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 and is offered each spring in Grand Marais. Classes are held after school and field exercises are conducted on a Saturday morning. The DNR provides administration forms, instructional materials, ammunition, targets, and eye and ear protection. Cook County Community Education advertises the course and collects registration forms and fees. The Cook County Community Center provides free classroom space.
Donations from local residents and the Sons of the American Legion paid for firearms and range accessories. Donations by the Grand Marais Library Friends and the Arrowhead Chapter of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association paid for firearm and hunting safety DVDs placed in the Grand Marais Public Library. Rob Staples makes his property available for the field exercises.
The seven 105-minute classes in 2014 began on April 14 and ended with a written test on May 5; all students passed the test. For the second year in a row, field exercises that traditionally would have been held on the first Saturday in May were cancelled because of remaining snow and ice at the site.
Rescheduled for June 14, cold rain and east wind off the lake threatened another cancellation. A garage to gather in, a canopy to shelter under near the shooting range, a supply of raincoats, and uncomplaining students allowed the 3.5-hour exercises to be completed. Students fired a .22 cal. rifle 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. All passed the field exercises by following instructions, safely handling the firearms, and respecting the private property.
Volunteer instructors in 2014 were Mariano Arguedas, Paul Eiler, Dave Ingebrigtsen, Rick Johnson, Doug Klein, Dennis Larson, Eric Nelms, Dick Parker, Bob Sopoci, and Ann Sullivan. Participating Conservation Officers were Mary Manning and Thomas Wahlstrom.
This year’s class was the smallest in the memory of the current instructors. Students were Chloe Blackburn, Chase Bronikowski, Abigail Crawford, Tanner DeBoer, Adam Dorr, Noah Furcht, Luke Johnson, Masen McKeever, Ashleigh Precord, Cameron Roy, Aurora Schelmeske, Hailey Smith, Isabel Wahlers, and Dominic Wilson. Except for two students unable to attend the field exercises, each received a compass from the Sons of the American Legion, a blaze-orange vest from Superior Lumber and Sports, and a target and foam ear puffs from the DNR.
Students can log onto the DNR website to record their safety course, pay the certification fee, and print their certificate. Adults wishing to review firearm and hunting safety are encouraged to read a student’s workbook, view the videos available in the library, or investigate the safety course options on the DNR website.
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