Master Hunters give back to outdoors

This is the last of a two-part series about the Master Hunter Permit Program.

Last week we discussed the requirements for attaining the status of a Master Hunter in Washington state and the shooting requirements in detail. This week we will continue discussing the remaining requirements.

Volunteer

The objective of the requirement to volunteer is to encourage the applicant to begin or sustain a lifetime of service or volunteerism.

Although there are many opportunities for outdoorswomen and outdoorsmen to volunteer, not all take advantage of the opportunity. However each Master Hunter applicant is required to volunteer at least 20 hours of their time on a wildlife habitat project or a project approved as suitable. This requirement initially required wildlife volunteer work, such as working only on wildlife projects, but has now expanded to include many other project needing volunteers.

Examples of such projects include herding and hazing of elk, waterfowl and turkeys causing problems on private property, when approved by Fish and Wildlife personnel and under the direction and guidance of Fish and Wildlife personnel.

Applicants register to assist in the non-lethal control of game and game damage throughout the state and are called when the need is apparent.

Fish and Wildlife enforcement officers will use the volunteer game damage control registration list to contact Master Hunter Permit applicants on an as-needed basis.

More specific information will be provided at that time including required gear, tools, and materials, if any.

Individuals selected to participate will receive appropriate orientation and training and be required to complete and submit volunteer registration and time documents.

Other examples might be monitoring, maintenance, and repair of Fish and Wildlife boundary fencing; enhancing private land hunting access through gate management, litter control, patrols, hunter outreach, landowner outreach, posting, register-to-hunt programs, etc.

Maintenance of Fish and Wildlife Hunting Access Areas or hunting access points controlled by private and public cooperators allow public hunting, such as signage, pot hole repair, litter clean-up, landscape maintenance.

Coordination of the building, installation, and maintenance of wood duck nest boxes in a large geographic area; certified Hunter Education Instructors may request Master Hunter volunteer credit for the time they provide classroom instruction for Hunter Education training courses.

Other projects are conducting a variety of Fish and Wildlife approved wildlife field surveys, such as pigeon call counts, pheasant crow counts, waterfowl brood counts, etc.; posting of Fish and Wildlife land boundaries or Game Management Units with signs; assistance at state Wildlife Areas with routine maintenance, hand pulling of noxious weeds or exotic plants, winter feeding of game and signage.

Besides the field work, administrative volunteer work will be considered: Assist Fish and Wildlife in entering Master Hunter data, sending out correspondence and applications to Master Hunters, or answering phone and e-mail questions about the Master Hunter Permit Program.

Also assisting Fish and Wildlife in administering the Master Hunter written test within a specific geographic area; coordination and facilitation of orientation meetings, landowner meetings, or public information and outreach meetings on behalf of Master Hunters.

The need for lots of fence repair is apparent, especially in elk country, but, as with all programs, the paperwork needs to be accomplished as well.

Besides working on projects which directly benefits wildlife, hunting, the control of wildlife depredation and that strengthen the heritage of safe, ethical, and responsible hunting, there was a need for other projects throughout the state.

Some applicants were driving long distances to work on a project when there were fish related projects closer to home.

Routine maintenance or fish rearing work at state fish hatcheries; assistance with spawning and creel census surveys approved by Fish and Wildlife; bank stabilization projects using native plants; assistance at Fishing Kids Events focusing on first-time-fishers and at assistance at persons-of-disability fishing events.

Volunteerism is a big part of the Master Hunter Permit Program.

Those not interested in giving back to the outdoor world need not apply.

CORT Class

Another requirement is the completion of a Crime Observation and Reporting Training course.

This training usually takes place in the evening and lasts about 90 minutes,

But the attendees receive three hours of credit toward the 20-hour obligation.

This class provides several tips for gathering vital information when a potential crime is committed.

A Fish and Wildlife enforcement officer helps to teach the class, which is the first time many applicants have had a chance to meet and visit with a game warden.

Criminal background check

After all of the other requirements are completed, Fish and Wildlife will conduct a criminal background check on all applicants. Entry into the Master Hunter Program will be denied to those applicants who have been convicted of one of several crimes listed.

One example states, "Paid the required fine or been convicted within the last 10 years of criminal trespass, reckless endangerment, criminal conspiracy or making a false statement to law enforcement while hunting or fishing.

Written test

The 100 question written test is not to be taken lightly.

I decided to take the test without any study and did not pass. Then the books were studied.

There is a bunch of material and it takes time to read and digest it all.

In the end, the study material was most informative and enlightening.

Fish and Wildlife includes suggestions on how to succeed and pass the test, which is time and commitment, to study everything and to stay with the commitment.

They also have suggestions to fail, which includes don't take the test seriously and assume you already know enough.

Applicants who fail, have only one chance to retake the test.

Once certified as a Master Hunter the volunteer work is not finished. Each person must recertify in five years.

This includes completing 40 hours of volunteer service and submitting to another criminal background check.