People in the Clearwater area who want to learn the basics of hunting and firearm safety don’t have to look very far, they can do so right in town. A DNR Youth Hunter Education and Firearm safety course is held in the back of the Clearwater Legion twice a year.

The course is actually a requirement for people born after December 31, 1979, to hunt in Minnesota, but it’s also beneficial to those who just want to learn the right way to shoot and handle guns. Although it’s considered a youth program, all ages are welcome to attend.

This year students taking the course will have the opportunity to learn about a larger variety of firearms due to a donation from the Clearwater Lions. 

“The guns we were able to purchase with the Lions’ donation enables us to provide students with a better education,” said volunteer instructor Brandon Hanebuth. “We bought seven guns with the funds. Two are pistols; one a slide action Beretta 22 and the other a revolver style Heritage 22. The other five are a variety of pump action shotguns. Having the different varieties and brands is helpful because they all have slight differences, like with their safety levers.”

This is Hanebuth’s eighth year teaching the program. When he was 11 he took the class himself and thought it would be cool to teach it. Years later, when it came time for his own kids to take the course, he contacted the DNR, then took classes to become a certified Youth Gun Safety Instructor. 

“Years ago there were two instructors holding the classes in the back of the Clearwater Legion, but there hadn’t been one in town for quite a while,” he said. “The Legion generously donated the back of their building so we could start holding classes again.”

Each course consists of five to six days of learning in the classroom and one day out in the field, where students get a chance to practice what they’ve learned. Carrying a firearm while walking, going over a fence, climbing up to a tree stand, and entering and leaving a boat are all part of the education, along with sitting, kneeling, and standing with one so Hanebuth can see their techniques. Two additional instructors are at the field days for safety and so students can split into groups, allowing them to have more time ‘doing’ rather than just watching.

Hanebuth works to make field day fun by throwing frisbees up in the air for the students to attempt to hit and playing ‘shoot don’t shoot’ types of games. In one, he hides two hunting caps, one orange and one camouflage, near a dummy of a deer and has the students try to spot both from a variety of distances.

Because it’s a mandatory course for hunters, Hanebuth stressed they want to keep it free. The only stipulation is that students must be at least 12 years old. Along with the classroom students have the option to take the course online, with the field day as the only face to face class. 

“On behalf of myself and the Clearwater program, I’d like to deeply thank the Clearwater Lions for their support and the Legion for their hospitality,” said Hanebuth. 

Those interested in taking a hunting and gun safety course can go to the DNR’s website at dnr.state.mn.us for more information and to sign up. There are two Clearwater courses, one in the spring and the other in the fall.