New hunters and trappers are required to complete a safety course before being issued a license. As a Master Instructor for the NYS DEC Hunter Education Program (HEP), I can assure you that those courses are great and that they have lowered the number of incidents of injury and death dramatically over the years.

In the 1960s, the average number of incidents in NY per year was around 140. The average for the past five years is only 12.8 according to DEC statistics. While we’ve lost an estimated 30-40 percent of our hunters over that time (according to the numbers that I have seen), the incidents have fallen by almost 91 percent. Hunter Safety works.

The folks in charge of Hunter Ed nationwide are always looking for new ways to save lives and prevent injuries. In New York, HEP staff has identified an area that could use improvement and have implemented a new program to address it. There is a gap in education between the safety course itself, and the student entering the field.

Many new hunters and trappers have family members and friends that help to mentor them in their new outdoor activities. Some of them don’t. Pennsylvania has a great mentor program for new hunters of all ages. New York has mentored hunts primarily for youth, with some available to women and other underrepresented groups. As good as these programs are, there aren’t always enough mentors available for everyone in every area.

Next Step Courses are now being offered by the NYS DEC HEP through certified instructors. The courses are hands-on with equipment provided by the DEC to be used by the students themselves. Unlike traditional hunter and trapper safety courses, where the teacher often demonstrates how to use the gear and be safe, the Next Step allows the student to do absolutely everything, under the watchful eye and guidance of the instructors.

Next Step Courses are limited to 10 students that work in pairs. A minimum of two teachers per course provide tips and instruction. That’s a much better ratio than the regular courses and helps us to better tailor everything to the student’s needs. There are five sets of equipment for the different pairs to use.

There are seven different Next Step classes available. Rifle and Shotgun cover two important topics on firearms. Archery Use & Marksmanship and Crossbow cover two important topics on archery. Fur Handling, Land Trapping and Water Trapping cover many aspects of trapping and safety. Next Step Courses are only 4 hours long.

The Hunter Ed program at the Sullivan County Conservation Club has offered a couple of these new classes and will be offering more in 2025. Anyone interested should check the DEC website for availability and to register. Not many courses are offered in the wintertime due to logistics, so check frequently in the coming year.

For some reason, instructors have been slow in offering these new classes (I guess that’s human nature) but I’m optimistic that they will become more available as time goes by. As an FYI, these courses are open to anyone, including readers in Pennsylvania, and other states, that may be interested.

The staff of the NYS DEC HEP program is considering adding more topics as time goes by. Please feel free to give them a call or send them an email with suggestions for subjects that you would like to see covered.

Check out the new NYS DEC Next Step Courses if you are interested, and enjoy the outdoors!