FWC: Summer Best Time To Take A Hunter Safety Class
June 29, 2015
With the dog days of summer almost upon us, it’s sometimes hard to even think about hunting. But if you’re age 16 to 40 and haven’t completed the state’s hunter safety course requirement, now’s a good time to be thinking about signing up. Don’t put it off – summer is the best time to take a class in your area.
Many of these classes, offered statewide, fill up fast during hunting season as people scramble to get certified. So the summer months offer smaller class sizes and a better opportunity for students to take a class, because they have more free time than they will once school cranks up and they get busy with homework and school-related activities.
People born after May 31, 1975, must complete the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) hunter safety class before they can buy the type of hunting license that allows them to legally hunt alone. A law passed a few years ago by the Florida Legislature enables individuals to hunt without having to complete the state’s hunter safety certification, but they may only hunt while under supervision.
It’s called the Hunter Safety Deferral, and it allows people the opportunity to purchase a license to hunt while under the supervision of a licensed hunter who is at least 21 years old and meets the hunter safety requirement. It’s designed to encourage experienced hunters to teach novice hunters safety, ethics, wildlife and hunting skills and respect for the great outdoors.
It’s a great incentive for getting more people to try hunting. Also, I hope, the experienced hunters among us can hook some new folks on the sport we love. However, to hunt by yourself unsupervised, you still have to take and pass a hunter safety class and purchase a regular hunting license.
If you’re a youngster and already a hunting fanatic, I suggest you go ahead and take a hunter safety class before you turn 16. Of course, until then, you may hunt under adult supervision without having to take the class or buy a license.
Even if you were born before June 1, 1975, and are exempt from having to take the class, it’s still a good idea, because you’ll learn so much. The FWC encourages beginning hunters to do so. Even the most experienced hunter will learn something new, which will help him or her become an even better hunter – and a safer one.
Also, if you’re new to our state, these classes will make you aware of Florida’s hunting laws. Or, if you just relocated from another town, the classes are a great way to meet other hunters. You can make some new hunting buddies or maybe even get a line on a great hunt club that’s looking for new members.
You can register for a hunter safety class by going to MyFWC.com/HunterSafety or by contacting your nearest FWC regional office. Also, for your convenience, there are two ways to take the course.
Two course options
There’s the traditional course, which is 12 hours of classroom instruction plus a four-hour skills day. If you’d prefer to get most of the classroom stuff out of the way from the convenience of your own home, you can opt for taking the online course. But, you’ll still have to sign up for the skills-day part of the course, which includes time at the shooting range.
The traditional course is offered during four weekdays or on a Saturday-Sunday. If you take it during the week, each session is three hours and offered after normal working hours. On the weekend, you’ll spend eight hours Saturday and four hours Sunday morning in the classroom. For the remainder of the Sunday session, you’ll move to the shooting range to complete your certification.
During the traditional hunter safety class, each segment is roughly 50 minutes long, followed by a 10-minute break. The first thing you’ll learn about is Florida’s hunting laws/regulations. An FWC law enforcement officer gives this introduction. Volunteer hunter safety instructors teach the remaining curriculum.
And speaking of that, if any of you reading this are older than 18 and would like to give something back to the sport of hunting, you might consider becoming a certified volunteer hunter safety instructor in your community. The FWC is always in need of people who possess good hunting and gun safety knowledge. If you’re interested in learning more about this great teaching opportunity, go to MyFWC.com/HunterSafety or call 850-413-0084 to find out how to get involved.
One segment of the program teaches ethics and hunter responsibility. You’ll also learn the parts of a firearm, gun and hunting lingo and the proper way to shoot a firearm. This is the longest section of the program, and you’ll spend approximately two hours going over all that.
You’ll learn the differences between all the various bullets, calibers and gauges and how to identify different animal species. You will also hear about wildlife conservation and discover best management practices for native game species.
