4190 Co Rd 4809, Ladonia TX 75449

512-766-2567 info@txheia.org

Target Talk 01/05/2017

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Target Talk

In This Issue:

Coordinator’s Comments – HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Element

We’ve much to do in 2017!

As stated in our last 2016 Weekly Target Talk, we’ve much to accomplish in 2017 including our bread-and-butter efforts — Hunter Education Student and Instructor courses (classroom & field).

Our first objective in 2017 is to finallyimplement the new Online Registration System (ORS) and hunter education database!  It has been a year in development, and I know we are all anxious to use the new system.

Our new launch date has been scheduled! January 27th!

Admittedly, the learning curve for us ‘Baby Boomers’ will be greater than the ‘Millennials’ who will adapt seamlessly to the new ORS.

The main learning points will be:

  • One-time set up of your Instructor Profile
  • One-time set up of your usual Course Location(s)
  • Adding your 2017 Course Dates/Times
  • Selecting ‘Public’ or ‘Private’ for your courses
  • Monitoring Registrations (public courses)
  • Sending Email Link to Students (private courses)
  • Printing Course Roster prior to course
  • Conducting Classroom (6 hr) or Field (4hr min) course
  • Charging and keeping $15 Course Fee per student (cash or check made out to instructor)
  • Adding grades (min. 75%) and checking ‘pass’ for students upon completion.
  • Paying one lump sum with credit card @ $5 per student (plus + service fee) Note: It will be $15 per student if instructor is a TPWD employee.
  • Once lump sum is paid by instructor, students print their own cards. (Cards will no longer be mailed to students by TPWD — a MAJOR change!)

For those of you not as computer savvy or who do not use computers (other than to read this newsletter, perhaps) — will have to find a registrar/volunteer (family member?) to administer this process — volunteer time that can be added to ‘preparation time’ in your final reporting.  We also will have a transition period and accept Scantrons and provide printable temporary forms for students as in the past. TPWD regional hunter education specialists and administrative staff will be available to work with you to get up to speed, and there will be IT tech support and assistance provided 24/7 by the developer, too.  Hopefully, we will get thru the transition smoothly and enjoy the fruits of connecting better to our students and reaching even more potential audiences, as well.

THANKS for your efforts to Help us — Help you!

Steve Hall, HE Coordinator

Back to Top

SAVE THE DATE — HE Instructor Annual Conference!

hardin simmons

ABILENE – April 21 – 23rd

Be sure to book your calendar for the next Hunter Education Instructor Annual Conference sponsored by YOUR association — the TX Hunter Education Instructor’s Association.  W TX Hunter Education Specialist, Randy Spradlin, and Area Chief/THEIA Board Member, Dr. Edgar Reed, Hardin-Simmons University, have made plans to host you this year in the vast plains of West Texas! Sessions and breakout workshops will be held in the Johnson Building on campus and special rates at local hotels will be sought for all those staying overnight.  There will be a WELCOME RECEPTION Friday evening, April 21st, including the opening of a THEIA silent auction. Sessions will be held Saturday, April 22nd, followed by the Instructor Awards Banquet. The THEIA annual board meeting will be held Sunday morning, April 23rd.  We hope YOU come this year to support your fellow instructors, association and TPWD!

 HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Welcome Reception (Friday)
  • TPWD & THEIA UPDATES
  • CWD; Feral Hog Mgmt. & Issues
  • NEW Online Registration System
  • Treestand Safety Training (4 hrs.)
  • Hunting 101 Workshops
  • Mentored Hunts/R3 Initiatives
  • Keynote – Mr. Michael Sabbeth, Denver, CO (Ethics & Image)
101
Jose Garcia

2016 INSTRUCTOR AWARDS

  • HE Hall of Fame Recipients
  • Volunteer of the Year (TX)
  • Regional Volunteers of the Year
  • Game Warden of the Year
  • Professional Educator of the Year
  • THEIA’s “T.D. Carroll” Award
  • SPECIAL Awards and Prizes

PHOTO: Jose Garcia (R), Irving, accepted the statewide Volunteer Instructor of the Year in 2015 from HE Coordinator, Steve Hall, in April 2016 in Houston.

Back to Top

Kathy Powell Retirement Donations Still Accepted

We have extended the time to receive donations towards Kathy Powell’s retirement gift accepted by “THEIA”, so we can COLLECTIVELY thank her for the time she served our Texas hunter education community.

Please send checks no later than January 27th to: THEIA; ATTN: Denise Harmel-Garza -Treasurer, 15033 Turnberry, College Station, TX  77845.

Our plans also are to invite her to the annual HE Instructor Annual Conference in April, so you will hopefully get to thank her personally for her service.

Kathy

Back to Top

HE Instructors Wind up Courses/Hunts in 2016!

TYHP

Lead TYHP Huntmaster, Ron Roberts (R), and his team, including HE Instructors Virginia Roberts, Jim Cramner and Area Chief, Vincent Lecca, held a very successful TYHP Youth Hunt at Millican Reserve where each of the hunters successfully harvested an animal.  Congratulations to everyone involved in one of the best programs of its kind in the country!.

Instructor Lee Morris (L) sent in a photo of his class held at the Boys Ranch in early November.  He held a classroom and field session.  Thanks, Lee, for targeting groups and making hunter education coursework happen in the vast plains of the Texas Panhandle!

Boys Ranch

Back to Top

Conservation Education – 2016 Highlights

Project WILD, Children in Nature, Aquatic Resources and other TPWD Programs!

wildlife

Johnnie Smith, Conservation Education Manager with TPWD, put together a short video piece highlighting Conservation Education Successes for 2016. If you are a hunter education instructor and want to be more effective communicating or teaching about wildlife, you may want to take a Project WILD training course in your area or attend other conservation education programs related to teaching children about nature-based activities, water resources and/or about basic ecology.  Be sure to support other TPWD education programs in your efforts to train and certify hunter education students. Thanks for spreading the mission of Texas Parks & Wildlife!  For a copy of the MP4 video, please email

st********@tp**.gov











.

Back to Top

TPWD Resources

Hunter Education Overview | Instructor Resources | Student Resources 
Operation Game Thief | Texas Game Warden Association

Other Hunter Ed Resources

International Hunter Education Association | NRA Programs & Services 
NSSF Hunting & Ranges | Texas Hunter Education Instructor Association

Right clicks are not allowed. You cannot view or copy content of this page