DES MOINES — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) offers more than 200 hunter education courses each year, and now is the time to enroll before hunting seasons arrive.
Hunter education is a mandatory program designed to introduce students to firearms safety and several other life-long skills that are important to the many different types of outdoor recreational activities.
A person who is 11 years old or older may enroll in a course, but those who are 11 and successfully complete the course will be issued a certificate which becomes valid on their 12th birthday.
Students may certify in several ways, such as the traditional classroom course or a hybrid online/field day course. Students 18 years of age and older may certify completely online with no field day requirement. For more information on course options, visit: https://www.iowadnr.gov/
Locally, Hunter Education Classroom Courses will be offered in Newton (August 6 at the Izaak Walton League), Knoxville (August 28 at the Marion County Sportsman Club), and Sigourney (September 13 at the Keokuk County Sportsman Club).
“Our courses are taught by volunteer instructors who are also hunters, so very few classes take place after mid-November,” said Jamie Cook, program coordinator with the Iowa DNR. “Many new hunters, and parents of new hunters, tend to delay in finding a hunter education course until classes become unavailable. My advice is to check the website weekly.”
To find a course and begin the registration process visit https://license.
Hunter education is required for anyone born after Jan. 1, 1972, in order to purchase a hunting license. Iowa recognizes hunter education certificates issued by another state and some foreign nations.
