The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will host a distance-learning bowhunter education course on Saturday, Aug. 9, from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m. in Okeechobee County.

Participants must successfully complete the online portion of the course at www.bowhunter-ed.com/florida/ prior to attending and bring the final Web report to the FWC course on Aug. 9.

Students will learn about safe and responsible tree stand usage, big-game shot placement and recovery. The course will provide students with hands-on experience shooting a bow and arrow on the range. Students are encouraged to bring their own equipment.

The class will be at the Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office Shooting Range, 5025 S.W. 26th Ave., Okeechobee.

Participants can sign up at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety or by calling the FWC's South Region Office at 561-625-5122. A statewide schedule of bowhunter and hunter safety classes is available at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety.

Parents or legal guardians must accompany children under 16 years old to all classes. To participate in live-fire exercises, children under 18 years old must present a parental release form signed by a parent or legal guardian.

Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, must pass an approved hunter safety course and have a hunting license to hunt alone (unsupervised).