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2015 International Youth Hunter Education Challenge

by Jon Draper - Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Gallery

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Welcome to YHEC

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For the last week in July, the NRA Whittington Center in Raton New Mexico was host to the 2015 International Youth Hunter Education Challenge.

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250 Youth

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Over 200 youth competitors, their coaches and family traveled from across the country to participate in the 2015 International Youth Hunter Education Challenge, and they brought their pride with them.

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Don't Forget Your Gear

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When you figure in a bow, rifle, shotgun and, of course, gear for each competitor, for most teams, like this one from Benton County, Arkansas, a trailer is the only way to go.

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State Pride

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Proudly displaying their team colors and state flags, teams and families filled the Coors building to kick off the NRAs 2015 IYHEC event during the Opening Ceremonies on Sunday evening lead by speaker Bob Davis, National Manager of the NRA’s Outdoor Recreational Programs.

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Start Your Engines

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The competition kicked off on Monday, as teams made their way around the Whittington Center to put their skills to the test. Here, the team from Utah gets set to participate in the Hunting Shotgun Challenge.

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On the Range

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In the Hunting Shotgun Challenge, participants move through a multiple-stage clays-course.

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Real-World Conditions

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Designed to simulate hunting conditions rather than skeet and trap shooting, the shotgun course consisted of high-fliers as well as bouncing clays that simulated small game.

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Black Powder Challenge

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Where can you find youth with the brains to handle loose powder? A YHEC event, of course! Here, the team from Louisiana preps their rifles for the Hunting Muzzleloader Challenge.

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No Scopes Allowed

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Participants were tasked with shooting at short, medium and long ranges out to 75 yards. While prone and kneeling shooting positions were allowed for longer shots, modern optics were not permitted. These kids had to use iron sights!

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Wait Your Turn

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The junior team from Missouri, apply named the Sho-Me Triggers, patiently awaits their turn at the Light Hunting Rifle Challenge.

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Going Prone

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A young shooter from Ohio shoots from the prone position with his .22 LR. Each shooter must take shots at short, medium and long ranges out to 75 yards. A total of 30 shots will be taken by each shooter.

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Country Shuttle Service

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When your events are as spread out as they were at the Whittington Center, teams, like this one from Kansas, had to pile-in to get around.

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Archery Challenge

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One of the most challenging, yet enjoyable events for shooters was the Hunting Archery Challenge.

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Two for One

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Pairs of two walked the multiple-stage course and were made to shoot simultaneously.

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Coyotes on a String

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Shots ranged from simple stationary 3-D animal targets, to the more difficult “coyote on a string” shown here, in which contestants had only seconds to shoot this target as it passed through the shooting window at 30 yards.

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Dusty Trails

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The Hunter Safety Trail Challenge pitted teams of two against a multiple station, pre-determined trail designed to simulate real hunting conditions and scenarios.

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Hunter Safety

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Participants were required to demonstrate their knowledge of hunter safety through varying scenarios including “shoot or don’t shoot” situations and proper fence crossing technique and gun handling techniques.

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Wildlife ID

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On the Wildlife Identification Course, participants were asked to walk through multiple stations and identify wildlife along the way.

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Biology Lesson?

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Proper identification of each specimen within the Wildlife Identification Course required knowledge of tracks, scat, hides and skulls. Though some were obvious, it required knowledge of a wide-range of North American game animals.

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Cherokee Run

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The Cherokee Run, one of the fun, non-scored events available during the week long competition, is a multiple stage obstacle course where contestants’ scores are based on individual events as well as time.

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Let's Start the Fire

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Events for the Cherokee Run included a speer and hatchet toss, traditional bow and arrow, small bore rifle shooting and starting a fire with flint and steel, among others.

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Champions

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Competition ended Thursday and scores were tallied. Winners were announced during Friday’s awards ceremony. The senior team from North Carolina, the Forbush Raptors, took 1^st Place in the Overall Team category with a combined score of 9331 points.

The grounds of the 33,000-acre NRA Whittington Center exploded during the last week in July when more than 250 youths and their adult coaches and parents traveled from all parts of the country to participate in the 2015 International Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC), held in Raton, N.M.

Overall Individual Winners

Junior
• 1st: Lawrence Richardson, N.M.
• 2nd: Zack Norman, N.C.
• 3rd: Matthew Lineberry, N.C.

Senior
• 1st: Stewart McCollum, Mo.
• 2nd: Zachary Meyer, Ark.
• 3rd: Doyle Donaldson II, La.

Overall Team Winners

Junior
• 1st: North Carolina Yadkin Patriots
• 2nd: Pennsylvania TJS Gunslingers
• 3rd: Utah Juniors

Senior
• 1st: North Carolina Forbush Raptors
• 2nd: Oregon Senior Team
• 3rd: Pennsylvania Senior Gold

IN THIS ARTICLE

yhec youth hunter education challenge nra whittington center hunting training 2015 jon draper