PIERRE — The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department recently announced it has partnered with the National Rifle Association to provide a free online hunter education course option.

“The NRA is honored to partner with GFP to provide our free course for it’s state residents,” said Peter Churchbourne, managing director for NRA Hunting. “This course is provided and funded by the NRA Foundation and our members to offer American hunters with a free online hunter education alternative that allows the wildlife agency to earn valuable match credit for Pittman Robertson funding.”

With the addition of the online NRA course, there are now three online hunter education courses students can choose from. Each course provides the necessary certification for the student to receive their Hunter Safety and Firearms Education (HuntSAFE) card, but allows the student to pick between different levels of course interaction and cost.

Course costs range from free to $49.95. All course options follow state field day requirements where any student younger than 16 years old will receive a field day voucher and will be required to attend an in-person field day. Students 16 or older will receive their certification after completing their online course.

Available in-person HuntSAFE classes and Field Days can be found online. Participants are encouraged to register early and get their courses completed prior to fall as classes will fill up quickly.