Owl Brook Hunter Education Center -- Calendar of Events

Events and training sessions are held at N.H. Fish and Game's Owl Brook Hunter Education Center throughout the year, for hands-on learning of outdoor skills related to hunting, trapping, orienteering and more. Upcoming events are listed below. Pre-registration is required. Click here for directions to Owl Brook, located at 387 Perch Pond Road in Holderness. Please check back for updates.

Big Game Processing Workshop - April 3, 2010 -- Learn how you can process your own big game animal from field to freezer at a free workshop being offered at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Owl Brook Hunter Education Center in Holderness, N.H., on Saturday, April 3, 2010.   The workshop will take place from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.  To sign up, call the Owl Brook Hunter Education Center at (603) 536-3954.

Turkey Hunting Workshop - April 10, 2010 -- A free workshop covering the basics of hunting wild turkeys is being offered by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department on Saturday, April 10, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Owl Brook Hunter Education Center on Perch Pond Road in Holderness. Pre-registration is required. Space is limited. To sign up for the workshop, or for more information, call (603)536-3954.

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General descriptions of the types of classes offered at Owl Brook are found below:

Summer Youth Activities: Youth age 10-15 have a unique hands-on opportunity to learn about the shooting sports, bowhunting and other outdoor skills at summer youth day programs offered in July and August at Owl Brook.  Sessions are open to individuals, recreation departments, scout troops and other youth groups. Pre-registration is required.  Sessions are free.  Participants must bring a bag lunch.   Each week focuses on a different outdoor skill.  Participants may register for one or more of the sessions.  Programs generally run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Topics may include Bowhunting/Archery Skills; Shooting Sports; Muzzleloading; Girls Only Shooting Sports; Outdoor Education/Wildlife Conservation; and a special Hunter Education Certification Week. Space is limited. Registration details are posted on the Fish and Game website when available.

Hunting Seminars/Workshops: These workshops are designed to go beyond the basics of hunter education. Sessions are specific to the species and are taught by biologists, experienced hunters, Fish and Game staff and specialists from the hunting industry. You'll learn all about the animal’s biology, wildlife management, game care, shot placement, hunting methods and techniques and proper equipment. There may be a shooting portion of the workshop in which participants have the chance to try out their equipment or shot in a simulated situation. These workshops are not designed to make you a professional hunter, but they will increase your knowledge of ethical, responsible and safe-hunting practices tailored to a specific species of wildlife. Examples of past seminars include turkey hunting, hare hunting, waterfowl hunting, grouse hunting and crow hunting. Other workshops focus on specific skills, such as use of GPS. <Return to Top>

Hunter Education Courses: Hunters and trappers in New Hampshire must attend training courses specific to the license type they want 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. People may purchase each of these licenses by showing a certificate of completion from the appropriate course, or a previously issued license of the same type.

Fish and Game's Hunter Education Course is much 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. For information on class availability, click here or call (603) 271-3214. <Return to Top>

Bow Hunter Education Courses: Bow hunters in New Hampshire must attend a special training course. By state law, anyone planning to buy a basic archery hunting license must complete the bow hunter education course. People can purchase an archery hunting license either by showing a certificate of completion of a Fish and Game Bow Hunter Education Course, or a previously issued archery license.

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. For information on class availability, click here or call (603) 271-3214. <Return to Top>

Trapper Education Courses: Trappers in New Hampshire must attend a special training course before they can buy a trapping license. People can purchase a trapping license in New Hampshire by showing either a certificate of completion of a Fish and Game Trapper Education Course, or a previously issued trapping license.

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, click here or call (603) 271-3214. <Return to Top>

Online Hunter Education Course Field Days: Students completing hunter education certification through the Online Option are required to attend a field day that includes a written and field exam. The field day starts with a presentation by a Conservation Officer of the laws that regulate hunting in New Hampshire. The written exam is then given to measure the knowledge portion of the course. A passing score of at least 80% assures us that you have reviewed the required materials and that you are prepared for the skills or hands-on portion of the course, the field day. For starting times for a specific field day, please click here to see the list of current online field days.

