Missouri’s hunter education program

Individuals participating in the blended format option of Missouri’s hunter education program will have an opportunity to take a skills session (which is mandatory for this option) on Saturday, March 11.

On that day, a skills session will be taught from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at MDC’s Shoal Creek Conservation Education Center in Joplin. People can register at:

https://mdc-event-web.s3licensing.com/Event/EventDetails/190291

All students must provide proof of identification and age. Students should arrive a minimum of 15 minutes early before the beginning of the class at the Shoal Creek Center to complete registration. Late arrivals will not be admitted. MDC’s Shoal Creek Conservation Education Center is located at 201 W. Riviera Drive in Joplin.

Individuals born on or after Jan. 1, 1967 hunting in Missouri during a firearms season or acting as an adult mentor to another hunter must have hunter education certification unless exempt (see exemptions below). MDC offers two hunter education options, an all-online format and a blended format.

The all-online format may be completed by Missouri residents age 16 and older. It consists of an online course and requires a fee paid to the online course provider (not MDC). The all-online option requires passing a final exam but has no skills portion.

The blended format has knowledge and skills portions. The knowledge portion provides information to participants on all aspects of hunter education and can be taken online (ages 11-15) through a free self-study guide or in a classroom setting. A four-hour skills session that includes a multiple-choice final exam must also be completed. This skills portion is a hands-on demonstration of what has been learned by participants. Both knowledge and skill portions must be completed and passed to earn certification through the blended format option.

To register for skills sessions in other areas of the state or to learn more about Missouri’s hunter education program, visit mdc.mo.gov/huntereducation.

Exemptions to Missouri’s hunter education requirements are:

• Hunters born before Jan. 1, 1967
• Hunters age 15 or younger who will be hunting with an adult mentor age 18 years or older who is certified in hunter education or was born before Jan. 1, 1967.
• Hunters with a disability exemption from MDC
• Hunters age 16 or older who have purchased an apprentice hunter authorization and will be hunting with a properly permitted adult mentor age 18 or older who has hunter education certification or was born before Jan. 1, 1967
• Hunters who are landowners hunting on land they own
• Hunters who can prove completion of an approved hunter education course in another state

More information about hunter education opportunities in southwest Missouri can be obtained by calling MDC’s Southwest Regional Office at 417-895-6880 or going to mdc.mo.gov.