The art of archery

Eleven more people will be eligible to hit the woods dressed like bushes this coming autumn.

Two men and five boys from 11-14 years old received their Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks certificate after completing a week-long course in Plains Friday.

"It was an excellent class," said Kim Earhart, lead instructor for the Bowhunter Education Course. Earhart and four other instructors held a two-hour field day class on a site at the Pilgeram Ranch about five miles north of Plains, where the group was divided into three groups for their outdoor class.

The students started class on Monday. Each class was two hours long with a written 70-multiple choice question test. Adam Rice of Plains scored a 99% on the test. The students also had to draw vitals on five pictures of deer. Instructor Colette Morgan told students how much more important shot placement is with archery hunting. Morgan's group centered around a shoot, don't shoot situation when approaching a potential kill. Morgan talked about distance, angle and obstacles. She recommends that people practice guessing distances and then use their range finder for verification. The class included 15-year-old Zach Rice, Adam's son, along with Clinton Weedeman, 11, John Owen Jermyn, 13, Jonathan Felix, 16, Kingston Nyomo, 12, and Zachary Morran.

One of the groups did a blood trail exercise, which instructor Scott Johnson said was referred to as the "second hunt." The 200-yard blood trail, which Earhart created, took each group 30-40 minutes to complete. Earhart placed small and large amounts of "blood" on bushes, trees, flowers, and the ground. At the end of the trail was a larger amount of blood, along with a pile of deer bones. Instructor Zach Butcher told students to make sure to keep their eyes on the animal when they hit it and watch it until it goes out of sight.

The third group got a lesson from Pat Connolly about making a campfire in the woods, especially in windy conditions. He gave them suggestions on what to pack to make fire starting easier, such as toilet paper, steel wool and magnesium.

Throughout the week the instructors went over a myriad of items from shooting to littering, hunting on private and public lands, and from heat exhaustion to hypothermia. But ethics for the animal and safety for the hunters were two prevalent concerns. Instructor Mike Tatum discussed equipment ,the importance of keeping a bow in good working order and broadhead safety. "The class goes very fast because it's fun and it's something we love to do," said Earhart.

The instructors were all volunteers with almost 100 years of combined experience in the woods. Butcher started at age 12, the minimum age in Montana. "Students ages 10-11 can take the course and hunt as an apprentice but will not be fully certified until the year they turn 12," according to FWP. The instructors also had years of experience instructing the Bowhunter Education Course. Johnson and Connolly have been instructing for 13 years, Butcher for 10 years, Morgan for 10 years, and Earhart 13 years.

"I love teaching the kids. I believe that passion is the big key with archery because it isn't easy," said Earhart, who wants to instill that passion in his students. He also believes their volunteering is a way to give back to the community. He added that he'd like to see double the number sign up for the course next year.