Bowhunter Education Courses Scheduled for Northwest Montana
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks 02.12.13
By state law, all first time bowhunters must pass the bowhunter education course in order to purchase an archery license in Montana. The following Bowhunter Education courses have been scheduled around northwest Montana.
Registration for each class will be done ONLINE at fwp.mt.gov, at the following address:
http://my.register-ed.com/event/studentchooseevent. Follow instructions at the online site for registration and picking up course materials. For more information call FWP at 752-5501.
Kalispell Area: All Bowhunter Education classes are held at the Flathead Valley Trap Club north of Kalispell. The first course will be held April 2 and 5 from 6:30-9 p.m.; the field course is held Saturday April 6, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Course enrollment is limited to 40 students and available to any one 11 years of age or older.
Other Kalispell area classes following a similar format will be held beginning April 25, May 2, and July 11.
Youth Bow Ed: A Bowhunter Education class for students 11-17 years of age only will be held at the Flathead Valley Trap Club north of Kalispell on April 11 and 12 (6:30-9 p.m.) and April 13 (Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.). Although the class is held in the Kalispell area, it is open to any student.
Kalispell South: Bowhunter Classes will be held at Spirit Quest Archery on May 7 and 9, 6:30-9 p.m. The field course will be held on Saturday, May 11, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This course is designed to pick up students from Somers/Lakeside/Bigfork and south. Call Spirit Quest Archery (Aaron Lasco) at 756-5455.
Whitefish: Bowhunter Classes will be held at the Flathead Valley Trap Club, 6-9 p.m. on June 13 and 14; the field course is held Saturday, June 15, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Call Ron Nail (862-4509).
Columbia Falls: Classes will be held at the North Valley Community Center, 6:30-9:00 p.m. on June 11 and 13; the field course is scheduled for Saturday, June 15 from 9 a.m. to noon. Test night is scheduled for Monday, Jun 17, 6:30-9 p.m.. If there are any questions please call Dave Yeats at 892-4527.
Libby: Register on line at fwp.mt.gov., click education, details of the class will be found there. Orientation will be Wednesday, March 6 from 5:30-7pm at Frontier, 114 E 4th Street, Libby. Bring your signed forms to complete your registration. We will also hand out study materials at this time. Manuals must be read prior to the first night of class. Classes will begin on Monday, March 11, and continue March 12, 13, 14. For additional information or questions, contact Rich Hjort at (406) 293-7174 or Bill Swagger at (406) 293-5256.
Online Bowhunter Education Opportunity: Bowhunter Education students age 18 or older may take the bowhunter education course online. Log on to: http://www.bowhunter-ed.com/mt/index.htm. Montana accepts an independent study method that involves a two-part process—this online course, completed on your own time and your own schedule, followed by a field day exercise led by certified Montana bowhunter education volunteer instructors. During the field day, students must demonstrate that they possess the necessary knowledge and skills to become certified. Students must complete a field day within 365 days from the time they successfully complete the online portion. At the field day, students must present a certificate showing that they have passed the online portion of the course. Students under 18 are required to take the conventional classroom-based course of instruction. However, anyone may use the online program as a resource to learn about bowhunting.
At the present time, field day options are limited. After you have passed the online course and received your certificate online, you may register online for the Saturday, July 20 field day to be held at the Flathead Valley Trap Club in Kalispell. You may also register for a field day if one is available in your area by talking to a local instructor. Call FWP at 752-5501 for more information. Please note, in Montana all bow ed courses and field days have to be completed by July 31 of each year.
