How to Become a Hunter Education Instructor

lschultz • April 6, 2023

As the demand for hunter education classes continues to outpace the availability of current instructors, there is a need to expand the current pool of people who are able to teach hunter safety in Michigan.  Currently, the only way to expand that pool is to get more people to become certified instructors. Becoming an instructor is a rewarding opportunity to give back to the hunting heritage many of us love.  If you already know you want to become an instructor and aren’t sure where to start, visit the DNR website at https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/about/get-involved/volunteer-recreational-safety-instructor.

If you would like to learn more about the process read on:

Why should I become an instructor?

  • The program provides the instructor with the means of helping make a safe sport even safer.
  • The program provides the instructor with an avenue of input into the statewide recreational safety programs.
  • The program provides the volunteer an opportunity to help others and serve the community.
  • The program provides the instructor with the means to help ensure the future of outdoor recreation in Michigan.

Qualifications

An individual desiring certification as a volunteer instructor must meet the following requirements:

  • Be at least 18 years of age.
  • Be a high school graduate or possess a graduate equivalency diploma (GED).
  • Have no felony convictions.
  • Have no misdemeanor convictions within the past three (3) years.
  • Have no Natural Resource Law convictions that could result in the revocation of license privileges within the last five (5) years.  Other convictions of Natural Resource Law violations are subject to review and may result in the rejection of any application.
  • Have a background that is free of any negative implication or activity which would bring discredit to the recreational safety program(s) as determined by Recreational Safety, Education, and Enforcement Section (RSEES) staff.
  • Have and maintain high moral character and ethical standards as determined by RSEES staff.
  • Be a graduate of the appropriate student recreational safety course.

What is the process to become an instructor?

  1. Complete and submit the instructor application in Volunteer Manager at  https://michigan.volunteers.kalkomey.com/.
    ( Applicants are required to complete the entire application process within six months of submitting their application unless an extension has been approved. 
  2. Once the completed application is submitted and received, a background investigation will be completed.
  3. If the applicant passes the background investigation, an information packet will be mailed to the applicant containing the instructor test, test study materials, and policies and procedures manual. *Hunter, bow, and trapper applicants must also complete the mentor process. See below for details.
  4. The applicant completes the instructor test and returns it in the provided self-addressed stamped envelope. RSEES will grade the instructor test. A minimum score of 90% is required to pass.
  5. Once the applicant has passed (and the mentoring process has been approved for hunter, bow or trapper only), RSEES will notify the applicant they have successfully completed the process and will be certified as an instructor. RSEES will mail the newly certified instructor their instructor packet and email them their Event Manager login information.
  6. To become an advanced hunter education instructor (bow hunter and trapper education), applicants must be a hunter education instructor first. In addition, the applicant must also have completed the student course for the discipline they would like to teach.

*Mentor process

For hunter, bow and trapper applicants to complete the certification process, they must seek out a current active certified instructor in the discipline they are applying for as a mentor. The applicant must student teach with the mentor and demonstrate the skills necessary to become an instructor. Applicants needing assistance in finding a qualified mentor can email RSEES at  DNR-LED-RecSafety@michigan.gov.

The hunter, bow or trapper applicant will email their chosen mentor’s contact information to RSEES at  DNR-LED-RecSafety@michigan.gov  prior to the start of the mentorship process. RSEES will email the mentor a link to an online form to complete.

The mentor will be required to approve each of the following criteria for the applicant and also record the date(s) of the class(es) the applicant student taught on the online form.

  • Knowledge and understanding of policy and procedure
  • Demonstrate how to set up and teach a class/field day
  • Knows the program material and has the platform skills to teach
  • Navigate Event Manager:
    • post classes
    • record instructor hours
    • order student materials
    • pass/fail students

When the applicant is proficient in the above, the mentor will complete and submit the online mentor form. RSEES will review the submitted form for approval.

