Like in one of the closing scenes of "The Deer Hunter," when Robert DeNiro couldn't pull the trigger, when one has the shot, one can't hesitate.
To even be able to take a shot, though, a hunter must not wait, either.
Anyone interested in acquiring a state hunting license must first complete The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife's Hunter Education program.
However, many first-time hunters wait until the fall to take the course and the field test. But beware: You could be shut out.
"It is a lot easier to do it now than in the fall," said Leon Corl, a manager at Dick's Sporting Goods in Cherry Hill.
Hunters who want to make sure they get a shot at that first deer can take a course this spring to avoid the fall rush -- and the possibility of missing the winter deer hunting season.
"What happens is, later in the year everyone wants to take the hunter education course," said Rose Barnes of Atco Sports, a vendor for the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife's Hunter Education program. "But, closer to the fall it fills up real fast."
Brian Plies, a lodge sales lead at Dick's Sporting Goods in Cherry Hill, said the store receives 250 Hunter Education kits from the Division of Fish and Wildlife in March each year. He said about 225 of the course kits aren't sold until it gets cold again the following autumn.
"There is usually a rush in the fall; it is when we do most of our business," Plies said. "Last year, we saw a big rush before Black Friday and it went through the week.
"I've seen a few people come in lately, but that is about it," he added. "It gets really bad in November."
The reason: The popular shotgun deer hunting season is in early December.
Hunters who never had a hunting license must complete the New Jersey Hunter Education course to buy one.
The program is presented in a home-study format and the course is free.
This allows students to learn the "classroom" material at their own speed. Then, there is a one-day field session in which students work with instructors to complete an extensive field walk and a mandatory live-fire session. The field session concludes with a written exam.
"You do all you have to do and when you tell the Hunter Education program that you are ready, they hook you up for a shooting test," said Barnes, who has been the owner of Atco Sports for 48 years.
To complete a hunter education course a person must first obtain the home-study videos or DVDs. The study guide and workbooks are available at specified vendors, like Dick's and Atco Sports, as well as Division of Fish and Wildlife field offices. They are also available for download online at www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/hunted.htm. Prospective hunters must watch the video, read and study the manual and complete the workbook for the course.
Hunters must then attend the field session with a completed workbook.
Field sessions and exams are offered at several locations throughout the state every weekend, March through November. (Only weekday classes are held in July, however.)
There are three basic hunting courses -- shotgun, bow and arrow and rifle/muzzle loader.
"You can do all three disciplines in about six hours, including the field test and shooting," said Corl, an avid bow hunter who took the Hunter's Education course "a long time ago."
Once these steps are complete, a hunter is ready to go.
"Definitely take it in the spring," Plies said. "There is (lower) enrollment, there is more time to look over everything and you can get more personal attention."
MORE INFORMATION
Avoid the fall rush by taking the Hunter Education field session and exam now.
Hunter education courses are offered free by the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife.
For more information, call (877) 248-6865 or visit www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw
