The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) now allows hunter education students to complete most of their mandatory training through an online course. Students who finish the online portion must also attend a regular four-hour course with certified instructors to complete the training.

"The Hunter Education online course will be more convenient for many students and save the state money as well," said California State Hunter Education Coordinator Capt. Roy Griffith. "We anticipate that the course will be very popular, and we have a group of dedicated instructors already in place to handle the expected demand."

The online course covers everything seen in traditional Hunter Education courses, including handling firearms safely, hunter ethics, conservation and first aid. Subjects of the course's chapters and practice tests are consistent with the current student manual. The course also uses interactive video segments to illustrate the movement of a rifle action while cycling a cartridge, a firing pin striking a primer, how to sight in a rifle, and other hunting demonstrations.

A California-specific online course is offered by Kalkomey Enterprises, publisher of California's hunter education manual, Today's Hunter. This course has a $15 fee. After a student successfully passes the test at the end of the exam he or she prints out a California Pre-Certification Exam Voucher. The voucher includes an explanation of how the student should contact a certified California Hunter Education Instructor to register for the final four-hour course.

An alternative online program is the course run by the International Hunter Education Association (IHEA). IHEA has maintained a course used by many states that is also acceptable in California. Completion of their course also allows the student to continue on to the mandatory four-hour course taught by a certified California Hunter Education Instructor.

All individuals interested in obtaining a hunting license in California are required by law to complete hunter education training. Information on online courses can be accessed through DFG's Hunter Education website at www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered.