Traditional Bow Hunting 9 Month Intensive

For over 35,000 years humans have been feeding themselves and their families from the landscape with the bow and arrow. Patiently and carefully learning to create the bows and arrows from natural materials, training in archery, and learning to track and scout for prey were skills that were all elevated to art forms over the millennia.

Join us as we explore the art and science of traditional bow hunting. In this nine month long program students will learn the following:

• Bow Making

• Arrow Making

• Hide Tanning and Buckskin Sewing

• Tracking

• Scouting and Preparation

• Instinctive Archery

• Hunting Tactics

• Wildlife Food Plots

• Raw Hide Craft

• Wildlife Studies

• Field Dressing and Butchering

• Meat Preservation

 This course is designed to cover all the necessary skills needed to hunt with your own primitive hunting set up. Each student will be worked with individually based on their current skill level and exposure to the skills. Some tools and materials as  as well as camping and outdoor kitchen access are supplied during the classes.

 Hans Mayer will be joining us to help teach the intricacies of the hunt and preparation, bringing his life long experience and passion for hunting white tails and more to the program.

 The program meets once a month for classes and ends with two three day hunting trips, one in Vermont, and one in New Hampshire. We will hunt hard but this is not a canned hunt and no one is guaranteed success other than lessons learned and skills improved. Hopefully some good times and fresh game around the fire. This class is not solely devoted to deer hunting although it is one of our focuses, finding success with small game is the ideal way to get involved in bow hunting. 

Please check out the course descriptions for each of the linked classes to find out more.

2021 Schedule

Bow Building April 24-27

Arrow Making May 22-23

Hide Tanning June 18-20

Tracking and Awareness July 10-11

Scouting and Food Plots  July 31-Aug 1

Scouting and Hunting Tactics Aug 27-8

Animal Processing Aug 29

Hunting Weekend One New Hampshire Sept 25-27

Hunting Weekend Two Vermont October 23-24

Student Requirements

Students will need to be licensed for Archery Hunting with associated hunter and archery safety in both states before the 2021 season begins. All archery tackle will need to meet legal requirements for hunting. We can advise in this capacity but this must be done though each states fish and game regulatory systems.

Students will need to be committed to the following minimum work at home between classes:

Archery Practice- 4 times per week May – November Getting a Target, buying practice arrows, and shooting.

Arrow Making- 6 Blunt and 3 Sharp tipped arrows. Gathering materials and constructing.

Reading about local prey species. White Tailed Deer, Wild Turkey, Ruffed Grouse, Snowshoe Hare, Cotton Tail Rabbit, Grey Squirrel

Buying weather appropriate hunting clothing.

Tuition and Registration

Grants: Qualifying Vermont residents may apply for Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, (VSAC) non-degree grants. Be aware that VSAC begins its funding cycle in June and January of each year and awards grants on a first-come-first-serve basis while funds last. Please apply early!  Students who apply for VSAC grants are asked to submit $500.00 non-refundable deposit with your registration form. When the grant is issued at the start of the program, we will refund whatever amount of your deposit is in excess of the tuition.  VSAC application forms may be obtained from Vermont Student Assistance Corporation: 1-800-882-4166 or write P.O. Box 2000, Champlain Mill, Winooski, VT 05404-2601.