Regulation changes or just misinformed friends got me bummed.

[David Dumke]

I was told by numerous friends and fellow hunters in the area that if you are above 18 (for sure, some said 17) You do not need the hunters safety course. Just got linked to the DNR page a few hours ago and after seeing this:  

I'm bummed to find out that apparently you need to take it if your born on or after whatever day and month in 1960. Obviously I fall in to the need to take it category, but I've always been under the impression since being asked in middle school to take it that under 16 you must take it. I'm hoping a DNR officer will let me do a field day out of the blue but my hopes aren't high.

Guess I'll just pray this guy makes it through the year and hone my accuracy until then. Or, if I luck out, I hope my arrow flies true.

Thanks for letting me vent.

I know I know, I should've checked it myself ages ago but It's so hard to find the right info on their websites because you just never know where to look.

Hope you all have a wonderful season.

[horatio1226]

Good luck to you.

[David Dumke]

My mood just spiked up, sorry for such an early bump but I just got a phone call.


Brother: "We're gonna do an apprentice hunting license for you."

Me: "What's that?"

"You pay for my archery license your apprentice and tags and I'll go withca ta hunt."

"That's a thing?!"

"Ya."

I'll spare you the excited questions afterward, that bucks mine. Well, probably not, but some deer is goin' in my freezer. I hope. Gah. I love this site.

[Lechwe]

Get online. You should still be able to find a class yet this fall. You do not need an officer to do the field portion. find an instructor in your area.

Good luck,.

[Killdeer]

When I started out, I did not have to take the hunter ed course. I was old enough to be grandfathered in. I was so wild about hunting, though, that I bought all the magazines I could, and took the course. I had been hunting for a couple of years already. Then I took it again. And again...

I took it four times. It was an opportunity to hang out with other hunters, and to learn something new. Each course was the same, but the instructors were not, nor were my classmates. I picked up a little something from each class, whether about hunting, or about myself.

I took me, then I took a young man in my neighborhood. Then I took my husband, and then I took another friend. Not a waste of time. On the contrary, I got much more out of it than I put in.
I remember my first encounter with a game warden. He asked to see my license, and I fished it out along with a couple-three hunter ed certs that rode in the wallet with the license. He grinned and asked why I had taken the course so many times, which led to a conversation and friendship.
That's the way I like it.

Killdeer    

[Yellow Dog]

You can purchase an "Apprentice Hunter" license for two consecutive years providing you hunt with a licensed hunter. That should give you time to get your Hunters Safety class completed and still give you the oportunity to hunt.

[bigugly1]

In Ontario they have hunters Ed and it must be passed before you can hunt as an apprentice. My son passed it plus gun safety course. Hecstill has to hunt with me and we have to share a tag. I think the share a tag thing sucks but hey. Good luck with the buck.

[David Dumke]

Originally posted by Yellow Dog:
You can purchase an "Apprentice Hunter" license for two consecutive years providing you hunt with a licensed hunter. That should give you time to get your Hunters Safety class completed and still give you the oportunity to hunt.

My brother is going to get licensed or I have a member of the household who is capable as well. I got super excited when my brother told me about this.  :D

[freeman]

They used to offer hunters ed through the school back when I grew up in Michigan. I think I was 13 when I took mine.

[David Dumke]

Originally posted by freeman:
They used to offer hunters ed through the school back when I grew up in Michigan. I think I was 13 when I took mine.

They offered it but I wasn't interested in it until recently. Weird, eh? A yooper who doesn't care a lick about hunting, then all of a sudden I picked up a recurve a year and a half ago and went from wanting to bag a rabbit or some small game, to talking about white tail, to obsessing over shooting, to buying a stand, trail cam, my own recurve. Then I saw this beast. The fever has set in. I'm more interested in the meat he has to offer me, but that rack would look nice if I manage to bag him. And what a story it could be. that's what I think excites me most, sharing my story with friends, family, and the Gang.  

[Hawkeye]

I'd still take it, and save your proof of doing so for the future. Just made it to hunt elk in Colorado, and I HAD to have proof of a hunter's safety course.  I am 54 years old (WOW!) but everyone HAS to show proof...

You might learn a little, and it may be of benefit down the road!    

[David Dumke]

Originally posted by Hawkeye:
I'd still take it, and save your proof of doing so for the future. Just made it to hunt elk in Colorado, and I HAD to have proof of a hunter's safety course.  I am 54 years old (WOW!) but everyone HAS to show proof...

You might learn a little, and it may be of benefit down the road!        

I definitely plan on taking the course, Just because the season is so close I'm going to get my apprentice this year. Short notice might cut me out of being able to get a field day. Rather be out in the woods waiting for the back to meander by than sitting in the warm cozy bed on my free weekends    

[cbCrow]

I've taken the course 5 times so far. First time myself, second with a friend, third and fourth with my two kids, and when I moved here to Tenn. Always learned something from each class and met some real good folks to.

