Our Interests
Who We Are
Unlike a lot of you, I did not start hunting until I was over 21. I had just
started a working as a Police Officer in a small town in Illinois. I had never
handled a shotgun before, so I went out and purchased one. That fall a
friend invited me to go with he and his brother on a pheasant hunt. I got
hooked.
I felt that hunting as a great way to get exercise in the winter months,
something good to eat that you can't usually buy at the grocery store and
have a good time being outdoors with good friends and family. I didn't have
anyone to teach me about hunting, at first it was whoever I went hunting with
who would give me some tips. Then I started reading hunting magazines and
then would go out into the woods to see what worked and what didn't.
Pheasant hunting wasn't enough after several years so I started deer
hunting. Illinois gun deer season was seven days (a 3-day weekend in
November & a 4-day weekend in December) and after several years I
wanted to be out there even more. My shooting skills were pretty good so to
meet my need for a challenge I took up archery. That allowed me to be able
to hunt from October through mid-January. Just being out there was a lot of
my real education on deer hunting.
I felt that I needed to share my knowledge and skills with others. A friend of
mine and her brother had never deer hunted and I helped them harvest
their first. My deer hunting success was better that the average, I harvested
five deer and helped three other people harvest their first deer in a ten year
period. Of course I still went pheasant hunting. Since then I have hunted
turkey, both Eastern and Rio Grande, duck, geese, rabbit, squirrel and feral
hogs. I am anxious to add elk, exotics and antelope to the list.
When one of my older daughters expressed an interest in going deer
hunting with me, to meet Illinois requirements I took her to a Hunter
Education class at a "Sportsman Club" that was team taught by five or six
instructors. It was an enjoyable experience. One year later, my son decided
he wanted to go deer hunting too. The next available class for him just
happened to be at the local Community Center. There was only one man
teaching this class. Since I had already taken the Hunter Education class, I
started helping the instructor when ever I could. When the class was over he
talked me into becoming an instructor (he didn't have to try too hard).
A career change eventually brought my family and I to Texas. Once here I
contacted Texas Parks & Wildlife Department to find out how I could
continue teaching Hunter Education and learn about hunting in Texas.
Through the Instructor workshops program I completed the required courses
of the Hunter Education Academy in one year attain the rank of Master
Instructor and a NRA Certified Instructor to teach classes in Home Defense,
Personal Safety, Basic Pistol, Basic Rifle, Basic Shotgun, Muzzle loading
Pistol, Muzzle loading Rifle and Muzzle loading shotgun. I have also
attended workshops on whitetail deer, turkey and prairie chicken
management and "Wounding Loss" workshop on using steel shot for
waterfowl hunting.
During my career with General Motors, I had the opportunity to be in the
Training Department. There my training as an instructor included Facilitator
skills, Interactive teaching skills and Presentation Skills.
Over the years, several of my eight children have helped me with teaching
the Hunter Education program and for the last five years the youngest of my
six daughters, Kandice enjoys helping and has even gone along on several
hunts. Once, while we were hunting deer from a ground blind, she got to see
an eight pointer face to face.
This year Kandice has started practicing with a centerfire rifle and is looking
forward to getting her first deer.
started a working as a Police Officer in a small town in Illinois. I had never
handled a shotgun before, so I went out and purchased one. That fall a
friend invited me to go with he and his brother on a pheasant hunt. I got
hooked.
I felt that hunting as a great way to get exercise in the winter months,
something good to eat that you can't usually buy at the grocery store and
have a good time being outdoors with good friends and family. I didn't have
anyone to teach me about hunting, at first it was whoever I went hunting with
who would give me some tips. Then I started reading hunting magazines and
then would go out into the woods to see what worked and what didn't.
Pheasant hunting wasn't enough after several years so I started deer
hunting. Illinois gun deer season was seven days (a 3-day weekend in
November & a 4-day weekend in December) and after several years I
wanted to be out there even more. My shooting skills were pretty good so to
meet my need for a challenge I took up archery. That allowed me to be able
to hunt from October through mid-January. Just being out there was a lot of
my real education on deer hunting.
I felt that I needed to share my knowledge and skills with others. A friend of
mine and her brother had never deer hunted and I helped them harvest
their first. My deer hunting success was better that the average, I harvested
five deer and helped three other people harvest their first deer in a ten year
period. Of course I still went pheasant hunting. Since then I have hunted
turkey, both Eastern and Rio Grande, duck, geese, rabbit, squirrel and feral
hogs. I am anxious to add elk, exotics and antelope to the list.
When one of my older daughters expressed an interest in going deer
hunting with me, to meet Illinois requirements I took her to a Hunter
Education class at a "Sportsman Club" that was team taught by five or six
instructors. It was an enjoyable experience. One year later, my son decided
he wanted to go deer hunting too. The next available class for him just
happened to be at the local Community Center. There was only one man
teaching this class. Since I had already taken the Hunter Education class, I
started helping the instructor when ever I could. When the class was over he
talked me into becoming an instructor (he didn't have to try too hard).
A career change eventually brought my family and I to Texas. Once here I
contacted Texas Parks & Wildlife Department to find out how I could
continue teaching Hunter Education and learn about hunting in Texas.
Through the Instructor workshops program I completed the required courses
of the Hunter Education Academy in one year attain the rank of Master
Instructor and a NRA Certified Instructor to teach classes in Home Defense,
Personal Safety, Basic Pistol, Basic Rifle, Basic Shotgun, Muzzle loading
Pistol, Muzzle loading Rifle and Muzzle loading shotgun. I have also
attended workshops on whitetail deer, turkey and prairie chicken
management and "Wounding Loss" workshop on using steel shot for
waterfowl hunting.
During my career with General Motors, I had the opportunity to be in the
Training Department. There my training as an instructor included Facilitator
skills, Interactive teaching skills and Presentation Skills.
Over the years, several of my eight children have helped me with teaching
the Hunter Education program and for the last five years the youngest of my
six daughters, Kandice enjoys helping and has even gone along on several
hunts. Once, while we were hunting deer from a ground blind, she got to see
an eight pointer face to face.
This year Kandice has started practicing with a centerfire rifle and is looking
forward to getting her first deer.
About Us
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| North Texas Hunting Academy |
| My daughter and Assistant Kandice Schaefer |
| Volunteer Master Instructor Jim Schaefer |
| Jim's hunting photos |
| Instructor Omar's Web Site |
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