In addition, you’ll find out about outdoor survival techniques and learn how to administer first aid in the field. You’ll gain knowledge of the parts of, and how to shoot, a muzzleloading gun. Furthermore, you’ll be taught archery and the fundamentals of how to hunt with a bow.
In your last hour in the classroom, you’ll be given a standardized test of true-or-false and multiple-choice questions. You need to score 80 percent or better, and then you get to move outside to the shooting range for the last part of the hunter safety certification – the skills day portion.
If you choose instead to take your hunter safety class online, you’ll learn all of the material that’s taught in the traditional classroom setting, and you’ll be given a practice test, which will go over what you’ve learned and prepare you for the last segment of the requirement – the skills day.
Skills day
Skills day takes about five hours to complete, which includes time on the shooting range and serves as the completion for both the traditional course and the online class.
Skills days start with a law enforcement officer discussing hunting laws and ethics. After that session, you’ll pass through four different stations. The first station reviews safety rules, then the students demonstrate proper firearms carry positions, safe zones of fire, how to cross obstacles with a firearm and tree-stand safety.
The second station covers safe, effective shot placement; then students walk down a trail where they are presented with shoot/don’t shoot scenarios. The third station discusses clearing, matching, loading and unloading.
After an instructor’s brief presentation, students practice selecting the proper ammunition, loading each of the five major firearms actions, and demonstrating how to properly clear the firearm of ammunition. At the last station, students review marksmanship skills and have different opportunities to practice or demonstrate their skills.
Most students shoot a rifle from various positions, many get to shoot clay pigeons with a shotgun, and others practice archery skills by shooting a bow. Most courses provide a muzzleloader demonstration, where you’ll have the chance to shoot one if you’d like. All guns, bows, targets and ammo are provided. All you have to do is take aim!
The last steps
After you complete the skills day, you’ll be given your hunter safety card. At that point, you can purchase your very first Florida hunting license and be ready for opening day. Youth under 16 – no matter how young – can purchase their first annual license that will be good until their 17th birthday. This allows the FWC to count the youth’s license in their annual license sales until the license expires on their 17th birthday. This benefits a wildlife restoration program by approximately $7 per year for the additional years the child holds a license.
Just a couple of things for parents to remember: The course is designed for youth ages 12 to 16. If your child is younger than 18 years old, you must fill out our parental release form and present it to the instructor at all courses. This will enable your child to participate in the live-shooting exercises. Also, if your child is younger than 16, you are required to accompany him or her to all classes.
Register for a hunter safety class today, ’cause the 2015-2016 huntin’ season is just around the corner.
Submitted by FWC.
Escambia Sex Offender Busted In FDLE Operation
June 29, 2015
An Escambia County sex offender was among 42 arrested during a month and a half long operation coordinated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the U.S. Marshals and other agencies to hunt down offenders violating registration laws.
George R. Reddick of Escambia County was arrested in Geneva County, AL, by the Geneva County (AL) Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with FDLE and is awaiting extradition back to Florida. He was convicted in Escambia County in July 2001 of lewd assault sexual battery on a victim under 16.
“Operation Summer Heat should send a strong message to all sex offenders that Florida law enforcement is serious about registration,” said FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen. “We are just beginning our work. If you are a sex offender and you violate registration laws, we are looking for you.”
Arrests were made from either warrants initiated by FDLE’s EIS Unit or were the result of investigations by local sheriffs or police departments. EIS was created in 2014 to assist local and federal agencies to locate sex offenders who have absconded, many of whom cross jurisdictional lines. Offenders who intentionally avoid registration requirements are arrested. In addition to the arrests, seven offenders were brought into registration compliance.
“The sex offender registration system is a critical tool in monitoring sex offenders and ensuring they are compliant with the terms of their release,” said Sheriff David Shoar, president of the Florida Sheriffs Association. “Florida Sheriffs and deputies worked diligently during Operation Summer Heat to find and arrest offenders who sought to evade authorities. We are sending a very clear message: if you cannot follow sex offender registration laws, you will go to jail.”
