The Pennsylvania Game Commission will be hosting free webinars to provide new and existing hunters of all ages the information and resources needed to be successful this fall.
The courses cover topics such as finding places to hunt, selecting a firearm, an overview of regulations, biology of game species, hunting tips and tactics and preparing wild game for the table.
The series kicks off this month with a “Squirrel Hunting 101” webinar at 7 p.m. on Aug. 19. Additional live webinars will be on Sept. 9 and Sept. 21, also beginning at 7 p.m.
The series continues into October with a “Pheasant Hunting 101” webinar at 7 p.m. on Oct. 7 and again on Oct. 26.
The webinars will be about an hour long and hosted by Game Commission staff. Each webinar will include a live Q&A session at the end.
“Recruiting new hunters while retaining existing ones is a priority for the Game Commission,” said Steve Smith, Game Commission Director of Information and Education.
“Over the past two years, the number of individuals who purchase a hunting license has increased in Pennsylvania. These webinars will allow us to provide resources to those new hunters, as well as those who are interested in hunting but haven’t yet given it a try, to prepare them for the seasons ahead.”
Advanced registration to view the webinars live is required at the Learn to Hunt page on the agency’s Web site at http://bit.ly/pgclearntohunt.
It is not necessary for participants to have completed a Hunter-Trapper Education course, or to have purchased a hunting license to view the webinars.
For those who cannot view an event live, the webinars will be recorded and available to view at the Learn to Hunt page.
In addition to the virtual classes, the Game Commission will be hosting in-person classes at its Harrisburg headquarters.
The first class, scheduled for 7 p.m. on Aug. 25, will provide instruction on squirrel hunting. The second class will take place on Oct. 19 and cover pheasant hunting.
The Learn to Hunt curriculum is in addition to online resources recently made available, including a free online bowhunter education and safety course, and a Hunter-Trapper Education course.
More information on these courses is available at the Commission’s Hunter-Trapper Education page: https://bit.ly/pgchuntered.