Hunter education classes more available in winter

Winter is the surest time to sign up for hunter education courses, which are required for hunters born after 1971 in Washington or 1974 in Idaho.

Procrastinators who wait until summer or fall often find that the limited courses are full, said Greg Koehn, a course instructor in Pend Oreille County.

Many courses taught in local communities in Eastern Washington and North Idaho start next week, offering time to take a class before spring turkey seasons.

Idaho, which requires a special course for bowhunters, also offers the option of online hunter education courses that conclude with a four-hour field session that involves shooting, gun or bow handling and a written test.

“At first I was really against it because I believed in having a personal class,” said David Nelson, Idaho Panhandle region hunter education coordinator. “But I’ve been so impressed with the students taking the online course.”

The online course is especially appealing to college students and adults who have schedules that preclude classroom sessions, he said.

“We always need more volunteer hunter education instructors,” he said, echoing a concern by coordinators in both states. “In North Idaho, we have about 40 certified bowhunter instructors and 120 hunting instructors, but a much smaller percentage is active.”