Hunter education instructors needed

Hunter and bowhunter education courses are open to registration across northwest Montana, and instructors are needed, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

Registration is available online at fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter . Classes are typically held in late winter/early spring and fall. Students are encouraged to take hunter education well in advance of the season they plan to hunt. Space is limited in individual communities.

Students are required to pick up materials and complete the course manual before the first night of class. Instructions for picking up materials and other info are available in the event description of each class. For example, students who register for the Pablo class must pick up manuals at Westland Seed in Ronan or at Murdoch’s, Walmart or the CSKT Tribal License Office in Polson before the first night of class. Students must complete the manuals before the class.

A student must be at least 10 years old to register for Montana hunter education courses. Students ages 10-11 can take the course and hunt as an apprentice but will not be fully certified until the year they turn 12. There is no maximum age limit. Anyone 18 or older can complete an online course but must still attend a field course to become certified. Students must attend all classroom sessions, the field course, and pass a final exam to become certified.

TO PURCHASE a Montana hunting license, any person born after Jan. 1, 1985, must show a certificate of completing a hunter/bowhunter education course issued by Montana, any other

state, or any Canadian province.

Hunter and bowhunter education courses are led by volunteer instructors who are passionate about preserving Montana’s hunting tradition and teaching firearm safety, as well as other

outdoor skills. Instructors are needed in communities across northwest Montana. If you are interested in mentoring new hunters, please contact Dillon Tabish at 406-751-4564 or visit

fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter for more info.

HUNTER EDUCATION courses in Northwest Montana “First Day” may include a material pick-up day. Read event description online for specific class instructions and requirements.

Here are the sites and first day for courses: Plains, March 4; Somers and Pablo, March 5; Whitefish and Eureka, March 11; and Kalispell, March 22 and April 6 (online field day)

Bowhunter education courses in Northwest Montana sites and the first day for courses:

Kalispell, April 2 and May 2, with April 18 for youth only; Columbia Falls, May 9; Kalispell, May 18 (online field day); Whitefish, May 30; Somers, Jun 4; and Kalispell, July 13 (onlin field day).