The Oregon Hunter’s Education Program, offered by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, is a program that teaches hunters, young and old, subjects needed to become more responsible and safe hunters. Not only is this program available to all hunters in Oregon, it is a requirement for hunters who are 17 or younger and wish to hunt on property that is not owned by themselves, their parent or their legal guardian. The good news is that this program is offered annually and throughout Oregon, making it easy for the hunter to attend.
Hunters in Oregon have the opportunity to participate in the Oregon Hunter’s Education Program either by attending a classroom course or by participating in a home-study course. Instructor-led classroom courses require at least 12 hours and may extend to 16 hours. Hunters wishing to receive their certificate for this program are required to attend all classes related to this program. There is no minimum age for hunting students to attend this program, but younger children may encounter difficulties understanding the materials required for the course and for handling the firearms, which is also another part of the program. Parents are encouraged to attend the course with their child and have the opportunity to participate in the final exam should they choose to. Hunting students attending the classroom courses will have the opportunity to learn more on topics such as hunter responsibility and ethics, wildlife identification and management, firearm safety and handling, preparing for the hunt and hunting techniques, survival and first aid and also they will be introduced to bowhunting. After the classroom portion of the course is over, the students will participate in a firearm exercise. At the end of these two courses, the student will be expected to take and pass a final exam as well as to satisfactorily demonstrate the proper technique of firearm handling before they will receive their certificate of completion.
Hunting students in Oregon who wish to participate in the independent study portion of the Oregon Hunter’s Education Program should register for the course by contacting the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. After the registration process is complete, the hunting student will have the opportunity to study the topics and gain the information needed on their own time. This usually takes anywhere from 8 to 10 hours. After this is completed the student will be required to attend a 5 hour classroom course where they will be evaluated on what they learned from their independent study. This will include handling of firearms, a written test and live fire. After they have successfully completed all aspects of this program, the hunting student will receive their certificate of completion.
The Oregon Hunter’s Education Program, funded by the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act along with the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act is directly related to the decrease in hunting related accidents and fatalities. This alone is reason enough for this program to remain in existence, but it is more than just a course on safety. The information that the hunter receives is important on many levels, such as managing the wildlife of Oregon, because without proper management, the sizes of the herds will dwindle to the point where there will be no hunting.
