Hunting in Montana: Are Safety Courses Required to Hunt in Montana? How Do I Pass Classes?

Anyone born after January 1, 1985 who wants to go hunting in Montana must complete a hunter safety and education course in order to buy a hunting license in the state according to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Aspiring hunters have several options for courses including one sponsored and created by the state of Montana and approved courses from other states.

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There are two ways for people to complete the Montana Hunter Education Course, either in classrooms located throughout the state or online. The physical classes can be attended by anyone, but participants must be at least 11-years-old to earn certification. Since these classroom courses are free, the state of Montana encourages anyone associated with hunting in any way, such as parents of aspiring young hunters, to attend the classes. These courses span at least two days and last at least twelve hours overall, with total class hours and meetings determined by region. To pass the course, students must attend all of the sessions, take and pass a field course where topics covered in the classes are applied to actual hunting situations, and take and pass a final exam. Another significant detail about this option is that, because the course is based on the standards of the International Hunter Education Association, certificates earned from these classes are acknowledged and honored throughout all of North America.

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The second option for earning hunter education certification in Montana is by completing an online course. This course is designed to be an equivalent to the classroom portions of the Montana Hunter Education Course. Participants must be at least 18 years old and still complete a practical field course to earn certification. After completing the online portion of the program, which ends with a written exam that must be passed to move on, students receive a Field Day Qualifier Certificate. This certificate, coupled with a picture ID, allows participants into the field day portion of the course. Students must register online for the specific day and time of their field course. Once this field section is successfully completed, students will receive their official hunter education certificate from the state. Because the online course is administered through a third party contractor, there is a fee to earn certification by this method.

After earning a certificate through either of these two methods, a hunter is qualified to purchase a Montana hunting license, which is required to hunt any game animal in Montana.

This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.

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