I actually didn't even have to take the course in the 1980s if I didn't want to. I was grandfathered in. I had gotten a small game hunting license in the 1970s (either before the course was required for a hunting license, or small game didn't require a certification at that time ... not sure which), and at that time if you could show an old license, that served the same function as a hunter safety certification for all future licenses, big or small game. I took the course in the 1980s just because I was curious what it was like, and then I decided to go ahead and take the test and get a proper certification card.
