Welcome to NH Hunter Education!

Today's hunters are better educated than ever before. They're going into the field knowing how to hunt safely, responsibly and ethically ... knowledge provided by the New Hampshire Hunter Education Program. Coupled with the voluntary use of hunter orange clothing, Hunter Education has dramatically helped to reduce the number of hunting-related firearms incidents in the field.

By state law, anyone planning to buy a basic hunting license, archery or trapping license must complete the respective hunter, bowhunter, or trapper education course, or show a previously issued license of the same type. Courses run from January through October, with many courses in the spring and summer months. Fall courses fill quickly -- don't wait until it's too late and miss your chance to hunt!

If you fail to find a course that meets your needs, check back periodically. The sites are updated as new courses are scheduled.

Owl Brook Hunter Education Center CLICK HERE for more information on the center.
The N.H. Fish and Game Department's Owl Brook Hunter Education Center is dedicated to educating people in the knowledge, skills and behaviors needed to become safe and responsible hunters, trappers and stewards of the state's natural resources.

Info for
CURRENT
INSTRUCTORS

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of courses are available?
What does it cost?
Do I need to take a Hunter Education course?
What are the age requirements for Hunter Education?
What will I learn in Hunter Education?
What if my Certification Card is lost or destroyed?

BECOME AN
INSTRUCTOR
How do I contact the Hunter Education office?
Existing Hunter Ed Volunteer Instructor Workshop and Meeting Schedule
Becoming a Hunter Education Instructor

What kinds of courses are available?

Traditional Hunter Education Course CLICK HERE (will launch new window) to register for a Tradition Hunter Education Course. Pre-registration is REQUIRED. the course material is taught in a classroom setting, with the field portions, live fire and practical exam occurring at a fish and game shooting or outing club. to successfully complete the course, you must attend all classes, score at least 80% on the written exam, and pass the practical skills test (pass/fail). Please note: A New Hampshire Traditional Hunter Education Course will NOT qualify students for a Massachusetts FID.
Online Hunter Education Course and Field Day Schedule to take the online Hunter Ed course CLICK HERE (will launch new window). You must be at least 15 years or older to get your certification online. Field Days can fill quickly and completion of this online course does not guarantee you a spot at a Field Day. Since Field Day options are limited, please ensure that a Field Day is offered in your area before taking the online exam.
Please check our website starting February 2012 for scheduled courses.

To register for a Field Day (If you have already successfully completed the online Hunter Education Course), CLICK HERE to log in and register for the field days.
You must successfully complete a Field Day to achieve certification and complete the online Hunter Education Course. To log into Event Manager, you will need your username and password created when you took the Online Hunter Education Course, which was emailed to you.
If you DO NOT have your login information, you must call Kalkomey Customer Support at (800) 830-2268 (9am - 6:30pm EST) or email webmaster@register-ed.com. they will verify you have successfully passed the online exam, paid the $15.00 fee, and issue your login information.
If your Field Day Qualifier Exam Certificate was lost, or you failed to print it out, you can get it replaced by calling Kalkomey at 1-800-830-2268. You MUST present your Field Day Qualifier Exam Certificate to gain entry to a Field Day, no exceptions. Please Note: If you fail to attend your scheduled Field Day, you will have to re-take the entire online Hunter Education Course (including the $15.00 charge for the online exam) and re-register for another Field Day.

Traditional Bowhunter Education Course CLICK HERE (will launch new window) to register for a Traditional Bowhunter Education Course. Pre-registration is REQUIRED. Important differences between hunting with a firearm and hunting with archery equipment make education vital to the future of bowhunting. This classroom-based course emphasizes safety, ethics 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. Several of these topics are taught outdoors as well. Students must pass the written exam with a score of 80% or higher. There is no field test or shooting component to a bowhunter education course.
Need to cancel out of a course or check your course information? CLICK HERE -- You will need your user name and password to log in.
- If you cannot remember your username or password, please call Kalkomey Customer Support at (800) 830-2268 (9am - 6:30pm EST)

Traditional Trapper Education Course CLICK HERE to see the current Trapper Ed course schedule. The trapper education course teaches participants how to responsibly trap furbearing animals. This course is also required for those who intend to become licensed Wildlife Control Officers. 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. Taught in a classroom as well as outside, see schedule for info. Students must pass the written exam with a score of 80% or higher.

