Hunter Education Skills Session offered

HUNTING GUIDE 2021  PAGE H18 PARKLAND HUNTING GUIDE

SEASONS

Turkey

Fall Archery: Sept. 15-Nov. 12, Nov. 24-Jan. 15 Fall Firearms: Oct. 1-31 Spring Youth: April 10-11 Spring: April 19-May 9

Waterfowl

Teal: Sept. 11-26 Brant Geese: Oct. 2-10, Nov. 11-Feb. 6

Ducks, Coots and Geese

Youth Middle and North Zone: Oct. 23-24 South Zone: Nov. 20-21

Ducks and Coots

North Zone: Oct. 30-Dec. 28 Middle Zone: Nov. 6-14, Nov. 20-Jan. 9 South Zone: Nov. 25-28 and Dec. 7-Jan. 31 Ducks, Coots, and Mergansers: Falconry: Feb. 10-March 10 Greater White-Fronted Geese: Nov. 11-Feb. 6 Brant Geese: Oct. 2-10 Nov. 11-Feb. 6 Light Geese: Nov. 11-Feb. 6 Canada Geese: Oct. 2-10, Nov. 11-Feb. 6 Light Goose Conservation Order: Feb. 7-April 30 Badger: Nov. 15-Jan. 31 Bear: Oct. 18-27 Beaver and Nutria: Nov. 15-March 31 Bobcat: Nov. 15-Jan. 31 Coyote: Jan. 1-Dec. 31 Coyote trapping: Nov. 15-Jan. 31 Crow: Nov. 1-March 3 Dove/Falconry: Sept. 1-Dec. 16 Dove Hunting: Sept. 1-Nov. 29 Elk: Oct. 16-24 Elk Hunting/Firearms: Dec. 11-19 Fox (red/gray) hunting/trapping: Nov. 15-Jan. 31 Frog (green or bull): June 30-Oct. 31 Groundhog: May 10-Dec. 15 Mink: Nov. 15-Jan. 31 Otter and Muskrat Trapping: Nov. 15-Feb. 20 Opossum: Nov. 15-Jan. 31 Pheasant: Nov. 1-Jan. 15 Pheasant Youth: Oct. 30-31 Quail: Nov. 15-Jan. 31 Quail Youth: Oct. 30-31 Rabbit: Oct. 1-Feb. 15 Rabbit trapping: Nov. 15-Jan. 31 Raccoon hunting/trapping: Nov. 15-Jan. 31 Sora and Virginia Rails: Sept. 1-Nov. 9 Squirrel: May 22-Feb. 15 Striped Skunk: Nov. 15-Jan. 31 Wilson’s Snipe: Sept. 1-Dec. 16 Woodcock: Oct. 15-Nov. 28

Hunter Education Skills session offered

The Missouri Department of Conservation will be hosting a Hunter Education Skills session on Oct. 9. It will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Farmington Elks Lodge. They will be following COVID-19 protocols which are listed on the signup page for the class. Register online at http://my.registered.com/ or by going to MDC.MO.GOV or contact Conservation Agent Clayton Lewis at (573-330-8038) for additional information.

Before attending, students must complete one of the following:

Online course: Learn the information online through a computer or mobile device. The online course includes audio, video, images, graphs, and interactive animation to enhance the learning experience. Simply log on to mdc.mo.gov and search for Hunter Education. Self-study manual: Students can learn at their own pace by getting a student manual, complete with colorful pictures and graphs, from MDC’s Cape Girardeau office by calling 573-290-5730, visiting online at mdc.mo.gov, or by calling the USDA Office in Farmington at 573-756-6488. Classroom session: Register and attend a four-hour classroom session with a Hunter Education instructor. The class includes lecture, discussion and videos. To gain admission to the skills session, students must present a completed Hunter Education manual with all the review questions completed or provide a certificate of completion from the online course or classroom session. No admission will be granted without proof of completion. Youth less than 16 years of age do not need Hunter Education as long as they are hunting with a qualified adult parent or mentor. MDC’s Apprentice Hunter Authorization lets people 16 years of age and older try hunting before taking Hunter Education as long as they hunt with a qualified adult mentor. MDC requires that hunters born on or after Jan. 1, 1967, and who are 16 or older, successfully complete an approved Hunter Education course to buy firearms hunting permits and participate in managed hunts. Certain exemptions apply. Hunters who have completed an approved Hunter-Education course in another state, and have proof of completion, are not required to take Missouri’s Hunter Education course. Those who are 16 and older may now obtain Hunter Education with the all online course. This new course allows users to take Hunter Education at their own pace and eliminates the need for attending the skills session. There is a processing fee associated with this course.