The Introduction to Hunting with a Bow or Crossbow module aims, as does the Introduction to Hunting with a Firearm module, to instill responsible attitudes in hunters and bring them to be respectful of people, wildlife and its habitats. It contributes to the development of the hunter?s skill and know-how, in addition fostering a sense of civic duty and respect for laws and regulations.

This course contributes to making bow or crossbow hunters responsible participants in the use and control of the wildlife resource. This course is a prerequisite for obtaining the bow and crossbow (coded A) or crossbow only (coded B) hunter’s certificate

Conditions of eligibility

• Be 12 years of age or older (when the course is taken)
• Be a Québec resident
• Pass the exam or the exams, corresponding to the course taken

General objective

The aim of this training module is to train safe, responsible and efficient hunters. It advocates the sustainable use of the wildlife resource.

Content

The Introduction to Hunting with a Bow or Crossbow module comprises several lessons and activities given in the classroom and dealing with the various concepts found in a manual distributed to participants prior to the course. At the end of the course, a written exam measures the knowledge acquired by the participants. Finally, a practical bow proficiency exam evaluates the future bow hunter’s skills.

To successfully complete this course, the participant must, among other things, demonstrate a sufficient knowledge of the bow and crossbow, hunting methods and techniques, recovering a wounded big game animal, hunter’s ethics, wildlife and its development, as well as the regulations pertaining to the conservation of wildlife and its habitat. In addition, various other subjects related to the activity are dealt with: controversial questions about hunting, field care given to bagged animals, survival in the forest and first-aid, etc.

Length and passing grade

A course of the IHBC module lasts approximately 9 hours for those participants who wish to obtain a bow hunter’s certificate. The module is broken down as follows:

• course content: 7 hours
• theoretical exam (50 questions): 1 hour
• practical bow proficiency exam: 1 hour for 30 participants (for code A)

The passing grade of the theoretical exam is 70%. For the practical exam related to bow proficiency only, it is 3 out of 5 arrows in the vital zone of five animal targets located at different distances (10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 m).

Registration cost (2012)

• $54 for bow and crossbow ( includes all the elements required for the training, plus all taxes)
• $45 for the crossbow only ( includes all the elements required for the training, plus all taxes)
• $15 for the bow proficiency practical exam only (which is done in a subsequent course)

To obtain additional information on the Introduction to Hunting with a Bow or Crossbow course (IHBC) or to find out the schedule of the courses, consult the web site of the Fédération québécoise des chasseurs et pêcheurs.