Class Before Camo

Every state runs a hunter education program, and many require a course before certain hunters can buy a license, often depending on age or birth year. The details vary, so check your state wildlife agency’s website for the current requirements and course schedule.

Even if the law does not require it of you, the course is worth taking. Hunter education covers firearm handling in the field, tree-stand safety, hunting ethics, wildlife identification, basic survival and first aid, and the regulations that keep seasons sustainable. Many courses combine online study with an in-person field day.

Classes fill quickly in August and September as new hunters line up for fall. Sign up early, and if you are an experienced hunter, consider bringing a son, daughter, spouse or friend who has been meaning to try it.

Meanwhile, scouting season is open. Walk the land you plan to hunt while the weather is mild. Look for trails, feeding areas, water and bedding cover, and note them on a map. Learn property boundaries and access points, and confirm permission in writing if you are hunting private land.

Early scouting is also a safety exercise. Knowing the terrain, the location of houses, roads and other hunters, and the safe directions of fire from your stand or blind is just as important as knowing where the game moves.

Finish the summer by checking regulations for the coming seasons, including dates, bag limits, tagging rules and blaze-orange requirements. They change from year to year, and opening morning is a poor time to discover something new.