 

All this information and more can be found on the DNR website https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/about/get-involved/volunteer-recreational-safety-instructor

 

Recent Posts

Michigan Senators Drop New License Fee Package

By Justin Tomei • May 2, 2025
Yesterday, Senators John Cherry (D-Flint) and Jon Bumstead (R-North Muskegon) released a standalone license fee package, overhauling the fees associated for hunters, trappers, and anglers, and creating new revenue for the Department of Natural Resources. Senate Bills 276 and 277 referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee, represent the newest proposal to fund the DNR after the failure of HB 6229 in late 2024. The legislation would fund the DNR with additional license fees, and a backfill mechanism to reimburse the department for several license discounts, and lost commission to license vendors. This legislation is a project from the senators and differs dramatically from the executive proposed budget earlier this year. Some new costs as proposed in the legislation: Base License: $15 Hunt/Fish Combo: $100 Complete License: $150 All Species Fish: $30 Deer License: $25 (Combo is $50) Antlerless Deer License: $5 (mandated 80% discount from the $25) Child Deer License: $10 (new license) Mentored Hunting License: $10 Turkey: $18 Bear: $30 Elk: $125 Waterfowl: $18 Fur Harvester: $18 Bobcat: $30 (new paid kill tag) In addition to a base license, a combination hunt/fish license, and an all-species fishing license, a $5 surcharge will be included, the funding from the surcharge is restricted to Hunters Feeding Michigan, the Michigan Wildlife Council, and a newly created hunting and fishing education recruitment fund. All licenses will be tied to the Consumer Price Index providing a permanent mechanism for license fees to keep up with inflation. Sen. Cherry said this bill is not a DNR or Executive proposal, but rather a passion project from a pair of hunters. "My friend senator Bumstead and myself started this package as a passion project of two Michigan hunters. The goal of this package is to ensure the DNR has the resources it needs to protect, manage, and improve our great natural resources. We strove to create a mechanism to invest in protecting our hunting and fishing heritage and better align our deer licensing structure to reflect the modern realities of Michigan's deer herd, all while minimizing the burden on Michigan's hunters, trappers, and anglers,” said Sen. Cherry. “I look forward to continuing this work with my Senate and House colleagues to deliver good policy for the people of the State of Michigan." Sen. Bumstead reiterated his passion for this legislation, and the need to ensure the DNR has the funds necessary to properly manage all the state's natural resources. “As an avid outdoorsman with a passion for hunting and conservation work, it was imperative to me that I was involved in this legislative package. Senator Cherry and I got together to work on this package to help ensure that our hunting and fishing cultures can continue to thrive in our state. What we have introduced here, is a product of bills that reflects the input of our sportsman communities and the needs of the DNR to continue protecting and managing habitats and species in Michigan, while minimizing the financial impact of these changes on our hunters,” said Sen. Bumstead. “I am proud of the work that Senator Cherry and I have done thus far and am eager to continue working with my Senate and House counterparts to provide necessary and meaningful policy changes to protect our state’s hunting and fishing heritage.” Michigan United Conservation Clubs supports long-term, sustainable funding solutions for the Department of Natural Resources that ensure the continued protection and enhancement of our natural resources, fish and wildlife populations, and access to outdoor recreation. The organization will continue to monitor this, and another proposal for increased DNR funding.

OTG Volunteers Needed in St. Clair and Wayne/Monroe Counties

By Olivia Triltsch • May 1, 2025
Volunteers are needed on Saturday, May 10th, from 9 AM to 12 PM to plant trees and on Saturday, May 17th, from 9 AM to 2 PM to clean up a watershed in a local State Game Area.

Species Spotlight: The Kirtland's Warbler

By Katelyn Helsel • April 30, 2025
As spring gets fully underway and the warmer weather hits, many birds are in the process of migrating back to Michigan. The Cornell University Lab of Ornithology reports that during peak migration periods, as many as one billion birds could be in the skies in a single night. Michigan is home to many migratory birds, from small red-wing blackbirds to larger sandhill cranes. One migratory species you might see, more so if you live in northern Michigan, is the rare Kirtland’s warbler. This bird has a long and detailed conservation story and has come back from the brink of extinction with the help of strong conservation efforts.
More Posts