“Sex offenders should know that Florida will not tolerate noncompliance with our registry laws,” said Jupiter Police Chief Frank Kitzerow, President of the Florida Police Chiefs Association. “Our police departments throughout the state will continue to enforce these laws because they help protect our families and neighborhoods.”
Florida’s Sex Offender Registry began in 1997. Florida laws require sexual offenders to register with local sheriff’s offices to be maintained publicly online at http://offender.fdle.state.fl.us.
Mississippi Tops Wahoos
June 29, 2015
The Mississippi Braves evened the series at two games apiece against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos with a 3-1 victory Sunday at Trustmark Park.
Mississippi went ahead, 2-1, in the sixth inning when center fielder Matt Lipka singled and stole second, his 11th of the year, and went to third on Pensacola catcher Cam Maron’s throwing error. Left fielder Kevin Ahrens then drove him in with a sacrifice fly to left field to tie the game, 1-1. The Braves added another run when shortstop Emerson Landoni tripled to right field to drive in third baseman Rio Ruiz, 2-1.
The Braves tacked on another run in the eighth inning to go up, 3-1, when Landoni hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Braves first baseman Matt Kennelly.
Pensacola scored first with a run in the second inning, 1-0, when center fielder Beau Amaral singled to drive in catcher Cam Maron, who hit a ground-rule double with two out.
Blue Wahoos right-hander Robert Stephenson lasted six innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits and three walks. He also struck out three batters to regain the Southern League lead with 89 on the season. His record fell to 4-7 with a 3.68 ERA.
Mississippi also relied on strong starting pitching with Tyrell Jenkins giving up three hits, five walks and one earned run in 5.1 innings of work, while striking out six.
Then three Braves relievers combined to shutout the Pensacola lineup allowing just three hits in 3.2 innings, while striking out four more batters. Tyler Jones pitched the ninth for his eighth save on the year.
Pensacola right fielder Jesse Winker went 1-4 and walked and is batting .467 (7-15) in the second half of the Southern League season. The Cincinnati Reds No. 2 prospect has had two hits in each of the first three games and one hit Sunday in the series against Mississippi. Winker has a homer, two RBIs, three runs scored and four walks against the Braves.
Blue Wahoos first baseman Marquez Smith was 2-4 with a double to extend his hit streak to six games and is batting .329 with four homers and 10 RBIs in June.
Both teams take the field at 7 p.m. Monday to decide the winner of the first five-game series in the second half of the Southern League season.
Have You Registered Your Emergency Contact Info?
June 29, 2015
Florida’s Emergency Contact Information system reached a milestone this week, surpassing the 10 million mark in the number of people who have securely registered their contact information with the state. That’s an average of more than a million new registrants a year since the system was created in
“The response we’ve seen from Floridians has been tremendous, but there are still more than five million licensed drivers who have not registered their emergency contact information,” said DHSMV Executive Director Terry L. Rhodes. “ECI provides you with a safe and secure way to register your contact information so that authorities can reach your loved ones when it matters most. It takes just a few minutes to register.”
The ECI program was established in 2006 and immediately garnered national recognition. The idea for ECI came from Christine Olson, whose daughter, Tiffiany, was killed in a traffic crash on US 19 in Manatee County more than nine years ago. It was several hours after Tiffiany’s death before authorities were able to find her contact information and notify her parents. Her mother didn’t want other families to experience a similar fate and began pushing for the creation of a system that allows people to submit their emergency contact information as part of their secure driver license or identification card record. The information can only be accessed by law enforcement in times of an emergency.
“Ten years ago my life changed forever with my daughter’s death. I did not have the opportunity to say goodbye to Tiffiany,” said Christine Olson. “I didn’t want her death to be in vain. I began working to create a program to help other families so that they might avoid what my family experienced. I am pleased to hear that 10 million people have taken advantage of the Emergency Contact Information system.”
