Students at the recent Kenai muzzleloader training course shoot to demonstrate proficiency.

Kenai National Wildlife Refuge has teamed up with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and local Kenai Peninsula volunteer hunter education instructors to offer muzzleloader training.  The Refuge has offered basic hunter education and bowhunter education for many years, but now will work collaboratively to offer the one day "black powder" course that teaches hunters the safe handling and use of muzzleloading firearms and requires that they prove proficiency with such weapons to pass the course.  Once students are certified they are eligible to participate in State sponsored hunting opportunities where weapons are limited to muzzleloading firearms.  Muzzleloaders are considered primitive weapons with a limited effective distance and therefore are ideal for use in more developed areas or where additional hunting opportunity can be offered without drastically increasing harvest.  The first course was delivered recently and all 12 students successfully passed both the written and shooting portions of the course.  For more information contact Kenai National Wildlife Refuge at (907) 262-7021 or the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Hunter Information and Training Program.