History

• Hunter safety classes began officially in California in 1954, which required every person to pass a hunter education course before getting their first hunting license. No age limits ever have been established.
  
  

Considerations

• Hunter education certificates from other states are valid in California and can be used to fill the requirement for purchasing a hunting license. If you do not have one from another state, you would have to take the course before being allowed to buy a license.
  
  

Limits

• While there is no age limit, it has become a tradition that instructors do not admit children younger than 10 years old into classes for certification. Most people taking the course are youth because new hunters are generally young. It is generally up to the parents and the instructor to determine if a person is old enough to understand what is being taught and is able to apply it.
  
  

Philosophy

• Hunting organizations in California say parents, not politicians, should decide when a child is old enough to hunt. They also say that ideally a young person should accompany an adult hunter a few times as an apprentice before taking the hunter education class. This results in safer hunters. They also say that it is best to start a person hunting as young as possible.
  
  

Types

• Special youth hunts are put in place every year. This could be something like extending the turkey season for two weeks for people under the age of 16. They still have to be accompanied by an adult, but supporters believe this gives needed experience. Adult shooting clubs and hunting clubs often hold youth shoots to help them learn safety and to get youth involved in the sport.
  
  

Considerations

• You may start the process of getting certified by taking part of the hunter education course online. This is a 4-hour-long course--but you can do it at your own pace. There are three websites where this can be done: hunter-ed.com/ca/; hunterexam.com/usa/california/; homestudy.ihea.com/
  
  

Next step

• After completing the online course, there is a 10-hour class that must be taken that includes some field training with a weapon. Much of the online course is repeated at the official class, so you may opt out of some of the class. Check local or state game and fish offices for class times and locations.