Become a Volunteer Instructor and Help Continue Wisconsin Hunting Heritage!

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Who are the Volunteer Instructors?

The Hunter Education volunteer instructors are the key to having successful education programs. The volunteers are motivated people who have an interest in recreational safety and who are willing to donate a few hours of their time each year to teach safety education classes in your area. Becoming a volunteer instructor is a great way to help save lives, prevent injuries, meet people in your community, and positively influence the attitudes and actions of other resource users. Certification as a volunteer instructor is and must continue to be considered both an honor and a privilege. Both as a group and as individuals, instructors represent a proud and honorable tradition of volunteer citizen involvement in providing community service.

What are the Qualifications of a Certified Volunteer Instructor?

1. Be at least 18 years of age
2. Be experienced in the hunter safety education program
3. Be a graduate of the student course in Wisconsin for the hunter safety education program.
4. Demonstrate a willingness to devote the necessary time and effort to carry out program responsibilities.
5. Demonstrate the abilities necessary to perform the duties and responsibilities of a Wisconsin DNR volunteer instructor.
6. Demonstrate a sincere interest in facilitating course ethics based upon responsibility and respect
7. Pass a background check.

How Can I Become a Certified Volunteer Instructor?

If you've recently taken Hunter Education, contact the instructor from your course and let them know you are interested in becoming a volunteer instructor. They will have you fill out the Apprentice Application so the background check can be conducted.

Your Recreational Safety Warden can provide a list of certified instructors in your area for you to contact if you do not know who to contact.

To Be Eligible for Certification:

Applicants must complete the certification process:

1. Meet instructor qualifications (see qualifications above)
2. Find a certified instructor in your area to sponsor you. (Your certified sponsoring instructor will be able to help you through the certification process.)
3. Complete and Submit the Apprentice Application, Form 8500-161
4. Pass an Initial Background Check per NR 19.30
5. Complete and submit the Apprentice Instructor Exam with your sponsoring certified instructor.
6. Complete and submit the Instructor Training Record and Application, Form 8500-162 with your sponsoring certified instructor.
7. Pass a local background check conducted by the local Conservation Warden

Certification Methods

Apprenticeship:

• Serves apprenticeship with certified instructor group
• Must apprentice-instruct a minimum of two complete courses
• Be recommended by a certified instructor for full certification
• Complete instructor certification process and forms

One or Two Day Certification Training Session:

• Attend and successfully complete a certification training session such as a clinic or academy.
• Complete instructor certification process

What Topics do Volunteer Instructors Teach in the Hunter Education Course?

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The core of the Hunter Education Program is the Basic Hunter Education course, which is a minimum of 10 hours in length and could go up to 18 hours. This course content includes:

1. Our hunting heritage, hunting firearms, and equipment
2. Understanding firearms; basic safety rules for hunters and shooters
3. Proper care, cleaning, and storage of firearms and equipment
4. Marksmanship fundamentals
5. Responsibilities of hunters for our environment, wildlife, landowners, and others
6. Wildlife identification and habits. USGS Waterfowl Identification Guide [Exits DNR]
7. Field care of harvested game
8. Handling outdoor emergencies
9. Wildlife management; law enforcement and the student's role in the future of hunting.
10. How hunting accidents are caused and how they can be prevented

Other courses also taught by volunteer instructors include Bow Hunter Edcuation and the Alternative Delivery Course which requires students to complete the book portion of the course either via CD-Rom, or online at www.ihea.com. The students then attend a special field day where they get the hands-on training and complete the program exams.

What is Expected of a Volunteer Instructor?

In order to remain a certified volunteer instructor, you must participate in teaching at least one class per year, and it is highly recommended that you attend an annual Instructor Training Academy. Instructors work in teams, under the leadership of a lead volunteer instructor who sets up the courses and pulls the teaching team together. Depending on your skills, comfort level, and knowledge, you will be asked to assist in several ways at a course, from organizing paperwork, helping small groups of students in a hands-on exercise, to providing instruction to the entire class. The lead volunteer instructor will work with you to determine what meets your needs as well as the needs of the course.

What Other Ways Can I Contribute to the Hunter Education Program?

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Volunteer instructors have reviewed materials and equipment for possible use in the program, submitted articles for newsletters, and volunteered for special public outdoor events. The ways in which a volunteer instructor can contribute to this program are numerous, limited only by your skills, time, and availability.

Personal satisfaction: As the name "volunteer" would imply the compensation for instructors is in the satisfaction of knowing that what you are doing is important, that your contribution may save lives, and positively influence the attitudes and actions of those who share or will share the outdoors with you. There is no monetary benefit from teaching our safety programs.

Contact Information

If you are interested in becoming a member of the largest volunteer instructor corps for basic hunter education in North America, contact any of your Regional Recreational Safety Wardens listed on the map below.

The map of Wisconsin shown below is separated by color according to the Recreational Safety Warden providing coverage for those Counties.

Christopher Wunrow
Spooner DNR Service Center, 715-635-4112
Provides coverage for: Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Iron, Polk, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor and Washburn Counties.

Jeffrey Dauterman
Antigo DNR Service Center, 715-623-4190 ext. 3109
Provides coverage for: Florence, Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Marinette, Oneida, Portage, Vilas and Wood Counties.

William Yearman
Eau Claire DNR Service Center, 715-839-3717
Provides coverage for: Adams, Buffalo, Chippewa, Clark, Crawford, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Monroe, Pepin, Pierce, St. Croix, Trempealeau and Vernon Counties.

April Dombrowski
Oshkosh Service Center, 920-303-5443
Provides coverage for: Calumet, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Marquette, Waupaca, Waushara and Winnebago Counties.

Jeremy Cords
Green Bay Service Center, 920-662-5129
Provides coverage for: Brown, Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie and Shawano Counties.

Catherina Nooyen
Central Office, 608-275-3253
Provides coverage for: Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Lafayette, Richland, Rock and Sauk Counties.

John Bronikowski
Sturtevant DNR Service Center, 262-884-2383
Provides coverage for: Kenosha, Milwaukee, Racine and Walworth Counties.

John Plenke
Waukesha DNR Service Center, 262-574-2163
Provides coverage for: Ozaukee, Sheboygan, Washington and Waukesha Counties.