The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will host a free hunter safety course this week in Collier County.
The course is July 12-13 from 5:45-9:15 p.m., July 14 from 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m., and July 15 from 8 a.m.-noon.
Except for those who have already successfully completed the online portion of the course, attendance on all four days is required for certification. If you have completed the online course, you only need to attend July 14 and 15. You will need to bring the final web report, which does not have to be notarized.
Students will learn about hunting laws, safe gun handling and hunter ethics and/or responsibility, among other topics, before taking the final test. The course also includes live-firing instruction on a shooting range.
Classes are at the North Naples Fire District, 1885 Veterans Park Drive, Naples, Fla. 34109.
The FWC recommends taking these courses in the spring or summer, as classes in the fall can fill up quickly.
Participants can sign up at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety or by calling the FWC’s South Region Office at (561) 625-5122. A link to the online part of the course and a statewide schedule of hunter safety classes are available at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety.
Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, must pass an approved hunter safety course before purchasing a Florida hunting license. Parents or legal guardians must accompany children under 16 years of age to all classes. To participate in the live-fire exercises, children under 18 years old must present a parental release form signed by a parent or legal guardian.