Hunting & Firearms Courses

Information

What is CORE?

The Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Education (CORE) Program is British Columbia's Hunter Education Program. It is also a great program for anyone interested in outdoor recreation.

The CORE Program consists of a practical firearms handling test, and a written examination on all of the following subjects:

Conservation
Ethics
Law and Regulations
First Aid and Survival
Firearm Safety
Animal Identification
Bird Identification

The CORE Manual and the Hunting and Trapping Regulation Synopsis are the resource manuals used to learn these subjects.

BC Residents who are 14 years of age or older and who wish to obtain a hunting licence are required to complete the CORE Program.

The goal of the CORE Program is to ensure that prospective hunters meet acceptable standards of knowledge and skill for safe and ethical participation in hunting recreation.

The Hunter Safety Training Regulation prescribes the required fees for the CORE Program is $10 for each test and $30 for the graduate certificate.

Individuals who have completed a hunter education program from another state or province in North America are exempt from the requirement to complete the CORE Program. Contact the Government Agent at BC Access Centres for more details on program exemption.

Designated Agency
	The B.C. Wildlife Federation (BCWF) operates the CORE Program on behalf of the Ministry of Environment.
CORE Examiners
	CORE Examiners are appointed under provincial regulation. They may conduct examinations and issue graduation certificates.
	CORE Examiners should be able to inform you of where and when courses and/or examinations sessions are being conducted, and how to obtain the CORE Manual and the Hunting and Trapping Regulation Synopsis in your community.
	CORE Examiners names can be obtained from the Government agent, Ministry of Environment, or by calling the BCWF at 1-888-881-2293.
Exam preparation by:
	Enrolling in a CORE Course or
	Completing a program of self-study
Who teaches the CORE & PAL Courses?
	Independent instructors offer CORE Courses. The student should ensure that the course offered is of the quality, content and length appropriate for their learning requirements. Instructors offering CORE Courses should provide complete examination preparation and may make arrangements for testing by CORE Examiners. Discuss these arrangements with the instructor.
	You should ask the independent instructor if the course fee includes all costs: the manual, examination fees and graduate certificate fees. The fees for a CORE Course vary greatly and are not prescribed by regulation.
Can I study on my own?
	Individuals may choose the self-study method to prepare for the examinations. It is suggested that you allow approximately 24 hours to study the CORE Manual and use of the Hunting and Trapping Regulation Synopsis.
	The CORE Manual explains the self-study method and has sample questions to prepare you for the written examinations. A combination of reading, previous firearms handling experience and training, or tutoring maybe required to prepare you for the firearms practical examination.
	You may also wish to try the Introduction to Hunter Education Internet course as another tool for self-study for the CORE Examinations. Check out the website www.ihea.com for more details.

Once you feel ready to take the examinations contact the CORE Examiner in your area. CORE Examiners operate on their own schedule and should be contacted well in advance of the desired examination date to arrange a mutually agreeable time and location for testing.

The examination process
	Prior to starting the examinations, the CORE Examiner will have you complete a registration form. Until both exams have been successfully completed, the registration form may be kept by the student to be shown to an examiner each time an examination is taken, otherwise the record of the success completion of a test may be lost.
Two tests required
	The written examination consists of 75 multiple-choice questions based on the CORE Manual and the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis.
	You must obtain at least 56 points overall to pass the written examination. Supplemental information from the CORE Manual is not tested.
	There is no time limit for the written examination. Upon completion of the test, the examiner will provide the results to the student. A failed exam must be retaken on a date other than the day the test was failed. Each time an examination is taken, a $10 fee is payable to the examiner.
	The practical firearms handling examination requires the safe handling of two of the five types of firearm actions, including the identification and loading/unloading use of dummy ammunition. A minimum score of 21 out of 27 is required for a pass. The examiner will provide the firearms.

Individuals who have satisfactorily completed the Canadian Firearm Safety Course (CFSC) need not complete the CORE practical firearm-handling examination.

You must provide the CORE Examiner with either the completed CFSC report form showing successful test completion or a Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) to be exempted the practical firearms handling examination.

A Possession Only Licence (POL) is NOT acceptable for the exemption to the CORE practical firearms handling exam.

Graduation Certificate
	When both examinations have been successfully completed, the examiner will give the student the results of the exam. The student must send this form, along with a $30 administration fee payable to the BCWF, to obtain a graduation certificate, which can then be presented to the Government Agent to obtain a hunters license.
	You will need to take this graduation certificate to the local government agent and request a BC Resident Hunter Number Card (RHNC). There is no cost for the RHNC. Before a RHNC is issued, you will have to prove that you are a BC resident and that you meet the minimum age requirements.

With your RHNC you may purchase a hunting licence and enter the limited entry-hunting draw.

Information obtained from: BC Wildlife Federation