Welcome to NH Hunter Education!
Today's hunters are going into the field knowing how to hunt safely, responsibly and ethically. 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 hunting, 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 offered in the spring and summer. Don't wait until fall and possibly miss your chance to hunt! If you can't find a course that meets your needs, check back periodically. New courses are posted as they become available.
Owl Brook Hunter Education Center
N.H. Fish and Game'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. CLICK HERE for more information on the center.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hunter, Bowhunter and Trapper Education
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- 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 - New Hampshire's online hunter education course helps students lean how to be safe and successful.
Students taking New Hampshire's online hunter safety course at www.hunter-ed.com/newhampshire will experience a variety of new features designed to provide a high-quality educational experience that is easy and fun. One feature that remains the same is hunter-ed.com is approved by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department and contains the same materials that's taught in the classroom.
Those who must receive their hunter education certification to obtain a hunting license pay a one-time fee, which is due only if they pass the test. Students can take the test as many times as they need to pass it. To complete the hunter education requirements for New Hampshire, students must pass the online and field day portions of the course. Before completing the online course, students should check for availability of a field day at http://www.hunter-ed.com/newhampshire/field_day.html.
Students must be at least 15 eyars or older to get their certification online. To take the online portion of the hunter education course, visit www.hunter-ed.com/newhampshire.
If you are already taking the On Line Course and no longer have the URL address please email hunter-ed@wildlife.nh.gov and request it to be sent to you. Also check the confirmation email that was sent to you when you registered for the On Line Course URL as well. Field Days can fill quickly and completion of this online course does not guarantee you a spot at a Field Day.
- To register for a Field Day
- You must first successfully complete the online course. Once complete, you will recieve an email containing a unique hyperlink that will allow you to register for a Field Day. If you DO NOT have your login information, call Kalkomey Customer Support at (800) 830-2268 (9 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. EST) or email webmaster@register-ed.com. They will verify that you have successfully passed the online exam and paid the $15 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 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. Trapper education teaches participants how to responsibly trap furbearing animals. This course is also required to become a licensed Wildlife Control Officer. Topics in the 8 to 12-hour course 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 to take Hunter Education?
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: Learn about compass components and functions, taking a bearing on a landmark; setting compass to given bearing.
Written Exam
Field Exam: Live Fire and Practical Field Test ( Students are tested on shoot/don’t shoot scenarios, matching ammunition and firearms, safe firearms handling and crossing obstacles). 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.
How do I contact the Hunter Education office?
The Hunter Education office is housed at 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, N.H., in Building #2. As you enter the parking lot at Fish and Game headquarters, at the STOP sign, turn right into the small parking lot. The office door is the first on the right; look for the Hunter Education and Aquatic Education sign. The phone number is (603) 271-3214.
Information for Hunter Education Instructors
The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act makes hunter education in New Hampshire possible. How does this program work?
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.
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. 
