Alaska Hunter Education Practice Test 2026: Practice test 4

1. Question 1 of 25

   How do white-tailed deer antlers usually grow?

   • AThey fork, and each fork forks again
   • BThey grow straight back from the head with no points
   • CPoints grow up from one main beam on each side
   • DThey are flat and wide like a shovel
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Points grow up from one main beam on each side

   Mule deer antlers fork into branches. White-tailed deer points rise from a main beam.

2. Question 2 of 25

   You see movement and hear a noise in the brush. What should you do?

   • AFire a warning shot
   • BWait until you can clearly see and identify the animal
   • CFire at the sound, since deer are the only animals there
   • DShoot quickly before it leaves
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Wait until you can clearly see and identify the animal

   Never shoot at sound, movement or color. Hunters are sometimes mistaken for game.

3. Question 3 of 25

   What does "fair chase" mean?

   • AHunting without an unfair or improper advantage over the animal
   • BChasing game with a vehicle until it gets too tired to run any farther
   • CGiving the animal a head start
   • DShooting only running animals
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Hunting without an unfair or improper advantage over the animal

   Fair chase shows respect for the animal and for hunting.

4. Question 4 of 25

   Why is shooting from a road or vehicle a poor choice?

   • AIt gives the best backstop
   • BIt is the safest way to hunt
   • CIt is unsafe, unfair to the animal, and illegal in many states
   • DIt is required on public land so hunters do not damage the habitat
   Show answer

   Answer: C. It is unsafe, unfair to the animal, and illegal in many states

   Roads are used by people, and shooting from them often breaks fair chase and the law.

5. Question 5 of 25

   Why should you avoid long-range or running shots at big game?

   • AThey are always illegal
   • BThey are more likely to wound the animal than kill it quickly
   • CThey damage your gun
   • DThey are only a problem for bowhunters, not for hunters with rifles
   Show answer

   Answer: B. They are more likely to wound the animal than kill it quickly

   Take only shots you are confident will hit the vital area.

6. Question 6 of 25

   What happened to the passenger pigeon?

   • AIt moved to Europe
   • BIt became common in cities
   • CIt became extinct, largely from unregulated market hunting and habitat loss
   • DIt nearly died out but was restored by hunters and is common again in eastern forests
   Show answer

   Answer: C. It became extinct, largely from unregulated market hunting and habitat loss

   The last known passenger pigeon died in 1914. Its loss helped build support for wildlife laws.

7. Question 7 of 25

   You pull the trigger and nothing happens. What should you do first?

   • ATurn to show your partner
   • BOpen the action right away and look inside the chamber to see what went wrong
   • CLook down the barrel
   • DKeep the muzzle in a safe direction and wait before opening the action
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Keep the muzzle in a safe direction and wait before opening the action

   A cartridge may fire late (a hang fire). Wait with the muzzle pointed safely, then unload carefully.

8. Question 8 of 25

   You fall into cold water. What should you do first?

   • ATake off your life jacket so you can swim faster to the shore
   • BSwim hard to shore right away
   • CKeep your head above water and get your breathing under control
   • DShout until you are tired
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Keep your head above water and get your breathing under control

   Cold shock causes gasping for about the first minute. Control your breathing, then act.

9. Question 9 of 25

   What should duck hunters wear in a boat?

   • AHeavy waders only
   • BNothing extra
   • CA life jacket only if they cannot swim
   • DA life jacket (PFD) at all times
   Show answer

   Answer: D. A life jacket (PFD) at all times

   A fall overboard into cold water can quickly become deadly, and a life jacket only helps if you are wearing it.

10. Question 10 of 25

    Is it acceptable to leave edible game meat to spoil in the field?

    • AYes, at the end of the season
    • BNo. Wasting game is unethical and illegal in many states
    • CYes, for small game
    • DYes, as long as you take the antlers and the hide home
    Show answer

    Answer: B. No. Wasting game is unethical and illegal in many states

    Ethical hunters use the meat of the animals they take.

11. Question 11 of 25

    How can hunters help slow chronic wasting disease (CWD)?

    • AMove whole carcasses across the state to share the meat with family
    • BFeed deer in groups during the winter
    • CIgnore sick deer
    • DFollow carcass movement rules and have deer tested when asked
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Follow carcass movement rules and have deer tested when asked

    CWD is a fatal disease of deer, elk and moose.

12. Question 12 of 25

    If you get lost, what does "STOP" stand for?

    • AStop, Think, Observe, Plan
    • BShout, Turn, Off-trail, Panic
    • CStart, Turn, Open, Proceed
    • DSearch, Travel, Orient, Push on
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Stop, Think, Observe, Plan

    Staying calm and making a plan is the first survival step.

13. Question 13 of 25

    What should you do right after shooting at a deer?

