The autumn hunting season is approaching, and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) urges new hunters to start early on obtaining the hunter education certificates needed to legally hunt. Online and in-person options are available. Hunter education teaches and tests participants about safe firearms handling and basic hunting skills and regulations.

According to statement, the certification course can be completed online by hunters age 16 and older for a paid fee to an online provider. But for hunters age 11 to 15, or those of any age seeking in-person instruction, they must take the free skills class in person.

The skills classes are for students age 11 and older. They will need to complete the knowledge portion of the class prior to the skills session. That can be done by filling out the chapter review questions in the student manual, or youths ages 11 to 15 can complete the knowledge portion online for a fee paid to the provider. Printed student manuals are available at MDC offices, or they can be ordered online for free at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/Zox.

Several in-person skills sessions are scheduled in weeks ahead in the KMMO listening area. Sessions include:

Wednesday, September 15, scheduled to be held from 5:30 until 9:30 p.m. at the Carrollton Fire Station.

Wednesday, September 22, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Cornerstone Church Event Center in Chillicothe.

Thursday, September 23, from 5 until 9 in the evening at the MDC Discovery Room at the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia.

Additional sessions will be posted by the MDC at a later date.

Registration is required for these classes. COVID-19 precautions will be followed.

Officials say some in-person hunter education skills classes offered by MDC in August and September are already full. New hunters seeking an in-person skills class are urged to register for a session early.

New hunters can register for an in-person class or check to see the complete schedule of classes offered by visiting https://short.mdc.mo.gov/Zof.For more information about Missouri’s hunter education program, visit short.mdc.mo.gov/Z9Y/.