If you want to hunt with a firearm in Wyoming, no matter what species you’re after, you have to have a hunter education card if you were born in 1966 or later.
It’s getting to the point where there are more people out in the field who have hunter ed cards than people who don’t need them. But even a lot of the people who were born before ’66 have taken the class. My dad’s a case in point. He was born WAY before 1966, but he’s taken the class twice.
And between now and April is a good time to take the class. Turkey season starts in April, and once it does, demand for classes skyrockets. Like most things, hunter ed classes seem to be something people tend to put off until the very last minute. And if you think classes get filled up quickly during turkey season, just wait until the big game seasons open.
The trouble isn’t just procrastinators. There’s also the problem of finding instructors. Nearly all the hunter ed instructors in the state are hunters themselves. And when the season opens, those folks would rather be out in the field than sitting in a classroom.
To find out when the next class in your area starts, go to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Web site. The address is wgfd.wyo.gov.
If you don’t have Internet access, you can call the Game and Fish’s telephone information center at 307-777-4600. The folks in the phone bank will probably be able to answer your questions.
But don’t worry too much if you don’t see a class on the schedule. If there’s enough demand, the instructors try to put a class together. Check the schedule often until you get into a class.
And if you’re a veteran hunter, think about volunteering to teach a class yourself. New instructors are always welcome.