    • AShoot again into the brush where it went, to make sure it stays down for good
    • BChase it right away so it cannot get far
    • CWatch where it goes, mark where it stood, and wait quietly before tracking
    • DLeave if it did not fall
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Watch where it goes, mark where it stood, and wait quietly before tracking

    Waiting lets a hit animal lie down nearby, and marking the spot helps you find the trail.

14. Question 14 of 25

    Which animal position offers the best shot at the vitals?

    • AFacing toward you at long range
    • BFacing straight away
    • CRunning
    • DBroadside or quartering away
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Broadside or quartering away

    These angles give the clearest path to the heart and lungs.

15. Question 15 of 25

    How should you hand a firearm to another person?

    • AMuzzle first
    • BUnloaded, with the action open and the muzzle pointed safely
    • CBy tossing it gently
    • DWith the action closed and the safety on, so it is ready to use
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Unloaded, with the action open and the muzzle pointed safely

    An open action lets the other person see that the firearm cannot fire.

16. Question 16 of 25

    How should you approach big game that appears to be dead?

    • AFrom behind and slightly uphill, watching for movement, ready for a follow-up shot
    • BQuickly, without your gun
    • CFrom the front, near the antlers, so you can look closely at its eyes and nose
    • DBy poking it with your foot from the front
    Show answer

    Answer: A. From behind and slightly uphill, watching for movement, ready for a follow-up shot

    A wounded animal can suddenly get up. Approach carefully and watch the eyes and chest.

17. Question 17 of 25

    Which is the best backstop for a shot?

    • AThe open sky above a wide field
    • BA pond behind the target
    • CA flat rock
    • DA hill or dirt bank behind the target
    Show answer

    Answer: D. A hill or dirt bank behind the target

    Dirt stops bullets safely. Water and rock cause ricochets.

18. Question 18 of 25

    You fall and snow gets into the muzzle. What should you do before shooting again?

    • AUnload and check that the barrel is clear
    • BFire a shot to clear it
    • CShake it and keep hunting
    • DBlow into the muzzle to push the snow out
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Unload and check that the barrel is clear

    A blocked barrel can burst when fired. Always check the bore after a fall.

19. Question 19 of 25

    In carry 2 of the diagram, a break-action shotgun is open over the forearm. Why is this a good choice when walking with others?

    • AIt keeps the shells warm and dry
    • BEveryone can see the gun is open and cannot fire
    • CIt is the only carry allowed by federal law when hunting in groups
    • DIt is the fastest way to shoot
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Everyone can see the gun is open and cannot fire

    The open action shows the gun is safe, and the muzzle points at the ground ahead.

20. Question 20 of 25

    How should broadhead-tipped arrows be carried?

    • AIn a back pocket
    • BIn a quiver with a hood that covers the broadheads
    • CLoose in your hand
    • DTucked in your belt, with the sharp tips pointing down
    Show answer

    Answer: B. In a quiver with a hood that covers the broadheads

    Broadheads are razor sharp and can cause serious cuts in a fall.

21. Question 21 of 25

    Who sets the standards that hunter education courses across North America are built on?

    • AEach hunting store
    • BThe National Park Service
    • CThe Federal Aviation Administration
    • DThe International Hunter Education Association (IHEA)
    Show answer

    Answer: D. The International Hunter Education Association (IHEA)

    State and provincial courses are developed to standards set with IHEA-USA and IHEA-Canada.

22. Question 22 of 25

    Why should you field dress big game quickly?

    • ATo take better photos
    • BTo attract other deer
    • CBecause the law requires it within one minute
    • DTo cool the meat fast and prevent spoilage
    Show answer

    Answer: D. To cool the meat fast and prevent spoilage

    Body heat and bacteria spoil meat. Remove the organs and let it cool.

23. Question 23 of 25

    What is the difference between antlers and true horns?

    • AAntlers are shed every year; true horns usually grow for life
    • BHorns are shed every spring
    • CThere is no difference
    • DAntlers are made of keratin, like fingernails, and are never shed
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Antlers are shed every year; true horns usually grow for life

    Deer, elk and moose grow antlers. Bison, sheep and goats grow horns.

24. Question 24 of 25

    Where must your fingers be when you shoot a crossbow?

    • ABelow the rail, out of the string's path
    • BOver the top of the rail
    • CIn front of the bolt to help guide it
    • DOn the string
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Below the rail, out of the string's path

    A crossbow string can cause serious injury to fingers in its path.

25. Question 25 of 25

    What did the Dingell-Hart amendments of 1970 and 1972 add?

    • AA ban on all handguns
    • BA federal hunting license required in every state for all hunters over 16
    • CA tax on hunting dogs
    • DExcise taxes on handguns and archery gear, partly for hunter education
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Excise taxes on handguns and archery gear, partly for hunter education

    These taxes help pay for hunter education programs and target ranges.

Keyboard: 1–4 to answer, Enter for the next question.