Defiance Fish and Game Association

The Defiance Area Fish and Game has been the host for many Ohio Department of Natural Resource’s hunter education classes. Three Certified volunteers have instructed these courses: Steve Flory, Josh Burkholder, and Jerry Latta. The course is what the ODNR calls an Instructor-Led Course. Instructor-led courses last about 8-12 hours, and take place in a classroom environment. Certified volunteers and Division of Wildlife staff teach the courses. They are specially trained and highly qualified to help you learn.

Though it varies by instructor and location, most classes take place over two days. Study materials will be provided in the class, but you will need to bring a pencil or pen and a highlighter. Your instructor will cover a range of topics, from conservation, safety, and ethics to the proper handling of shotguns, handguns, bow hunting gear, and more. You should not bring firearms or archery equipment to class - all necessary equipment will be provided.

Once you've completed the course work, you will be given a 100-question test, which includes a mix of multiple choice, matching, and true/false questions. A student must score 80% or higher on the test to pass and obtain certification.

The Hunter Education Course is much more than learning about hunting and should be encouraged as a safety class for non-hunters as well as those wishing to obtain an Ohio hunting license.

While in the past instructors could add students to the class you now need to go to the ODNR website and complete an online registration for any class. The following link will take you to the Division’s website where you can see if there are any classes available. If you are in a hurry to obtain your hunting license and no opening are listed in Defiance County, you can check the map for openings in surrounding counties. Click this link to go to the Hunter Education page: https://www1.oh.wildlifelicense.com/training_map.php Once there you can click on any county with openings and complete the application process.

To learn more about the Hunter education program you can click the following link: http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/education-and-outdoor-discovery/hunter-and-trapper-education this site even has the booklet that will show you the entire course.