A hunter education course will be held in Roland at the Roland Junior High cafeteria beginning at 8 a.m. Sept. 24.

The free course is open to everyone, and those successfully completing the course will receive their Oklahoma hunter education student card, Rocky Woods Jr., one of the course instructors, said.

Woods said these hunter education cards are required by law for all people born since Jan. 1, 1972, upon reaching their 16th birthday or older, who want to purchase an Oklahoma hunting license, combination hunting and fishing license, lifetime license, or deer and turkey tags. People under the age of 16 who want to purchase a deer gun tag or hunt big game, such as deer, must also receive this certification.

Woods said the Oklahoma card is recognized and accepted in other states requiring hunter education training.

Topics to be covered in the course will include rifle, shotgun, and handgun safety, handling, storage and cleaning, as well as muzzleloading, bow hunting, Oklahoma laws and regulations, hunter responsibilities, and survival and wilderness first aid.

Woods said those attending the course need to submit their name, address, date of birth, and Social Security number.

More than 220,000 people have completed this course in Oklahoma, and training has played a major role in reducing hunting accidents in Oklahoma over the past 28 years, Woods said.

He said the course instructors would like to remind all interested parties that this course is required by Oklahoma law, and the course is 10 hours of instruction. "There will be no exceptions to this," Woods said. "So if your child has a sporting event or other activity that would interfere with this course, please keep in mind that we will not allow anyone to take the test early or leave early."

For more information, please contact Rocky's Corner Pawn at (918) 427-6068 or call the hunter education office in Oklahoma City at (405) 522-4572.