There are several in-person Hunter Education courses currently scheduled in north-central Montana. During in-person courses, students learn how to safely handle firearms, basic survival skills, hunting ethics, wildlife management, game identification, landowner-hunter relations, and Montana hunting laws and regulations.
These courses are taught by skilled volunteer instructors and offer hands-on learning experiences, mentoring opportunities and the ability for students to ask questions of experienced hunters. Students must be at least 10 years old on the first night of class to participate in Hunter Education. In-person courses are free of charge, but student capacity is limited.
Scheduled courses:
- Choteau – combined hunter and bowhunter education class begins March 4
- Great Falls – class begins March 11
- Belt – class begins March 17
- Chester – Feb. 25 field day for online students
- Great Falls – March 22 field day for online students
To register for these or other courses around the state, visit: fwp.mt.gov/hunt/education. Additional in-person classes and field days for online students are expected in other communities in FWP’s Region 4 later this spring, and this webpage will be updated as those classes are scheduled.
For youth to be eligible to hunt and be fully certified during the 2025 season, they must be 12-years old by January 16, 2026. Students aged 10 and 11 can take the in-person classroom course and hunt as an apprentice but will not be fully certified until the year they turn 12.
To purchase or apply for a Montana hunting license, anyone born after January 1, 1985, must complete a hunter education course issued by Montana, any other state, or any Canadian province.
FWP is always looking for more volunteer Hunter Education instructors. If you are interested in the future of hunting, improving sportsmanship and safety in the field, or teaching an appreciation for the vast hunting resources in Montana, then we need you! Application details are available here: fwp.mt.gov/hunt/education/volunteer-instructors.
