MDC offering Hunter Education skills session on MU campus

The hands-on skills session is a mandatory, second requirement to become hunter education certified in Missouri

COLUMBIA, Mo.—Planning on hunting this fall? Avoid the rush and sign-up to take your hunter education skills session now.  The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is holding three hunter education skills sessions from 8 a.m. to noon on the University of Missouri (MU)—Columbia campus in Room 111, Conservation Auditorium, Anheuser Busch Natural Resources Building on the following dates:

• May 31
• June 28
• July 19

The hands-on skills session is a mandatory, second requirement to become hunter education certified in Missouri. To register for one of these skills session, visit http://www.register-ed.com/programs/3.

“MDC revised the Hunter-Ed course in 2013 for student convenience and to emphasize hands-on training,” said MDC Outdoors Skills Specialist and Hunter-Ed instructor Brian Flowers. “New hunters who need to be Hunter-Ed certified should take the course early to avoid the fall rush.”

Students can take the first part as an online course, or with a printed manual, or by signing up for a four-hour classroom session.

Conservation makes Missouri a great place to hunt and the MDC promotes safe, knowledgeable, ethical and responsible hunting through its Hunter Education program and training.  Hunters born on or after Jan. 1, 1967, and who are 16 or older, must successfully complete an approved Hunter Education course to qualify to buy firearms hunting permits.

Flowers said the classes offered on the MU campus are not restricted to college students, but are being offered to encourage students to get hunter education certified.

In Missouri, any nonresident who is a registered student attending a public or private secondary, post-secondary, or vocational school and who lives in Missouri while attending the school is eligible to purchase a resident hunting permit. The permit must be purchased at a MDC office.

Hunter education students completing the course receive a temporary certificate so they can immediately start hunting while their Hunter Education Certification card is being processed.

MDC began providing Hunter Education in 1957 and has trained more than 1.1 million students. Since hunter education became mandatory in 1987, there has been a reduction of hunting incidents by more than 70 percent. Missouri is among the top five states in annual hunter education graduate numbers.

For more information on Hunter Education visit www.mdc.mo.gov/node/3095 or contact your local MDC office.