Effective August 1, 2009, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources changed their guidelines for distance learning. Students are now required to spend a minimum amount of time on each course page before proceeding to the certification exam.

Click here to go to the latest version of the Today's Hunter in Indiana online course—the official hunter education course of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

Shotgun Choke and Shot String

When a shotshell is fired from a shotgun, the pellets leave the barrel and begin to spread or scatter. The farther the pellets travel, the greater the spread of the group of pellets (shot) both in length and diameter. This spread is called the shot string. To control the shot string, shotgun barrels have a choke, which will affect the shot pattern when the shot string hits the target.