he Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is offering a hunter education course in Spanish designed for hunters of all ages on Dec. 15-16 at Cabela’s in Buda. The course will not only benefit current hunters who speak Spanish, but for Spanish-speakers considering the activity for the first time, it’s a good way to learn more.

"The class offers information on ethics, responsibility, firearms and safety and reinforces the game laws which may be difficult to understand," said Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Hunter Education Coordinator Terry Erwin.

Classes in Spanish have been offered statewide over the last 15 years; however they’re usually more prevalent in the southern areas of Texas. "Normally we’re limited because we don’t have many Spanish instructors," said Erwin.

Hunter education covers the skills, regulations and responsibilities of hunting, wildlife conservation and the outdoors and is mandatory for every hunter, including out-of-state hunters, born on or after Sept. 2, 1971. The minimum age of certification is 12 years.

Every year, more than 30,000 youth and adults in Texas become certified in hunter education, and the certification not only lasts a lifetime, but is also recognized by all states and provinces that require hunter education.

"We’d love to have anyone in the central Texas area to come in and take the course," said Erwin. "The course will be taught completely in Spanish, complete with manuals and exams in Spanish as well."

To register for the course, please call the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at (512) 389-4999. Additional information may be found on the TPWD Web site.

On the Net:

    * http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/espanol/
    * http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/hunter_education/