Policies and Procedures

The board of directors of the Missouri Hunting Heritage Federation has established the following policies and procedures as a minimum standard for everyone involved in the MHHF Hunter Education Clinic Program. It is further understood that all safety rules, legal considerations and guidelines for ethical behavior will be followed at all times. Note: MHHF Clinics must comply with the policies set forth in this manual. No exceptions. Each clinic must be uniformly conducted to ensure consistency throughout the state.

MHHF Hunter Education Clinic Model

Clinics are conducted in a single weekend.

Each student, parent and chaperone (if other than parent) must sign the “Parent Consent/Permission Form” as a condition of their participation.

Clinics are structured to be a safe and ethical introduction to an outdoor way of life that features hunting and the shooting sports.

Each hunter education and bowhunter education clinic will include Missouri’s classroom course, a live-fire session and a mentored hunt. Trapper education clinics will substitute demonstrations of setting traps for the live-fire session.

Clinics are intended to provide opportunities for first-time hunters, or hunters who are new to the particular species being hunted.

Students must be age nine (9) or older. Some clinics may be limited to older students in the interest of safety.

Students age 19 and younger must be accompanied by an adult chaperone throughout the clinic.

Each student, along with their adult chaperone, must be accompanied by a mentor during the hunt portion of the clinic.

Students age 20 and older must be accompanied by a mentor and a third person during the hunt.

Only MHHF Members in good standing are eligible to assist with the live-fire session and mentored hunt portion of clinics.

Students must successfully complete the classroom course and pass the final exam (regardless of age or prior state certification) as a condition of advancing in the clinic. Note: only students age eleven (11) and older are eligible for state certification.

Students advancing from the classroom course must participate in the live-fire session and demonstrate their ability to safely handle, load, fire and unload the firearm or bow being used on the hunt as a condition of advancing to the mentored hunt portion of the clinic.

Organizing an MHHF Clinic

Only MHHF Members (including Affiliate Members) in good standing will be allowed to organize clinics.

Each member (including Affiliate Members) must have the signed “Memorandum of Understanding” on file with the executive director prior to organizing or assisting in clinics.

Clinics must be approved in advance by the MHHF Board of Directors, executive director or regional coordinator.

Limit the size of hunter education and bowhunter education clinics to only five or six youth participants. (The size of trapping clinics is at organizer’s discretion)

Participants’ family members are encouraged to register for the classroom course portion of clinics.

Conduct the hunt portion of clinics on private property when possible.

Submit classroom course records online or send to the appropriate local Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) representative.

Mail originals of all clinic records to the executive director at: MHHF, 24801 E. 219th St, Pleasant Hill, MO 64080-9194 or email clinic records to allan@mhhf.us Include Participant Registration, Parent Consent/Permission Form, Staff Report, Clinic Evaluation and Classroom Course Registration.

Advertising MHHF Clinics and Recruiting Members

Contact the executive director for assistance in preparing any news releases, mailers or advertisements.

MHHF membership is subject to board approval. Member recruitment efforts should be ongoing and conducted well in advance of clinics where additional help might be needed.

Expanding the MHHF Clinic Program

Expansion efforts will take place by cloning the MHHF Clinic model in new areas of Missouri.

MHHF will conduct hands-on training and provide a policy manual and DVD.

MHHF Members interested in organizing a clinic must first “learn the system”.

Each MHHF Clinic must be approved in advance and comply with the program policies set forth in the current and any future versions of this manual.