LANSING – Eligible online hunter education students will be able to hunt this spring despite the postponement of field day classes, which normally are required.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is providing temporary hunter education safety certificates to select online students who have not been able to attend a field day due to cancellations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Field days are the required final step in earning a Michigan DNR hunter education safety certificate for online students. Safety certificates are mandatory to purchase a Michigan hunting license. The face-to-face classes have been postponed as a result of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order.

“Since the beginning of March, we have seen a significant increase in students enrolling in our online hunter education course,” said Lt. Tom Wanless, DNR hunter education administrator. “We want to thank our online course provider, Kalkomey Enterprises, for their fast response to help us develop a solution for future hunters.”

To receive a temporary hunter education safety certificate, online students must meet one of the following criteria:

— Completed the online hunter education safety training since March 15, 2019, but not yet completed the field day.

— Started the online program on or after Jan. 1, 2020, and still in process of completing the course.

— Begin and complete the online program between now and the end of the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order.

Eligible students will receive an email from Kalkomey Enterprises, LLC and be able to print a temporary certificate from the student portal, allowing them to purchase a license through Dec. 31, 2020. Anyone who receives a temporary safety certificate will be required to take a field day once the classes resume.

“Safety is our number one priority,” said Chief Gary Hagler, DNR Law Enforcement Division. “We want to do what we can to ensure future hunters have the opportunity to enjoy spring hunting and Michigan’s natural resources.”

The most recent license data from the DNR shows that spring turkey hunting license sales are the highest they have been since 2015, indicating a strong desire by customers to pursue these outdoor activities this year.

All first-time hunters born on or after Jan. 1, 1960, are required to take and pass a hunter safety course. The DNR offers hunter safety education safety certificates through three different formats:

— Traditional classroom setting.

— Online course followed by a one-time field day.

–Take-home study course followed by a one-time field day.

Regardless of the learning option a student chooses, all students must demonstrate successful understanding of the skills they learned to a certified hunter education safety instructor.

The DNR offers several recreational safety certificates online, including boater education and ORV and snowmobile safety. Get more information about these certifications and other safety resources at Michigan.gov/RecreationalSafety.