RAPID CITY, SD (February 6, 2023) – National Bowhunter Education Foundation (NBEF) recently attended and sponsored the Nebraska Hunter Education Conference at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park in Ashland, NE. NBEF co–delivered a tree stand safety seminar with Hunter Nikolai, sponsored a recognition dinner and awarded prizes to attendees.

“The State of Nebraska does a wonderful job with hunter education and bowhunter education,” explained Marilyn Bentz, NBEF Executive Director. “We’re pleased to support and recognize their efforts which create safe, responsible and ethical hunters.”

“We appreciate our continued and long-standing partnership with NBEF,” said Nebraska Hunter Education Coordinator Hunter Nikolai. “NBEF is instrumental in our bowhunter education and tree stand safety curriculum delivery, instructor development, as well as Nebraska’s evolving hunter recruitment, retention and reactivation initiatives.”

The following volunteers were honored for their years of continuous service as bowhunter education instructors in Nebraska. They were presented certificates and pins for their years of service.

• Aaron Heins 25 years

• Loren Katt, 25 years

• Dale Johns 20 years

• Mark Eggers 15 years

• Kenton Volkmer 15 years

• Daniel Kreis 10 years

• Steven Oberg 10 years

• Joseph Kovarik 5 years

• Timothy Kruid 5 years

• Thomas Lancaster 5 years

• Brandon ONeal 5 years

• Rodney Swanson 5 years

• Chase Wolf 5 years

“For more than 49 years, volunteer instructors have led Nebraska’s Hunter Education Programs, passing their skills, knowledge and expertise on to new youth and adult hunters,” said Nikolai. “Over that same time, annual hunting incidents in Nebraska have decreased by more than 80%, from more than 30 in 1978 to just five in 2022.”

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Hunter Education and Bowhunter Education Programs are led by more than 500 trained and certified volunteer instructors across the state. Information about becoming a certified volunteer instructor can be found at HuntSafeNebraska.org.

NBEF helps bowhunters learn to be safe, successful and stewards of the sport. NBEF offers bowhunting instructional items, books, videos, 3-D models, apparel and more at nbef.org.

About NBEF

The National Bowhunter Education Foundation offers instructional content and tools for bowhunter education classes in the US. Helping bowhunters learn to become safe and successful hunters and stewards of the sport is important to the NBEF. NBEF provides the bowhunter certification and class content that some states and certain circumstances require to bow hunt. NBEF provides instructor training and certification.

NBEF oversees the International Bowhunter Education Program and works with the International Hunter Education Association and state agencies to coordinate a unified program. States may have additional requirements. Europe and other countries offer full reciprocity for the NBEF (IBEP) certification and conduct classes.

NBEF also oversees the International Crossbow Education Program and works with state agencies responsible for crossbow education to develop comprehensive online crossbow safety courses that teach students important laws and regulations, game identification, and safe, responsible handling of crossbow equipment.

NBEF is a 501(c)3 corporation that isn’t a membership-based organization. Tax-deductible donations to support this non-profit are welcome.

Learn more at nbef.org.