Every year folks who want to go hunting seem to wait until the last moment before they start looking around for a Hunter Education course!
Well the last moment is soon upon you !
What many forget is that Hunter Education Instructors are for the most part VOLUNTEERS! Add to that most are also still active HUNTERS!
What does this mean to the person looking for a Hunter Education course to attend, quite simply that you may be out of luck, because all of the HE Instructors are out hunting, and not putting on classes. This message may be tough love, but a Hunter Education course needs to be a priority in your life if you want to hunt this year.
Many Instructors take time out of their hunting season to continue to put on courses, but the number is significantly reduced the later in the seasons we get.
In nearly every state, proof of having taken a hunter education course is a requirement to purchase a hunting license. Some states have exclusions, such as being born before a certain date, some a military exclusion, etc.
One of the biggest problems is ignorance, ignorance of the seasons, hunting seasons start as early as the third week in July for "A" zone archery on Black-tailed deer in California, and run through October, with Pheasant, Quail, Turkey, Dove and Duck opening. Pig season is open all year, so impacts the frequency of courses less, but is still a consideration. So, there is a continuous period of time from July through Feb when one or more season are open, and the probability of finding a class is more difficult. So consider yourself cured of that particular bit of ignorance, your instructor will help with any other related to hunting :-)
Another problem is that many do not realize that these classes can run anywhere from 10-18 hours in length, may be split into several evenings, or in one 10 hour day. Needless to say the latter are NOT particularly good for minors, as they cannot focus for that length of time. Any class requires a level of commitment and studying, and it is always advisable to obtain the course manual prior to the class if possible, as there are some terms and language that are going to foreign to most non shooters and even some older hunters.
One more problem is that many hunters who decide to go to hunt in States like Colorado, don't plan ahead and check to find out what the requirements are. The Division of Wildlife in Colorado and it's agents will NOT accept hunting licenses from other states, but require completion of a Hunter Education Course and will need to see your certificate. Which brings up another problem, that of the older hunter, who took a course in 1970, who has hunted for years in their home state, but has lost the certificate. Many states will NOT accept an affidavit any more, so what to do? Well I am sorry to say that you have to take another course. This should not be a cause of any grumbling, because you have had to take your driving test more than once in your life, and some instructors (your writer included) believe that all hunters should have to retake a course every 5 years. Perhaps not a full 10-18 hours course, but at least some kind of refresher course, after all we all get reminded about safety in the work place and of course driving.
So, where is the best place to find the information you need? Simple, check with the governing body in your state, some are called as in Colorado, the Division of Wildlife, others the Department of Natural Resources, in other states the Department of Fish & Game. If you are unsure check this listing on the National Sport Shooting Foundation web site here which contains all the responsible agencies for all states, where you can find information regarding classes.
Some states are offering an Apprentice hunting license, where the person can hunt for one year prior to taking a class, as long as they are accompanied by a licensed hunter who has been through an HE course. A number of NSSF education brochures are used in hunter education courses, including "Firearms Safety Depends on You," "Hunter Ethics," "The Hunter and Conservation" and the "Hunter Pocket Fact Card." These and other materials, including firearm safety and wildlife conservation videos, are available at www.nssf.org/hunting, and it would be advisable for anyone considering on taking an apprentice hunter out with to obtain these brochures to give the apprentice to study.
The apprentice hunting is just one way agencies have tried to make it easier for folks to start into hunting. Another very large leap into the 21st century is to place much of the course onto the internet, such that the future hunter can study at their leisure spending whatever time they can at home on the computer, take a test on-line, and print a certificate which allows them to go to an abbreviated 4 hour course.
There are actually 3 different on-line courses that are accepted by many states they are the following links: http://www.hunter-ed.com/ , http://www.huntercourse.com/usa/, there is a fee related to taking these two courses, and you can pay using credit card on-line then you can print the certificate. There is one more on-line course that is offered by the International Hunter Education Association which has no fee attached to it, but requires the student to print out the test at the end of each chapter, rather than a certificate at the end. This course can be found here
Where to get more information on hunting game birds, check here
Links for big game:
