does my granddaughter who is 15 and is going to be in my deer stand hunting with me . still need a hunters education certificate? from what ive read she does not as long as she is prysically with me..and has a hunting license.she got a deferal last year,,long story dont know why she didnt get a certfiicate last year. she shot her first deer after she got her deferal..i know you do not need one to get your license..

Because of her age, she does not need HE if she is hunting within normal speaking distance from you. Also, a deferral is only necessary for those 17 or older who are then required to take HE if they wish to hunt, period. And even with a deferral, they must be within normal speaking distance of a certified hunter. Your daughter does not need a deferral until she turns 17.

Simply put, HE makes it legal for anyone born on or after after September 2, 1971 to hunt alone, so long as they are 9 years old or older. A deferral is only required for those 17 and older. Kids under the age of 9 can only hunt with a certified adult.

I don’t know if the system will flag the fact that she already used the deferral option even though she did not require it, making it impossible for her to buy one when she turns 17 and requires it if she hasn’t completed HE.

Thanks,Dan!

I thought it was required for everyone

Not us old Farts.....

Not if a youth is hunting next to you until they hit 17. Or your're an ole geezer.

She might as well just get it out of the way for down the road. Just have her do the online NRA course for FREE (I think you still have to pay the $5 state fee when you've completed it) so that it's done for when she needs it. She can easily have it done before the weekend and let's be honest - it's probably a good thing to do it.

The online option is only available to those 17 and older. Younger kids (16 and younger) must take the classroom course if they want to get certified and hunt alone.

Ahhh, well there you go. Don't listen to me, listen to TX Dan, he knows better than I :P

I took my 12 year old to get his HE in September in Conroe.
It was sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. They paid all fees, rented the space at the gun range, and even brought barbecue for lunch.

I'm happy to see him get his HE, but I would definitely add that it is a great family activity to learn proper gun handling and hunting ethics.

You must be at least 9 to take HE. From 9 through 16 you must take HE to hunt alone and be within voice distance of a licensed hunter who is at min 17 and has taken hunter ED and licensed or was born before 9/2/71 and is licensed You can from 9 through 16 hunt with out hunt ED as long as you are with someone who meets the previous criteria.

I guess I should or said any newer hunters. I know that the old guys don’t need it

....is a revenue generating racket, for when hunters don’t have a copy on them.

I'm not required to have it...but... took it the first time in a PE alternative class in Jr High, around 1975.
Took it again in a different PE alternative class about a year and a half later.
Did it a third time in an ROTC class in fall of 1980.
And lastly, took the class with my son when he was about 10.

I think I'm covered.

Sounds like you are over qualified and won't be able to hunt.

I took it back in 1979 for a CO hunting trip that required birthday on and after Jan. 1 1950 (I think?) ... as there was a guy in my class who had a Jan. 1, 1950 (I think?) birthday and he was ticked he had to take it for only one day late.

Which number shows up on your license? I also took it in college back in '77 before I went on an out of state hunt, and somehow TPWD managed to keep up with the record all this time and a few years ago it started showing up on my license. I thought that was pretty impressive.