PIERRE, S.D. - One of the most important pieces of paperwork for young people ages 12 to 15 is their card certifying the completion of the South Dakota Hunter Safety and Firearms Education Course.
Also known as the HuntSAFE course, the card that allows youngsters to hunt is a prized possession, and sometimes a missing possession. Until recently, a missing card meant a call to the S.D. Game, Fish and Parks office in Pierre which would issue a new card.
Replacements can now be accessed online, according to HuntSAFE coordinator Curt Robertson. “Just go to the GFP Web site at www.sdgfp.info, click on “Outdoor Education,” then click on “HuntSAFE” and then click on “Replacement HuntSAFE card,” Robertson said. “The system also has the information for replacing bowhunter cards.”
HuntSAFE card information is retrieved for the individual and an option then allows for printing on regular paper on a home computer. The paper can be signed and carried as the new hunter safety certificate.
If the information entered on the Web site doesn’t exactly match the database, the user will be asked to call the Pierre office at 773-7154. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Replacement cards can also be obtained through GFP regional offices.
“People who don’t have easy access to the Internet can always call the Pierre office for a new card,” Robertson said. “The online feature is a complement to the old system and not a replacement.”
Internet users can also request a new card by e-mailing the hunter’s name, full mailing address and date of birth to Wildinfo@state.sd.us.