DNR seeking hunter education instructors

WISCONSIN – Hunting in Wisconsin is a tradition rooted in safety and responsibility – lessons learned before opening day. That tradition continues because hunter education instructors help pass those lessons on.

You’ve geared up in your blaze orange for years, filled your freezer with local, sustainable meat and spent time in Wisconsin’s great outdoors with family and friends. Now there’s an opportunity to help shape the next generation of hunters.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking volunteers passionate about safe, responsible and ethical hunting practices to serve as hunter education instructors. These volunteers play an important role in preparing new hunters to head out into the field safely and confidently.

Since the program's creation in 1967, more than 20,000 volunteer instructors have trained and certified more than 1 million hunters across Wisconsin. Their commitment has helped make hunting in our state safer – and the tradition stronger.

Becoming a volunteer instructor is more than teaching a class. It’s mentoring new hunters, reinforcing ethical decision-making and passing along the values that define Wisconsin’s hunting heritage. It’s also a meaningful way to stay connected to your community and share your knowledge with new hunters.

The DNR provides instructors with all the training, materials and equipment needed to teach a hunter education course. To remain certified, instructors only need to teach one class every three years, although many volunteers teach more.

If you’d like to learn more about becoming a hunter education instructor, please contact Lt. Renee Thok, DNR Hunter Education Administrator, at 262-900-7860; or Ashley Van Egtern, DNR Hunter Education Administrative Assistant, at 608-513-9625.