Learn to Hunt

Transformative, Hands-on, In-person Experiential/Holistic Hunting Course Designed to Deepen Your Connection with Nature and Wild Food

Kettle Falls, Washington

AWAKEN PRIMAL SENSES | BUILD COMMUNITY | Hone Ancestral skills

This four-day experiential course located on semi-managed wild lands fosters a deeper connection with nature and wild food, awakens and hones the senses that arise during the hunt, and builds the skills and confidence to start hunting on your own and understand what it means to be a hunter/huntress. Not to be confused with a guided hunt or the pursuit of trophies, we take a holistic approach to learning the entire process from planning and preparation to tracking and hunting to field dressing and butchering, where the ultimate journey is self discovery.

Gain a deeper embodiment of nature.

The underlying purpose is to strengthen the connection between humans and nature by experiencing the essence of the hunt, which requires time in the field and thinking like a wild animal. This process is a slow, thoughtful immersion to establish the strongest bonds possible to the land and our ecosystem, at which point hunting becomes more an act of giving and receiving than of conquering and taking.

Rite of Passage | Philosophical/Spiritual journey | SELF-SUFFICIENCY

This course is also for anyone wanting to experience hunting culture to see if it is something that resonates. In many ways this is as close as one can get to hunting without making significant investments in time and equipment and guides participants to experience the hunting journey, connect with their food, strengthen their bonds to nature, and gain life skills and perspectives unique to our ancestral ways.

“A thoughtful, intentional, and meaningful experience; useful for me on both a detailed, practical level and on a spiritual, emotional level. Highly recommend!”

~ Camas Davis, Author and Founder of the Good Meat Project and the Portland Meat Collective

Begin Your Journey | Application Below

- Limited course availability

“This was one of the most life-changing adventures in my 68 years.” ~Martha (Superior, Nebraska)

“This course will change your life if you allow it.” ~Josh (North Carolina)

“Words can’t express how much I appreciated this experience.” ~Hannah (Arizona)

“A unique, respectful, and inclusive community … life changing” ~Paulene (Seattle, WA)

“Realigned my soul and shifted my priorities” ~Jason (Ross, CA)

Read more reviews

See Dates, Tuition, and apply for this course, below

Included with Course

• 30 hours of intensive instruction

By Bruce McGlenn (present entire course) and other field professionals

• hands-on, active, outdoor learning

No classroom lectures or videos to watch; prepare to dive in to the real thing

• Small game hunt

Near the conclusion of the course (rifles provided)

• gourmet meals

Three home-cooked and nourishing meals a day prepared on-site with various dishes from the animal that you butcher; and coffee.

• Small group size

With an emphasis on a supportive community of learners and shared values

• monthly live video calls (leading up to hunting season)

Group Q&A calls, hunt planning sessions and short lessons with Bruce (July - September)

• Rifles, ammunition, bows, arrows, optics

All gear and equipment to participate in course activities (if you have some of your own, we encourage you to bring it for assistance in sighting in your rifle/bow or advice on existing gear - see recommendations on what to bring, below)

• 300+ acres of private land

Solitude; our outdoor learning space and room to roam

• Personalized photo album

A memento and resource to review your experience and share with others

• On-site camping and hot showers (private cabins also available)

Upgraded accommodations available

• Alumni hunts and Network

Invitation to participate in ongoing alumni events and hunts and to join our network of alums; meet new hunting partners in your area

Course Topics

2024 Course Dates

See course Tuition and apply, below

“The effect this experience had on me was profound” -Noelle (Leavenworth, WA)

“Pivotal to my moving forward with the decision to hunt.” -Beth (Olympic Peninsula, WA)

“Transformative; changed my opinion of hunters” -Ian (Anacortes, WA)

“This trip was the missing link” -Niccolo (Milan, Italy)

“A holistic introduction to hunting in a family atmosphere” -David & William (Mendoza, Argentina)

Read more reviews

Course Tuition | Awaken the Hunter

All-inclusive for 5-day course.

