Michigan has a long, rich tradition of hunting. In Michigan, hunting contributes to wildlife management and conservation, provides a positive family experience and increased recreational opportunity, and is good for the economy.

Safe hunting begins with hunter education, and Michigan's hunter education program has had a dramatic impact on reducing hunting incidents in our state. According to the International Hunter Education Association, young hunters, when accompanied by responsible adults or mentors who have been a part of the youngster's education, are some of the safest individuals afield.

Hunter education courses teach new hunters responsibility, ethics, firearm safety, wildlife conservation and wildlife identification, game care, survival and first aid. In addition to safety, hunter education courses stress ethics, and the instructors work diligently to plant the seeds of sportsmanship in each student. Most courses are offered year-round throughout the state, though most occur during August, September and October. The typical course consists of two sessions with a total class time of 10 to 12 hours.

Students also can use the Internet to complete a part of their hunter education course. The online course can be found on the DNR's hunter education website www.michigan.gov/huntereducation.

The DNR is striving to recruit the most qualified instructors available and provide them with the best materials and training necessary to conduct hunter education courses throughout the state. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer instructor, please write to: Hunter Education Program, Marketing & Outreach, Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 30028, Lansing, MI 48909, or call 517-335-3418. You also can visit our hunter education web page.

If our young people can learn to be responsible hunters, negative public attitudes toward hunting that grew from past mistakes may change, and private lands now open to hunting may remain open. It is the careful and courteous hunter who is helping preserve our hunting heritage for future generations.