If you’re planning to hunt this fall, now is the time to sign up for a Hunter Education course.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has opened registration for fall hunter education classes and is reminding hunters not to wait. In-person courses fill quickly each year, especially as deer and pheasant seasons get closer.
Hunter education is required for anyone born after January 1, 1972, before they can purchase an Iowa hunting license. Students learn firearm safety, hunting laws, outdoor ethics, wildlife conservation, and other skills to help them become safe and responsible hunters.
Several classes are available in and around the KILJ listening area. A classroom course will be offered August 25th at First Assembly of God in Burlington. On August 29th, a classroom course will be held at Marr Park near Ainsworth, while a Hunter Education Field Day is scheduled the same day at the Big Hollow Shooting Range near Sperry. Additional field days are planned September 12th at the Lee County Conservation Board near Montrose and September 26th at VFW Post 6414 in Riverside. Other classroom and field day opportunities are also available in Muscatine, Parnell, and Keswick.
Young hunters are not required to complete hunter education until they turn 16 and need to purchase a hunting license, but the DNR encourages families to complete the course well before hunting season.
To view available classes and register, visit the Iowa DNR’s Hunter Education registration page.