Includes all taxes, fees, meals, gear, etc. (except optional sleeping upgrades)

Small Group Public Course

Payment Options

• $1267 x 3 payments (when booking more than three months in advance)

• $3690 pay in full

• $2890 Community Supported* We make available one spot in each course that is partially covered by scholarship donations from HNH alums. Apply here

  * See our scholarship program details.

Family/parent/child course

• $5900 / Adult + accompanied child

• $1600 / Additional child

• $2900 / Additional adult

Group Size: 2-4 Families depending on family size

1-day Wild Turkey Add-on

• $650

  Sunday afternoon turkey hunting course (similar to our multi-day turkey course) with hunting Sunday evening and Monday. Sunday dinner through Monday lunch included.

PRIVATE GROUP Course

• For work retreats, families or groups of friends. Ideal group size: 4-8. Pricing starts at the equivalent of a 6-person public course. Contact us about private group registration.

See our Cancelation policy.

Application Process

We are committed to creating a unique, quality program of value in an intimate setting and providing the path you need to experience the journey of the hunt. This is about welcoming you into our home, helping you experience the essence of the hunt, honing your skillset and building a community of conscious hunters.

Experience the journey of the hunt.

Gather more information

Planning for this course:

PRE-COURSE:

You will receive some suggestions on how to prepare prior to the course once registered.

Reading list [optional] if you enjoy reading:

• Beyond Fair Chase, and Inherit the Hunt by Jim Posewitz are educational quick reads about the history and nature of hunting.

• The Tender Carnivore by Paul Shepard is a thought-provoking anthropological dive into human nature, asking the question: “Can we face the possibility that hunters were more fully human than their descendants?” And his Coming Home to the Pleistocene, published posthumously summarizes his life’s work.

• A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold is also a great story of our connection to the land.

• The Mindful Carnivore is a story about a vegetarian who turned to hunting to be closer to his food.

• The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan I’ve heard from past participants will either make you want to be a vegetarian or start hunting.

• Heartsblood by David Petersen, who brings an “uncommonly broad perspective to this highly personal, passionate and deeply persuasive argument for responsible hunting. Biologically, we were built to hunt.”

WHAT TO BRING:

• Headlamp or flashlight

• Water bottle

• Shower towel

• Handkerchief or bandana

• Hiking boots or sturdy trail shoes

• Clothing layers (long underwear during the shoulder seasons) for temperature variations (mountain weather conditions can fluctuate between extremes) – we’re at about 2500 ft. and it cools off in the evenings even in the heat of the summer. Some neutral greens/browns will help blend into the environment for certain exercises.

• Camp chair (for sitting around the fire pit) - we have wood benches so don’t worry about this if you are flying

• Tent & sleeping arrangements (cot/pad, sleeping bag, pillow, etc.) if electing to camp - or see sleeping upgrades and tent rentals, below

• Writing implement for journaling in a provided journal

• State hunting regulation pamphlet if other than Washington (we have WA regulations for you)

• Your evening drink of choice and/or musical instrument for the campfire.

• Rain gear (weather dependent)

Recommended/Suggested:

• Binoculars (we have enough pairs for everyone to use their own but if you have a pair we encourage you to bring them). We have different styles for you to compare.

• Hunting rifles or bows (not required - we will provide them for your use - but highly recommended if you plan to hunt in the fall) and matching ammunition/arrows. Please bring non-toxic (copper) ammo to avoid lead pollution and exposure. Many sporting goods stores will carry solid copper ammo and you can order online using searches like AmmoSeek. This link shows results for .308 lead-free ammo. Simply change the caliber to search for your specific rifle or try using the search term: “copper”. One or two boxes of 20 will be sufficient. We will work on sighting in your rifle or bow and get you dialed in.

• Smart phone/tablet with onX Hunt map app. (Start the free 7-day trial just prior to arriving and if you have time download an “Off-Grid” map centered on 48.48294, -118.10370 “10 Miles Wide, Med Resolution.”) For a 20% discount on purchasing the service after the free trial, use code NWTF on the onX website.

