TAKE YOUR HUNTER SAFETY COURSE EARLY THIS YEAR

January 18, 2005
CONTACT: John Weatherholt (863) 648-3206

Hunters needing to get their Hunter Safety certificate from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) during 2005 are strongly encouraged to take a course early in the year.  The Hunter Safety Course is required of anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, wishing to obtain a Florida hunting license.  Many states and Canadian provinces also require a hunter safety certificate to purchase a non-resident hunting license.  Florida’s state sponsored course meets the requirements for hunter safety training throughout North America.

“But, those who wait till later in the year to sign up, run a huge risk of not finding space in a course,” said John Weatherholt, FWC Hunter Safety Administrator in Lakeland.

Weatherholt explained that courses scheduled just before and during the hunting season, usually fill up by mid-June.  There are a sufficient number of courses in each county to provide anyone wanting to attend to do so, provided they sign up in the beginning of the year.  Hunters who delay signing up till mid or late season often find themselves with few or no convenient options.

The FWC is the only organization that presents the course.  The agency provides the course free of charge by enlisting a volunteer network of trained instructors who donate their time to ensure that the legacy of hunting remains a safe one.

The FWC Hunter Safety Course is available as a traditional classroom program or as a home study course.  Hunters who can’t attend a traditional classroom course can take the majority of course instruction without leaving home.  The new at-home method allows students to obtain partial credit toward completing the hunter safety course through the Internet or CD- ROM interactive program.  Once the interactive portion of the course has been completed, students must then attend the required field day that includes live-firing instruction on a shooting range.

In addition to marksmanship training, students attending non-traditional field day classes, take a standardized written exam and are expected to demonstrate skills such as loading and unloading different types of firearms, safely crossing fences and other activities that all responsible hunters should be well versed in.  Students wishing to complete the CD-ROM course will need to contact the regional office to have a CD sent and schedule a field day.  Field days portions for the at-home course are scheduled throughout the state.

The interactive course was developed in cooperation with seven other southeastern states to increase accessibility to hunter safety programs.  For on-line course schedules, please refer to the web page at www.MyFWC.com/huntered.

Traditional classroom courses are offered in all of Florida’s counties.  Families with children are encouraged to attend a traditional course.  Interaction with the instructors will help children and their parents to better understand course materials.  Instructors can answer questions and clarify concepts, which cannot be accomplished with the on-line or CD version.

While visiting our website, be sure to check out other programs offered through the Hunter Safety Program, such as the Advanced Bowhunting Course and the Becoming an Outdoors Women workshops.

For more information on Hunter Safety Programs in your area, visit www.MyFWC.com/huntered. 

JW/GRM

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