The New Hill Hunter Education and Mentoring Program’s (NHEMP) 2026 season is shaping up to be our most ambitious, empowering, and transformative year yet. This isn’t just a class—it’s a journey. A journey into woodsmanship, confidence, conservation, and the lifelong skills that turn curious adults from non-hunting backgrounds into capable, ethical hunters who feel at home in the outdoors.
Our mission remains simple and powerful: give new hunters the knowledge, mentorship, and practical experience they need to succeed—and to fall in love with the process.
Our four immersive field days are the heart of the experience. Students enrolled in our 2026 class will step directly into the skills that define woodsmanship: reading the land, understanding wildlife, and practicing safe, ethical hunting. Each session builds on the last, giving new hunters the tools and confidence they need to succeed.
Participants will complete an official hunter education certification class and meet with local wildlife enforcement officers who share insights on safety, regulations, and responsible hunting. Students also receive personalized guidance on selecting a weapon, choosing essential gear, and finding a place to hunt—removing some of the biggest barriers new hunters face.
From there, the learning gets hands‑on. Students explore deer sign, habitat, senses, and seasonal food sources. They practice scouting techniques, develop pre‑rut and post‑rut strategies, participate in a weapons readiness check and scope clinic, and learn how to track a deer after the shot.
Safety remains central as students learn field first aid and get supervised practice with deer stands such as ladders, climbers, lock‑ons, and saddles. They’ll also give back to the land through wildlife habitat improvement projects and test their decision making in mock hunting scenarios.
Public land can feel overwhelming for beginners, so we break it down step by step. Students receive virtual training on how to use online maps and where to find gameland-specific regulations. Then the group explores local public land together before students return on their own to scout multiple potential hunting spots—an empowering milestone for every new hunter.
The season culminates in real deer hunts. Each student completes at least one structured mentored hunt with an experienced hunter, followed by at least two independent hunts during the current season on hunting sites that they have selected. And every participant learns the full field to freezer process: field dressing, skinning, quartering, and deboning a deer. Whether it’s their own harvest or part of a Practical Deer Processing event, every student gain essential experience. NHEMP will extend an invitation to participate in hands-on deer processing events to up to 80 new hunters by offering multiple events this fall.
A Program That Changes Lives
The New Hill Hunter Education and Mentoring Program is more than instruction. It’s community. It’s mentorship. It’s stewardship. It’s the moment a new hunter realizes, “I can do this.”
In 2026, we’re not just teaching people how to hunt—we’re helping them build confidence, resilience, and a lifelong connection to the land.
And we can’t wait to see our 2026 class step into the woods!
On behalf of the entire New Hill Hunter Education and Mentoring Program Team,
Judy Gardner