LITTLE ROCK — Jacob Cain was 10 years old when he went on an impromptu squirrel hunt near Arkadelphia in November of 2004. His father, Larry Cain, was nearby clearing shooting lanes for deer season. After an hour or so on a tractor, Larry decided to check on the boy.
He shouted his son’s name a time or two but heard no response. Larry became concerned and went to deer camp, grabbed a few friends and began to seriously search with four-wheelers. It wasn’t long before he heard a weak answer.
Jacob was found with a .22 wound through his foot, although all was well after a trip to the hospital. Larry, a Hunter Education instructor, used the accident as a teaching moment and sent the AGFC an article he wrote about it, which 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 that maybe I had failed and was embarrassed. However, the more I thought about it, maybe another instructor or father can prevent an accident like this from happening. I am certain that Jacob has learned a very bittersweet lesson in gun safety.”
We recently got a call from Jacob, now 30 or so. He also became a Hunter Education instructor and plans to use the accident – and his dad’s article – to teach others.
Jacob, like many other dedicated volunteers, provides a valuable service to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission as well as the general hunting public. Thousands of new hunters each year graduate from Hunter Education before taking to the field. The course is required for anyone 16 or older who was born after 1968 to hunt on their own. Hunters under 16 may hunt with a licensed mentor who is at least 21 if they have not taken the course, and hunters 16 and older may do likewise after acquiring a Deferred Hunter Education (DHE) code through the AGFC’s licensing system (www.agfc.com/license).
“About 50 percent of our Hunter Education graduates still attend the free in-person classes,” Joe Huggins, Hunter Education Program Coordinator for the AGFC, said. “The rest opt for the online course. If you are 10 years or older, you can take the complete course online, including the final examination.”
Hunter Education teaches much more than firearms safety – it also covers all sorts of topics like basic woodsmanship, treestand safety, in-the-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 they can tell friends and family about for years to come.”
Visit https://www.agfc.com/education/hunter-education to find out more about Hunter Education in Arkansas and how to sign up for a class near you.
By the way, a week after he was injured, Jacob went deer hunting with his dad and bagged an 8-point buck.
