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Online hunter safety courses offered

The Durango Gun Club hosts sight-in days in the fall for those interested in getting their rifles dialed in for hunting season.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is offering online home-study hunter education courses, with one set for Ridgway and others still to be determined.

Using the home-study format, students complete the knowledge-based portion of the course at their convenience via the Internet. They then attend a skills-based portion of the course at a site with an instructor.

Durango has held such courses in the past, but does not have one set yet for this spring, said Leland Flores, with Parks and Wildlife’s Durango office. He suggested that people interested can keep checking with the local office at 247-0855.

The Durango Gun Club will host a three-day hunter safety course in which all the work must be done with live instruction. That course is from 6:30-10 p.m. March 25-27. The fee is $10. Call Mike Price at 259-0516 for more information on that course.

Anyone born after Jan. 1, 1949, who wishes to hunt must have a valid hunter education card prior to applying for or purchasing a license. The big game license application deadline is April 7.

Parks and Wildlife touts the online hunter safety courses as a convenient way for prospective hunters to learn valuable hunting and safety information and to fulfill the legal requirements.

“Hunter education is also a great way to learn more about firearm safety, wildlife management and survival skills,” said District Wildlife Manager Kelly Crane.

For the Ridgway course, the online portion must be completed by March 13. The skills-based portion of the course with instructors is 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. March 14 at the Ridgway Community Center. The skills-based portion will include a pre-test, firearms safety and live-fire exercise, hunter responsibility, hunting rules and regulations, and other hands-on learning activities. There is no charge for the conclusion class.

To register for the class call Colorado Parks and Wildlife at (970) 209-2369, or register online at www.cpw.state.co.us. Registration deadline is March 8.

johnp@durangoherald.com



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