DAMARISCOTTA and HOPE — In-person Hunter Safety Skills and Exam Days will be held in Damariscotta, Sunday, April 16 (Lincoln County) and in Hope, Saturday, April 22 (Knox and Waldo Counties combined). The programs are intended to get youth certified and ready for spring turkey season which opens May 1, 2023 (Youth Day is April 29, 2023).
“The sessions are also great for adults (16 and up) who have obtained certification by completing the online course but wish to obtain further skills and information through a day of in-person training with local, certified firearms hunter safety instructors,” said Maine Dept Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, in a news release.
The courses will include instruction in: first aid, landowner relations, hunter ethics, Maine hunting laws, safe firearms handling, map and compass, and wilderness survival.
Maine law requires all children that have not reached their 16th birthday to have a junior hunting license to hunt. After a junior hunter’s 16th birthday, they may continue to hunt on their junior license for the remainder of the calendar year with or without taking the hunter safety course, however, they must upgrade to the adult license in the calendar year they turn 17.
An adult license requires hunter safety certification. Firearms, bow, trapping and crossbow hunter safety course are available in two different formats: online and in-person.
An in-person Skills and Exam Day is required for students ages 10-15 who take firearms and bow hunter safety courses online. The upcoming Skills and Exam Days in Damariscotta and Hope fulfill the in-person requirement for students ages 10-15 to become fully certified for firearms hunter safety.
Students must have completed the online hunter education course (www.hunter-ed.com/maine/) or completed the Home Study workbook prior to arrival at the Skills and Exam Day. Youth 10-15 must print off their online voucher or submit a completed Home Study workbook to qualify to attend the Skills and Exam Day. Successful completion of the Skills and Exam Day course includes demonstrating to the instructor that they can safely handle a firearm; full participation in the skills day; bringing a survival kit; and passing a 50-question exam with a score of at least 70%.
To register for a Skills and Exam Day visit www.mefishwildlife.com. Home Study workbooks may be requested during registration. To complete the online hunters safety firearms course visit www.hunter-ed.com/maine/. FMI: carmen.bombeke@maine.gov
The Lincoln County Hunters Safety Skills and Field Day will be hosted at the Damariscotta Fire Department located at 27 Massasoit Drive in Damariscotta, on Sunday, April 16, from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Students must bring a bag lunch.
The Knox and Waldo County Hunters Safety Skills and Exam Day will be hosted at Beaver Lodge, Knox County Fish & Game Association, located at 127 Beaver Lodge Road, in Hope, on Saturday, April 22, from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. A donation of $10 per student will be collected at the door. Students must bring a bag lunch.
