Hunter and bowhunter education courses have been scheduled in several locations throughout southwestern Montana. Registration has opened for many of those courses.

Students can find the course closest to them and register online at fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter.

Students may be required to pick up materials and complete the course manual before the first day of class. Dates, locations and specific instructions for each class, as well as contact information for the instructors, are available in the event description online.

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. Students must attend all classroom sessions, the field course and pass a final exam. Anyone age 18 or older can complete an online course but must still attend a field course to become certified.

To purchase a Montana hunting license, any person born after Jan. 1, 1985, must provide proof of having successfully completed a hunter and/or 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, teaching firearm safety and other outdoor skills. Instructors are needed in communities across southwest Montana. If you are interested in mentoring new hunters, please contact Morgan Jacobsen, Region 3 information and education program manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, at 406-994-6931 or visit fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter for more information.

Hunter Education courses in Region 3 (first day of class):

• Butte: April 22
• Bozeman: May 6
• Helena: May 6
• Dillon: May 7
• Big Sky: May 17
• Clyde Park: May 20
• West Yellowstone: June 6
• Logan: July 22