Forkhorn Camps
Youth Firearm Safety & Hunting Camps
Registration for Summer 2025 opening late December
Sponsored by the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association (MDHA), Forkhorn camps guide campers in firearms safety, hunting safety, wilderness navigation and survival, and many other outdoor recreation activities! No firearms or hunting experience needed before coming to camp!​
​
Scholarships: MDHA provides Forkhorn camp scholarships to campers. Click here to contact you most local chapter for an application! All scholarship recipients are required to verify their scholarship award upon online registration by providing contact information (name and number/email) from the individual that awarded them the scholarship. Deep Portage will be working with the sponsors to double check scholarships weekly to verify they are correct. Any incorrect scholarships will be immediately revoked, returned back to the sponsor, and your $100 camp deposit will NOT be reimbursed.
Forkhorn I (all overnights)
Dates:
-
Session 1: June 8-12 2025
-
Session 2: June 15-19 2025
-
Session 3 ALL GIRLS: July 27-31 2025
-
Session 4: August 3-7 2025
Tuition: TBD
Ages: 11-15
​
Successful completion of this camp earns students their MN DNR Firearms Safety Certificate. By learning in a cooperative classroom, doing hands-on activities outside, and plenty of practice at our rifle range, you can be assured that your camper will come away with a high level of firearms safety, responsible hunting practices, and wildlife ecology skills. Although they will be busy with firearms safety training, campers will also have plenty of time for recreational and outdoor skills classes such as canoeing, fishing, survival, orienteering, rock climbing, and much more.
​
​
​
Forkhorn II (overnight)
Dates:​
-
Session 2: June 29-July 3 2025
Tuition: TBD
Ages: 12-16
Prerequisite: MN DNR Firearms Safety Certificate (Forkhorn I is not a prerequisite)
​
Students will be certified in the Minnesota Bowhunter Education Program (MBEP) as part of the camp; this certification is required in to purchase archery hunting tags in many states, provinces, or special designated archery hunting areas in MN. This advanced hunting camp takes students beyond the basic white-tailed deer hunting and offers higher level training in bow hunting such as shooting out of deer stands and walking a 3D archery target course. Additionally, they will learn advanced map and compass skills, high caliber rifle and muzzleloader training, and ethical hunting practices. Campers will go on a day long canoe trip down the Boy River, up and over beaver dams to the remote Little Boy Lake to fish and have a campsite lunch.
*Personal bows and arrows are allowed at camp, but target tips only*
Forkhorn III (overnight)
Dates: July 6-10 2025
Tuition: TBD
Ages: 13-17
Prerequisite: MN DNR Firearms Safety Certificate
​
This improved Forkhorn 3 camp no longer has an Advanced Hunters Education certification. Instead, it will focus on advancing on the outdoor and conservation skills learned in Forkhorn 1 and Forkhorn 2. Campers will be doing advanced land navigation course with higher level survival techniques, rifle ammunition basics, muzzleloading, and shotgun wing shooting at our sporting clays course. We will be featuring special theme days at camp such as turkey, waterfowl, small game, and big game days where campers will learn more in depth information about the wildlife they can pursue and how to become more successful. Campers will go home with their own wild game calls! This camp will also feature an overnight tent camping experience on DP property.
