Hunter Education Class Here Is Filled; Another Course Offered at Mansfield

Douglas County Conservation Agent Mark Henry says the one disadvantage to the new MDC Hunter Safety Course is that class sizes are more limited. For that reason, the Ava class scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 12, is full. No more registrations will be accepted.
However, there will be a class in Mansfield on Oct. 26, at the Mansfield Assembly of God Church.
To register for the the skills session of the Hunter Education course go to http://mdc.mo.gov/node/3095.
Questions can be directed to Steve Copeland at 417-399-7233 or Wright County Conservation Agent Keith Wollard at 417-259-0736.
Missouri’s new and more flexible hunter education program is divided into two parts. The first part provides necessary knowledge about hunting equipment, safety and ethics through an online course or home self-paced study.
The online course includes audio, pictures, graphs, videos and interactive animation that is designed to enhance the learning experience. Students who choose this option must complete all their chapter reviews as they go through the information and then print their completion certificate. There is a $15 course fee with this method.
Students who choose the self-paced home study, must get a manual from a Missouri Department of Conservation office, by calling the local contacst listed below, or ordering by mail. They must then study the information and complete all chapter reviews at their own pace before attending a mandatory skills session. Students should be aware that home study should be done thoroughly, as there will be a mandatory 35-question multiple choice test at the end of the skills portion in order to become certified.
A third option would be a four–hour classroom session. Most folks to date prefer the home self-paced method. However there are classroom sessions offered throughout the state if students prefer.  Students who opt for the four-hour classroom session can either sign up for these sessions by going to the Department of Conservation’s website or by calling the nearest Department of Conservation office.
After completing one of the knowledge options, all students must complete the second part of the Hunter Education procedure – a hands-on skill session. Students will need to bring the student manual with the chapter reviews filled out, or their completion certificate from the online portion.
The skills session includes hands on training with a firearm and a mandatory 35-question multiple-choice final exam that is based heavily on knowledge that has been gained from the learning options and the skill sessions.
The mandatory skills session will begin at 8 a.m. and end at approximately 12 noon on Saturday Oct. 26. (It should be noted that students must register online to attend the skills session).
After successful completion of both portions of the course along with passing the final exam, students will receive a temporary certificate so they can immediately start hunting while their Hunter Education certification card is being processed.
Individuals can have hunter education manuals sent to their homes by ordering them from http://mdc.mo.gov/node/23045.