BILLINGS — With the general rifle season set to kick off Saturday, Friday was cause for celebration for hunters like Evan Trewhella, who say that hunter safety taught in school is basically a rite of passage in the Treasure State.

"Hunting has been a part of Montana’s culture ever since this state was founded. Even before, there were hunters all around," said Trewhella on Friday.

He's a born and raised Montanan who lives and breathes hunting. He learned the ins and outs in school hunter safety class when he was 12.

"Kids like me have been going hunting their whole lives with their families and they haven’t gotten to hunt. But once you go to hunters ed and you do it, you get to first chance to hunt for your first time," added Trewhella.

It's a rite of passage that he's glad other kids will get to go through.

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