If you have already registered, be sure to keep your emergency contact information current. To register or update your information, go to: https://services.flhsmv.gov/eci/
Caregivers Mirror Wounded Warrior Struggles
June 28, 2015
Megan Fugitt was enjoying life as a newly-wed when in an instant, she went from being a wife to a caregiver.
Fugitt’s husband, Chris, a former Airman with the 96th Maintenance Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, was on the mend of a kidney renal infarction in 2013 when he suddenly suffered a stroke as a result of blood thinners he was taking for his condition. The entire right side of his body was immediately paralyzed.
“He was wheelchair bound, couldn’t talk, couldn’t feed himself. He couldn’t do anything for himself without me,” said Fugitt, 28. “He had to relearn to do everything.”
To make matters worse, Chris had a pre-existing heart condition that made him susceptible to additional illnesses. Shortly after his stroke, he suffered through endocarditis, an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, and an infection in his stomach, both resulting from cat scratch fever.
“He had to have a heart valve replacement, then open heart surgery. He recovered from that, did all sorts of rehab, and then had surgery to fix the stomach infection,” she said.
Since then, Fugitt’s life hasn’t been remotely similar to the one she once knew.
“I had to quit working, because there was no time between his appointments. He has five to 10 appointments every week, and they’re anywhere from here to Pensacola, Panama City and Birmingham.”
Chris’s regular rehabilitation regiment includes speech, physical, occupational and mental-health therapy.
“As his caregiver, I help him out with everything. We also have a son who was two at the time – he’s four now,” said Fugitt. “[Chris] was the dad who was very involved, and now it’s me taking care of our family, because he’s not able to.”
Her husband’s recovery care coordinator suggested he participate in the Air Force’s Wounded Warrior Program introductory adaptive sports and rehabilitation camp here to help in his recovery process. Little did Fugitt know, the camp would benefit her as well.
“Since we’ve been here, one thing that’s been really nice is he’s in this place where he’s able to feel comfortable with other people. Most of the time, I’ll go and run errands, and he’ll call and text me asking me when I’ll be home,” she said. “Finally, I’ve had my own time to just relax and not worry if something’s wrong with him, because I know he’s in a good place.”
The program provides support to caregivers of wounded warriors through activities scheduled during the camp to allow for them to have some time away from their hectic lives.
“The caregivers are the mirror to the warriors’ life changing experiences,” said Tonya McGough, Air Force Wounded Warrior caregiver program manager. “If they can’t keep their warriors positive and on the go to where they can transition to a new normal, then that’s when the chaos starts. If the warriors are good, then the caregivers are good.”
Throughout the camp, caregivers were afforded opportunities to break away from their busy schedules and focus on themselves through “me time” activities. Caregivers participated in a museum tour, yoga, water sports and a peer forum.
“Activities such as the peer forums are Air Force-wide and were developed for the caregivers as an outlet, so they have a place to go to connect with other caregivers with similar stories from across the world,” said McGough.
“It’s a healing process for the caregivers as well. When they’re struggling, they tend to hold on to things, and they don’t have an outlet or the opportunity to talk to anyone. We have many resources for them to open up,” she said.
Caregivers are also provided access to supporting agencies such as family services, employment assistance, financial support and resiliency counseling. Many of the services are offered virtually to increase accessibility to caregivers who may be otherwise unable to attend.
“These caregivers and warriors have a long fight, and I know they can do this on their own,” said McGough. “When they have the support of their leadership and their families, that helps give them the courage to move forward and not look back.”
The Fugitts plan to continue to participate in the camps, to include going as far as getting the different sports equipment needed for the activities Chris is interested in, so he can practice from home in the meantime.
“We finally found some people who are in the same area of life that we are. It’s absolutely amazing to be around other people that know what’s going on,” said Fugitt. “It feels like our life is going to move on. There’s actually something to look forward to.”
