President Joe Biden has signed the Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act, which protects funding for schools that provide hunter education, archery, shooting sports and other programs.

Biden signed the bill after both Chambers of the United States Congress solidly passed the legislation that fixes language from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022 that potentially allowed the United States Department of Education to pull federal funding from schools that have hunter education, archery and other shooting sports programs.  

The House of Representatives passed the bipartisan bill with 67 co-sponsors, with a near unanimous vote of 424-1. Texas congresswoman Veronica Escobar was the sole Nay vote, while eight others did not vote. 

Earlier this year the Department of Education corrected language in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022, which was intended by Congress to prohibit the training of teachers and other staff in the use of deadly weapons, to pull Elementary and Secondary Education Act funding from schools that house hunter education, archery, shooting and other school-based programs.

Safari Club International, along with the Sportsman’s Alliance Foundation, sent a notice of intent to sue the Department of Education over the issue.

In New York, the National Archery in Schools program has grown immensely in recent years in both rural New York and inner-city schools. Earlier this year at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, 635 students from 35 New York schools participated in the state finals.

DEC claims that nationally since 2002 more than 4 million students at over 8,500 schools located in 47 states and five countries have participated in the National Archery in Schools program. They also announced that 3,838 archers from 36 states took part in the Open Championship Bullseye and 3D Tournaments held this summer in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. 

Hunter education is also taught at schools across the United States and participation in scholastic clay target leagues continues to grow in New York and nationwide.

Co-CEO of the National Turkey Federation Kurt Dyrofff stated, “Having opportunities for students to participate in programs that lead them to the outdoors are crucial to the continuation of our outdoor heritage and the health and well-being of the nation’s youths.”

Coyote Hunter Fatally Shot in Iowa!

An Iowa man died after being shot while hunting coyotes with friends. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources said in a news release that the hunter was struck by a single rifle shot. The shooting remains under investigation and no arrest have been made.  

The Iowa state agency said the hunters were several hundred yards apart when the hunter was shot. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

The department also said coyotes are nocturnal, so they are often hunted at night. Hunters use night vision technology, including thermal imagining scopes.

Captain Matt Bruner of the department’s Law Enforcement Bureau said, “We stress the importance of identifying your target before taking a shot, and that’s even more important when hunting at night and using thermal technology.” 

Wishing all a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!