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A learning experience: New Mexico Department of Game and Fish classes aim to teach safe, ethical and responsible hunting
For aspiring young hunters, information is essential.
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) offers Hunter Education classes in more than 15 cities — Albuquerque included — throughout the state. All hunters under the age of 18, as well as those of any age who hunt on the McGregor Range, Fort Bliss and White Sands Missile Range, are required to take these courses.
“The primary goal of these courses is to provide an educational opportunity that enables the public to safely participate in a hunting or shooting sport,” said Jennifer Morgan, Hunter Education program manager. “The department’s Hunter Education staff and its team of volunteer instructors and staff strive to produce safe, ethical and responsible individuals who will be tomorrow’s hunters and competitive shooters.”
Students who complete the courses will receive a New Mexico hunter education number, which allows them to legally hunt in the state. These hunter certifications are recognized in all 50 states, as well as Mexico and Canada.
NMDGF offers two in-person classes. The traditional course, which is recommended for beginning-level hunters, includes lecture, review, videos and hands-on learning techniques and typically requires 12-16 hours to complete. Students of any age can take this class.
Meanwhile, there is a field-day course for students 10 and older. This features more hands-on instruction and is geared toward those with basic hunting and firearms knowledge. Additionally, NMDGF offers multiple online-only courses for ages 10 and up. These are also recommended for those with some basic hunting knowledge and require a minimum of eight hours to complete, though that depends on a student’s knowledge level. The in-person classes are free, but the online options have varying costs depending upon the provider. NMDGF also has a handful of specialty offerings, such as bowhunter courses and Hunter Education Skills camps.
No matter the class choice, students can expect to come away with a valuable array of skills and knowledge.
“Participants will come into a welcoming, judgment-free atmosphere and will be taught a solid foundation in safe and responsible firearms handling while also focusing on ethical hunting behaviors,” Morgan said. “Our courses not only extensively cover safe and responsible firearms handling and ethical hunting behaviors but also incorporate proper shot placement, basics of outdoor preparedness, basic shooting skills, wildlife conservation and management, and the basics of other hunting methods — including muzzleloading and bowhunting.”
The classes are taught by both NMDGF-certified volunteers and staff. Volunteers are subject to a background check and must complete a youth protection training course and an instructor training workshop.
“We are always looking for all individuals who are passionate about hunting, wildlife and shooting sports and are interested in teaching safe, ethical and responsible firearms handling and hunting behaviors to others,” Morgan said.
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While the courses are primarily offered for burgeoning young hunters, it’s not uncommon for grizzled veterans to find value in the classes, as well.
“We have numerous parents, grandparents or other family members with hunting experience who accompany their child in class. We have testimonials from our post-class critiques from these individuals that state they learned something new from class, that the class was a great refresher or that they wished they had learned some of this knowledge years ago,” Morgan said.
“Any responsible and ethical hunter is always open and willing to learn and knows that every hunt is a learning experience. The more time hunters spend reviewing what they have learned, especially on the foundation of safe firearms handling, the more positive experiences they will have afield. More recently, we have seen an increase in adults only coming into our courses who have hunted for years and are now mentoring a new adult hunter who is a partner, new spouse or friend.”
