News Release

COLUMBUS, OH -- The Ohio Division of Wildlife is offering a series of weekend hunter and trapper education instructor workshops that will lead to immediate certification as a volunteer instructor.

The workshops will be held March 26-28 at Camp Cotubic near Bellefontaine, April 16-18 at Camp Palmer in Fulton County, and April 23-25 at Recreation Unlimited in Delaware County. Registration must be made at least one week prior to each workshop by calling the Division of Wildlife's Outdoor Skills Unit toll-free at 1-800WILDLIFE.

Class size is limited to 40 participants for each workshop. There is no fee to attend this special weekend instructor workshop, which also includes meals, lodging and course materials. Participants seeking to become a volunteer hunter and trapper education instructor must be at least 21 years old and have previously completed a hunter or trapper education course.

"This is the second year for these workshops. We held our first instructor training weekend last summer at the Canters Cave 4-H Camp in Jackson County and it was very successful," said Phil King, a hunter education specialist in the Division of Wildlife.

Completion of this workshop will lead to immediate certification as a volunteer instructor, thus reducing the six to eight-week period previously required for certification to become finalized. There are approximately 1,300 certified volunteer hunter and trapper education instructors in Ohio.

"In past years, hunter education instructor training was a one-day course of instruction that left some volunteers still in need of more skills to teach the curriculum to the best of their ability. These weekend training workshops require more time and commitment from participants, but they are offered free of charge and will provide improved skills training as well as immediate certification," said King.