As the fall hunting season approaches in the commonwealth, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife will be offering a Hunter Education Day on August 5.
The department will offer 38 in-person Hunter Education classes and live-fire range days across Kentucky. Locations offering classes near Rowan County are at the 4-H livestock building in Nicholas County and Breathitt County Fish and Game Club.
To hunt legally in the state of Kentucky, hunters ages 12 and older are required to complete a one-time hunter education course and have a valid hunting license appropriate to their hunting activity.
Rachel Crume is the R-3 Branch Manager for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. She said anyone who does not follow these rules will be fined.
“Fish and Wildlife has regulations that protect our resources and so we have conservation officers that patrol our hunting areas and waterways to ensure that that’s safe and fair to everybody,” said Crume. “That would be a repercussion to that just like breaking any other law there is game laws the same as there is any other laws that we expect our citizens to follow.”
Officials with the department said the education day is open to the public and free, but some activities will have fees.
Crume said it is important to spread hunter education as many different types of hunting seasons are about to start.
“So, we just want to make sure that the outdoors is like inviting, inclusive, and safe for everybody in the state. Hunter Education does that in a multitude of ways,” said Crume. “We go through like the ethics of hunting, what your responsible is as an outdoors woman or man, and then just how to do it safely.”
More information about Hunter Education Day as well information on the next hunting season can be found on the Kentucky Department for Fish and Wildlife website at fw.ky.gov.