Haywood Community College to host hunter safety courses

Haywood Community College’s Department of Arts, Sciences, and Natural Resources and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission will offer a hunter safety course 6 to 9 p.m., Aug. 2-3 on the HCC campus in building 3300, room 3322. Participants must attend two consecutive evenings to receive their certification.

More than a firearm safety course, instruction includes ethics and responsibility, conservation and wildlife management, wildlife identification, survival and first aid, specialty hunting, and tree stand safety. 

These courses are offered as a community service and are free of charge. There are no minimum age requirements; however, written exam must be completed without assistance. Courses are taught by wildlife officers, hunter education specialists, and certified volunteer instructors. Certification is accepted in every state and province in North America. Additional hunter safety courses will be offered in September, October and November.

Pre-registration is required. Anyone interested in taking a hunter safety course must register online in order to attend any session. Course registration may be completed at ncwildlife.org.

Deer hunting webinars offered in August

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and the N.C. Wildlife Federation will offer two free online hunting-related webinars in August. “Introduction to Deer Hunting” will be held on Aug. 9, and “Practical Deer Processing: From Field to Freezer” will be held on Aug. 11. Both classes will run from 7 to 8 p.m. and are open to anyone interested, especially individuals who have never hunted, are new to hunting or lack social support for hunting.

“Both webinars are intended to assist novice hunters for the upcoming white-tailed deer season, which opens Sept. 10,” said Walter “Deet” James, the hunter engagement coordinator at the Wildlife Commission. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for people who may not have access to an existing hunting community of family members and friends. Each session will be followed by a question and answer session led by agency staff and volunteers.”

The “Introduction to Deer Hunting” webinar will cover whitetail habits and habitats, scouting techniques, essential equipment, tree stand safety, effective shot placement, tracking techniques and field dressing.

The “Practical Deer Processing: From Field to Freezer” webinar will focus on field dressing, skinning, safe meat handling and basic home processing.

Chronic Wasting Disease, which was detected for the first time in North Carolina in a deer harvested in Yadkinville last season, will also be discussed as it relates to new regulations in Yadkin County and surrounding areas.

Pre-registration for the webinars is required at ncwildlife.org/sbs. A recording of the presentation will be available to all registrants at a later date.

For additional information, contact Walter “Deet” James at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (preferred), 919.707.0059 (office) or 984.202.1387 (mobile).

The 2022-23 deer season dates are available on the agency’s website.