New hunter, question about CORE online course. (did i do the right one?)

[Ryo]

You're probably fine. I read the core manual once, and passed the exam. Most is common sense, but practice your animal ID (dabbling vs. diving duck, sheep types, etc), and practice reading the regs.

wtite Friday, and get hunting!

[BigD_83]

The CORE exam doesn't ask many, if any questions about species identifications in the bird categories. From what I recall, anything along those lines would ask questions you could answer using the regs. The most important thing is to be familiar enough with the regs that you can navigate them, and find the information quickly.

The instructor-led course is always going to be slower than self-study, as there is a good amount of open-ended discussion. I covered way more information in my prep (both the online prep (good) AND an old CORE manual (better)) than the actual course, and in retrospect, I was easily prepared to challenge the exam. However, it was nice to glean some information from the instructor. As a new hunter, some of the real-world knowledge he was able to pass on was very helpful when getting started.

[Bonz]

curious how quick guys are able to do the in person part of the exam after they do the online portion?. heard of some waiting a while till a class was worthy of running.
most ive talked to refuse to do it for one or 2 guys with the poor pay they get now. so they wait till a class is full like before to make their time worth it

[Bonz]

if its anything like the boater course the page is timed to not let you advance till a set time has gone by. not sure if this is ran same way or not

[cmarrie]

You can challenge the CORE exam anytime, no need to do a course first. If you have proof of your Canadian Firearm Safety Course, then there's no hands-on firearms testing during the CORE exam.

Although a classroom CORE course for new hunters is strongly recommended, they have an accredited online course, huntercourse.com I think it is. If you passed the Silvercore quizzes, then you're likely fine for the CORE exam and not sure what the online would add as I've seen the online course and wasn't too impressed. But if you wanted to do the full online course, which is basically just an audio recording of someone reading the CORE manual chapter by chapter (like an e-book) with some cartoon pictures to go along with it (and a timer running so you can't skip ahead), then the huntercourse.com is what you wanted not the Silvercore.

[Bonz]

thought they did away with challenges, or was that only firearms that did

[TPK]

Just the PAL/RPAL are mandated courses now, you can still challenge the CORE test(s).

Having a PAL is no longer enough to get you out of the practical handling test for CORE due to the conversion of all POL's to PAL's. It's possible to have been "grandfathered" into a POL back in the day and you would never have had taken a CFSC class, now that POL is a PAL and the person still hasn't taken the course.

So, CORE Instructors are supposed to see your PAL course report as proof you took the course in order for you to be exempt from practical handling test. This may be difficult for some if it has been a while since they took their PAL and locating that paper work could be damn near impossible. The good news is that PAL Instructors have to retain that paper work for 7 years, so they can certainly provide it for you if you lost yours.

It's now a little worse ... PAL/RPAL instructors have a four page carbon copy type form for the course report, used to be we kept one copy, sent one to Miramichi, and gave TWO to the student. Now in BC we have to send one copy to Miramichi, one copy to the CFO in Surrrey, we keep one copy and the student only gets one copy which they need to submit with their application .. leaving them with no copy unless they photocopied the course report before sending in their application (which I STRONGLY encourage my students to do).

[BStrachan]

U took the online CORE course it took me just over a week to complete it but that's because 3 young kids and having to go to work. Once I completed the course I contacted a fellow who does the exams and I wrote my exam which too approximately 45 minutes and that was it done. Must say tho wasn't what I expected. Thought there would be more questions about safety. Good luck!

[Bag1]

My 11YO daughter completed her online core via BCWF website during her spring break then did the challenge with Kent at the firearms training center in cloverdale.
the challenge took her maybe an hour, the longest study section was the animal and bird ID sections. I was by her side for all of it and only offered some guidance in finding the correct answers, the practical was all her and she passed with flying colors.
funniest part was her buying a muley tag and the counterperson arguing she would share mine as a youth untill she showed pulled out her BC hunters card,