Holt to offer TPWD Hunter Education class on Sept. 6
Young and/or inexperienced hunters will have an opportunity to earn a Texas Hunter Education certification card during a classroom and field course Saturday, Sept. 6, at First Baptist Church, 301 S. Rose Ave., in Breckenridge.
The class, taught by certified volunteer instructor Will Holt, will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a lunch break from noon to 1 p.m. Each student will be on their own for the one-hour lunch break. Attendees may bring their lunch or go eat at any of the restaurants in town. Parents are responsible for providing lunch or taking their children to eat.
State regulations allow participants as young as 9 years old, but Holt said he recommends the course for those age 11 and older.
The course includes instruction on firearm and hunting safety, hunting ethics and wildlife conservation. Classroom instruction lasts up to six hours, not including registration, breaks, testing and certification distribution. It will include a half-day of classroom learning and a half-day of in the field practicals, where the students will demonstrate safe handling of firearms while navigating a number of typical hunting scenarios. The students will also demonstrate the implementation of: Is it Safe? Is It Legal? Is it Ethical?
Materials for the class are provided. Participants should not bring firearms or ammunition. Attendees should wear comfortable shoes or boots and long pants for the field course.
The certification fee is $15, and pre-registration is required. Click here to register. Participants are responsible for confirming directions, special instructions and that they are registering for the classroom course. Parents are encouraged to get certified with their kids or to stay as a proctor/chaperone, if they are already certified. A 50-question multiple choice test is required to be passed, along with the practicals. Each student taking the test must be paid for, but there is no charge for parents proctoring. In addition to passing the written test and field course, a positive attitude and respectful behavior is also a requirement to get certified.
Hunter education courses are offered year-round across Texas and are led by certified volunteer instructors.
When participants arrive at the course, they will need to:
- Pay the fee to the instructor
- Attend the entire course
- Take the written exam and get at least 75% correct to pass
Upon successful completion, attendees may receive a temporary card from the instructor. They may legally hunt with a valid Texas hunting license and the temporary certification card. A permanent Texas Hunter Education certification card will be available for downloading and printing from an Account Profile.
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife website, every hunter in Texas (including out-of-state hunters) born on or after Sept. 2, 1971, must successfully complete hunter education.
If you were born on or after September 2, 1971, and you are:
- under 9 years of age, you must be accompanied.
- age 9 through 16, you must successfully complete hunter education, OR you must be accompanied.
- age 17 and over, you must successfully complete hunter education; OR purchase a “Hunter Education Deferral,” and you must be accompanied.
Accompanied means that the person must be with a person who is at least 17, who is licensed to hunt in Texas, who has passed hunter education or is exempt (born before Sept. 2, 1971), and within normal voice control. Proof of certification or deferral is required to be on your person while hunting. Note: Proof of certification is not required to purchase a hunting license.
Any person 17 years of age or older who has not completed hunter education may defer completion for up to one year. A deferral may only be obtained once and is only valid until the end of the current license year. You must be accompanied while hunting if you have a deferral. Note: The one-time Hunter Education Deferral is available at license vendors and costs $10. A person who has been convicted or has received deferred adjudication for violation of the mandatory hunter education requirement is prohibited from applying for a deferral.
Click here for more Frequently Asked Questions about hunter education.
For more information, call TPWD Austin headquarters at 1-800-792-1112, ext. 4999.
