Canada · every exam topic, chapter by chapter

Hunter education study guides

These are the subjects the hunter education exams actually test. Each page is written against the published curriculum for its course. That way you're studying what's examinable, not somebody's memory of it.

Nothing here interprets law, though. When a topic carries legal weight, the page flags it and points you to your own province's regulations rather than guessing.

Ready to test it? Try the BC CORE, Alberta, Ontario or CFSC practice exam, or pick from all the exams.

Firearms and ammunition

• Rimfire vs Centrefire AmmunitionRim or centre? Where the priming compound sits explains almost every other difference.
• Shotgun Gauges and Shot SizesBigger gauge number, smaller bore, plus why 20-gauge shells are yellow.
• Marksmanship FundamentalsWhy trigger control matters more than aim, and why dry fire is the cheapest training there is.
• Choosing a Cartridge for Canadian GamePick for the animal and the distance, not the name on the box.
• ACTS and PROVE ExplainedFour rules that never switch off, and a five-step check that a firearm is unloaded.
• Firearm Actions ExplainedFive actions from Chapter 2 of CORE, and why half-cock is not a safety.

Identifying your game

• Small Game and Furbearer IdentificationBody shape first, then tail. Colour is the cue that fails most often.
• Waterfowl Identification for HuntersSettle dabbler or diver first, then work out the species.
• Upland Bird IdentificationName it by where it flushed and how it went, then let plumage confirm it.
• Black Bear vs Grizzly IdentificationGo by shape rather than colour: the hump, the dished face, the claws.
• Deer Identification in CanadaCheck the tail, then the ears, then the gait, and leave antlers for last.
• Moose and Elk IdentificationCow or calf, bull or cow: read the face, the bell and the rump before the antlers.

Safety, survival and first aid

• Hunting Clothing and EquipmentA pack you could spend a night with, layers without cotton, and binoculars ahead of the scope.
• Hypothermia for HuntersMild, wet, windy days take more hunters than deep cold, and shivering that stops is a bad sign.
• Wilderness Survival Basics for HuntersShelter comes before fire, and three of anything means distress.
• First Aid Basics for HuntersSevere bleeding gets direct pressure. Shock gets caught early, if you know the signs.
• Map, Compass and GPS for HuntersCan you walk a bearing, then a back bearing home? Map and compass still work once the cold kills a phone battery.
• Wildlife Diseases Hunters Should KnowChronic wasting disease, tularemia, rabies, wild birds. Gloves and clean knives handle nearly all of it.
• Bear Safety and Bear SpraySpray belongs on your body, reachable in a second.
• Fitness and Vision in the FieldTired hunters handle guns worse, and at dawn and dusk your eyes switch to a different system.

Hunting skills

• Hunting Ethics ExplainedLaw sets the floor and ethics covers the rest, from fair chase to landowners to the five stages of a hunter.
• Hunting Techniques ExplainedStill hunt, sit a stand, or spot and stalk. The wind gets a say every time.
• How to Read a Regulations SynopsisFind your management unit first, then work outward.
• Shot Placement and Tracking BasicsHeart and lungs, broadside or quartering away. Most of the chapter is about when not to shoot.
• Field Dressing and Game CareMeat quality comes down to one job: cooling the carcass fast.
• How to Study for the Hunter ExamRead a chapter, test yourself, re-read the misses, and repeat.
• Canadian Hunting Terms GlossaryEighty terms in plain words, grouped the way the courses group them.
• Tree Stand SafetyFalls, not firearms, are what put stand hunters in hospital.
• Bowhunting Basics for New HuntersBowhunting happens at close range, where patience means letting a bad angle walk away.

Conservation

• Wildlife Conservation for HuntersHow many animals can a place hold? Carrying capacity, annual surplus, and who pays for habitat.

Calculators, flashcards and checklists

• Hunter Exam FlashcardsFlip any exam's questions as cards, sort them into review boxes, and drill your weakest topics.
• Ammo Cost CalculatorBox price, round count and a shipping quote in, delivered cost per round out. Two orders side by side.
• Hunting Gear and Range Day ChecklistsTick-box lists for the hunt, the range, field care and the truck, saved as you go and ready to print.
• Bullet Drop and Ballistics CalculatorDrop, wind drift, speed and energy to 500 yards or metres, for factory loads or your own.

How should you use these with the practice exams?

Read first, then test. The practice exams shuffle the questions and the answer order on every load. Score well twice and it's the material you know, not the layout. Still losing marks on one topic? Come back to its page here.

Still working out which course you need?

The licensing guides cover which credential each province wants, what it costs, and how long the whole thing takes. That is a separate question from what the exams test.