Directs the state board of education and fish and game commission to develop policy guidelines requiring public high schools to teach students age 16 and older about hunting, wildlife management, and responsible firearms usage, with a religious or conscientious exemption.
requiring all high school students to learn about hunting, wildlife management, and responsible firearms usage.
HB1122 would require all NH high school students to learn about hunting, wildlife management, and responsible firearms usage. A small number of submissions support the bill as a way to preserve hunting and conservation traditions, while the large majority oppose it, most commonly on grounds that it is an unfunded mandate on already-strained school budgets and that firearms and hunting education belongs with families rather than public schools.
A submitter argues that teaching youth about conservation management and hunting traditions is valuable for continuing the state's wildlife management practices.
A submitter favors the bill for teaching hunting history and safe practices while allowing parents who object to opt their children out.
Submitters argue the bill provides no state funding or support, adding a new curricular requirement at a time when districts are already cutting core programs and raising local taxes.
“The bill provides no additional funding or support from the state to ensure safety. At a time when some school districts are having to cut important core programming because of a lack of funding from the state, I do not think we should adopt another unfunded mandate for our schools.”
— Nichole FICKEN, Pembroke · #544960 — read full submission →
“We need to stop passing unfunded mandates for our schools. Schools are already burdened with staffing and budgetary shortfalls, and challenges supporting the many needs of our students.”
— Laura White, Chesterfield · #541269 — read full submission →
Submitters argue that whether to teach children about hunting and firearms should be a decision left to parents and families, not imposed by the state on all students.
“It is not the job of the State to teach our kids gun safety. It is the job of the parents. Stay out of parenting.”
— Luane Genest, Freedom · #547325 — read full submission →
“Families should not have their children required to learn about hunting and wildlife management and firearms use if they do not want to.”
— sharon eaton, pembroke · #549170 — read full submission →
Submitters worry that mandatory firearms instruction is reckless given teenagers' immaturity and risk-taking, and object to introducing gun culture into public schools.
“While the education of wildlife conservation in conjunction with NH Fish and Game is a worthwhile goal, the inclusion of hunting and firearm instruction is reckless.”
— Nina Mauser, Rochester · #547484 — read full submission →
“I refuse to touch a gun, and I would be appalled if my child had mandatory training on a firearm!”
— Kathleen Goldberg, Manchester · #552166 — read full submission →
Submitters argue firearm safety obligations belong to adults, and that safety training would be better mandated at the point of gun purchase rather than imposed on children.
“Firearm safety is the responsibility of adults, not kids. Put some common sense gun legislation in front of us for adults and I would approve.”
— Karina Mackenzie, Hollis · #549571 — read full submission →
“Firearm safety is the responsibility of adults, not kids. New Hampshire should require safety training before all gun purchases, not burden children with the responsibility.”
— Kara Hafez, Exeter · #551509 — read full submission →
Submitters argue schools should prioritize core academics and other pressing needs over a mandatory hunting/firearms curriculum.
“Our children need to learn how to read and write efficiently. They need to learn math, science, and social studies.”
— Luane Genest, Freedom · #547325 — read full submission →
“Totally absurd waste of school time. While we should be encouraging gun safety, we should not require students to learn about hunting and wildlife "management" in order to graduate!!!”
— Catharine Farkas, Sanbornton · #550683 — read full submission →
Submitters argue the state should not dictate curriculum to local school districts, framing the mandate as interference with local control.
“For Concord to require all NH public schools to add education on hunting, wildlife management and firearm usage is interference in local rule.”
— Debora Hatcher, Dover · #545164 — read full submission →
“I oppose this bill to preserve local control of curriculum. Plus there is no state funding for gun safety instruction .”
— Judith McChesney, BRIDGEWATER · #542028 — read full submission →
Submitters point to existing NH Fish and Game Hunter Education programs and other elective options, arguing the bill is redundant and would be better handled by referring the topic to subject-matter experts rather than mandating it in K-12 curriculum.
“Keep firearm and wildlife training where it should be - with NH Fish and Game. I strongly oppose this bill.”
— Dawn Frost, Canaan · #544039 — read full submission →
“This bill is inexpedient to legislate, and at best should be referred to Fish and Game and Marine Resources because they have the subject-matter expertise to evaluate hunting and wildlife education on its own merits, without forcing it into a K-12 curriculum.”
— Adam Thompson, Nashua · #552154 — read full submission →
Submitters note that relatively few NH residents hunt, and argue it is unfair to require the topic for all students, including those whose families oppose it.
