privilege" to hunt but not supporting the demand of individuals and having enough classes. You cant require something from people and then not offer enough opportunities to meet that requirement. From what I have seen its not free either, one dude runs the conclusion class and takes $10 a head and only accepts cash. Don't get me wrong I don't mind paying ten bucks for someone's time and I don't know how much the state takes from him.

IMO it should all be online the range portion doesn't really do anything except extend the class.

 

[billoo349]

Just took my nephew last week. The conclusion course we went to was at cherry creek gun club. They had a number of unfireable guns and snap caps for the kids to learn how each operates and they shot single shot bolt action 22's at the end of the course. The class was about 6 hours and there was a 50 question test at the end.

Sent from my motorola one 5G UW ace using Tapatalk

 

[Sherman]

Also - In Colorado kids need to be 12 [before the season start] before they can get PPs.

Except Turkey. She can start hunting Turkey or you can start building points up for Turkey. Don’t forget that there is a fall season also that you can purchase a point during that draw. I believe the deadline is May 3rd for the fall season draw. There is a youth hunt code that includes units 91, 92, 101, 102, & 96 for the entire spring season. If you put in for a point in the fall she will be guaranteed that youth tag in the spring. Awesome Turkey hunting in those units. 96, 91, & 92 are all river bottom with plenty of public access.

You can also take her dove, duck, goose, grouse, rabbit, etc. hunting.

 

[Huntin_GI]

Also - In Colorado kids need to be 12 [before the season start] before they can get PPs.

Yea, Arizona has a program for when she hits 10 and I want to get her on some small game stuff as well so it just made sense to go ahead and do it.

Just took my nephew last week. The conclusion course we went to was at cherry creek gun club. They had a number of unfireable guns and snap caps for the kids to learn how each operates and they shot single shot bolt action 22's at the end of the course. The class was about 6 hours and there was a 50 question test at the end.

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This is what I was looking for. Was it one of those youth cricket rifles?

Except Turkey. She can start hunting Turkey or you can start building points up for Turkey. Don’t forget that there is a fall season also that you can purchase a point during that draw. I believe the deadline is May 3rd for the fall season draw. There is a youth hunt code that includes units 91, 92, 101, 102, & 96 for the entire spring season. If you put in for a point in the fall she will be guaranteed that youth tag in the spring. Awesome Turkey hunting in those units. 96, 91, & 92 are all river bottom with plenty of public access.

You can also take her dove, duck, goose, grouse, rabbit, etc. hunting.

This is a pro-tip. Thanks. Ill be throwing her in this fall.

 

[MHB]

The conclusion course will have a live fire section. Generally the first 4 hours of the class is a review of information from the online class, followed by a 50 question exam. Once the exam is completed with a passing grade the students will travel to a local range. The range will depend on the instructor, lane availability and weather (indoor/outdoor).

The rifles used are a single shot 22LR with a side safety. The live fire section is to demonstrate safe firearm handling to the instructor, this is NOT marksman proficiency test. In some cases small youth firearms may be available but they are generally full sized 22LR rifles.

I am a volunteer instructor, feel free to PM me with specific questions.

Matt

 

[billoo349]

They had youth and adult 22's. I don't think they had any crickett to shoot but did have one of the non fireable ones. The youth model my nephew shot was a little bigger then a crickett, and you only had to cycle the bolt to cock it. I think the crickett you have to pull back on the bolt.

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[def90]

They had us shoot bolt action .22s in the class I took at Liberty Guns in Loveland. Was no big deal, they helped the people that hadn't shot a gun before. Basically they watch you nd have you load it, shoot a target and that's about it. I'm guessing you pass unless you decide to turn around and flag everyone in the class,