LAST EDITED ON May-16-17 AT 01:44PM (MST)[p]If you've been teaching your kids proper weapons safety, hunting and shooting ethics for a while, and your kids are proficient with weapons I think the online course would be the better route. I know for myself, when I was a kid, hunter's ed wasn't necessary because I grew up in the treestand with my father and grandfather. My step-father was a weapons sgt and instructor in the Army for many years, and he drilled firearm safety into me starting around the age of 6.
If your kids don't have confidence with weapons, I think a classroom setting could help with that. As a Hunter's Ed instructor myself, I've seen a number of kids who had confidence issues overcome that barrier by learning with peers in their age group.
Regardless, most of the responsibility in developing a child's hunting ethics and safety relies on the parent or mentor. Hunter's ed is simply a foundation to start with.
"The man on top of the mountain didn't fall there." -Vince Lombardi