“In fact, less than 100,000 people hunt annually in the state and even far less for trappers. Why should every student be mandated to be taught about something their family may be inherently opposed to?”
— Kristina Snyder, Chester · #542398 — read full submission →
“That is sufficient and does not need to be the responsibility for all high school students, most of whom do not hunt.”
— Emily Kelley, Campton · #541760 — read full submission →
Generated by claude-sonnet-5 (claude code agent) on Jul 22, 2026. Quotes are verbatim excerpts, verified against the cited submission before publication. Summaries are AI interpretation of the record, not part of it.
I refuse to touch a gun, and I would be appalled if my child had mandatory training on a firearm! People in NH can choose to hunt, but under no circumstances should training be mandatory. Wildlife hunting is offensive to many.
I'm not opposed to hunter education or conservation, but HB 1122 reads like a post-secondary or community education course, not a statewide mandate that should fall into the k-12 curriculum. These topics already exist in better, opt-in settings. This bill is inexpedient to legislate, and at best should be referred to Fish and Game and Marine Resources because they have the subject-matter expertise to evaluate hunting and wildlife education on its own merits, without forcing it into a K-12 curriculum.
This bill usurps parental control.
If parents want their children trained to use firearms they can but you shouldn't make it mandatory education.
Introducing the gun culture in schools!
This does not belong in the public schools. This is a family matter.
This is not the responsibility of children.
Firearm safety is the responsibility of adults, not kids. New Hampshire should require safety training before all gun purchases, not burden children with the responsibility. Public health studies show existing programs to be ineffective for teaching children safety skills to reduce gun play.
Totally absurd waste of school time. While we should be encouraging gun safety, we should not require students to learn about hunting and wildlife "management" in order to graduate!!!
I love that the kids can get an education on what hunting is, the history of it, and safe practices! And that parents can opt out if they feel they must
Educating our youth about conservation management and the traditions of hunting and fishing is vital to our state to continue these traditions and management of our wildlife and wild places.
This bill is too expansive in what it requires to be taught to all high school students. There are other places for students to learn about hunting and firearms. Not all students will want to hunt and handle guns.
Firearm safety is the responsibility of adults, not kids. Put some common sense gun legislation in front of us for adults and I would approve. It is not up to kids to pick up the slack for us, legislators owe it to constituents to keep us safe by putting the responsibility where it belongs - on adults.
Wrong institution to teach this stuff. There are other better places. ITL this bill.
There is no reason that all high school students in the state of New Hampshire should be required to learn about "hunting, wildlife management, and responsible firearms usage". This should be something that parents are teaching their children. This would be a waste of time and resources. There should be information provided about who can provide this training if students are interested in it, but it should not be required to be learned by all students.
Families should not have their children required to learn about hunting and wildlife management and firearms use if they do not want to. Not all families, and not all kids, are comfortable with firearms in general. This should be a decision left up to the families and their children based on an individual basis.
NH should require safety training before all gun purchases. This is not the responsibility of our kids.
With so much to learn these days, this is best handled on an extracurricular basis for those with an interest.
I recently retired after being a public school teacher in Nh for over 39 years. I oppose this bill. Children do not need exposure to more gun issues in school. If I may, perhaps they could use more mental health supports.
This is laughable -- what century do you think we are living in? We no longer hunt for our food. There are so many other valuable skills that kids need to learn to function in the current society. Hunting is not one of them.
There are plenty of programs here in New Hampshire where parents can take their children to learn about hunting, firearms, etc. School is not the place.
We should be building a better world where kindness a d empathy matter more than pushing gun culture.
While the education of wildlife conservation in conjunction with NH Fish and Game is a worthwhile goal, the inclusion of hunting and firearm instruction is reckless. There are may ways of promoting conservation that do involve teaching teenagers to fire guns.
This is yet another bill aimed at taking away the rights of NH parents to make decisions regarding our children. Again, this is not relevant to general education, and not needed to become a successful member of society and have a successful career. My understanding is there is no funding to be set aside and given to school districts to support this education either, leaving towns once again having to raise taxes to fund an unnecessary and unsupported initiative. No thank you.
As a former educator and grandmother of 7, I vehemently oppose this bill. Our children need to learn how to read and write efficiently. They need to learn math, science, and social studies. It is not the job of the State to teach our kids gun safety. It is the job of the parents. Stay out of parenting.