What does it cost?

Traditional courses: Instructors may charge $5 per student to cover the use of facilities and minor expenses.
Online course: Each student must pay a $15 fee to take the New Hampshire Field Day Qualifier Exam.

What are the age requirements for Hunter Education?

To receive a certificate of completion in a traditional hunter, bowhunter, or trapper education course, you must be at least 12 years old by the completion of the course. To take the online hunter education course, students must be at least 15 years of age, or older. Youth hunters should try to complete a hunter education course sometime between the age of 12 and their 16th birthday.

What will I learn in Hunter Education?

Fish and Game's Hunter Education Course is more than a "gun safety" class. The mandatory course consists of classroom instruction, field experiences and firing on a shooting range. Each course is taught by trained, certified volunteer instructors and the local conservation officer. The course covers the following topics:

Firearms identification, safety and handling
Hunter ethics and responsibility
Outdoor safety and survival skills
Introduction to specialty hunting (archery, crossbow and muzzleloader)
Wildlife identification and management
Game recovery and care
NH hunting laws

Students in the "traditional" Hunter Ed course are provided with a course manual, wildlife ID guide, outdoor survival information and additional handouts. Courses involve lecture, demonstrations, small group activities, a live fire experience, written exam and practical field test. The average course length is 16 hours.

The online course involves a self-paced program of study, accessible from any computer with web access; an online exam; and a Field Day - see sample description below.

Firearm ID and nomenclature, actions and ammo (5 groups rotate thru each station, 10 min. ea.)

5 sample action-type stations w/dummy ammo
Firearm ID, nomenclature, loading/unloading practice
Cartridge/Shotshell components, matching, & safety

Firearm handling, carries and obstacle crossing (2 groups, outside)

Zones of Fire
Safe handling/passing a firearm to another person
Safe carries (two-hand, trail, sling, elbow, cradle, shoulder)
Safe obstacle crossings with 1 and 2 hunters

Laws Presentation with Conservation Officer. Specialty Topics (tree stand Safety, muzzleloader safety, turkey hunting safety).

Basic Map and Compass

Compass components and functions
Taking a bearing on a landmark; setting compass to given bearing

Written Exam (start field exam as students finish). Live Fire & Practical Field Test ( Student are tested on shoot/don’t shoot scenarios, matching ammunition and firearms, safe firearms handling and crossing obstacles). Award cards and patches to successful students. Provisions will be made for people with reading difficulties and/or physical disabilities.

What if my Certification Card is lost or destroyed?

If you have previously passed a New Hampshire Hunter, Bowhunter or Trapper Education course, every effort will be made to issue a replacement card. In cases where we have no record of you taking the course, we cannot issue a replacement and the course will have to be taken again. If you have taken the course in another state, you need to contact that state for a duplicate. We do not fax copies of cards. Please provide the following information:

Full name (and middle initial if applicable)
Present mailing address
Date of birth
Daytime phone number

Click here for a printable request form to send to the Hunter Education Office. There is a $2.00 fee for this service.

How do I contact the Hunter Education office?

The Hunter Education office is housed at 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, New Hampshire, in Building #2. As you enter the parking lot, at the STOP sign, turn right into the small parking lot. The office door is the first on the right, below the Hunter Education and Aquatic Education sign. The phone number is (603) 271-3214.

The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act makes hunter education in New Hampshire possible. 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. Volunteer hunter education instructor time (hours) is used as "match" funding, enabling Fish and Game to receive federal funds to cover the costs of coordinating the Hunter Education Program. So the next time you buy a gun, ammunition or archery equipment, remember you're helping to fund wildlife management and hunter education. Educating safe, ethical and responsible hunters wouldn't be nearly as successful as it is without the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act.

The NH Fish and Game Department receives Federal Assistance from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and thus prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age and sex, pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, activity or service, please contact or write the US Fish & Wildlife Service, Division of Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration, 4001 N. Fairfax Drive, Mail Stop: WSFR – 4020, Arlington, Virginia 22203, Attention: Civil Rights Coordinator for Public Programs.