The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) will hold a wilderness course in February intended to equip participants with confidence and independence in the backwoods. The two-day Land Navigation and Wilderness Survival Clinic will be held from 9 a.m. on Feb. 25 until 4 p.m. on Feb. 26, at Fort Hunter Liggett in Monterey County.

"We want to encourage people to explore California's magnificent outdoors," said DFG's advanced hunter education program coordinator Susan Herrgesell. "But we also want to give them enough information and training so that they can do it safely."

The cost for participating is $50 and space is limited. Participants will learn how to effectively read and understand the different maps used in land navigation. They will also learn how to understand compass bearings and the popular global positioning satellite system.

The clinic will cover survival kits and first aid, as well as how to cross streams and rivers and build emergency shelters. Instructors will also teach different wilderness techniques to collect water, start fires, and signal for help.

"Lab exercises will develop the skills participants have learned in the classrooms," Herrgesell said.

Accommodations for the weekend will be at the military barracks with two students to a room. Bathroom and shower facilities are available in the barracks. Meals cost $9 a day and are in the military dining hall.

Individuals interested in attending clinics can print registration forms from DFG's Hunter Education Program Web page at www.dfg.ca.gov/huntclinics. The deadline for registration and fees is Feb. 11. Completed forms must be sent with a check for the course's cost to the Department of Fish and Game, Advanced Hunter Education Program, 601 Locust St., Redding, CA 96001.

For more information, contact Susan Herrgesell at sherrges@dfg.ca.gov or call (530) 347-3980.