While it’s getting late in the season, the NRA still has good news for new and returning hunters in West Virginia. West Virginians can now take their hunter education course online, and with the NRA, it’s free.
Many states require licensed hunters to take a safety and education course which often cost money, which can prevent some people from getting their tags. West Virginian hunters now have a no-cost alternative thanks to the NRA.
The NRA Online Hunter Education courses are relatively new and now available for hunters in Connecticut, Florida, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas in addition to West Virginia. Like the West Virginia course, the other courses are all free.
“Designed and provided by the organization that built the first-ever hunter education program in the United States in 1949, the free NRA Hunter Education online course offers a fresh and fully comprehensive approach to hunter education,” said the NRA.
“The 15-chapter, online sequence features attention-grabbing videos, eye-catching graphics and diagrams, interactive modules, audio recordings and dozens of action photos presented in appealing, easy-to-access components that provide the best method for teaching future hunters.”
“All of this instruction is available at students’ fingertips, whenever and wherever they are able to complete it,” added the NRA. “Removing the sometimes prohibitive cost barrier of other online courses, the NRA Online Hunter Education course is available completely free of charge, encouraging new hunters to take the first step and making it easier for seasoned hunters to revisit the material.”
Even if the cost of hunter education is low to nothing in your state it’s nice that the NRA is offering a single, free source for multiple states. The NRA’s goal is to make the Online Hunter Education courses available for free in all 50 states.
See Also: Wyoming Nonprofit Teaching First-Time Hunters with Great Success
In West Virginia, hunting plays a major role in wildlife management. “It is important to note that the antlerless harvest is the key component to any deer management strategy, as it controls the future deer population,” said Wildlife Resources Section chief Paul Johansen.
The addition of the West Virginian Online Hunter Education course will hopefully encourage more hunters to take to the field. Antlerless deer hunting in the state is down, about 20 percent over the five-year average as of last year.
If you are a West Virginia resident that is thinking about hunting, this is your chance to get started. And if you’re an experienced hunter you may want to use this as a way to bring new hunters into the fold.