The New Jersey Hunter Education Program is offered by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife and is required of all hunters who purchase their first hunting license. Likewise, individuals who do not have a hunting license for a previous hunting season and do not have a hunting education certificate must complete this program before they can be issued a hunting license. This program exists in New Jersey to help hunters become safer and more responsible while enjoying the sport of hunting.
This program has three basic courses. These are the shotgun course, the bow and arrow course and the rifle course. Each course is offered free of charge to hunters who need to purchase the appropriate license. Each of these courses has two parts, session and field study. Video, manual study and work assignments are the necessary materials for the home study part of this program. The video, study guide and workbook cover topics such as hunter responsibility, New Jersey hunting laws, wildlife management, hunting incidents, survival and first aid, shot placement, game care, field dressing, and more. This material will be needed. before the student is ready for the field session.
After completing the home study portion of the program, the student will spend time in a field session as part of the program where they will experience hands-on training to better learn how to safely handle firearms while hunting. The student will need an ear and an eye for surveillance and a lead in the field day session. You should also dress appropriately for the learning experience and be prepared for rain or shine. At the end of the field session, the hunter will be required to take a final test covering the material from the home study and field sessions. If the student passes this exam, they will receive a certificate of completion and can then purchase a hunting license.
The New Jersey Hunter Education Program, which is one of the top programs in the country, is constantly working to make hunting safer. This means that more and more hunting trips can be completed without incident. With the rate of hunting-related accidents decreasing more each year, the importance of this program is easy to see. However, even though safety is the most important thing to learn with this program, not everyone will become a hunter. May the time spent participating in this program enable the hunter to become a more serious and ethical hunter who can see the importance of his actions in this game and in the future.