The skills and hands-on experiences listed below are what the field day is all about; we want you to learn by doing. At the end of the field day, there is a field exam that is either pass or fail; you must pass the field exam to receive certification. Also, ALL instructors have the authority to fail a student for improper firearms handling anytime during a field day! When handling any firearm at any time, ALWAYS remember to control the muzzle. The remainder of the online hunter education course field day consists of hands-on experiences in the following areas:

• Firearms handling. At this time you will be familiarized with the operations of firearms of the five action types, including how to determine the proper ammunition for a specific firearm and how to load and unload each action type. Also, you will be introduced to crossing obstacles while carrying a firearm, the proper firearm carries, how to set up zones of fire, and how to properly transport firearms to the field in vehicles and boats and on ATV's.
• Map & Compass and Survival. You will be provided with hands on training in the use of a compass, a map, and a compass and a map together. Also, the first aid/survival kit you made will be reviewed.
• Live fire exercise. You will be REQUIRED to fire at least five rounds from a .22 rifle under the supervision of the course instructors. This exercise will help you become familiar with operating and firing a bolt-action firearm under controlled conditions. It will also give the instructors an opportunity to observe your firearms handling skills. The .22 rifle used will be the same bolt-action rifle introduced during the firearms handling portion of the field day. Basic sight alignment and proper shooting skills will be covered. The live fire and the field exam will be conducted simultaneously.

The field exam is pass or fail. It is designed around a simulated hunt, from arriving at your favorite hunting spot, until returning to the vehicle at the end of the day's hunt. You will be asked during the field exam to demonstrate the skills and knowledge that you acquired through the written materials and the hands-on portions of the course. You will be presented with "shoot/don't shoot" situations, obstacles to cross, such as a fence or stone wall, situations where "zones of fire" will need to be determined and various other scenarios that allow you to demonstrate your understanding of the course materials. Sound intense? It is meant to be, but fun too! For more information on the online option for hunter education, click here.
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Hunter/Bowhunter Education Instructor Workshops: Certified Hunter and Bowhunter Education Instructors are asked attend periodic workshops to remain certified. These workshops are offered in many locations across the state, including here at Owl Brook Hunter Education Center.

Instructor Courses for Hunter Education and Bow Hunter Education: Specialized training is provided at Owl Brook to people who are becoming volunteer hunter or bow hunter education instructors for Fish and Game. Have you ever thought about becoming a Hunter Education instructor? People volunteer as instructors in the Hunter Education Programs (Hunter Education, Bowhunter Education and Trapper Education) for many reasons. Chief among them is the desire to be a valuable part of the outdoor tradition and help ensure its future. Potential instructors should be hunters (or trappers) with at least a few years of practical experience. The ideal situation is for two or more people to organize a teaching team, or you can join an existing team. All volunteers are trained, certified and provided with required course materials.

Candidates for the position of volunteer instructor must satisfy the following requirements:

• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Have completed the appropriate basic course (Hunter, Bow Hunter or Trapper)
• Return a completed instructor application (available from N.H. Fish and Game Headquarters) to the Hunter Education Program office.
• Be successfully screened through a background investigation to include a criminal records check as well as fish and game violations check.
• Complete required instructor training and pass the written instructor's exam with a minimum score of 90 percent.

Once an instructor application is submitted, the applicant will be notified of upcoming training sessions. Certified instructors are then asked to teach at least one course per year and attend periodic workshops to remain certified.

Becoming a volunteer Hunter Education Instructor takes effort and commitment, and it can bring with it many rewards. If you would like to help maintain a tradition of safe and responsible hunting and trapping, then this program may be for you! If you're interested in becoming an instructor, click here and print out the appropriate application form, fill it out and mail it back to us, we'll do the rest. If you need more information, please contact the Hunter Education Program at (603) 271-3214. <Return to Top>

Opportunities for New Hampshire schools: School groups may participate in various educational opportunities at Owl Brook, such as wildlife conservation, firearms safety, archery, rifle, shotgun, hunter/bowhunter/trapper education certification courses, map & compass training. To schedule a group visit, call the Owl Brook Hunter Education Center at (603) 536-1290.

Boy/Girl Scout Groups & Youth Recreation/Summer Camps: Youth groups may come for the day to participate in organized activities such as firearms safety, archery, rifle, shotgun, hunter/bowhunter/trapper education certification courses, map & compass training, and much more. To schedule a group visit, call the Owl Brook Hunter Education Center at (603) 536-1290.

N.H. Trappers Association Fall Rendezvous: Weekend event of the New Hampshire Trappers Association (NHTA) is open to the public and features a full agenda including demonstrations of trapping techniques, trapping supply vendors to get you outfitted for the trapping season, and activities for kids and families. A Trapper Education course is offered during the weekend. For more information, visit www.nhtassoc.org. <Return to Top>

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Wildlife Restoration in Action
The Owl Brook Hunter Education Center and Hunter Education in New Hampshire are made possible by the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act.