Hunter education classes beginning to fill

Hunters needing to satisfy the hunter education requirement can search for and sign up for a course at www.iowadnr.gov. To sign up, click on the hunter education online registration line in the popular pages box.

Prospective students can see which courses or field days are near them; how many seats are available for the class or if the class is full; and a waiting list is available. There is also a map showing the location along with the instructor?s name, a course overview and any special instructions.

Under Advanced Hunter Education Programs there is information about upcoming mentored hunts, wingshooting clinics, trapper workshops and bowhunting classes.

Iowa law requires all hunters born after Jan. 1, 1972, to satisfactorily complete a hunter education course in order to purchase a license. Children as young as 11 may enroll in the course, but their certificate of completion will not become valid until their 12th birthday.

Each year, around 12,000 students complete hunter education in Iowa.

An online only course is available for adults that are Iowa residents, 18 years of age or older, and have prior hunting and/or firearms handling experience.

The course covers the same material as the classroom course, allowing the student to complete the entire course, including the final test, in an online setting. Certification is received at the successful completion of the online course.