In 1980, the content of this program was revised by the then Ministère du Loisir, de la Chasse et de la Pêche and the then Fédération québécoise des chasseurs et pêcheurs to become the first element, or module, of a broader program, the Programme d'éducation en sécurité et en conservation de la faune (PESCOF). The name of this first module was the Firearms Safety Module. Despite its title, its content was not limited to the safe handling of firearms and ammunition. Actually, half the content addressed other subjects such as hunting ethics, the Act respecting the conservation and development of wildlife, knowledge of wildlife species and development, the requirements of venison, boating safety, etc.
In the bow hunting field, a course was offered for the first time in 1981 on a voluntary basis, once again in collaboration with the then Fédération québécoise de la faune. Thousands of people have enrolled in the course and have been able to automatically receive their bow hunter’s certificate. This certificate became mandatory in 1987. In the meantime, a new expanded version of the module was introduced in 1986, including a practical exam to measure the skills of future bow hunters.
In 1995, this context was updated by emphasizing, in particular, hunter’s ethics as well as hunting methods and techniques. The module then became known as Introduction to Bowhunting. The aim of this course was not to teach bow hunting skills; indeed, a mastery of these skills was a prerequisite for taking this course. Instead, its goal, like the Introduction to Hunting with a Firearm module, was to give those individuals who want to exercise their right to hunt, the knowledge of their duties and obligations to wildlife, the natural environment and other citizens.
Following the passage of amendments to the Canadian Firearms Act, another major change was made in 1994. The information and the time devoted to the safe handling of firearms were increased and Firearm Acquisition Certificate (FAC) applicants were required to pass a course .
To avoid duplicating courses and requirements, it was decided to improve the module offered to future hunters by dividing it into two parts. A first part consisted of the same course required of FAC applicants, i.e. the Canadian Firearms Safety Course. Topics pertaining specifically to hunting were grouped together and adapted to form the second part entitled Introduction to Hunting with a Firearm . Any person wishing to obtain his firearm hunter’s certificate (coded F) must take both parts of the course and pass the theoretical and practical exams.
In 2003, both the form and the content of the Introduction to Hunting with a Firearm and Introduction to Bowhunting were updated.
In 2006, the Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune and the then Fédération québécoise de la faune agreed to combine the chapters related to bow hunting and crossbow hunting of the previous manuals. This resulted, on the one hand, in an enriched module now known as Introduction to Hunting with a Bow or Crossbow and, on the other hand, another module named Introduction to Hunting with a Firearm which was enriched with a chapter dealing with hunting with a muzzle-loading firearm.
Finally, beginning in 2007, anyone wishing to obtain his bow and crossbow (coded A) or crossbow only (coded B) hunter’s certificate must take a course of the Introduction to Hunting with a Bow or Crossbow module and pass the theoretical (bow and crossbow) exam and the practical (bow shooting only) exam.
As for trapping, the Department began collaborating with the Association provinciale des trappeurs indépendants beginning in 1987 to devise the module Trapping and Management of Furbearing Animals. This module deals with trapping techniques, the biology of species and their management, in addition to the preparation of fur. Beginning in the following year, the course was offered, on a voluntary basis once again, to active and future trappers. In 1991, the Trapping and Management of Furbearing Animals course became mandatory for every resident wishing to obtain a trapper’s certificate (coded P) in Québec. During that same year, minor changes, mainly dealing with trapping techniques, were made to the course. At the end of 1997, the content of the course was revised once again to update the knowledge pertaining to traps and biological concepts.
In 2003, the Trapping and Management of Furbearing Animals module was revamped with a view to ensuring greater accessibility for the public. The result was two types of training: group training with an instructor and at-home training. Candidates must pass a 50-question written exam to obtain the trapper’s certificate.
Up until 2006, more than 22,000 people had taken the Trapping and Management of Furbearing Animals course and obtained the trapper’s certificate (hunter’s certificate with a P code). The Department’s partner in this field is now the Fédération des trappeurs gestionnaires du Québec (FTGQ).
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