this thread brought up a point I'm curious about. What type and how extensive is hunter safety training in the UK and how does it compare to typical US training?
I believe nearly all of the states now requires some form of hunter safety training over here. Some are fairly extensive, requiring not only classroom work but also actual gun handling and live firing.
When I took my hunter safety course 30 or more years ago, it was only about 4 hrs of class work. I think it's something like 8-12 hrs or more now in California. This requirement is in addition to any requirements for safety training in order to purchase a gun in Calif. I know that handguns require training and a test in Calif, not sure about long guns.
I used to scoff at this type of training as I was given this type of instruction by my father at around 6yrs of age in the wilds of early '60s Montana and reinforced for a number of yrs afterward under his watchful eye. So, in my teens in Calif, I thought everyone should know this stuff. It soon became apparent everyone should get some kind of standard training and some shouldn't even be allowed to pick up a gun. I see it all the time in city raised people that buy their first gun in their early adulthood.
BTW, blaze orange is optional in some states, but often many hunters will voluntarily wear it.
