Hunter education courses are open to registration in several communities across northwest Montana, including Kalispell, Rexford, Pablo, Trout Creek and Bigfork.

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

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.

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 for hunter education.

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 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 northwest Montana.

If you are interested in mentoring new hunters, please contact Dillon Tabish, Region 1 information and education program manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, at 406-751-4564 or visit fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter for more information.

The following courses have been scheduled, but additional courses may be posted later this year.

Hunter Education Courses in Region 1

(First day of class and/or material pick-up night)

- Pablo: Aug. 12

- Trout Creek: Aug. 19

- Rexford: Aug. 19

- Kalispell: Sept. 6

- Bigfork: Sept. 18