Now is the time to start thinking about hunter
education, not next fall.
If you’re planning to hunt out of state, check if you
may need certification. If you have a child, friend or relative who will need a
hunter education certificate in order to purchase a North Dakota hunting
license in 2020, now is the time to make sure that gets taken care off.
In North Dakota, hunter education classes are taught
by several hundred volunteer instructors, a great group always looking for new
members (yes, that’s a hint). These instructors offer most classes during the
winter and into spring.
Hunter education certification is required for anyone
born after Dec. 31, 1961, to buy a hunting license in North Dakota. The
exceptions are landowners hunting only on their own land, youth who will not
reach age 12 before the 2020 hunting seasons, and anyone 12 and older who is
eligible for an apprentice hunting license for one year.
Youth younger than 12 may still hunt with their
parents or other adults. There is no minimum age for hunting small game in
North Dakota, but students need to reach age 11 before they can take the hunter
education class.
Enrolling yourself or a youth is easy. All it takes is
a trip to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website at gf.nd.gov.
The website has information on when and where classes
are offered. Instructors in many smaller towns will hold only one course each
year, so if you or someone you know will need hunter education, check out the
details now to make sure you don’t miss out.
Once you’ve found the best fit for the class, you also
can sign up online and check the status of the course.
The goal is to put safe and educated hunters into the
field. No exceptions. In fact, one of the more common questions is generated by
people looking for an age or occupation exemption from the law. Current and
former military personnel, police officers and adults often inquire whether
their status qualifies for any exemption. The answer is a no. The law is
straightforward.
It’s clear that North Dakota’s hunter education laws
are working. Mandatory hunter education classes began in 1979. Since then, more
than 200,000 people have taken the course.
Another statistic that stands out is class
participation. About 30 percent are adults, and 34 percent are women. Hunter
education is for hunters of any and all ages.
Those who suggest they know all about gun safety
through previous training or experience also will find the comprehensive course
includes wildlife management concepts, biology and the ethical and moral
aspects of becoming a well-rounded hunter.
Plain and simple, hunter education is making the outdoors
a safer venue for all. The thousands of safe hunters across the prairie would
not want to jeopardize those statistics, and there is a degree of comfort in
knowing that most hunters in the field have been through the curriculum meeting
standards from the International Hunter Education Association.