Everyone born on or after Sept. 1, 1969 needs certification unless they are under direct supervision of another qualified person
With hunting season fast approaching, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is reminding everyone not to overlook hunter education requirements in the rush to prepare for action starting next month.
Louisiana law requires hunters born on or after Sept. 1, 1969 to obtain hunter education certification prior to hunting, unless they are under the direct supervision of a qualified person.
According to a release, a qualified person is someone who is a licensed hunter born before Sept. 1, 1969, or a person who is at least 18 and has proof of hunter education certification.
Direct supervision means the supervising person is in direct line of sight and within normal voice contact of the hunter they are assisting, the release states.
The minimum age for hunter education certification in Louisiana is 10 years old. However, it is a requirement that 10- and 11-year-olds must be supervised while hunting, even if they have received hunter education certification.
Hunters are also reminded that different states have different hunter education requirements. For example, hunters traveling to Colorado mush have hunter education certification if they were born on or after Jan. 1, 1949.
Hunters are advised to plan ahead so they’re not struggling to schedule a class at the last minute.
Louisiana’s hunter education certification, which is honored in all states and Canadian provinces, is offered in two formats. The first is a 10-hour classroom format that is usually held over 2-3 days.
The second format, recommended only for students 14 years of age and older, is a home-study format that consists of two parts: an online class that can be taken at the student’s own pace, followed by a 5-hour field day class.
Both formats cover firearm and hunting safety, wildlife management principals, ethics, game identification and outdoor survival.
Students must successfully complete a live-fire exercise with either format.
The classroom format is free, but there is a $15 fee to take the online class portion of the home-study program, which is paid when the student successfully completes the online portion of the class.
Hunters who have already received hunter education certification should check to be sure they still have their certification card and should carry it with their hunting license while they are hunting. Hunter Education Certification does not expire and is good for a hunter’s lifetime.
Duplicate cards can be requested through the department’s website by clicking here, but you must enter your name exactly as it appears on your card, along with your birthday and the zip code of your last card.
Duplicate cards can also be requested by calling 225-765-2932. To register for a hunter education certification course, click here.
