The Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Education (CORE) program is British Columbia's Hunter Education Program for anyone interested in outdoor recreation. It is mandatory for everyone 14 years of age or older wishing to obtain a Hunter Number Card which is, in turn, required to purchase a hunting licence. You must have successfully completed the CORE program or another recognized hunter education course in North America.
The Rod and Gun Club strongly supports the CORE program as a path for individuals of all ages to safely participate in the great outdoor activity of hunting. Since it's inception in 1974, the CORE program has made hunting one of the safest forms of outdoor activities by substantially reducing the number of accidents and injuries.
The CORE program consists of a practical firearms handling test and a written examination on the the following subjects:
*Conservation *Ethics *Laws and Regulations *First Aid and Survival
*Firearm Safety *Animal Identification *Bird Identification
The CORE Manual and the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis are the resource manuals used to learn these subjects.
The Hunter Safety Training Regulation prescribes the required fees for the CORE Program is $10. for each test and $30 for the graduation certificate.
Local instructors offer a course to prepare students to take the CORE exams. The Rod & Gun Club highly recommends that all new hunters take this instruction. For information on dates and fees, contact:
Beth Hurst
The Creston Valley Rod & Gun Club supports the CORE Program and new hunters by:
1. Paying the $30.00 graduate certificate fee for all successful youth (under 18).
2. Providing up to one bursary each year to pay the course fee for an individual (also under 18) for whom this would represent a financial hardship. For details on applying for the bursary, please call Mike Keeling at 250-428-7329.
3. A $50.00 gift certificate is awarded each year to the youth who achieves the top score on the written exam upon completion of the classroom course.
Support for the youth portion of the CORE Programme, including the top student award and certificate fees has been made possible by community donations to the Bruce Avery Memorial Fund.
