Courses to prepare for hunting season

The Farragut Shooting Range Center will host a series of Idaho Department of Fish and Game approved classes to prepare hunters, marksmen and children for the upcoming hunting season. First, a Dutch oven camp cooking course will prepare hunters and adventurers to be self-sufficient and well-fed in the back country or national forests, followed by a children’s archery class and an adult hunting class. All courses will be at the Farragut Shooting Range Center, 33644 N. Shooters Road, Athol. Register online at register-ed.com/programs/idaho.

Below are the details for each course.

Intro to Dutch oven camp cooking

Students interested in the basics of cast-iron, Dutch oven camp cooking can enroll in an outdoor three-hour introductory class for students ages 16 and older, starting at 9 a.m. June 10. Discussion will cover cast-iron Dutch oven use, care and cooking tips. Class completion will be celebrated by tasting samples of culinary delights made during the lecture period. Students with any food allergies should inquire about ingredients and monitor their own participation.

Students are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather and to bring their own water. In the event of rain, the lecture will be held indoors.

Course instructor John Kunkle is a lifelong outdoorsman and an IDFG Hunter Education Instructor, and when he’s not teaching courses on it, he enjoys cooking with Dutch ovens at home and in his free time.

The cost for the course is $10, and any cancellations must be before June 9 to receive a refund.

Intro to Archery

A four-week series will introduce youth to the proper steps for shooting recurve and universal compound bows, for students age 10-16. The series will include four sessions held Tuesday afternoons, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., June 20 and 27, and July 11 and 18. July 4 will be skipped for the holiday.

Participants will receive instruction on archery equipment, range safety, target archery and have fun learning proper shooting techniques. Youth bows, arrows and targets will be provided by IDFG.

The fee is $40, payable online with registration.

The Explore Archery series will be taught by U.S.A. Archery Coach John Skikas, a certified IDFG Hunter and Bowhunter Education Instructor and an NRA Certified Range Safety Officer.

Learn to hunt for adults

Each year, the Idaho Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers holds a Learn to Hunt program for aspiring hunters 18 and older. The IDFG Panhandle Region has partnered with the Idaho Chapter of BHA to hold this year’s program at the Farragut Range from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., every other Saturday beginning on June 24, with the last session Aug. 19.

The program is designed for new and inexperienced hunters to learn skills and information about hunting that go beyond the hunter’s safety program. Skills like hunting ethics, where to hunt, game identification, rifle selection, ballistic information, gear to use, shooting instruction and a hands-on butchering demonstration.

The program consists of five classroom and range sessions. Students who complete the program will receive a one-day mentored hunt with an experienced backcountry hunter.

The idea of this program is to help those interested in hunting, who did not grow up in a hunting culture, overcome the initial hurdles. The course will teach students to become good ethical hunters and conservationists who understand the value of the resource and putting food on the table.

Completion of a Hunter Education course is a prerequisite for this program. Proof of completion of Hunter Education will be requested at the first session.

The fee to attend the program, which includes an individual membership to Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, is $50. Payment is required by the first session June 24.