[Can Hahaka]

HOLY WHAA...good news for you. Take the course the next time it is offered. Good luck and report on your mission to put that brown down.

[Warchild]

There are so many Hunter Safety course opportunities here in Michigan that it's insane not to be able to find one. I personally hate the apprentice license and the early youth hunt and the early season doe hunt. The state is obviously more concerned with selling tags than biology. You can buy 5 doe tags per day in southern Michigan and now they have (thank in part to the idiot Ted Nugent) brought back baiting. Anything for extra cash. I don't want to hear about how the hunter numbers are going down and all of that bs either, simply not true and if it were true, good maybe now hunters could find land to hunt on instead of being over crowded. The early doe season is also a gun season, think about that, gun hunting in September BEFORE bow season. This DNR is hell bent on ending bow season. They have also extended gun season into the late bow season that used to be archery only. Instead of a child being 14 before being allowed to gun hunt with high powered rifles no less, the young hunter had to be 14. The DNR in it's inf-anent wisdom has decided that 10 years old is plenty old enough to gun hunt. The system was not and never has been broke stop with the fixing.

[BigCountryOK]

Originally posted by Warchild:
Instead of a child being 14 before being allowed to gun hunt with high powered rifles no less, the young hunter had to be 14. The DNR in it's inf-anent wisdom has decided that 10 years old is plenty old enough to gun hunt. The system was not and never has been broke stop with the fixing.

What is it about a properly supervised kid hunting with a rifle that is so aweful?

Before my son could draw the legal bow weight I had him out shooting hogs and deer with a rifle.  We had a blast and it continued to fuel his intrest in hunting. I had more fun on those hunts with him than any bow hunt I've ever been on by myself.

Now we archery hunt and target practice together.

As far as the early youth season goes, we've had it for about 6-7 years now, and I can tell you that it's been great for being able to get the younger kids out when weather is still nice. My hunting buddy and I use get our boys out together hunting and camping and make a big event out of it.  We had a blast.  

Now they are older we do it throughout the entire season when we can.

While I don't know how the hunting environment is in your state so I can't comment on the doe harvest ect ect, but I can tell you that lowering the hunting age for kids is a great thing and gets them out there earlier.  There comes a point when they get sick of sitting on the sidelines.

Semper Fi
Big C

[BigCountryOK]

Originally posted by BigCountryOK:
 

Originally posted by Warchild:
Instead of a child being 14 before being allowed to gun hunt with high powered rifles no less, the young hunter had to be 14. The DNR in it's inf-anent wisdom has decided that 10 years old is plenty old enough to gun hunt. The system was not and never has been broke stop with the fixing.

What is it about a properly supervised kid hunting with a rifle that is so aweful?

Before my son could draw the legal bow weight I had him out shooting hogs and deer with a rifle.  We had a blast and it continued to fuel his intrest in hunting. I had more fun on those hunts with him than any bow hunt I've ever been on by myself.

Now we archery hunt and target practice together.

We've had a early youth season for about 6-7 years now, and I can tell you that it's been great for being able to get the younger kids out when weather is still nice. My hunting buddy and I use get our boys out together hunting and camping and make a big event out of it.  We had a blast.  

Now they are older we do it throughout the entire season when we can.

While I don't know how the hunting environment is in your state so I can't comment on the doe harvest ect ect, but I can tell you that lowering the hunting age for kids is a great thing and gets them out there earlier.  There comes a point when they get sick of sitting on the sidelines.

Semper Fi
Big C [/b]

[Flingblade]

I have heard you can even do the hunter safety course on-line; although I have not checked into that.  I want to take a bowhunter-ed course as I was considering going to South Dakota last year but they require bowhunter-ed  to purchase an archery license.  Bowhunter-ed is not required in Michigan so it has been hard to find a class.
Good luck with that buck.

[David Dumke]

Originally posted by Flingblade:
I have heard you can even do the hunter safety course on-line; although I have not checked into that.  I want to take a bowhunter-ed course as I was considering going to South Dakota last year but they require bowhunter-ed  to purchase an archery license.  Bowhunter-ed is not required in Michigan so it has been hard to find a class.
Good luck with that buck.

What I found online is that after 1960 or having a prior seasons license, because like I said the DNR is changing things, as another member said, "that aren't broken", you can not purchase a license. Called up my walmart and the hunting department said no matter what you're hunting you need hunters safety. I don't know if he tried to go moral on me or if he knew the new state regs.

As for the online test, yes. I will find the link here shortly and send you a pm.

[David Dumke]

Even better news, Just got my archery tag.  :D

Went in and bought one. Still plan on taking hunters safety when I get the chance. But I can't wait to spend my time in the woods.