• Cooler (if you’d like to take home some of the extra meat or bones from the butchering)

• Hunting knife (if you have one, we can sharpen/touch up the edge); and we have knives for your use

• Sunglasses or safety glasses for shooting (we have extras)

• Earmuffs or ear plugs (we have extras)

• Insulated coffee mug if you have a favorite

• Bug spray: ticks and mosquitoes can be present in certain conditions

• Light-weight boot gaiters or similar (for grass seed and tick control)

• Drab greens/browns or camo for forest exercises; will be advantageous to blend in

• Small backpack or day pack

• Hunting pack and any gear you'd like to go over with us, ask questions about, etc.

GENERAL SCHEDULE

We will start Wednesday evening with an optional dinner and meet and greet, followed by course instruction Thursday morning after breakfast. And the course will wrap up with lunch on Sunday, with optional add-ons (Turkey Hunting Course in the spring) to stay into the afternoon or even another night. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be served, and we will typically have morning and afternoon sessions each 4-5 hours in length, followed by an evening discussion or possible guest speaker before or after dinner.

LOCATION, DIRECTIONS

Just south of Kettle Falls, WA near Lake Roosevelt

Exact location and directions included in confirmation materials after payment is received. Plan for about a 5.5 to 6-hour drive from the Seattle area, 2-hour drive from Spokane International Airport.

FLYING INTO SPOKANE

The Gold Line bus service offers transportation from the Spokane International Airport to Kettle Falls twice a day. They allow transport of rifles and bows as long as they are packaged to airline standards (locked case, etc.). Let us know if you plan to take the bus and we will pick you up in Kettle Falls upon your arrival (and drop you off for your departure). Participants often coordinate carpools from the airport once we put everyone in touch prior to the course.

FACILITIES

There is a solar-heated shower and sink along with a private composting toilet with a view. The main log cabin on site has filtered running water for drinking and filling water bottles. There are a number of camping site locations both near the cabin and a short distance off in the woods near a creek. As with most hunting in the Pacific Northwest, there are black bears and cougars in the country though they tend to keep their distance. While the risk of wildlife encounters is low, if wildlife is a concern, you might consider bear spray, camping closer to the cabin, or renting the sleeping cabin.

ACCOMMODATIONS

While camping is included, a full-height tent with two cots, and two rustic sleeping cabins (one with two twin bunks and electricity, one with twin beds that can be formed into a king) are available for upgrades. We encourage you to bring your own sleeping bag, pillow, and towel but if you so choose for a premium, we can fully outfit the cabin with linens, blankets, pillows, and towels. Additional tents and pads are available for rent as well. Pricing and details will be shared during the registration process.

ADDITIONAL GENERAL INFORMATION AND FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Visit our General Information page to learn more about typical seasonal weather, license requirements (non for the Awaken the Hunter Course), connectivity, emergency information, minimum ages, and more.

List of State Wildlife Agencies

• Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

• Alaska Department of Fish and Game

• Arizona Game and Fish Department

• Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

• California Department of Fish and Wildlife

• Colorado Parks & Wildlife

• Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

• Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife

• District of Columbia Department of the Environment

• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

• Georgia Department of Natural Resources

• Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources

• Idaho Fish and Game

• Illinois Department of Natural Resources

• Indiana Department of Natural Resources

• Iowa Department of Natural Resources

• Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism

• Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources

• Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

• Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife

• Maryland Department of Natural Resources

• Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife

• Michigan Department of Natural Resources

• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

• Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks

• Missouri Department of Natural Resources

• Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

• Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

• Nevada Department of Wildlife

• New Hampshire Fish and Game

• New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife

• New Mexico Department of Game & Fish

• New York Department of Environmental Conservation

• North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

• North Dakota Game and Fish Department

• Ohio Department of Natural Resources

• Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

• Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

• Pennsylvania Game Commission

• Rhode Island Division of Fish & Wildlife

• South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

• South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks

• Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

• Texas Parks & Wildlife

• Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

• Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department

• Virginia Dept. of Game & Inland Fisheries

• Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

• West Virginia Division of Natural Resources

• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

• Wyoming Game and Fish Department

Note: By using a link to suggested gear at Amazon, we receive a small percentage of sales at no extra cost to you. This helps build our program and scholarship fund. Thank you.