With hunting seasons approaching, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control reminds those born after Jan. 1, 1967, that they must complete an approved basic hunter education course to obtain a hunting license.

Early registration is advised, due to limited seating.

Course dates, times and locations are available online at the Division of Fish & Wildlife Hunter Education Program’s course calendar. Additional classes will be scheduled based on demand, generally July through February.

Students must be 10 or older to participate.

The basic course teaches safety, ethics, firearm types, safe gun handling, marksmanship techniques, specialty hunting techniques, wildlife management, wildlife identification, survival, hunting laws and many other topics.

All participants will take part in a live firearm-firing session with a trained instructor.

There are two options for the basic hunter education course:

• Traditional, in-person courses are offered at locations throughout the state for free.
• Online courses with one of the three private vendors listed here are combined with one-day in-person field days to complete the firearm-firing requirement. A fee is charged for the online session.

Registration can be made by visiting here.

This program was established in the early 1970s to educate the public about safe hunting practices and to reduce hunting-related accidents.

More than 39,000 Delaware hunters have completed safety courses and received their hunter safety cards, substantially lowering the number of mishaps.

For information, call 302-735-3600, ext. 1.