The month of July starts the new hunting season and licenses go on sale Thursday for all experienced hunters.

If you are new to the hunting fraternity, you have a few things to do before you can take to the woods. Foremost of all, new hunters and trappers must participate in and pass the Pennsylvania Hunter-Trapper Education Course before buying a hunting license.

I think of the class that is held each year for 11- and 12- year-olds and recall when I took the test for the first time.

Our Boy Scout troop took the test as a Saturday activity and we were excited beyond belief. We were in Ligonier and a field trip to the Southwest Regional Game Commission Office was big stuff.

An outdoors group gave us a brown bag lunch and we were living the life. Then came the test. It was all about the materials we had be drilling in all morning, but I still had some anxiety about passing it.

What if I failed? I couldn't think of my family entering Penn's Woods in the fall hunting season without me because of a test.

The test was completed and I anxiously awaited my results. I knew about wearing fluorescent orange, game identification and even hunter ethics. But some areas were new to me to and I made educated guesses.

The test came back and I passed with only one error. The class instructor then took the test and we reviewed our answers one by one.

The one missed question that became burned into my brain?

"Which is more lethal, a .22 rifle or a deer rifle?"

My 12-year-old logic was that the deer rifle was more powerful and shot farther. The answer, of course, was C: Both are equally lethal if handled improperly.

Thus I learned a lifelong lesson about firearms and their potential deadliness, regardless of the cartridge size.

This is your opportunity to enroll in a practical lifelong educational experience. In fact, many adults take this test, as well as those for out-of-state licenses and foreign countries that demand such training.

Some parents take the course with their children and learn a lot about wildlife and firearms safety. Many of the classes require pre-registration while there are some that have an open-door policy.

There is no fee for the class, but you must attend the entire class and be at least 11 years old on the last day of the class.

Many classes are scheduled for July and into the fall. I strongly recommend that you take advantage of the summer months to educate your youngsters and not get into schedule conflicts after school starts.

Classes are being offered at these dates and locations:

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July 8 to 10: Happy Hunters Sportsman Club, preregister online at www.pgc.state.pa.us•

July 19 to 21: Butler City Hunting and Fishing Club, no pre-registration•

July 23 and 24: Boyers Sportsmen's Association, Epiphany Social Hall, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. No pre-registration required and a free lunch will be provided July 24.•

July 23 and 24: Cranberry Township Municipal Building, must preregister.•

July 29 to 31: Valley Dam Sportsman Association, must preregister.For information on preregistration and schedules visit www.pgc.state.us.Older hunters and trappers also can find classes being offered as refreshers and new requirements for trapping and hunting seasons.I know it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks, but sometimes we just plain forget the old rules and need to know the new ones, too!