Iowans who want to earn a hunting license can now take the mandatory classes from the comfort of their own home. Megan Wisecup, with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says hunter education classes are now offered online. “It’s just a way for someone who may have hunted when they were younger or has prior shooting experience to be able to get through hunter education without having to go to an actual class,” Wisecup says.
The online classes are only for Iowans 18 years of age or older. Wisecup says the online course is designed for adults who have prior hunting or firearms handling experience. “We’re recommending people who don’t have a lot of hunting or firearms handling experience still explore the traditional class where you have that one-on-one training with an instructor,” Wisecup says.
Both the online and traditional hunter education classes are free. The online classes launched July 1. Wisecup says if they’re popular enough, they’ll continue to be offered. “So far we’ve had around 75 students at least log-in to start taking the course and we’ve had 12 complete the course,” Wisecup said. “So, overall, it seems to be starting to pick up some momentum.”
You can learn more about the online and traditional hunter education classes here: http://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/HunterSafetyEducation.aspx
by Pat Powers, KQWC & Pat Curtis, Radio Iowa