Let me further clarify...they didn't just "let us hunt" We showed up on Friday morning, spent the morning getting "oriented" and at the "target range". We made it out to our first sit with our DNCR buddy, a game warden or biologist, by about 2PM on Friday. Had a full day Saturday and then Sunday morning. We were not just let lose and given access. It was sleeping in a bunk house with strangers and hanging out with Game Wardens and Biologists when we weren't hunting. It was a good experience to learn, I got to ask a billion questions as you can imagine. I am not sure it's how an experienced hunter would want to spend a weekend. You'd only get about half or less of the hunting time that you want and more face time with a dozen game wardens than you'd want although everyone was great. You probably wouldn't even get drawn if you answered truthfully or they sniffed you out. They told me the computer has a formula for picking based on experience.

Side note. I found about Aldeer because I overheard some game wardens and biologists talking about some trouble maker on here. HAHA!

As far as the actual Hunter 101 class you had to take to get your name in the hat, It was a full day. The first half was pretty boring and basically a hunter saftey course. I understand they want to figure out who they are dealing with, but I wish I didn't have to start off proving I could fire a 22 with out killing myself like I was 10. A lot of people there had never shot a gun, so I felt like the kid waiting for everyone else to catch up. There were a few weirdos too that had no intention/business hunting. You had to sit there and listen to their stupid questions which weren't really questions but just stealthy politics statements or them showing off how smart they though they were. I heard a story that one couple showed up from California once and told the DNCR folk they didn't beleive in guns so they wanted help learning how to harvest a deer by digging a pit or something to trap it.