It’s back to school week across Missouri, and young hunters who hope to take to the field this fall must register for one more classroom assignment before they can get a permit to hunt on their own.
Hunter Education certification once required an eight-hour classroom commitment for everyone, but now it only asks those ages 11 to 15 years old to complete the skills session in-person. The knowledge portion may be completed at home and online. The hands-on learning opportunities are limited by class sizes, and the courses can fill quickly.
Two skills sessions planned at the Jay Henges Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center in Eureka are the nearest for Jefferson County residents. Eighteen seats are available from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sept. 19. As of this week, almost half of the morning session had been reserved, and several seats were filled in the afternoon too. Reservations are available at mdc.mo.gov under hunter education.
Searching within a 50-mile radius of Crystal City, I found seven classes scheduled prior to the fall firearms hunting seasons. In addition to the two sessions in Eureka, young hunters could attend programs on Sept. 12 in Union, Sept. 14 in Perryville, Sept. 21 at the Busch Conservation Area in St. Charles County, Oct. 7 at Ste. Genevieve VFW, or Oct. 10 at the Elks Lodge in Farmington.
The knowledge portion must be completed before attending a skills session. Options for the knowledge portion include completing a free study guide from the state Department of Conservation, or two different online courses.
The study guide is available from conservation department offices or can be ordered online from the hunter education page at mdc.mo.gov. The student must study the illustrated manual, complete the chapter review questions, and present the completed workbook to their instructor at the skills session.
The study guide is free, but the cost of the two online courses is paid to the education provider and not the department of conservation. For $24.95 the textbook-style hunter safety course features realistic illustrations and animations. The $39.95 option provides a dynamic video game-type experience that is built around real-life scenarios and features learning challenges and assessments to measure progress.
Students ages 11 through 15 must present their completion certificate from the online course when they arrive for the skills sessions. At the end of the classroom portion, students must pass a 35-question multi-choice test with a score of at least 80 percent. Hunters ages 16 and older only need to complete the online education portion.
Anyone may hunt prior to earning hunter education certification, if they hunt in the immediate presence of a mentor who has completed the course. The conservation department recommends that young hunters gain experience alongside a licensed adult before taking the hunter education course, so they become more familiar with the sport and its terminology.
The Apprentice Hunter Authorization allows hunters aged 16 or older to participate prior to taking the course, if they are hunting with a mentor who is properly licensed. The apprentice program is only available for two years. After two seasons, hunters must complete the online course to earn their certification.
Hunters ages 10 and younger who can hold, aim and fire a gun may only hunt in the presence of an authorized adult. Those 11 or older can take the course and purchase permits to hunt on their own.
Hunter education has been mandatory in Missouri since 1987. In the past 40 years hunting accidents and deaths have declined by more than 70 percent. The course emphasizes responsibility and ethics, firearms safety, hunting techniques, wildlife identification and management, game care, survival and first aid skills, conservation and specific state regulations regarding deer hunting.
Fall seasons for this year begin with archery methods opening on Sept. 15. The first firearms season is the three-day, early antlerless portion, which begins on Oct. 9. The first youth-only hunting season for the year is the weekend of Oct. 24 and 25. The main firearms deer hunting season opens on Nov. 14.
John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 35 years and was the associate editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine. If you have story ideas for the Leader outdoor news page, e-mail ogmjohnw@aol.com, and you can find more outdoor news and updates at johnjwink.com.