06/11/2026
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.
