Give the gift of safety

The holiday season is one of the most popular times of the year for parents to give their child a hunting rifle, an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or a snowmobile as a gift, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Therefore, it is also important to give them the second part of the gift: a safety training program offered by the DNR.

According to Captain Mike Hammer, DNR enforcement education program coordinator, it’s up to the parents to decide if the youngster is mature enough for shooting sports or operating a motorized recreational vehicle. It is also up to parents to decide if they themselves are prepared to teach safe firearm handling or safe recreational vehicle operation.

Stocking stuffers include snowmobile safety CD training courses, ATV CDs, a boat and water safety packet, off-highway motorcycle CDs and off-road vehicle CDs. All course materials are free by contacting the DNR Information Center at (651) 296-6157 or 1-888-646-6367 or info.dnr@state.mn.us.

Free hunter education courses and class locations can be found at www.mndnr.gov.

Tags: gift, local news, news, safety