Conservation & Hunting in America (C&HA) is an online distance learning program for natural resource agency professionals to explore the conservation theories, policy, and practices that apply to hunting and the sustainable uses of wildlife in North America.
This program grew from our highly successful Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow (CLfT) workshops with content being delivered by over 20 experts from the natural resource profession. The program is comprised of approximately 16 hours of total learning, divided into 11 hours of self-directed digital learning interspersed with five 1 hour facilitated discussion sessions. Each cohort will have a CLfT staff facilitator and on occasion 1 or 2 guest experts to help answer questions about the material covered during each discussion.
Cohort sizes are kept small and maintain the same 8-12 participants throughout to ensure meaningful conversation and the opportunity for every participant to ask questions and reflect on how the topics apply to their professional responsibilities. To ensure that every participant can get their questions answered, each group will also have an integrated question and answer board, allowing questions to be sent to CLfT staff at any time while participants explore the digital content,
Each cohort is conducted over a 14-day period with zoom discussions scheduled twice a week at predetermined times.
Learners are expected to have access to the internet, computer with a camera and microphone in order to fully engage and complete the course. It is expected that the total experience will require about 90-120 minutes per day on average, spread over 11 continuous working days.
Program Content Summary
Course Introduction and review of expectations
Module 1 Motivations & Demographics of Hunters in the United States
Module 2 Hunter Safety & Education, Awareness, and Agency Responsibility
Part 1 – Agency Responsibility in Hunter Education Distribution
Part 2 – Firearms and Archery Demonstrations Explained
Module 3 Methods of Take
Module 4 Hunting in Wildlife Management and Conservation
Part 1 - Public Trust and the North American Model, then and now
Part 2 - Career Relevancy of the “user pay – public benefit” System
Module 5 Wildlife Laws, Regulations, and Enforcement
Module 6 Biological Basis and Science of Harvesting Wildlife
Module 7 Hunter Responsibility and Ethics
Module 8 The Role of Hunting and Hunters in Society
Module 9 Types of Hunting
Part 1 – Specific Types of Hunting
Part 2 – Dogs and Hunting
Module 10 A Hunt - Before, During, and After
Module 11 Wild Game as Food
Module 12 Gear, Terminology, and Methods of Trapping and Angling
Module 13 Contemporary Management Issues & Challenges
Module 14 Effective Communication Skills and Impacts to Leadership
Closing Remarks and Exit Survey
Effective Pathways into Hunting
Discussion Sessions Five, 1-hour, small group online discussions to explore content