A Hunter Education class is required by the State of California (and many others) in order to purchase a hunting license. To fulfill this requirement, volunteer Hunter Education Instructors hold classes throughout the state at various times. The classes in Goleta are held at the Goleta Valley Community Center. The classes begin prompty at 8:30 AM and continue until approximately 5:30 PM. Due to time constraints, there is no live fire with this course. However, the course still meets the state requirements for the issuance of a Hunter Education Certificate.  A 100 question test is administered at the end of class, and certificates are given out upon successful completion of the test (80%). There are a couple of short breaks during the day and a 1 hour lunch break. There are several restaurants (fast food and otherwise) in the area, but it is recommended that you bring whatever snacks you might want with you.

This is an intense class, which means it is sometimes hard for people to stay focused throughout the day, especially younger people. It is not unusual for students fail to pass the first time. This, however, is not necessarily a problem, since there is only a one-time fee and a student can come back and retake the test at the next scheduled class. There is no requirement to sit through the entire class to retake the test, however it never hurts to do so. We strongly suggest parents attend the class with their young child, although it is not a requirement.

Hunting accidents of all types have declined substantially since the start of the program. The California Hunter Safety Program began on January 1, 1954 with the passage of the Davis-Abshire Hunter Safety Training Law. The initial law required all junior hunters to take a Hunter Safety Class prior to obtaining their first hunting licenseand has now been expanded to all first time hunters.