Now is a great time for people to sign up for a hunter
education firearms safety class offered by the Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources (DNR).
“Volunteer Instructors from throughout the state are
calling in right now to set up spring classes, so this is the time to get your
son or daughter registered before the fall hunting seasons begin,” said Acting
Capt. Jon Paurus, DNR hunter education coordinator.
Anyone born after Dec. 31, 1979 must take a DNR safety
training course and receive a certificate of completion before purchasing a
license for big or small game.
“Every year we have hopeful hunters who wait until the
last minute to take a hunter safety class only to find out they have missed
their opportunity to do so,” Paurus said. “The fall is when many of our
volunteer instructors would like to be enjoying the outdoors as well, which
means it can be more difficult to find a class.”
Also, hunters frequently encounter problems when they
hunt states where more stringent hunter education requirements are required.
For example, Colorado requires a hunter education certificate for anyone born
after Jan. 1, 1949, and neighboring states such as North Dakota and Iowa have
requirements for those born after 1961 and 1967.
For a list of classes or to check requirements from other
states please visit the Safety/Education webpage at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/index.html.
Classes generally fill up quickly but check the listing
often as more classes are being added daily. For more information, call
651-296-6157 or toll-free 888-646-6367.
