20-year-old accident still spreading safety message

By Randy Zellers

Jacob Cain was 10 years old when he spontaneously went squirrel hunting near Arkadelphia in November 2004. His father, Larry Cain, was nearby clearing shooting lanes for deer hunting. After about an hour on the tractor, Larry decided to check on the boy.

He called out his son’s name once or twice, but heard no answer. Larry got worried and went to the deer camp, grabbed a few friends and started hunting in earnest on four wheelers. It wasn’t long before he heard a weak reply.

Jacob was found with a 0.22 wound on his foot, although everything was fine after a hospital stay. Larry, a Hunter Education instructor, used the accident as a teaching moment and sent the AGFC an article he had written about it that appeared in the November/December 2006 issue of Arkansas Wildlife. He ended the article with these words: “At first I was very reluctant to write this story. As a hunter education instructor, I felt like I might have failed and felt embarrassed. But the more I thought about it, maybe another instructor or father could prevent such an accident from happening. I’m sure Jacob learned a very bittersweet lesson about gun safety.”

We recently received a call from Jacob, who is now about 30 years old. He also became a Hunter Training instructor and plans to use the accident – and his father’s article – to teach others.

Jacob, like many other dedicated volunteers, provides a valuable service to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the general hunting public. Every year, thousands of new hunters complete hunter training before going into the field. The course is required for anyone age 16 or older who was born after 1968 and wants to hunt independently. Hunters under 16 can hunt with a licensed mentor who is at least 21 years old if they have not completed the course, and hunters 16 and over can also do so after obtaining a DHE through the AGFC’s licensing system (www.agfc). code (Deferred Hunter Education). com/License).

“About 50 percent of our Hunter Education graduates are still taking the free in-person courses,” said Joe Huggins, AGFC’s Hunter Education Program Coordinator. “The rest opt ​​for the online course. If you are 10 years old or older, you can complete the entire course online, including the final exam.”

Hunter Education teaches much more than just firearms safety – it also covers all sorts of topics such as basic woodcraft, tree stand safety, field first aid, and even hunting ethics.

“Hunters are our best conservationists, and Hunter Education courses help them understand where they fit into the bigger picture of conservation,” Huggins said. “But the most important aspect will always be preparing them for a safe experience that they can tell friends and family about for years to come.”

Visit https://www.agfc.com/Training/hunter training Learn more about Hunter Education in Arkansas and how you can enroll in a course near you.

By the way, a week after his injury, Jacob went deer hunting with his father and shot an 8-point buck.