All new hunters or trappers planning to go afield this upcoming hunting and trapping season must first complete a mandatory hunter or trapper education course, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) wants to remind sportsmen and women.

Previously licensed hunters who plan to hunt out of state should also have their sportsman education certificates or previous licenses in hand as proof that they have completed the required course. All states accept New York’s hunter education course but states differ on what is required as proof of completion.

Sporting licenses are on sale now. To purchase hunting or trapping licenses in New York, proof of a previous license or your original sportsman education certificate must be shown. If adequate proof cannot be shown, one may be required to take the course again to be recertified. Finding a course immediately prior to or during the hunting season will be difficult as demand is high at that time.

New York sportsmen and sportswomen that travel out of state to hunt should be sure to satisfy all the requirements of the destination state well in advance. Some states require the original hunter education certificate, and getting a replacement can be time consuming if the original is misplaced. The New York State Sportsman Education Program has an extensive database from which replacement certificates can be issued if the course was taken in 1980 or after. Those unable to locate an original certificate or cannot find a record of it may be required to repeat a course. A previous hunting license cannot be used to reissue a certificate.

All first-time hunters, bowhunters and trappers must pass one or more courses before they can obtain a license in New York. Trained instructors, certified by DEC, teach safe and responsible outdoors practices and the important role of hunters and trappers in natural resource conservation. All courses are free of charge, but space is limited.

A course is starting Tuesday in Lisbon and elsewhere around the county in September and October.

To locate a nearby hunter or trapper education class, visits DEC’s website and course list at www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/9191.html or contact the local DEC regional sportsman education office in Watertown at 785-2533.