Hunter education is offered in various formats
The Department of Natural Resources is encouraging hunters to enroll in a hunter education course before the fall seasons.
And while the courses are required for new hunters, they are highly recommended for those with years of experience, too.
Most hunting incidents in Wisconsin involve hunters older than 40 years of age, often decades after they learn firearm safety rules in their hunter education courses, according to the DNR.
This year may be the time “for veteran hunters to refresh these valuable lessons,” the agency said in a statement.
Hunter education started in Wisconsin in 1967 and is credited with helping improve hunting-related safety in the state.
In the decade before Wisconsin hunter education began, the 10-year average incident rate was 30 per 100,000 licensed hunters, according to DNR data.
In the 10 years after the program started, the incident rate fell to an average of 22 per 100,000.
A state law passed in 1985 required all hunters born after Jan. 1, 1973, to successfully complete a hunter education course before buying a license.
Hunting continued to get safer. In the decade ending in 2016, the rate was 3.6 per 100,000.
Other changes, including a 1980 rule requiring blaze orange clothing for gun deer hunting and changes in hunting practices, such as the increased use of tree stands and reduced reliance on deer drives, have also contributed to fewer firearm-related injuries and deaths.
But there is no question education has and will continue to play a role in improving hunter safety, said John Plenke, a retired DNR conservation warden and member of the Wisconsin Hunter Education Instructors Association.
More than 20,000 people take a hunter education course in Wisconsin each year, according to the DNR.
The classes are available in a variety of formats and locations.
In the traditional course, students attend a multi-day, in-person class. The curriculum is designed to teach hunter responsibility and safety through lectures, demonstrations, group discussions, practical exercises and individual study. The students then take a multiple-choice exam and complete a hands-on, skillsbased assessment based on information found in the printed student manual and taught during class.
Another option is called “internet plus field day.” In this course, students complete an online course, then show up for an in-person session. Instructors at the field day help reinforce the online learning through hands-on safe firearm handling, demonstrations from experienced hunters and practical exercises. The students then take a multiple-choice exam and complete a hands-on, skills-based assessment.
Finally, an online-only option is available for students age 18 and older with prior hunting or firearms handling experience. Students work through online units, take multiple-choice quizzes and take a final multiple-choice exam.
Wisconsin hunter education graduates receive a certificate accepted in each U.S. state as well as Canada and Mexico.
Before enrolling in a hunter education course, students must have or obtain a DNR customer identification number.
Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1973, must have a hunter education certification to purchase a hunting license unless hunting under the Mentored Hunting Law.
To learn more about the options, including costs, time involved and locations of courses, visit dnr.wi.gov and search “hunter education.”
SOS Save Our Songbirds campaign
The SOS Save Our Songbirds campaign is offering a free webinar on Wednesday to address bird collisions with windows, a leading cause of bird fatalities.
The webinar is titled “How to Save Songbirds: Easy Home Window Solutions.” It will be held Wednesday at noon and at 7 p.m.
An estimated 1 billion birds die in the U.S. each year after colliding with windows, according to SOS Save Our Songbirds. The webinar will be led by Brenna Marsicek of Madison Audubon and explain why birds collide with windows and provide demonstrations of three easy ways to prevent bird-window collisions at your home.
Advanced registration is required to get a link to the webinar. To register, visit sossaveoursonbirds.org/webinar.
SOS Save Our Songbirds is a project of the: Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin; Wisconsin Bird Conservation Partnership; Wisconsin Society for Ornithology; Bird City Wisconsin; Lake Michigan Bird Observatory; and the Cofrin Center for Biodiversity at UW-Green Bay.
Early Canada goose, mourning dove and early teal seasons open.
Bow deer and several small game hunting seasons open.
Youth waterfowl hunt statewide.