Safety first: Learning the ethics of hunting

This is pretty impressive since Andrew is only 12.

"That was fun!" the Le Mars Junior High School seventh-grader said, smiling at instructor Aaron Iacino.

Andrew was one of the students participating in an Iowa Department of Natural Resources (Iowa DNR) hunter safety course.

While adult hunters can be certified in Iowa by passing an online safety course, hunters, ages 11 -17, must pass both an online course as well as a field course that stresses safety, ability and hunting ethics.

Iacino, a certified firearms instructor who works for Siouxland Safety Services, had been teaching safety field classes for more than five years.

"Iowa has a long history in hunting and a long history in hunter safety," he explained. "You can't have one without the other."

During a two-hour class, Iacino will instruct a classroom of young hunters on the proper way to load and unload a gun as well as ways to stay safe.

"The only time your finger should be on the trigger is the moment you're ready to shoot," the instructor told his students. "Your own personal safety and the safety of your fellow hunters should always be on your minds."

While the majority of his students are teenagers, Iacino has also taught his course to adults.

"To be honest, kids are easier to teach than adults," he noted. "With kids, you can teach them the right ways to hunt and that will stick with them for the rest of their lives. With adults, you end up having to correct a lifetime of bad habits."

In addition, Iacino is proud to be able to turn young hunters into responsible gun owners.

"That's the key," he said. "Guns are simply a tool. My job is to ensure people know to operate these tools."

Iacino said becoming certified is a rite of passage for many young hunters.

"Oftentimes, the joy of hunting is passed down from one generation to the next," he said. "It's a family thing."

That's true for Yards Shooting Range manager Tiffani Smith. Her 13-year-old son Warren was one of the students taking Iacino's field class.

"We're an 'outdoor' family, and hunting is one of the things we like doing together," Tiffany Smith said. "Whether we're hiking, camping or pheasant shooting, we're doing it as a family."

Still, safety should be a primary consideration when operating any weapon, according to 12-year-old Andrew Albrecht.

"I like hunting," he said. "But I also want to be a safe hunter."