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The Belleville, Wisconsin, Hunter Safety Education instructors invite those interested in hunting and recreational shooting to enroll in a Wisconsin DNR Certified Hunter Education course. It is recommended that the students be 12 years old in order to take advantage of license incentives offered by the DNR. The minimum hunting age for hunting without having to comply with the new hunting mentorship program rules is still age 12, and the hunter must first complete a hunter education course if born on or after January 1, 1973, or have completed basic training with the U.S. Armed Forces.

A youth age 12 or 13 who has completed hunter education does not have to hunt within arm’s reach of an adult, but still must be accompanied. Accompanied, for the purposes of 12 and 13 year olds who have completed hunter education, still means being within both visual and voice contact at all times while hunting. The adult does not have to be a licensed hunter or a hunter education graduate to accompany 12 and 13 year old hunter education graduates. Anyone, age 10 or older, born on or after January 1, 1973, can obtain a hunting license and hunt, without the need to first take hunter education, provided they and a mentor comply with all of the following requirements:

Rules That Apply to the Hunter

Must be at least 10 years old. Must have the appropriate valid hunting license, permits and tags. May only hunt while in arm’s reach of a mentor, regardless of the hunter or mentor’s age. Must follow all other hunting laws, seasons and bag limits. Ten and 11 year olds may only hunt under these mentorship rules, even if they already completed hunter education.

Rules That Apply to the Mentor

Must be at least 18 years old. If born on or after January 1, 1973, must be a hunter education course graduate, or have completed basic training with the U.S. Armed Forces. Must be the hunter’s parent or guardian, or have the permission of the hunter’s parent or guardian before acting as a mentor for a person under age 18. Must have a current year’s hunting license – type of hunting license does not matter for the mentor unless they will also be attempting to harvest game, in which case they must have the appropriate valid hunting license, permits and tags for species they are hunting. Only allowed to serve as a mentor for ONE hunter at a time if the hunter is either of the following: Age 10 or 11 OR was born on or after January 1, 1973, and has not yet taken and passed a hunter education course.

Rules That Apply to Both the Hunter and the Mentor

Only ONE firearm, bow or crossbow (if eligible for a crossbow permit) can be possessed jointly between the hunter and mentor.

The course fee is $10.00, and will begin with class registration at 5:30 p.m., on Friday, April 7, 2017, at the Belleville EMS building, 480 River Street, Belleville. Class times will be from 5:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m. on April 7, 2017; 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. on April 8, 2017; and 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., on April 9, 2017. You must attend all three days of class. Pack a sack lunch, or Townmart and Subway are close by. The course will cover firearm safety, knowledge of firearms and hunting equipment, wildlife identification and management, marksmanship and outdoor skills. If under 18, a parent or guardian must attend for a signature on the registration form. All students will now be required to obtain a Wisconsin DNR customer ID number as part of the criteria to graduate from any Recreational Safety class, and provide that Wisconsin DNR customer ID number to their instructor. Students may obtain a Wisconsin DNR customer ID number from 7:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m., by calling 1-888-936-7463. Class size is limited to the first 40 students, please call early.

For further information, please contact DNR instructor Glen Kazmar at (608) 424-3401.