History of Hunter Safety Education in Illinois

Educating future Illinois hunters has been a responsibility of the state’s natural resources agency for nearly 60 years.

Established in March 1959 as the Illinois Hunter Safety Program, the Illinois Department of Conservation, Division of Education, hired a hunter safety coordinator who was charged with establishing a voluntary training program.

By March 1970, approximately 1,200 volunteer instructors, representing a spectrum of organizations and interests including sportsman’s clubs, school teachers, 4-H leaders, Boy Scout leaders and civic organizations, had attended an eight-hour training course. At the same point in time those instructors had collectively conducted countless four-hour student courses and trained 41,553 students. Included in the course were sections on firearm safety, field hunting safety, transportation and storage of firearms, sportsmanship and farmer-hunter relations.

Reorganized in November 1973, the Hunter Safety Program was increased to an eight-hour course, with students required to pass a final exam to earn their certification, At that time, a concerted effort was made to deliver the program in Illinois junior and senior high schools. Where conditions allowed, live firing was offered to interested graduates.

Senate Bill 682 was passed in 1976 making it mandatory that anyone under 16 years of age pass an eight-hour Hunter Safety Course before they could obtain a hunting license. A Conservation Officer from each of the Department of Conservation’s five regions was detailed to assist in coordinating the program.

In 1980, hunter education was placed in the Department’s Wildlife Code, and the course requirement increased to be not less than 10 hours in length.

Legislation enacted on January 1, 1996 further strengthened education of Illinois youth interested in hunting, requiring that anyone born on or after January 1, 1980 complete a hunter education course prior to purchasing their first hunting license.

With the advent of computer technology, an online self-study course was added in July 2009. Students opting for this style of course study course material online, completing each section of the course, then are required to attend a Field Day that includes hands-on participation and a final exam.

As of July 1, 2017, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources authorize the two current online providers (huntercourse.com or hunter-ed.com) to offer a full certification course online to individuals 18 years of age and older. This change allows individuals in Illinois to complete their course, and print a certification upon completion and passing the entire course.

In the past 40 years, the program has certified 591,234 students thanks to the contributions of more than 1,800 instructors.

For more on the Illinois Hunter Safety Education Course, including upcoming classes, call 1-800-832-2599 or visit www.dnr.illinois.gov/safety/Pages/HunterSafety.aspx

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Jeff Hopkins is the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Safety Education Administrator. Kathy Andrews Wright is retired from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources where she was editor of Outdoor Illinois magazine. She is currently the editor of Outdoor Illinois Wildlife Journal and Illinois Audubon magazine.