This is a long over due post. In fact, it’s a year overdue and it’s good news with respect to the growth of the hunting industry. Anyone who hunts in Texas knows that all of us “youngsters,” (those of us born on or after September 2, 1971) are required to attend a Hunter Education course to hunt fowl or game in Texas. Since inception, the program has required a two-day course with the first day being spent in the classroom and a second, 4-5 hour day “in the field.”

Between urban sprawl gobbling up habitat available for “field days” and a declining numbers of instructors in many areas, it has gotten harder and harder for many folks to find their way into Hunter Education classes. Kids lucky enough to live in forward thinking school districts can actually attend advanced hunter education classes through their high schools. For the guys living in big cities who don’t get bit by the hunting bug until they are adults with jobs and other responsibilities, finding a class is difficult enough. But, the prospect of spending two days in a class full of kids ages 9 to 16 does not make for an ideal weekend. Enter a decision by Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission to streamline the Hunter Education program last year, just in time for the 2013 hunting season. As of September 2013, experienced shooters and hunters age 17 and older can skip the classroom and complete their Texas Hunter Education requirement entirely online.

There are now several websites offering online only, Texas Hunter Education classes such as https://texashuntered.com. The process is pretty straight forward. You sign up at the site. They provide instructions on how they conduct the course, usually presented in eight to ten segments with quizes at the end of each. Having passed all the quizes, you move on to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s Hunter Education Final Exam. Again, presented entirely online. Most of these sites do not charge a fee until you have passed the final exam. And upon passing, most allow you to print a temporary Hunter Education ID card to use until TPWD sends your official card in the mail 1-4 weeks later. So if the reason you’ve never hunted in Texas is because, like so many others, you haven’t been able to find your way into a traditional classroom, you now have an opportunity to correct that problem from the comfort of your living room. Highly recommended.

-Gary