No getting around it, first time and young hunter wannabes in Nevada have to take a hunter education class before they can buy their license and go hunting.

Now with the addition of an internet based course, new hunters in the Silver State have another option for meeting part of their hunter education requirement and getting into the field.

Nevada law requires anyone born after Jan. 1, 1960 and who hasn't successfully completed a hunter education course in another state take a class before purchasing a hunting license.

Nevada's course, administered by the Nevada Department of Wildlife has two components: home study, where students complete course materials, followed by an instructor-led course.

Until recently, home study meant picking up a free workbook and student manual at a department office, while allowing adequate time to complete the workbook before the class date arrives.

Often this isn't easy or convenient with busy school, sports or work schedules competing for students and parent's time and attention.

And with the price of gas hovering around $3 a gallon it may not be very economical to drive across town -- or in rural areas, across county -- to get books.

Now with the advent of the online hunter education course students can skip the trip to the departemtn and complete their pre-class work on their computer without ever leaving home.

To get started, students simply go to www.hunter-ed.com and click on the link to the Nevada course.

The course is user-friendly and self paced; students can study as much or as little as they want and take as many practice tests as they feel necessary for free. When ready to take the online course completion exam, students pay a $15 fee, pass or fail.

Once they pass the exam, students print out their Online Course Completion Confirmation that serves as proof of completion of their pre-class work and gains them admittance to a department hunter education class.

After completing the class students will be issued their official Nevada Hunter Education Certificate and be eligible to purchase a hunting license.

The certificate is good for life and is recognized as proof of hunter education throughout North America.

The department offers hunter education classes across the state throughout the year.

Taught by volunteer instructors, the class costs $5, payable at the door to the instructor.

Go to NDOW's Web site at www.ndow.org for more information or to view class schedules.

With Nevada's big game tag application period just around the corner the annual rush for hunter education classes is coming.

The difference this year is that for the first time hunter ed students have the option of hitting the books or surfing the net.