A Hunter Education field day for online students will be offered in Ekalaka on Friday, July 31 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Ekalaka Public School.
This in-person field day is open to anyone aged 12 or older. Youths aged 12-17 have the option to take Hunter Education online but are also required to complete an in-person field day for online students before becoming certified to hunt. Participants must register for both the online class, for which there is a fee, and the field day, which is free.
This field day has room for 12 students. Registration is open now at fwp.mt.gov under the Education tab. Once students complete online Hunter Education, they will receive a field day qualifier number that will allow them to register for the field day. They should also bring the field day qualifier certificate to the field day.
The purpose is for students to receive instruction and practice, then demonstrate their skills and knowledge in two key areas: firearm safety and hunting ethics. Instructors will pass or fail students based on their overall performance. The goal of the course is to help develop safe and responsible hunters. Students who fail the field day must pass a future field day to receive certification.
All hands-on firearm training is done with inert firearms including a bolt-action rifle, lever-action rifle, break-action shotgun, pump-shotgun, and auto-loading shotgun. Please do not bring personal firearms, and having live ammunition is grounds for immediate dismissal.
The field day will be held outdoors, so please dress for the weather and be prepared for hiking while safely and responsibly carrying your assigned inert firearm.
For information on Hunter, Bowhunter or Trapper Education classes in other southeast Montana communities, check the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks website periodically at https://fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter-education. Volunteer instructors post classes throughout the year, but offerings depend on volunteer availability and may be limited.