Eligible online hunter education students will be able to hunt this spring despite the postponement of field day classes, which normally are required. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is providing temporary hunter education safety certificates to select online students who have not been able to attend a field day due to cancellations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Field days are the required final step in earning a Michigan DNR hunter education safety certificate for online students. Safety certificates are mandatory to purchase a Michigan hunting license. The face-to-face classes have been postponed as a result of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order.
“Since the beginning of March, we have seen a significant increase in students enrolling in our online hunter education course,” said Lt. Tom Wanless, DNR hunter education administrator. “We want to thank our online course provider, Kalkomey Enterprises, for their fast response to help us develop a solution for future hunters.”
To receive a temporary hunter education safety certificate, online students must meet one of the following criteria:
Completed the online hunter education safety training since March 15, 2019, but not yet completed the field day.
Started the online program on or after Jan. 1, 2020, and still in process of completing the course.
Begin and complete the online program between now and the end of the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order.
Eligible students will receive an email from Kalkomey Enterprises, LLC and be able to print a temporary certificate from the student portal, allowing them to purchase a license through Dec. 31, 2020. Anyone who receives a temporary safety certificate will be required to take a field day once the classes resume.
“Safety is our number one priority,” said Chief Gary Hagler, DNR Law Enforcement Division. “We want to do what we
