New Hampshire Launches Mobile Archery Instruction Program

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department now offers a free Archery Outreach Program for small groups. Instructors trained by the department travel to a group's location for three to four hours of classroom and field instruction in a range environment.

To be eligible for the program, groups must consist of five to 15 people ages 10 and older. All equipment is provided. An initial site visit is required to assess a temporary shooting range setup.

“This program is ideal for schools, community recreation leaders, camps, scouting organizations, and even homeschool groups,” said Fish and Game Archery Outreach Program Coordinator Eric Geib in a news release. “Fish and Game's Archery Outreach Program will furnish an assortment of archery equipment and provide proper shooting techniques in an exciting and engaging way.”

Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Groups are encouraged to schedule sessions via the Learn to Shoot Archery: Archery Outreach Program page on the New Hampshire Fish and Game website.

According to the announcement, the Owl Brook Hunter Education Center in Holderness offers a four-lane practice area with fixed 10-, 20-, 30-, and 40-yard distances and a 3-D Woodland Archery Course with 14 animal targets. The facility includes wheelchair-accessible targets and ADA-compliant ranges and is open daily from dawn to dusk from May through November. Broadheads are not allowed for safety and maintenance reasons.

In addition, Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown features New Hampshire Fish and Game–managed free archery ranges, including a woodland range with 15 targets and a universally accessible four-target practice range.

The Archery Outreach Program is an extension of the department's Hunter Education Program. This program is funded by Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration through the excise tax on firearms, ammunition, and archery gear.