Michigan has a long, rich tradition of hunting. In Michigan, hunting contributes to wildlife management and conservation, provides a positive family experience and increased recreational opportunity, and is good for the economy.
      Safe hunting begins with hunter education. According to the International Hunter Education Association, young hunters, when accompanied by responsible adults or mentors, who have been a part of the youngster's education, are some of the safest individuals afield.
      Hunter education courses teach new hunters responsibility, ethics, firearm safety, wildlife conservation and wildlife identification, game care, survival and first aid. Most courses are offered year-round throughout the state though the majority occur during August, September and October. The typical course consists of two sessions with a total class time of 10 to 12 hours. Students also can use the Internet to complete a part of their hunter education course. The online course can be found on the DNR web page.
      In addition to safety, hunter education courses stress ethics, and the instructors work diligently to plant the seeds of sportsmanship in each student. The aim of outdoor ethics education is to empower outdoor users to develop ethics that value acting to sustain and nurture the natural world, acting responsibly toward the sport or activity in which they are engaged and acting with consideration for other outdoor users. Providing the opportunity to be certified through hunter safety training and hunt at age 10 facilitates parental/guardian involvement in their children's leisure time. Experiences in other states show that when parents are heavily involved in their children's hunting experience, it provides for a safe and responsible hunting experience.
      If our young people can learn to be responsible hunters, negative public attitudes toward hunting that grew from past mistakes may change and private lands now open to hunting may remain open. It is the careful and courteous hunter who is helping preserve our hunting heritage for future generations. Visit the DNR Web site for more information.