Idaho hunter ed teacher dismissed after gun fired in class

HUNTER EDUCATION — Some of Washington’s volunteer hunter education instructors have been grumbling about new procedural rules and a trend toward replacing  instructor firearms in classroom settings with guns that have disabled firing pins.

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Department might seem a little overbearing and unreasonable in this trend — until you read what happened in an Idaho hunter ed class last week:    Here’s the Associated Press report:

BOISE — A hunter education instructor in eastern Idaho was dismissed after a loaded handgun brought to class for a demonstration was discharged by a student.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game says no one was injured when the weapon was accidentally fired during the class late Monday in Soda Springs.

The agency prohibits instructors of hunter education courses from bringing live ammunition into the classroom and local police were asked to investigate. Police reported that the volunteer instructor brought the gun and ammunition to class for use as a teaching tool.

After the demonstration, police reported a student who was unaware the gun was loaded discharged the weapon and hit the head of a mounted mule deer.

The instructor was dismissed and counseling made available to the students.