The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is reminding budding hunters now is the time to take a hunter safety class.

2nd Lieutenant Cary Foster of the DNR Law Enforcement Division tells us most of those who hunt in Michigan must get certified in order to obtain a hunting license.

“Anybody basically born after 1960 that wants to hunt has to have a hunter safety certificate,” Foster said.

Once you get the certificate by passing a hunter safety class, you don’t have to do it again. Foster says the DNR offers a variety of options for the classes, some in person and others remote. Most of the classes are taught by volunteers and new dates are being added all of the time.

So, what do the classes teach?

“There’s firearm safety, wildlife and habitat management, ethics, and then some courses will have other breakouts such as possibly blood tracking, recovery of animals, how to use a map or compass.”

Foster says the classes are usually free. If there is a cost, it’s never more than $10.

With a spring turkey season starting April 19, Foster says now is a good time to look into what classes are available. The DNR’s website is the place to check.