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Hunter
Education
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It's no accident that
hunting is a safe activity. That's because today's hunters are better
educated than ever before. They're going into the field knowing
how to hunt safely and responsibly ... a knowledge provided by hunter
education courses.
New Hampshire's Hunter
Education Program -- coupled with the voluntary use of hunter orange
clothing -- has dramatically helped to reduce the number of hunting-related
firearms incidents in the field. Our education programs have also
contributed to a decline in the number of hunters becoming lost
and teaches responsible, ethical conduct in the field.
If you need a class (see "The Law" below)
or just want to refresh your knowledge of safe and responsible hunting,
then don't delay -- sign up for
a hunter education course or home study option.
For more information
on courses, past records, or other issues, contact the Hunter
Education
Program at hunter-ed@wildlife.nh.gov or (603) 271-3214.
The Law
Hunters and trappers in New Hampshire must attend training courses
specific to the license type they wish to purchase. By state law,
anyone planning to buy a basic hunting license, archery hunting
license or trapping license must complete the respective hunter,
bowhunter or trapper education course. Individuals may purchase
each of these licenses by showing a certificate or completion from
the appropriate course, or a previously issued license of the same
type.
Course
Descriptions
NOTE: There is a $5.00 fee to attend any hunter, bowhunter or trapper education course, payable on the first day of the course. This minimal fee helps defray the cost of facilities and materials. Thank you.
Basic
Hunter Education
Fish and Game's Hunter Education Course is more than a "gun
safety" class. The basic mandatory course consists of classroom
instruction and field experiences and usually includes firing on
a shooting range. Each course is taught by trained, certified volunteer
instructors and the local conservation officer according to statewide
standards. The course covers the following topics:
- firearms and safety and handling
- hunter ethics and responsibility
- outdoor
safety and survival skills
- introduction to muzzleloading & bowhunting
- wildlife identification and management
- game trailing, recovery and care
- N.H hunting laws
Students are provided with a course handbook,
a wildlife identification guide, outdoor survival information and
additional handouts.
Courses involve lectures and demonstrations by
instructors, homework, field experiences and a test at the end.
The average course length is 16 hours.
Bowhunter Education
The interest in hunting with bow and arrow has increased dramatically
in recent years. Important differences between hunting with a firearm
and hunting with archery equipment make education vital to the future
of bowhunting.
As with basic hunter education, this course emphasizes
safety and responsibility. Students discuss safety and ethical situations
unique to bowhunting, and learn how archery techniques can differ
from those used with firearms. Other topics in the 8 to 12-hour
course include archery equipment, game anatomy, shot placement,
tree stand safety, game recovery and more. Students must pass a
written exam and field experience.
Trapper
Education
A trapper education course teaches participants how to responsibly
trap furbearing animals and provides a foundation of knowledge upon
which to build. Topics in the 8 to 12-hour include proper trapping
equipment and use, responsible trap-setting, the importance of good
wildlife management practices, and habits and traits of furbearers.
Students must pass a written exam and field experience. For information
on class availability, please call (603) 271-3214.
To take
a course
Don't wait until hunting season to take a course; it'll be too late!
Most courses are offered in the late summer and early fall prior
to the start of hunting seasons. Courses are also offered in the
spring. Completion of a spring course gives you time to become familiar
with equipment, terrain and hunting techniques.
Volunteer instructors schedule each course. Some
are completed in a weekend, while others may run for a few weeks,
plus a Saturday or Sunday.
To receive a certificate of completion in basic
hunter education or bowhunter education, you must be at least 12
years old by the completion of the course.
Costs: There are no costs for materials
or instruction. Some courses may charge a nominal fee ($5 maximum)
to cover the use of facilities and minor instructor expenses.
Special provisions: Provisions will be made for
people with reading difficulties or physical disabilities.
To find out when and where courses are being
held, click here for a schedule,
or call New Hampshire Fish and Game's Hunter Education Program at
(603) 271-3214. Or, look for the outdoor page in the New Hampshire
Sunday News sports section.
Youth hunters
To receive a certificate of completion in
basic hunter education or bowhunter education, you must be at least
12 years old by the completion of the course.
Youth hunters should try to complete the hunter
education course sometime between the age of 12 and their 16th birthday.
Then they will have the required hunter education certification
when they apply for their first hunting license after they turn
16. For more on youth hunting in New
Hampshire, click here.
The instructors
Each year, Fish and Game's Hunter Education Program provides more
than 100 courses on hunting with firearms and bow and arrow. These
are attended by a total of roughly 3,000 students and taught by
more than 500 volunteer instructors trained by the New Hampshire
Fish and Game Department.
To become a certified volunteer instructor,
you must:
- Successfully complete the basic course as
a student and complete the appropriate application,
- Be at least 18 years old with a record free
of convictions,
- Complete an instructor training course, including
a written examination,
- Join an existing team of instructors or organize
a new team.
Click
here to learn about becoming a volunteer Hunter Education Instructor.
Click here for the current Hunter
Ed Instructor Training and Workshop Schedule.
Lost your certification card? We can help!
If you have previously taken and passed the New Hampshire Hunter, Bowhunter or Trapper Education Course you may request a replacement card. All requests for replacement cards can be made in writing or in person. There is a $2.00 charge for this service. If you have taken the course in another state, you will have to contact that state agency to issue you a duplicate card.
Every attempt will be made to issue a replacement card. In cases where we have no record of a person taking the course, we cannot issue a replacement card and the course will have to be taken over.
New Hampshire Fish and Game recognizes certificates
from other hunter education programs run by states and provinces
in North America.
We do not fax copies of cards.
You must provide the following information:
- Full name
- Present mailing address
- Date of birth
- Daytime phone number
- $2.00 fee
You can mail to New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, Hunter Education Program, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03301.
Click here for a printable request form to send in.
Wildlife
Restoration in Action
 Hunter
education is made possible because of the Federal
Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act.
Here's how it works: Excise taxes are collected
from the sales of firearms, ammunition and archery equipment. These
funds are distributed to state agencies to conduct research, manage
wildlife populations, protect habitat and conduct hunter education
programs.
It's a great example of a user pay-user benefit
system. Hunters and target shooters ultimately pay the excise taxes.
They enjoy the benefits, namely opportunities for safe and satisfying
hunting.
Educating safe and responsible hunters in New
Hampshire wouldn't be nearly as successful as it is without the
Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act.
There are over 500 volunteer hunter education
instructors in New Hampshire. Their donated time is used as a match,
enabling Fish and Game to receive enough federal funds to cover
the entire costs of coordinating New Hampshire's Hunter Education
Program.
So the next time you buy a gun, ammunition or
archery equipment, remember that you're helping to fund wildlife
management and hunter education. |
