Hunter Education Column
I plan to have this note as a regular feature in the Badger to keep membership informed of activities and to recruit more members in the effort to spread our message and expand our membership. Also check the web site, www.wiscmla.org and or the face book page, 

History;  In October of 2014 the WDNR sponsored a course taught by Trainers from the NRA/NMLRA which certified some 17 WMLA members and/or WDNR HE Teachers as Muzzle Loader Instructors. There are other Instructors in State who are not part of our group and a NRA Trainer active in the northern part of the state. He has held at least one class, we are in contact with him and he may teach our next class of Instructors.  We have so far held three classes that I am aware of. I have had poor luck in attracting students. I have posted notices in local sporting outlets and the classes are listed on the DNR Go Wild web site. My students have come from contacts in the HE Courses I help with and at the Dane Co. Deer and Turkey Expo at the WMLA display booth. We are looking for more membership participation in attracting students.

Plan; Should any of the WI ML Clubs be motivated to sponsor a class please contact me or any of the WMLA board members. The DNR is interested in sponsoring another training session to certify more Instructors. It would be ideal to have one or two Instructors in each of the clubs. The DNR HE Program has four gun sets and supplies available and will assist with the class as schedules permit. There is little cost to the Club except range and members time. The class is quite comprehensive covering all aspects of muzzle loading and types of guns used. It can however customized for specific needs. Smaller groups are more easily managed, 6 to 12 seems to work well. Four shooting stations are needed with an Instructor at each and a Range Officer for safety. 

I had prospects for two classes this year but other events have intervened and I am still in the planning stage.  There will be a class as an add on to a regular HE class at WI Rapids run By Joe Lacenski Sept 22 & 23.  Watch the GO Wild site for class postings to sign up.  Contact info: cabaum@wisc.edu or 608-767-2248.

A meeting was held (8/2/17) with Joe, Myself, Jon King, and Phil Thornton with input from others who could not attend, to bring plans for the ML HE program together and re-vitalize it. More on this later when the results are printed up and distributed.

Muzzleloader Hunter Education Chair

Chuck Baum
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