Hunter Education Program

The Hunter Education Program includes activities such as target shooting, introduction to bowhunting, fishing clinics, field dressing, trapping, mentored hunts, sponsored pheasant hunts, seminars, and social gatherings. The program offers in-person Hunter Education, Bowhunter Education, Trapper Education, and Waterfowl Hunter Education courses, as well as online Hunter Education and online Bowhunter Education courses. In-person courses are primarily offered for first-time hunters or trappers, but anyone is welcome to attend, and they are offered throughout the year, with most courses taught between March and September.

• Price: All in-person courses are free.

The mission of the Hunter Education Program is to teach future hunters and trappers how to be safe, responsible, and ethical. All in-person courses are taught by DEC-certified instructors. After successful completion of a hunter education course or a trapper education course, students receive a certificate of qualification necessary for purchasing a first-time hunting or trapping license. Hunter Education is required for first-time hunters using firearms or archery equipment to pursue big game, small game, turkey, waterfowl, and migratory game birds. Bowhunter Education is required in addition to the Hunter Education course when using a bow (longbow or crossbow) and arrow to pursue deer and bear only. Trapper Education is required for first-time trappers pursuing furbearers. Waterfowl Hunter Education is required to gain access to select State and Federal lands (Wildlife Refuges) open to waterfowl hunting. New York State accepts Hunter Education Certificates from other states when purchasing a New York hunting license. HuntFishNY Events is a resource for events offered by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and a network of partners and instructors who conduct hands-on events, and these events are designed for all ability levels.

Last updated March 30, 2026.