Twenty Cook County students attended Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) firearms safety training in April. Students are pictured here on field day practicing firing .22 caliber rifles at targets.
In order to buy a license to take wild animals with a firearm in Minnesota, anyone born after Dec. 31, 1979, must have a Firearms Safety Certificate. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) offers courses to certify students. The courses cover safe use of firearms and tree stands, hunting laws, wildlife identification and management, fundamentals of shooting, hunting ethics, landowner relations, and survival. Courses are conducted by certified volunteer instructors statewide, with assistance from DNR conservation officers.
The youth classroom course is designed for ages 11-15. Instructors certify that students pass a written test and field exercises. The course is offered in Grand Marais each April.
As in past years, Cook County Community Education advertised the course and collected fees. Cook County Community Center provided free classroom space. Seven 105-minute classes were held after school, April 8-29. The DNR provided administration forms, instructional materials, ammunition, targets, and eye and ear protection. Donations from local residents and The Sons of The American Legion paid for firearms and shooting-range accessories. Rob Staples generously made his property available for field exercises.
In contrast to the last two years when remaining snow and ice at the site delayed field exercises until summer, the 2015 field day proceeded on schedule on May 2. The day was warm, sunny, and lacked the wind of most past field days–perfect for the three hours of training the students received. They fired .22 cal. rifles at targets, practiced handling rifles and shotguns safely in simulated hunting situations, learned how to safely use a tree stand, and reviewed hunting regulations and ethical behavior.
The 20 students in attendance passed the field exercises and accepted gifts of a compass from The Sons of The American Legion and a blaze-orange vest from Lyle’s Ace Hardware & Lumber. Two students unable to attend will take field exercises later this summer, thereby completing all requirements for the class of 22 students.
Students were Laura Ashford-Ball, Caleb Benedix, Tanner Berglund, Trevor Berglund, Nathan Bilben, Ryan Bilben, Jesse Breitsprecher, Louise Burnett, Amy Carpenter, Jacob Dorr, Emily Fincel, Jason Fincel, Michael Hendrickson, Everett Morawitz, Keegan Morrison, Ariana Poyirier, Isaac Sandstrom, Jonah Schmidt, Jacob Smith, Paisley Smith, John Vander Heiden, and Jack Willis. Each student can log onto the DNR website to record information from the registration form, pay the certification fee, and print a certificate.
Volunteer instructors were Mariano Arguedas, Paul Eiler, Dave Ingebrigtsen, Rick Johnson, Doug Klein, Mark Weisberg, Bob Sopoci, and Ann Sullivan. Participating conservation officers were Darin Fagerman, Mary Manning, and Thomas Wahlstrom.
Adults wishing to review firearm and hunting safety are encouraged to read a student’s workbook, view videos available in the Grand Marais Library, or investigate the training options listed on the DNR website.
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