The Boone and Crockett Club and the National Rifle Association’s Hunters’ Leadership Forum (HLF) are working together to develop an online education platform to teach hunter ethics. The groups announced today that they have created an association for educational programming to help communicate the importance of the Fair Chase ethic when hunters head out into the field. Fair Chase’s hunter ethics curriculum will complement the NRA’s existing hunter education modules to deliver a positive message to new and existing hunters, as well as the general public. The online course is expected to launch in early 2024.
“Research that the Hunters’ Leadership Forum conducted several years ago to understand American attitudes toward hunting reinforced to me that the future of hunting in America rests not only on recruiting new hunters, but also on acceptance by the non-hunters. Non-hunters have our future rights in their hands, so we need to do a better job of communicating our benefits in America,” said HLF Director Peter Churchbourne. “The Boone and Crockett Club are known as the experts on hunter ethics and it became clear to me that they were the perfect partners to help teach new hunters and remind seasoned hunters about Fair Chase ethics and conservation.”
The Boone and Crockett Club is and always has been focused on fair hunting and the hunter’s ethic; however, until the development of this course, there has never been a summary syllabus for people interested in learning more about the topics. Fair Chase’s hunter ethics module being developed will mirror the NRA’s existing online hunter education course, but will delve deeper into the roots of conservation, the value of hunting within the North American conservation model of wildlife and the importance of the Fair Chase ethic. The ability of hunters to take this ethic to the field and communicate this information to the non-hunting community will help share hunters’ contributions to conservation, food sovereignty and the national economy and ultimately help increase and protect cultural acceptance of hunting.
“When I found the NRA’s online hunter education courses, I couldn’t wait to take one and see what was on offer through their web-based learning platform. I was totally impressed with the layout and the way the information was presented; even after being a hunter for more than 20 years, I learned something new in every chapter,” said Luke Coccoli, director of conservation programs for the Boone and Crockett Club. “We are excited to partner with the NRA to offer a world-class digital education experience on the topic of Fair Chase Hunter ethics. This code of ethics is essential in showing respect for the game we hunt and forms the foundation of our responsibility to wildlife and wild places.”
“Since the days of Theodore Roosevelt and the founding of conservation in this country, hunters have had a code of ethics in their pursuit of wildlife. The ethics education curriculum being developed is essential to ensure that today’s generation of hunters understand and operate under this code,” Churchbourne concluded.
The Fair Chase Hunter Ethics Course will be available in early 2024. It will be hosted on the NRA and Boone and Crockett Club websites and will be free for all ages and experience levels.
About the Boone and Crockett Club
Founded by Theodore Roosevelt in 1887, the Boone and Crockett Club promotes the stewardship and visionary management of big game and associated wildlife in North America. The Club maintains the highest standards of fair pursuit sportsmanship and habitat stewardship. Member accomplishments include the expansion and protection of Yellowstone and the establishment of Glacier and Denali National Parks, the founding of the US Forest Service, the National Park Service and the National Wildlife Refuge System, the fostering the Pittman-Robertson and Lacey laws, creating the Federal Duck Stamp program, and developing the cornerstones of modern gambling laws. The Boone and Crockett Club is based in Missoula, Montana. For more details, visit www.boone-crockett.org.
About the Hunter Leadership Forum
In response to the culture war against American hunters, in late 2014 the NRA launched the NRA Hunter Leadership Forum (HLF) to address the cultural, political, demographic, and technological challenges facing the future of hunters, hunting and wildlife conservation in the 21st Century. The HLF brings together dedicated hunters who have distinguished themselves as leaders in their professions, communities and on the field as we go on the offensive and work together to save the future of The hunt. For more information, visit www.nrahlf.org.