The mandatory Illinois Department of Natural Resources Hunter Safety Education course will be held in Carlinville on February 20 and 21. Sign-in will begin at 5pm on Friday, February 20. The class will be held Friday from 5:30pm until 9:30pm and Saturday from 8am until 4"30pm. The class is presented free of charge in the Macoupin County Farm Bureau Building on North Broad Street. Meals will be provided. Students should register in advance by calling the Carlinville Police Department at 217-854-3221. The class is limited to the first 60 students to enroll.

It is the policy of the Department that youth under the age of ten must be accompanied to and during the safety education courses by an adult or guardian at least sixteen years of age.

The Illinois huner education program consists of a minimum of 10 hours of instruction. The course covers the basics of hunter responsibility, wildlife conservation and identification, firearms and ammunition, field safety, wildlife management, first aid, archery, muzzle loading, and state regulations.