Hunter Education Requirement

Persons born on or after Jan. 1, 1973, must present one of the following to purchase any hunting license:

• Their Wisconsin hunter education certificate.
• Proof of a hunter safety course recognized by the department from another state, province or country.
• A Wisconsin hunting license from a previous year that has the hunter safety number printed on it.
• Proof of successful completion of basic training in the U.S. Armed Forces, Reserves or National Guard. 

If a person has not completed hunter education, that hunter may only obtain a license that requires hunting with a mentor in compliance with the Hunting Mentorship Program.

A parent or guardian who is at least 18 years of age must accompany hunters who are ages 12 to 13 and who have completed hunter education. Accompanied means within sight and voice contact without the aid of any mechanical or electronic amplifying device other than a hearing aid. Persons under the age of 12 may not hunt unless participating in a DNR Learn to Hunt event or the Hunting Mentorship Program. Persons under age 18 may not possess firearms for non-hunting purposes unless accompanied by an adult, except that persons ages 14–17 who have completed hunter education can possess legal shotguns and rifles without being accompanied by an adult.

Hunting Mentorship Program

The Hunting Mentorship Program allows hunters of any age to obtain a hunting license and hunt without first completing a hunter education course, with the following requirements:

• The hunter must: 1) hunt within arm’s reach of a mentor, regardless of age; 2) possess appropriate hunting license(s), permit(s) and tag(s); and 3) comply with all hunting laws, seasons and bag limits.
• The mentor must: 1) be at least 18 years old; 2) be a hunter education graduate, unless born before Jan. 1, 1973, or have completed basic training with the Armed Forces; 3) be the hunter’s parent or guardian or have the permission of the hunter’s parent or guardian before acting as a mentor for the hunter if the hunter is under the age of 18; 4) possess a current Wisconsin hunting license (the type of license does not matter unless attempting to harvest game); and 5) must only serve as a mentor for one mentee at a time.

Note: Mentors are exempt from the need for a hunting license if: 1) hunting on a licensed bird or deer hunting preserve; 2) hunting on land the mentor owns or occupies.

For a species for which the mentor does not require a license to hunt, both the hunter and the mentor may possess a weapon while participating in the hunting mentorship program. Adults may not hunt ducks during the youth waterfowl hunt. For more information on the Hunter Mentorship Program, visit the Mentored Hunting webpage.

Armed Forces Members

People who provide proof of successfully completing basic training in the U.S. Armed Forces, Reserves or National Guard are exempt from hunter education requirements.