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Got to thinking and I wanted to ask the people of this forum a question. In my state, if you want to hunt you have to purchase a hunting license. However, in order to do so, you must complete a hunters safety course if you were born after 1969. The course lasts for 2 days. You are taught how to handle a firearm, how to operate it, all the parts that make up the firearm, and watch a few videos. At the end of the course you have to pass a multiple choice test that consists of 100 questions going over everything you were taught in 2 days. The last hour you go out to a range where you shoot clay and put to use what you've learned.
If you simply want to purchase a firearm, all you need to do is go out and have a instant background check that takes 15 mins or so. Why is this? How come I had to take a 2 day course with a test to legally hunt, but can purchase a firearm in 30 mins? That should be a requirement for both or none at all imo.
The reason I thought of this was due to an uncomfortable experience at a store recently(Academy). I went to feel out a shotgun I've been eyeballing. I looked to my right and someone had a barrel pointed at me. I turned to my left and someone had a barrel pointed at me. I know the firearms were not loaded, but it still made me a tad uncomfortable having someone point a barrel at me casually when I was taught never to do such a thing even if its unloaded. The worker handed me the shotgun and I had nowhere to point the barrel or swing comfortably. I raised the end of the barrel directly at the ceiling and he asked me not to do that and to point the gun forward.....directly at him. I just handed it back because it was odd to me.
Anyway, what are your thoughts? Should we drop the hunter education course altogether or have such a safety course for first time buyers as well? I could tell no one ever jumped onto those people for handling a firearm a certain way.
Simple...you don't have a right to hunt. And I personally think the hunting course is more important. Of all the firearms owners I know...and of the few that have been shot...it has been while hunting. I think of the few times a person uses a gun...that is one where an accident has a much higher chance of occurring.
Then. There is also the fact that even with that course...people are complete and total dumbasses when it comes to the law and ethical hunting. Hopefully that course weeds out a few dumbasses. But sadly the frat boys who watched duck dynasty still didn't learn. I personally love that requirement. People need to learn the laws for hunting. They aren't there because of big brother. They set the law based on state wildlife biologist recommendations.