Media Contact: Chris Saunders 802-241-3700

Now is the Time to Take A Hunter Education Course

WATERBURY, VT - It's almost back to school time & even for hunters.
With hunting seasons just around the corner, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is urging new hunters to sign up now for a hunter education class. All first-time Vermont hunting license holders are required to complete a hunter education course.
"Though classes are held throughout the year, their numbers peak in late summer and early fall," said Chris Saunders, Hunter Education Coordinator. "So this is the time to sign up and complete a course, because once the hunting season gets rolling, our volunteer instructors want to be out in the field."
Besides ensuring you'll be able to hunt this year, taking the class sooner rather than later means more time for scouting, sighting-in and securing permission to hunt on private lands.
Vermont's hunter education course averages 12-16 hours of classroom instruction and field exercises, including live-fire. Each course is taught by trained, certified volunteer instructors who follow national guidelines and state standards. Safe firearms handling, hunter responsibility, conservation, wildlife identification, outdoor safety, turkey hunting, muzzleloading and survival are all covered. Separate courses are offered for bowhunter and trapper education.
The department recognizes that courses can be difficult to fit into the hectic schedules of today's fast moving lifestyles. As a result, a home-study option is now available for the basic hunter education course. This great opportunity let's you learn the material at your own pace. A field day, involving a written exam and field skills testing, is still required.
Each year, the Vermont Hunter Education Program's 586 volunteer instructors certify almost 6,000 students. The free courses provided by the department are entirely funded by hunters and shooters through the Federal Aid in Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program.
To find an upcoming class, go to http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/HE_Courses.cfm on the Fish & Wildlife Department's website, or call Marion at 802-241-3720.
Be smart, think safety and good luck.
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For Further Information please contact: Chris Saunders at 802-241-3700 or email to chris.saunders@state.vt.us