The past couple of years have seen great fishing and hunting increases, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources believes you should also invest your free time in Wisconsin’s great outdoors scene. A vital step in getting started with your hunting endeavors is to sign up for a hunter safety course, which the DNR says is never too early to do. Over 20,000 people take a hunter education course yearly in Wisconsin. Anyone born on or after January 1st of 1973 is required to have a hunter education certification to purchase a hunting license. One exemption to this rule is if you’re hunting under Mentored Hunting Law. The DNR also says it’s a good idea for you to retake a course as a refresher. 

There are various ways of taking a course, whether hands-on, virtually, or online. Course types are listed below. 

Internet field day:

Allows you to complete some of your training online and then attend a day of training with a certified instructor. This class is considered a good fit if you’ve handled firearms or are going to be hunting with someone that has more experience. 

Traditional class

Offers you a more hands-on approach, working with a certified instructor over a few days. This option gives students opportunities to handle hunting equipment and to learn safe hunting practices. In-person feedback from instructors can also enhance student learning. 

Hunter education online program

Allows you to complete hunter education all online. This option is available to people of any age until September 1st. This option is considered a fit for students that have a connection or mentorship with the shooting sports to establish and strengthen the skills they learn virtually. 

More information on hunter safety education programs can be found here.