Now is a great time of year to sign up for a hunter education class or field day, as many classes and field days are currently available, including several in the Hermiston and Irrigon area in the coming days and weeks.
To see a list of upcoming classes and field days, visit the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife website.
Students have two options to complete a hunter ed class: A “conventional” class which takes place mostly in a classroom setting in a series of classes (14-16 hours of total class time), or completing a “field day” after taking most of the class via independent study (either online or by workbook). The field day includes handling of firearms and a live fire exercise.
Once students have selected a field day or conventional class, they should login to ODFW’s Licensing System and register for the class from their own account. The cost is $10. Students who have never logged into their account but have purchased an ODFW document since 2016 should use the Verify/Look up Your Account feature to find their profile in the system. Students who have never had an ODFW license or other product before should choose Create an Account.
Independent study students need to complete their online course before going to the field day. See a list of available online courses here or to request a workbook, email odfw.info@state.or.us.
Hunter education is mandatory for all hunters under the age of 18 and recommended for any new hunter. The course covers topics like firearms safety, hunter ethics, wildlife identification, hunt preparation and techniques and outdoor survival. The program certifies about 6,000 new hunters each year.
Classes are taught by ODFW’s network of volunteer hunter education instructors. With most hunting seasons over, these volunteers are back to teaching classes, rather than out in the field hunting.
