The overwhelming popularity of an innovative West Virginia University course on hunting has spurred the class developers to offer the course again this fall.

John Edwards and James Anderson, WVU associate professors of wildlife and fisheries resources, received $34,000 from the R.K. Mellon Family Foundation to developThe Tradition of Huntingin the Division of Forestry in WVU s Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences.

Over 90 students enrolled in the debut course in the fall of 2004, and Edwards said their response wasvery positive.While the enrollment of the course primarily consisted of students who had some personal experience with hunting, different perspectives and academic disciplines were represented in the classroom.

As a boy growing up in the farm country of central Maryland, I developed a passion for wildlife and hunting that led me to a career as a wildlife educator,Edwards said.Throughout my journey, hunting was a constant. Time spent with my dad training bird dogs, shooting skeet, scouting for the upcoming season, and hunting provided the backdrop for many of the life lessons I learned as a boy.

Hunting, whether for sustenance or recreation, has always been a part of West Virginias cultural landscape.

The impetus to teach a course on hunting comes from Edwards and Andersons desire to introduce students to the positive aspects of recreational hunting, both from a wildlife management and societal aspect. The course covers a broad range of topics including the evolution of hunting in society, hunting traditions, the role of hunting in wildlife management, hunting ethics, animal rights, gun control and the economics of hunting.

I believe that this is a much-needed course and one that could shape the perceptions of many non-hunting, anti-hunting, and undecided students at WVU ,Edwards said.Although such a diverse group of students fuels lively debates, I believe such diversity is instructive in exploring how different segments of our society view recreational hunting.

One unexpected result of the new course was a buzz of national attention. Anderson and Edwards were profiled by local, state and national media outlets before, during, and after the fall semester. Stories on the course and its developers appeared on ESPN s web site, in the Washington Times and Charleston Gazette, and in national magazines such as American Hunter, Outdoor Life and Sports Afield.

For additional information on the course, contact Edwards at jedwards@wvu.edu or Anderson at jander25@wvu.edu .