Gov. Jim Pillen signed a proclamation on March 18 authorizing Nebraska to celebrate 50 years of hunter education in 2024.
The governor signed the proclamation during a ceremony at the Nebraska State Capitol along with Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Director Tim McCoy and several current and former program coordinators and instructors.
“This honor is shared by Nebraska Game and Parks and the thousands of volunteers who have dedicated their time and talents to serving Nebraskans over the past 50 years,” McCoy said. “We are so grateful to our volunteer instructors for encouraging new hunters and further supporting Nebraska’s proud outdoor heritage.”
More than 5,000 volunteer instructors help take the program from the classroom to the field and teach Nebraska's hunter education curriculum. He also supports his 4-H shooting sports at outdoor expositions, archery and hunting programs, outdoor discovery school programs, and many other events in Nebraska state parks and the community.
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The Hunter Education Program began in Nebraska in 1974 and the Bowhunter Education Program began in 1994. This program has been accepted by over 200,000 students. Since then, Hunter's incident rate has decreased by more than 80%, according to commission data.
“Our volunteers are mentors to many, encouraging and encouraging youth and adults to learn about hunting and shooting sports and how to be safe and responsible in the field,” McCoy said. . “We are very proud of the past 50 years, our tradition of safety, the many staff and volunteers who have helped get us to this point, and we look forward to many years of safe hunting and shooting sports. looking forward to it.”
Hunter Education helps the sports of hunting and shooting bring an annual economic impact of $1 billion to Nebraska.
