Michigan deer hunters - Still time to enroll in hunter education classes before deer season

As students head back to school, signaling the quick approach to fall and deer hunting season, parents of children who have an interest in learning to hunt should consider enrolling them in a September hunter education class. Now is the best time to enroll so that new hunters are ready to hit the woods this fall.

"Although classes are held year-round, April, May, August and September class opportunities are typically the most plentiful,” said Sgt. Steve Orange with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources hunter education program. “However, waiting until the last minute to enroll sometimes makes it difficult to find an available class.”

Michigan has three types of hunter education courses: traditional classroom, home-study and online. Orange encourages students to finish the course no later than Oct. 1 to insure that instructors are available for online or home-study students to complete a mandatory field day. The field work is included with the traditional classroom instruction.

Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1960, is required to successfully complete the course in order to purchase a Michigan hunting license or participate in an out-of-state hunt. Exceptions are made for youths under the age of 10 who are hunting with a Mentored Youth Hunting license or hunters older than 10 who are hunting with anapprentice hunting license. New hunters can hunt under the apprentice program for two years before being required to complete a hunter education course.

Traditional classroom instruction is at least 10 hours during a minimum of two days and includes both classroom and field work with an instructor. The fee for the class is $10 or less to cover expenses. The home-study course features a manual in which to complete classwork and answer questions. A field day also is required with the home-study course and must be scheduled with an instructor prior to starting the course. Michigan also offers three approved online courses: www.hunter-ed.com/michigan, www.huntercourse.com, and www.hunteredcourse.com/state/michigan. Students who opt for the online course complete their classwork online and then have a field/skills day with an instructor and take a written exam. The field day must be scheduled with an instructor prior to starting the online instruction. The online courses have varying fees, but all are priced under $25. There may be an additional cost of up to $10 for the field day.

For more information about hunter education or to find a class in your area, go towww.michigan.gov/huntereducation.