FERRIDAY — Miss-Lou bowhunters interested in obtaining their International Bowhunter Education Certification Card, or those just interested in learning more about the sport of bowhunting can do so at Hewitt’s Archery and Pro Shop Saturday, June 25.

Hewitt’s Archery will host its International Bowhunter Education Program from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with instructors Homer Hewitt and Mel Riggs, to educate hunters on many different aspects of bowhunting.

National Bowhunter Education Foundation founder Bill Wadsworth started this program 40 years ago aiming to teach ethics and responsibility, Hewitt said.

“This class was started by bowhunters, and (now) it is a program designed by bowhunters for bowhunters,” Hewitt said.

The free program will cover bowhunters’ responsibilities, methods, safety, equipment, field dressing and much more, Hewitt said.

Hewitt said the course is important for all bowhunters, even if they do not have aspirations of getting their certification card.

The international bow safety course, and certification card certifies you in any state in the U.S. and overseas.

“But personally, I think every bowhunter, beginners especially, needs to take this course because a lot of rifle hunters come in and don’t understand (bowhunting),” Hewitt said.

Hewitt said it is important for hunters to understand the difference between bowhunting and hunting with a gun.

“Archery is a skill sport. If you have a gun and you zero it in, anyone can shoot it,” he said. “With a bow we can zero it in, but it has to be personalized, each bow is (fitted) to an individual. You have to put effort forward to develop that skill if you want to hunt.”

Hewitt said the class will teach the ethics of bowhunting.

“You have to know when to shoot and when not to,” he said. “Just because you have a deer 10 yards away (does not mean it’s an ethical shot), there could be brush in the way, the deer heard you or you have a bad angle.”

An ethical shot is one that ensures a kill.

“We go over the ethics because once we get in a deer stand, there is no one there to watch except you and God. We need to be responsible hunters and not wound deer. Some hunters just pull back and ‘shoot brown,’ but you have to pick that exact (ethical) spot and be like a surgeon.”

Hewitt will explain the issue with overpopulation of deer and other species, and the reasons hunters need to harvest in a manner that protects the resources, he said.

The class will teach hunting laws such as seasons, fair chase rules and protecting property rights.

Hewitt also stressed the importance of remaining alcohol free while hunting.

“Some things we don’t want to mix with hunters,” he said.

Hewitt and Riggs will teach important safety tips, including tree-stand safety.

“Hunting is safe, until we start going off the ground,” Hewitt said. “Getting into and out of the stand is usually when falls occur.”

Hewitt said they will teach hunters how to inspect their equipment, including checking bow strings and checking each arrow after it is shot.

The goal is to create well-rounded hunters, Hewitt said.

Hewitt said the course is directed more toward ethics and safety, but there will be some instructional shooting.

“If we see something they are having trouble with (we will help). We want to make them all-around hunters.”

Riggs and Hewitt offer separate classes to work on actual bow shooting.

Hewitt has been instructing the class for approximately 15 years, and he and Riggs offer this course several times a year, he said.

Hewitt said 40 years of bowhunting experience allow him to teach younger hunters through his own mistakes.

He said in some places the education program is very expensive. He and Riggs are offering the program for free.

“A couple years ago I was (hunting) in Kansas and I got ready to go and they said, ‘we need to see your card,’ I told them I was an instructor and they said, ‘that’s not good enough,’ and they charged $400 to take the course. We do it for free.”

Hewitt said the course is normally three days but they cram it into one to help out-of-town hunters and also hunters that have to work.

Interested students can pre-register by calling the shop at 318-757-3319. The program is for ages 11 and up and hunters should bring their own bow and arrows with field points.

The course lasts eight hours with a lunch break and several short breaks in between, Hewitt said.

Hewitt said the course is more interactive than lecture oriented.

“We have some hands-on (training), with actually shooting bows and things like that,” he said. “The books are good but they are outdated and new equipment has come a long way since the books were printed.”

Hewitt said he likes to receive input from the hunters and no two courses are the same.

“We have several people take the course two or three times,” he said. “I like to have experienced hunters participate in class, that have been hunting and can give suggestions.”

Hewitt said they hope to see many new hunters at the program.

“Those are the ones we want, new hunters,” he said. “Even if you don’t want to be certified, it’s a good class for anyone to take just starting out in archery.”

Hewitt said approximately 10 people are registered for Saturday’s class so far, and he tries to keep class sizes under 30 people.

The class is in the summer to give hunters time to prepare for the season.

“(Bowhunters) need to get out and start shooting bows and playing with their equipment to get things ready,” he said. “We have time to do that now, but if we wait until the last minute then we’re not (ready for the season). The best bowhunter has to prepare ahead of time.”