Hunter education classes are being offered at Fort Benning — for free — to the public.
In order to hunt in the state of Georgia, including on post, individuals born after Jan. 1, 1961, are required to complete the hunter education course prior to purchasing a hunting license, according to the gohuntgeorgia.com website. The course is not required for those hunting on their own land or the land of their parent or guardian.
In order to attend the free classes being offered at Fort Benning, you must complete a six-credit CD course, said Jim Wiehe, a hunter education class instructor. The CDs are free and can be picked up Outdoor Recreation’s rental office in Building 1707, Gillespie Street.
At the end of the CD course, individuals must print out the test results to bring to the class, he said. The class portion is the review and test portion, which finish the last two credits needed in order to complete the hunter education class.
Wiehe said the class offered at Fort Benning included treestand safety and hunting violations and infractions. To register for the class, go to www.gohuntgeorgia.com.
“They can be a walk-in,” Wiehe said. “But the person needs to have the certification of completion at the end of the CD to show that they completed the CD.”
Wiehe emphasized the importance of taking the course, if you want to hunt on Fort Benning.
“(The Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation) will not give you a permit to hunt on post if you haven’t completed the course,” he said. “The universal benefit of the card is that it’s in the system in Georgia and it’s retrievable to show that you did it.”
According to the gohuntgeorgia.com website, in the state of Georgia, hunters younger than 12 years of age do not require taking the course but are not allowed to hunt without supervision from an adult licensed hunter.
Children and teens between 12-15 years of age are required to take the course but are also required to have adult supervision from a licensed hunter. Teens and young adults between the ages of 16-25 are required to take the course and must have the certificate present while hunting.
And while hunters who are 25 and older are required to take the class, they do not need to present the certificate while hunting.
For more information about hunting in Georgia visit www.gohuntgeorgia.com or www.georgiawildlife.org/hunting/regulations. If interested in obtaining certification to teach hunter education classes, call Wiehe at 706-544-7403.
Fort Benning class dates
Sept. 7 6-8 p.m. Oct. 12 6-8 p.m. Oct. 26 6-8 p.m. Nov. 9 6-8 p.m.
Location for all classes is Building 9320, classroom 200
