ST. GEORGE — The Department of Athletics and Leisure Services in Mesquite, Nevada, is sponsoring a hunter safety class next month.
The class will be put on by the Nevada Division of Wildlife at the Mesquite Recreation Center from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 19, with a focus on the fundamentals of hunting and avoiding hunting accidents.
“This program is designed to introduce students to several life-long skills that are important to many different types of outdoor recreational opportunities and teaches students basic survival and first aid skills, wildlife identification, the basics of wildlife management, hunting laws, and firearm/archery safety,” Nicholas Montoya, director of athletic and leisure services, said in a news release. “Hunter education also stresses the importance of individual responsibility and outdoor ethics, and can bring you a lifetime of enjoyment if you are safe and responsible,”
Montoya is a Division of Wildlife instructor and has been teaching the hunter safety class for the state for seven years.
“Hunter Safety Education is a mandatory program for those that are interested in hunting that requires a license or draw tag,” he said.
Individuals looking to attend the class need to preregister at the recreation center, pick up class materials and register on the Division of Wildlife website. Participants will receive a hunter’s workbook that needs to be completed before attending the class, and a $5 cash fee will be collected the day of the class.
The last day to register for the class is Oct. 5, and the minimum age of participants is 12, unless accompanied by an adult.
“Back in the day, Nevada wasn’t a draw state, but now it is, so you have to have a license or a hunter education safety license to even apply for these tags,” Montoya told St. George News. “You have to have this certification to even put in for this. It’s something that shows the state that you apply for, that you have taken the time to take this class.
“It’s a pass/fail class, and it’s pretty intense. You’ve got 75 questions, and you have to get at least 80 percent of it right to get your certification, so it’s important.”
In a census statewide survey of fishing, hunting and wildlife-associated recreation from 2011, 156,000 people 16 years and older fished, while 49,000 hunted. As for 6-15 year olds, there were 49,000 who fished, and 6,000 who hunted.
In total, according to the 2011 census survey, $409,716,000 was spent by Nevada residents on hunting and fishing equipment and trips.
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