Mississippi Hunter Safety Training
Hunter education classes have become required throughout the nation, and Mississippi is no exception. Certified completion of a hunter education class is required in order to buy a hunting license. Game and wildlife officials have noticed a great decrease in gun-related injuries since the classes have been taught.
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History
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In 1950, hunter education classes were formally started in Mississippi, but it was not until 1972 that hunter education became mandatory in the state. Anyone born after Jan. 1, 1972 must complete the course in order to purchase a hunting license. The classes are designed to teach proper handling of weapons with an emphasis on safety. A person must be at least 10 years old to take the course.
Features
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In 2006 the rules were modified to require anyone between the ages of 12 and 16 to complete the course approved by the game and fish department before hunting alone. A child between 12 and 16 may hunt without a certificate if he is hunting with a hunter who is 21 or over and has a certification. A one-time apprentice hunting license is also available for 1 year for anyone over 15 who has not completed the course.
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Classes
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The classes are designed to last a total of 10 hours. They are free and taught by volunteers. The instruction includes firing weapons on a firing range. Students may take the written part over the Internet, and will have to attend a class for the final 3 hours. Students doing the course online must complete an online exam and bring a copy of that with them to the class.
Online Classes
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There are three places to take the hunter education class online. One is free, at beasafehunter.org. The other two--hunter-ed.com/ms and hunterexam.com/usa/mississippi--charge a fee.
Goals of Hunter Education
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There are four main goals of hunter education: to reduce hunting accidents; to teach hunter ethics and responsibility; to promote wildlife conservation and to teach firearm safety. The cardinal rules of gun safety are: always assume a gun is loaded; never point a gun at anything you do not intend to shoot; don't put your finger on the trigger until ready to shoot; and always consider what is beyond your target.
Transfer
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Your hunter education certification from another state is transferable to Mississippi. If you are an out-of-state hunter, you must have that certification to obtain a Mississippi hunting license. You may not use an out-of-state license to hunt in Mississippi.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit duck hunter image by cherie from Fotolia.com
