In Illinois, young or new hunters are required to successfully complete the Illinois Hunter’s Education Program before they are issued an Illinois hunting license. The Illinois Hunter’s Education Program is 10 hours of hunting education which exposes the hunting student to topics such as firearm and hunting safety, wildlife management, conservation and identification, archery and muzzleloading safety, hunter ethics and responsibility, first aid and survival techniques and, of course, the State of Illinois hunting regulations. After the hunting student has attended the hunter education program, they will be required to take a final exam and pass it before receiving State of Illinois Certificate of Competency and patch.
The Illinois Hunter’s Education Program became a requirement for being administered an Illinois hunting license on January 1, 1996. This Illinois State law states that any hunter wishing to purchase a hunting license must “present a valid Hunter Education Certificate of Competency issued by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Education” if they were born on or after January 1,1980 or the hunter must prove that they have had a “hunting license issued by the State of Illinois or another state in a prior year.” 1 This requirement was put into place in order to make sure that hunters were aware of the safety procedures required to remain safe, responsible hunters.
Hunter education courses are available, for free, and held by groups connected to hunting in Illinois, such as conservation groups, park districts, public service organizations and other interest groups throughout Illinois. Hunters who are under ten years old have to be accompanied during the hunter education program by a guardian or adult who is 16 or older. Successfully completing the Illinois Hunter’s Education Program involves more than attending the courses and successfully passing the final exam. The instructor of the course will make the final determination concerning each candidate for certification of this program by taking into consideration each hunting students ability to safely hunt, to be mature enough to hunt and to have the mental and physical fortitude to hunt safely in the state of Illinois.
Today hunting is become a more safe sport as most states recognize the importance that Hunter Education Programs. These programs are proving that they are well worth the time, effort and cost in the decline of hunting accidents throughout the nation. With the increase in hunters, this decline in accidents is a welcome statistic that will hopefully continue to decline, making the sport one that participants can be proud of. Hunters, both young and old, in the State of Illinois, can and should take advantage of this program when they are given the opportunity, even the hunters that are not covered by the state law. No one is too old to learn something new, even if they have been enjoying this sport for years. With this in mind, hunters or others, in Illinois can find out more information by going to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Education.