By Jasmine Porterfield
USAF photos by Samuel King Jr. for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Deputies Seek Truck Possibly Involved In Shooting
June 28, 2015
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The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a vehicle that was believed to be occupied by three people during a shooting Friday in Escambia County.
The occupants were believed to be involved in a shooting about 9:40 a.m. at the Blue Angel Mobile Home Park. The victim suffered non-life threatening injuries.
The vehicle is a 2010 or newer, dually four-door Dodge mega cab flatbed truck. The truck is white with a construction name on the front driver’s door. There are toolboxes along the driver’s side flatbed carrying a 12-19 dual axle trailer with an attached frame ladder on the side of the driver’s side.
If you see this vehicle or know of the whereabouts of it, call Crime Stoppers at (85433-STOP. You can remain anonymous and if your information leads to an arrest, you could receive a cash reward.
Little Free Library Available At Carver Park In Cantonment
June 28, 2015
A Little Free Library is available in Carver Park in Cantonment.
The concept is simple….pick up a book or two, and return another book or two to share. The Cantonment Little Free Library is located next to Carver Park Resource Center at 208 Webb Street. The Little Library is stocked with children’s books and more.
Several improvements were recently unveiled at Carver Park, including a renovated community resource center, enlarged parking lot, volleyball court and re-striped basketball court. The park will also soon feature a new pavilion for family and local events. The improvements began in 2014 and were funded to Local Option Sale Tax dollars.
Much of the work at Carver Park has been spearheaded by the Cantonment Improvement Association, a group working, as their name implies, to improve the quality of life for all law-abiding citizens of Cantonment, with an emphasis on making sure children and safe and well-prepared.
Editor’s note: The Cantonment Little Free Library is not maintained or affiliated with the West Florida Library. West Florida Library books cannot be returned to the Little Free Library.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Hams Demonstrate Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
June 28, 2015
It’s Amateur Radio Week, and the Five Flags Amateur Radio Association held a 24-hour public demonstration of emergency communications this weekend.
The public had a chance to meet and talk with Escambia County ham radio operators and see for themselves what the Amateur Radio Service is about as hams across the country held field days this weekend. Visitors were able to learn how ham emergency communications work, see the new capabilities of ham radio and learn how to obtain their own FCC radio license before the next disaster strikes.
Escambia County ham radio operators, as part of Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), have provided emergency communications support to Escambia County Emergency Management, the America Red Cross and other agencies for several years. They were on duty during Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina, during other hurricanes, the major flooding event, and most recently during the winter ice storm of 2014.
The field day was held at Escambia Search and Rescue, 9530 Nims Lane, just off Nine Mile Road.
Pictured: Amateur radio field day at Escambia Search and Rescue Saturday. Pictured below: Escambia School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas stopped by to learn more about amateur ham services. Photos courtesy Jim Walters, ESAR, for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Female Ejected In Rollover Crash
June 28, 2015
One person was ejected in a two vehicle crash Saturday evening near Pine Forest Road and Highway 297A. The female driver was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries. Reader submitted photo by Stephanie Norton for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Sheriff’s Office To Host Church Safety And Security Workshop
June 28, 2015
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is inviting all ministers and concerned church members to attend a special conference on “Security in the Place of Worship” next week.
“Our places of worship should be regarded as safe havens where the community can worship and experience fellowship free from worries about violence, theft or unethical behavior,” said Sheriff David Morgan, “I encourage all citizens to arm themselves with the knowledge necessary to prevent fraud, theft and other crimes.”
The workshop is free and is designed to assist citizens in their efforts to reduce crime in our places of worship and in their communities. The event will be held on Thursday, July 2 at 6 p.m. at the ECSO Main Administration Building at 1700 West Leonard Street.
To register, call Deputy Delarian Wiggins at (850) 436- 9705.
Pictured: The McDavid United Methodist Church. NorthEscambia.com photo.