(DNR) – Did you graduate from hunter education this year, or know someone who did? A hunter education certificate from this year means you’re all set to hunt small game this fall.
For Wisconsin residents, a first-time hunter education graduate may use the Wisconsin hunter education completion certificate in lieu of a small game hunting license from the date of issuance until March 31 of the following year. Those qualifying do not need to purchase a small game license; the certificate is the license for the established time period.
What To Hunt
- With your hunter education completion certificate, you can hunt squirrels, cottontail rabbits, snowshoe hares, pheasants, ruffed grouse, crows, raccoons, foxes and coyotes.
- You may also hunt woodcock and mourning doves as long as you submit a federal Harvest Information Program (HIP) registration on Go Wild in advance of hunting.
- You may hunt ducks, geese, rails, snipe, common gallinules, coots, moorhens, and mergansers with the purchase of a federal waterfowl stamp (if over the age of 16) and HIP registration. Goose hunting also requires the purchase of state early and regular season goose permits.
- First-time graduates are exempt from the requirement to purchase the pheasant and state waterfowl stamps while the certificate is valid for small game hunting.
- Trapping furbearers is not permitted without an additional trapping license.
- Your hunter education completion certificate does not allow you to hunt turkeys (fall and spring turkey licenses). Stamps and harvest authorizations must be purchased.
Important Reminders
- If you plan to hunt right away after completing a hunter education course, carry the physical copy of your temporary completion certificate on your person while hunting. Hunter education instructors will hand you a paper copy of your temporary completion certificate at the end of your hunter education course. Once your permanent completion certificate appears in your Go Wild customer account, you can download a PDF of the completion certificate to keep on your phone, or present your Wisconsin driver’s license or Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources-issued Go Wild Conservation Card.
- Check individual species season dates and abide by all hunting regulations.
If you have questions about hunting regulations, call DNR Customer Service at 1-888-936-7463. Call Center staff are available seven days per week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Learn more about small game hunting on the DNR website.
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