Media advisory issued May 3, 2004, effective immediately.
For media inquiries, contact Caroline Booth Lara, Communications Specialist, (580) 224-6379.
  email: cblara@noble.org.

Hunter Education Course Set for May 22

ARDMORE, Okla. — The Noble Foundation is co-sponsoring an Oklahoma Hunter Education Course at the Southern Oklahoma Technology Center Auditorium on Saturday, May 22, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will be a one-hour break for lunch.

The course is required for all Oklahoma hunters born on or after Jan. 1, 1972, before they can purchase a hunting license, deer gun permit or deer primitive firearms permit. This course is required for some, if not most, hunters in all states. The Oklahoma hunter education certification is accepted in all 50 states.

"Most people in the United States are not hunters, and non-hunters' perceptions of hunters and hunting is primarily shaped by their observations of hunters and communications with hunters," said Mike Porter, a wildlife specialist at the Noble Foundation. "We want to positively influence these perceptions by helping develop safe and ethical hunters."

To receive a hunter education certificate, a person must attend the entire course, demonstrate safe gun handling and pass the written exam. Course subject matter includes firearms, hunter ethics, safety, specialty hunting, laws, survival, wildlife management and conservation.

"Most wildlife management is funded by hunters. We believe it is important to foster interest and ethical conduct in hunting because it directly benefits wildlife management," Porter said.

Anyone may attend this free course, but space is limited. Please call Melissa Castleman at the Noble Foundation at (580) 223-5810 to reserve a seat. The Southern Oklahoma Technology Center is located at 2610 Sam Noble Parkway in Ardmore.

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The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a non-profit organization conducting agricultural, forage biotechnological, and plant biology research; providing grants to numerous non-profit charitable, educational and health organizations; and assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs.

To learn more, visit the Noble Foundation Web site at http://www.noble.org.

More news releases available at www.noble.org/Press_Release