Hunter Education Dilemna/Licensing Question

[Tiktock]

Hello,
This spring will be my first hunting experience as I am trying Turkey hunting. About 15 years ago I took a course as part of a juniors program with Danvers Fish and Game. It was a multi-week course that we were told satisfied the hunter education requirement in MA.

Fast forward 15 years and here I am looking to get my hunting license in NH. I've tried the MA replacement tool for the education certification and they say they have no record of my ever having took the course.

I currently live in NH and here is my question:
-I cannot get a NH hunting permit without showing proof of hunter education or a valid hunting license from another state
-MA has an online affadavit I can fill out to swear i've taken a course and they will then grant me a MA hunting license (Non-Resident)

I see my only two options here as:
1. Re-take a hunter education course to get my NH license
2. Get a nonresident permit (100$) from MA by signing the affadavit, then use it to get my NH license.

It seems silly that NH would allow a permit from MA to suffice as proof of education when MA allows you to sign an affadavit, but NH does not have this affadavit option.

I suppose if i take a MA route I can hunt turkeys in MA and in NH this year, which would be nice.

Any thoughts on this situation? I really am not keen on having to take a traditional course again due to my busy schedule and the NH online course only has field days scheduled for April and I'm worried if I miss those that I'll miss out on the whole Spring season as last year they filled up so fast.

 

[Mike-Mike]

Send and email to Todd at MA wildlife.

Todd M. Olanyk

Volunteer Coordinator, Hunter Education Program

MA Div. of Fisheries and Wildlife

51 Groton-Shirley Rd., Ayer, MA 01432

Ph. (978) 772-0693 ext. 103 / Fax. (978) 772-0812

[email protected]

Go Wild at www.mass.gov/masswildlife

 

[el duderino]

Was the course with GOAL? They may still have a record of it if youre lucky.

 

[Mike-Mike]

Mass Wildlife actually keeps very good records. I took my hunter safety class 21 years ago and they had my record.

 

[dixidawg]

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/education/hed/hed_contact.htm


I am willing to bet they have a record of you completing the course. Contact them.

 

[Magsrgod]

I was able to get a copy of my hunter's cert from NY and I took that about 15 years ago, all states keep good records of them. I got mine by talking to the Clerks office in the Town I got the license in.

 

[Kevin_NH]

I had no record of my HE course from my home state, so I chose to go through the NH course so I can apply for my resident license here. I found the field day class was worth the time and cost, it was nice to be able to ask the local F&G warden all sort of 'stupid' questions I wouldn't otherwise have gotten answered.

I suppose if i take a MA route I can hunt turkeys in MA and in NH this year, which would be nice.

That is a definite incentive to take the Mass route.

 

[MisterHappy]

As for Hunter Safety Course recipricosity, Mass. accepts all other states' and provinces' certs. It's likely that NH does the same.

As for an affadavit, why not? I mean, hunters never stretch/bend/augment/fold/spindle/mutillate the truth, right?

 

[davemata]

If you can't get the document, someone screwed up. That said, at least retake the content, 15 years is a lot of time for that knowledge to die off.

GL getting the permit card, I got mine from NV - they had record of my class taken in '93. What would be the negative to a MA hunting license? You get a deer tag, access to bear and turkey, along with in your home state.

 

[MisterHappy]

Both my kids are taking the course next month, and I'm joining them....when I learend it, "Large capacity" meant TWO stone tipped Mammoth spears....

 

[Tiktock]

After confirming with my father that his memory was the same as mine, I just went right ahead and signed the affadavit and got my Non-resident big game/turkey license. I confirmed with my local shop that I can use that to get my resident NH license, then use my NH license next year, and so on. The MA online system lets you just print our your license/tags right from your home computer.

That being said, I am going to freshen up on my education by taking the online NH course tests just to be sure.

Turkeys here I come. What a good reason to get myself a nice turkey gun, too!

 

[davemata]

Both my kids are taking the course next month, and I'm joining them....when I learend it, "Large capacity" meant TWO stone tipped Mammoth spears....

You don't need two! It's unsafe, really, one only, it's for the kids!

 

[davemata]

After confirming with my father that his memory was the same as mine, I just went right ahead and signed the affadavit and got my Non-resident big game/turkey license. I confirmed with my local shop that I can use that to get my resident NH license, then use my NH license next year, and so on. The MA online system lets you just print our your license/tags right from your home computer.

That being said, I am going to freshen up on my education by taking the online NH course tests just to be sure.

Turkeys here I come. What a good reason to get myself a nice turkey gun, too!

Congrats! Get on it!

Are you new to calling? I just picked up a glass jackpot from Primos, you have to condition it yourself, but easy using once it's prepped. WTF do I know though, I've never called a turkey before.

Any plans on where to go?

 

[MisterHappy]

You don't need two! It's unsafe, really, one only, it's for the kids!

Like I said, this was a while back, when things were different.....

 

[Tiktock]

Congrats! Get on it!

Are you new to calling? I just picked up a glass jackpot from Primos, you have to condition it yourself, but easy using once it's prepped. WTF do I know though, I've never called a turkey before.

Any plans on where to go?

No clue whatsoever! Harold Parker in Andover is open to hunting, I think, but somethign tells me the place must be packed on opening day. I was hoping for something a bit more remote but have no idea where to begin. I have lots of research to do between now and May. I'd ideally like to find someone with land who would let me hunt their property but don't really know how to start.

Im getting started now as I realize I'll also have to get the shotgun, pattern it, get a call and practice with it, and get some camo and maybe a decoy or two. I'm reading a few books on turkey hunting right now.

 

[davemata]

any book suggestions? I know a couple people that have land, just not sure if it's huntable.

I'm in love with the call I mentioned btw, good way to learn how to surface one, and it's got a pretty easy action. After about 15 minutes on youtube, I'm easily halfway there, it's that last half that matters.

 

[Jose]

It seems silly that NH would allow a permit from MA to suffice as proof of education when MA allows you to sign an affadavit, but NH does not have this affadavit option.

Yes, how silly that states are not forced to run their internal affairs exactly the same way.........

 

[Tiktock]

Yes, how silly that states are not forced to run their internal affairs exactly the same way.........

All I was saying is that it makes no sense for nh to allow a ma-affidavit-granted license as proof of hunter education without allowing an affidavit option directly. If they wanted to really run things their way they shouldn't allow reciprocity with states that have an affidavit-backed hunter education option. I think you're reading into things I said too deeply.