Hunter education courses open to registration in Kalispell, Bigfork, Eureka

Kalispell — Hunter education courses are open to registration in Kalispell, Eureka, and Bigfork.

Registration is free and available online at https://fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter-education.

Students may be required to pick up materials and complete the course manual before the first class. Dates, locations and specific instructions for each class, as well as contact information for the instructors, are available in the class descriptions online. Additional courses may become available across the region before hunting season.

In-person, instructor-led hunter education courses are available to anyone 10 and older. In-person courses are led by volunteer instructors who are passionate about preserving Montana’s hunting tradition, teaching firearm safety, ethics, and other outdoor skills.

Montana also provides a self-paced online-only hunter education course that is available for anyone 12 and older. Youth must turn 12 by January 16 of the current license year. Once certified, graduates may purchase or apply for licenses and hunt after August 15 of the current license year.

Instructor-led hunter education courses provide new hunters with a hands-on learning experience and can be particularly beneficial for people who have minimal experience in the field or handling firearms. The self-paced online course provides a convenience for those who are comfortable with eLearning or who already have a solid firearms and hunting background. 

To purchase or apply for a Montana hunting license, anyone born after January 1, 1985, must complete a hunter education course issued by Montana, any other state, or any Canadian province.

For more information, visit https://fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter-education.