Sign up for summer hunter and bowhunter classes
Hunter education is required for anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1975, who wants to purchase an Idaho hunting license. If you take hunter education in the Panhandle, you can “kill two birds with one stone,” as the expression goes. You can be certified for hunter education and for bowhunter education by taking only one class!
The overall goal of the program is the prevention of hunting and firearm-related accidents, but emphasis is also placed on improving knowledge about wildlife management, the heritage of hunting, and developing a sense of ethics and responsibility.
Every fall there are parents with youngsters who come to regional offices the week before deer season opens, saying they need a hunter education course. Waiting until the last minute creates challenges for the student, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and the volunteer instructors who teach the instructor-led classes.
IDFG is often able to accommodate the student’s needs by providing independent study or online classes followed by a required field day, or by finding space in one of the last instructor-led classes. However, last-minute options often require that the prospective hunter make a choice between completing hunter education and attending football or soccer practice, music lessons, back-to-school preparation, or an end of the summer family vacation. It does not need to be that hard or stressful!
If your sights are set on hunting this fall and you need to complete Idaho’s hunter education requirement, now is the perfect time to sign up. Summer is a great time to get into a course as many are offered in the summer. By the time big game seasons open, volunteer instructors are heading out to enjoy hunting opportunities and the number of available classes decreases.
An instructor-led course is considered the best option for youth ages 9 to 14 and for individuals having minimal hunting experience. The classes are easy to sign up for by going to the IDFG website: fishandgame.idaho.gov. For classes in the Panhandle Region, instructor-led classes are all combination classes (hunter and bowhunter). On the website, click on the top tab, called “Hunter and Bowhunter Combo” to register. This is the only tab where these classes will be listed.
There are several classes available now in Coeur d’Alene, including a very popular daytime class that starts June 19. The class meets four consecutive days, Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to noon. These dates do not conflict with school or homework, so this class is very popular and will fill up fast.
Another option is an online course. This is designed for older students with excellent reading comprehension. While convenient and allowing much of the course to be taken at home, the online option requires students to register for and attend a field day where a field exercise and written exam are given.
For more information, or to register for a course or field day, visit the Fish and Game website at fishandgame.idaho.gov and click on Education. You will find there are several classes offered now in the Panhandle with spaces available in them. Coeur d’Alene field days are held the second Saturday of the month. The next one is scheduled for July 8.
If none of the above options works for you, there is also a Hunting Passport option. This special authorization allows any first-time hunter, resident or nonresident, age 8 and older, to try hunting for one year with a licensed adult mentor without first having to complete an Idaho hunter education course. The cost is only $1.75.
The passport option allows the beginning hunter to experience hunting before committing to the time required to complete hunter education. A person can only use this option once, and is not eligible for a Hunting Passport in subsequent years. The one exception is that those who purchase a passport at age 8 can get another at age 9. However, for all others only one passport opportunity is available.
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Phil Cooper is a wildlife conservation educator employed by Idaho Fish and Game in the Panhandle District.