Bill Seibel

Longtime hunter education coordinator Bill Seibel checks the scores for a young hunter while a long line of others wait to receive their results at Jefferson College in 1997.

While it may be too soon to call it waxing nostalgic, I have been thinking about the history of hunter education in Missouri. It was not that long ago that this time of year would present a calendar full of opportunities for new hunters to earn their certification.

Jefferson College offered the classes as part of its countywide Continuing Education program and community civic organizations from Selma Village to Pacific would host rooms full of young men and women every spring and fall. Classes held in the last few weeks before an upcoming hunting season would be packed.

What I remember most vividly are the scores of volunteer educators who gave their time and shared their enthusiasm for the sport. Jefferson County had teams of veteran hunters who taught safety and strategies for making every outing enjoyable.

Now the learning takes place through an online portal for most people who need to complete the course before purchasing hunting permits in Missouri and other states. Only young hunters, ages 11 through 15, must complete a skills portion in addition to the computer-based information program.

Those in-person classes are rare these days within 50 miles of Hillsboro, and none are currently scheduled inside Jefferson County. The three “nearby” sessions before the early youth portion of firearms season Nov. 1-2 include two events on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 18, at the Elks Lodge in Farmington and at East Central College in Union; and one in the evening on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at August A. Busch Shooting Range in Defiance.

Prior to the opening of the November portion of the firearms season on Nov. 15, there are only two more classes available. One is at the Busch Range on Nov. 4, and the closest one to home is planned from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Jay Henges Shooting Range near Eureka.

The hunter education course is required for any hunter born on or after Jan. 1, 1967. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, the program has reduced hunting accidents and deaths by 70 percent since it became mandatory in 1987.

In addition to responsibility and ethics, the course also includes instruction on firearms operations and safety, wildlife identification, game care, first aid skills, hunting techniques, wildlife conservation and management, and regulations specific to hunting in Missouri.

Two versions of the online course are available. A traditional textbook style course costs $24.95 and features hundreds of realistic illustrations and animations. The Interactive Knowledge Course is $39.95 and is more of a dynamic, video game experience built around real-life scenarios and situational challenges.

While the old curmudgeon in me longs for the days of senior citizen volunteers guiding young future hunters, the reality is that today’s teens learn much better through the technology they have grown up with.

Children ages 6 through 15 may hunt prior to earning their certification as long as they are in the immediate presence of an adult mentor. The mentor is required to have hunter education certification, and young hunters must be able to hold, aim and shoot the firearm or bow by themselves.

Missouri’s hunter apprentice program allows those older than 16 to hunt with a similarly qualified mentor. An Apprentice Authorization costs $10.50 and allows an inexperienced, non-certified hunter to purchase hunting permits. After two years, the apprentice must complete the hunter education course.

John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 30 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.

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