Individuals interested in taking a hunter education class should register soon as classes are filling up quickly, according to Jim Carter, hunter education coordinator for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.
“Space is becoming limited, and some classes are already full,” Carter said.
Access the Game and Fish Department home page at gf.nd.gov, click on the online services tab, and then click on “online course enrollment” under the hunter education heading. Classes are listed by city, and can also be sorted by start date. To register for a class, click on “enroll” next to the specific class, and follow the simple instructions. Personal information is required. Enrollment for some classes requires calling the instructor’s phone number.
It is important to not procrastinate, Carter said, because 70 percent of all classes take place by the end of May. “We are running out of room even in some of the larger communities,” Carter said. “For example in Bismarck the next available class is in August. All classes prior to that are already filled.”
If a class is already full and nothing else is available in the local area, hunter ed applicants might have to look in other communities in the county, Carter said.
Those who do not have access to the internet and want to sign up for a class can call the hunter education program in Bismarck at 328-6615.
State law requires persons born after Dec. 31, 1961 to pass a certified hunter education course to hunt in the state. Hunter education is mandatory for youth who are turning 12 years old, and children can take the class at age 11.