This week on Discover Nature, understanding hunter safety is key to successfully completing a hunt.
Hunter education became mandatory for hunters in the state of Missouri in 1987, and the number of hunting accidents and deaths has reduced by more than 70 percent since then.
The Missouri Department of Conservation’s Hunter Education Program provides a foundation in hunting safety and ethics. It instills responsibility, improves skills and knowledge, and encourages interaction between beginner and veteran hunters.
Completing the Hunter Education Program has become easier than ever with the addition of an all-online certification course for those 16 years and older. For anyone between the ages of 11-16, the process contains two separate parts. The first of which is book learning and can be done in-person or online, and the second is an in-person skills session.
To find more information about hunter education, go to mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/hunter-education.