Texas Hunter Education Instructors Association

THEIA President, Doug DuBois, Jr. will be teaching a Hunter Education Classroom Course, Thursday, August 6, 2026 at the offices of the Texas Wildlife Association. Only 12 seats are available for this six-hour classroom course.

"I hope to see you there."

https://tpwd.elementlms.com/course/hunter-education-classroom-course-12914/

Introducing Mrs. Kathy Glass, THEIA Vice President

My life journey has been an adventure. I am 5th generation Jeweler,
sat down at the bench at the age of 15 in 1974. I am very community orientated and love teaching all ages about shooting, hunting and wildlife. I have lived on the Barrow Foundation Ranch for nearly 50 years, but believe it or not I did not start hunting until 1981 – yes I went hunting with my father since an early age and LOVE watching wildlife in any capacity.

Teaching the next generation about shooting, hunting and wildlife conservation has been a passion for a long time. Our family got into Pre 1840 reenactments, we use to attend the Santa Fe Trail Rendezvous on the Whittington Center property in Raton New Mexico, enjoying shooting Black Powder rifles.

In 2003 I became a Hunter Education Instructor, two months before becoming a Huntmaster in TYHP (Texas Youth Hunt Program) and ran hunts until 2021 – I still cook for hunts and guide on some hunts especially TPWD 101 hunts.

I have been honored to receive West Texas Region Volunteer of the Year in 2017, TPWD Volunteer Team in 2021, TWA Volunteer of the Year award in 2021 and the TD Carroll award from THEIA in 2026. I have served THEIA as the Treasurer 2022-2026 and now I am honored that the membership has placed me in the Vice President position. I will do my best to continue to serve the THEIA membership.
Kathy Glass

Photo is of Kathy and her husband Gary Glass receiving the 2026 T.D. Carroll Award from Doug DuBois, Jr., THEIA President and Matt Smith, (far left) TPWD Director of Hunter Education

Message from the THEIA President

Doug DuBois, Jr., Austin, Texas
TPWD Hunter Education Instructor
TYHP Huntmaster
THEIA Lifetime Member
TSRA Life Member
NRA Endowment Member

Hello, for those of you who do not know me, my name is Doug DuBois, Jr. and I’m honored to have been elected President of the Texas Hunter Education Instructors Association (THEIA) during THEIA 2026 in Lueders, Texas. We had a good weekend of Train the Trainer seminars on Teaching Multi-Generational Classes, How to Teach: Stop the Bleed, How to Teach: Gun Cleaning 101 and How to Teach: Muzzle Loading 101, as well as a timely update on the threat to livestock and wildlife from New World Screwworm and information from the Rolling Plains Bobwhite Quail Foundation.

I’m certain there will be more in Target Talk about the conference and the recipients of incentive awards and awards for volunteer instructors. We are looking forward to hosting THEIA 2027, April 9 – 11, 2027 at Camp Buckner, outside of Burnet, Texas, near Inks Lake State Park and Longhorn Caverns. Plan now to attend.

About me: I’ve been a TYHP Huntmaster since 2003 and through TYHP became a TPWD Hunter Education Instructor in 2009. My childhood memories are full of hunting adventures with my dad and his friends and their sons/daughters across the state and my earliest exposure to Firearm Safety was an NRA Gun Safety Course in 1966 at the 1 in 100 Gun Club outside my hometown of Beaumont. Firearm Safety and Hunter Education are the backbone of the Texas Youth Hunting Program and I’m excited to assist Instructors across the state to train more safe hunters and fi****ms enthusiasts. I’m a Past President of the Austin Woods & Waters Club (2010-2011) and received their Jack Lyons Sportsman of the Year award in 2008, 2018 and 2022. I’ve also served as the Chairman of the TYHP Advisory Committee through the Texas Wildlife Association from 2010 – 2014, along with serving on several other committees within TWA. I also served as Executive Director of the Texas State Rifle Association (TSRA) from 2014 – 2017.

As Hunter Education Program Director, Matt Smith pointed out during our conference, the hunter education student profile is changing and interest in fi****ms is well represented outside of the hunting community in target shooters and personal defense interests. We look forward to working with Matt, and our Hunter Education Training Specialists Randy Spradlin, Brock Minton, Venessa Wallace and Chris Mitchell, who are expertly assisted in the office by Kevin Vo, our multi-talented Administrative Assistant, to adapt the Hunter Education curriculum and teaching methods to reach as broad an audience as possible.

Stay in touch with THEIA through our website www.txheia.org and our page. Let us know how we can assist you.

Award Photos from the 2026 Conference

What a great conference we had. Great to see everyone, including some new faces. Changes to the website will be done to reflect new directors and more. Let's look forward to what is coming this next year.

Current agenda for conference.

https://txheia.org/hunter-education-conference-2026/

Time is running out to sign up. Get Signed up today. Use code PayAt in the discount option if you wish to pay at conference.

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-hunter-education-conference

If you would like to pay your regsitration fee on site at conference, please use the discount code PayAt

Current agenda for conference. Subject to change, except for the Hunter Education Course