WARBIRDUM,
Don Martin has previously posted here on MM, and on other hunting related websites, the requirements you refer to; remember, he and the other members of his hunter education staff do not create any of the "rules" concerning the NR AZ Hunter Ed Class, we simply teach it.
The current requirements for the one day (12 HR) NR AZ Hunter Ed Class is that the applicant have a current hunter education certificate from their home state that had been issued in or since 1980. A copy of that certificate (or card) needs to be faxed to the Phoenix-area AZGFD headquarters to the Hunter Education Coordinator, David Williams. He will then add the NR to the class list assuming there are available seats.
The reason the NR needs to have a hunter ed card from their home state is that AZ hunter ed is quite a bit longer than a 12 hour class. The class we completed yesterday was a combo class that included archery and muzzleloader instruction and was 35 hours in duration including a rather grueling field day exercise. The class NRs take is a supplemental class and not to be confused with our full-feature hunter education class.
Lots of things change over a 29 year period of time, including game laws, rules, & regulations and even the manner in which the North American model of wildlife management & conservation is taught in hunter education classrooms across the country. I'm confident that's why the AZGFD Hunter Education Branch only accepts prior hunter ed certification all the way back to 1980.
I'm sure you are an experienced outdoorsman and have had hunter education/hunter safety training at one time or another. If that certification was post 1980, fax in your card and come out for the class! If you don't have a card, or completed the class before 1980, just attend your state's next local hunter ed class, get your new card and get over here for the one day class. Your other alternative is to take AZ's online hunter ed course and then come here to participate in a field day exercise to secure your permanent AZ Hunter Education Bonus Point.
Whatever you decide to do, good luck in the upcoming drawings and we'd be happy to have you attend one of our classes!
Jim