Hunter education class schedule announced
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
News from the MT Fish, Wildlife & Parks
KALISPELL — Hunter education courses are scheduled across northwest Montana, including in Kalispell, Columbia Falls, Bigfork, Eureka, and Plains.
Registration is free and available at: https://fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter-education.
Dates, locations and specific instructions for each class, as well as contact information for the lead instructors, are available in the class descriptions online. Additional courses could become available this spring in other communities across the state, and information will be posted online at: https://fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter-education.
In-person, instructor-led hunter education courses are available free to anyone aged 10 and older. Instructor-led courses provide new hunters with a hands-on learning experience and can be particularly beneficial for people who have minimal experience in the field or handling firearms. Students ages 10 and 11 can take the in-person course and hunt as an apprentice but will not be fully certified until the year they turn 12.
Montana also provides a self-paced online-only hunter education course that is available for anyone 12 and older. The third-party vendor that hosts the course charges $25 for the online certification.
Hunter education courses cover basic information and skills related to the safe handling of firearms as well as basic instruction in wildlife management, game identification, landowner/hunter relations, hunter ethics, and Montana hunting laws and regulations.
To purchase or apply for a Montana hunting license, anyone born after January 1, 1985, must complete a hunter education course issued by Montana, any other state, or any Canadian province. The Apprentice Hunter program allows anyone 10 or older to hunt for up to two years without completing a hunter education course. Certain restrictions apply, and anyone certified as an apprentice must be accompanied by a certified mentor.
For more information, visit: https://fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter-education.
Become a mentor for new hunters
If you’re interested in mentoring new hunters, improving ethics and safety in the field, or teaching an appreciation for Montana’s hunting resources and traditions, please consider signing up to serve as a volunteer hunter education instructor. In northwest Montana, contact Dillon Tabish at (406) 751-4564 to learn more.
Prospective instructors are invited to attend the Region 1 Instructor Workshop in Kalispell on March 11 from 9 am - 2:30 p.m.
At the workshop, FWP staff and regional instructors will prepare for another year of classes, share any new information about the program, and celebrate instructors who hit volunteer milestones. Lunch will be provided.
To register for the free workshop, visit: https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/192539.
