Wayne Samp honored by Minnesota DNR for 30 years of service

• Samp recognized

Minnesota DNR State Conservation Office Gary Nordseth presents firearm safety instructor Wayne Samp with a wildlife print to commemorate his 30 years of teaching.

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WORTHINGTON — In the past 30 years, Wayne Samp has instructed more than 1,000 people in the safe use of firearms — a fact that has not gone unnoticed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Samp was recently presented with a wildlife print commemorating his 30 years of service. Minnesota DNR State Conservation Officer Gary Nordseth thanked Samp for his time and dedication, acknowledging the countless hours that had gone into sharing his love for the outdoors.

“Wayne Samp has been a Minnesota DNR volunteer firearm safety instructor since 1981,” Nordseth stated. “He has been instrumental in teaching safe firearm practices, shooting skills and hunting ethics to nearly 1,100 youth in the Worthington area.”

Samp took a firearm safety course himself at age 12. At that time, the instructor was his own father. Years later, with two young boys in his household, he decided to volunteer his services.

“There were guns around, and some of my boys’ friends had no idea how to act around a firearm,” Samp recalled. “They watched cartoons where guns were treated like toys and had no idea that real life is not like that.”

After assisting another instructor with a class of about 12 students, Samp showed up in the basement of the armory in Worthington to teach and was floored to find 72 students waiting for him.

“That was a lot of kids,” he said with a grin.

Over the years, the classes moved to the Worthington Gun Club site, but this year something new started. The students are doing the classroom instruction without a classroom.

“They do the book work on the Internet,” Samp explained. “I was a little apprehensive at first, but it worked great. It’s set up really well.”

The students sign up for the class, read a chapter of the firearm safety manual and are quizzed on the information — all on the computer.

“They have to pass each chapter quiz before the program will advance,” Samp said.

Then the students come to the gun club for a field day.

“And much to their dismay, the first thing that happens is they get handed another test,” Samp laughed.

The students are tested on the knowledge they gained from the manual, but are also taught the correct way to handle a firearm at all times — while carrying, loading and firing.

One of the most important things Samp tries to impart to his students is the danger of treating a gun with anything but the utmost respect.

“The fact is, these are mostly 11-, 12-, 13-year-old kids. They were out playing Army last week, a video game this week,” Samp stated. “And the next week they’re going pheasant hunting.”

Wile E. Coyote gets shot in cartoon land and ends up with messed-up hair or his muzzle spins around, but kids have to be taught what could really happen, Samp said.

“So we show them what a real gun will do.”

He used to demonstrate on a big piece of discarded fat from the butcher, but now uses a watermelon or a jug of water.

“It makes an impression,” he stated.

Most of his students are young, but in the past 15 years or so, he said he is seeing more non-traditional students. Last year, a class was conducted in Spanish for the first time in the area.

Currently, anyone born after Dec. 31, 1979, must complete the Minnesota DNR firearm safety course before they can buy a hunting license in Minnesota, according to Nordseth.

“I want to personally thank and congratulate (Samp) for his life-long commitment to community safety and to Minnesota’s rich hunting heritage,” Nordseth stated, shaking Samp’s hand. “You’ve impacted a lot of people in a very positive way.”

Tags: news, worthington, outdoors, dnr