Wells Firearms provides hands on training at IDNR Hunter Safely Field Day

 

[July 10, 2023] 

On Saturday, July 8th, Wells Firearms in Lincoln hosted a youth gun safety course. The course, called the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Hunter Safety Field Day, was the follow up to an online class those in attendance took. Adults and kids alike were present, being taught many forms of firearm safety from the several instructors who were present. The instructors at Wells Firearms, who have a combined experience of over 750 years teaching gun safety, had a wealth of knowledge on the topic and were eager to share.

The training itself was organized into nine different stations, four inside and five outside. The training inside focused on general gun safety, as well as how to identify and safely operate different types of firearms and ammunition.

The stations outside covered a wider array of topics. These topics included the proper transportation of firearms, zones of fire, the six carrying positions when hunting, crossing a fence, and proper use of a tree stand. Mark Miller, the instructor covering proper use of tree stands, informed his students that accidents involving failure of tree stands are the leading cause of injury while hunting.

Safety was at the center of everything taught, evidenced by how many people were talking about it. Jeremy Wells, owner of Wells Firearms, when asked of the most important information this course offers, said, “safety, that is number one out of everything.” When asked about the importance of offering classes like this one, instructor John Payne said, “the kids, we need them to go out there and be safe while hunting.” The students in attendance had a lot to say about safety as well. Wyatt Gustafson, one of the students present, stressed the importance of safely loading a firearm. When asked about the most important thing they learned, two other students, Easton Catalano and Brier Mosher, both responded with “gun safety.”

After every student had gone through each of the nine stations, they had a chance to ask questions with Will Gilmer, Sergeant of the Department of Natural Resources. With the students in a classroom setting, Sgt. Gilmer answered several questions from the students. A few of the instructors also asked questions they received from students earlier in the day.

Sgt. Gilmer also shared the importance of firearms safety classes, stating, “every year we have hunting accidents, they happen. For the kids to come in here and learn to reduce those, that’s, for me, probably the number one reason [these classes are important].”

Once the Q and A session with Sgt. Gilmer was over, everyone had the opportunity to get some lunch provided by the Lincoln Police Department (LPD). Shawn Pettit, Sergeant of the LPD cooked hotdogs for everyone. Sgt. Pettit had a very positive view of the class Wells Firearms was providing, stating, “education, I think, is the first line of safety. Knowing what hazards are involved with firearms, and being aware of potential safety issues, how they work, and injuries they could cause. I think knowing those is one of the best deterrents in having those mishaps and accidents happen.” Wells stated the connection between his business and the LPD is important. He shared that Wells donates a firearm to LPD each year. Wells also shared that he wants the kids taking his classes to see the LPD officers in a positive light.

Overall, the safety class put on by Wells Firearms was very informative and organized. The instructors were very knowledgeable and eager to share safety information with the students present. The students took the class very seriously, modeling the behaviors of their instructors very well. Wells himself also takes great care to make sure these classes are informative and safe for people of all ages. “We’re here for the community to educate on hunter education, and that starts as young as seven. Some of our students we’ve had come through the course were the young ripe age of ninety-seven.” Wells continued, saying, “if we can educate somebody and have the ability to create an impact on education so that they’re not afraid of firearms… then we’ve done our job.”

[Matt Boutcher]