2025 National Youth Hunter Education Challenge

JULY 20-26
BENTONVILLE, ARKANSAS

In keeping with the established YHEC Rules, the 2025 NRA Youth Hunter Education Challenge will conduct these eight disciplines:

Responsibility Events

• Wildlife Identification Challenge
• Shoot/Don’t Shoot Hunter Safety Trail
• Orienteering Challenge
• Hunter Responsibility Exam

Shooting Events

• .22 Rifle Challenge
• Shotgun Challenge
• Muzzleloader Challenge
• Archery Challenge

Equipment Needed

Since YHEC is, as its name implies, a hunting competition, the equipment and supplies should closely reflect the items a hunter would take hunting. Olympic-styled equipment, including firearms and bows, is not allowed. Please see the list of required, permitted, and prohibited items under each discipline in the YHEC National Rules.

Competitors should provide their own equipment wherever possible. Because of time constraints, it may not be possible to share firearms and bows. All equipment will be inspected prior to each event.

Equipment and supplies not found in compliance with established YHEC National Rules or posted amended bulletins prior to the event will be prohibited. Competitor found using equipment or supplies deemed prohibited could be subjected to disqualification.

22 Rifle Challenge: Hunting style .22 rifle, with all action types, except fully automatic are allowed. Rifle can be equipment with sling and scope. .22 factory-loaded long rifle ammunition, standard velocity.

Shotgun Challenge: Any shotgun 12 gauge or smaller capable of holding two shells. Only factory-loaded 7½ – 9 shot allowed. YHEC will furnish .20 and .12 gauge only; competitor must supply any other gauge.

Muzzleloader Challenge: Any flintlock, disk, percussion, musket, or 209-primer type muzzleloader rifle .54 caliber or smaller. Open, peep, hooded, or tunnel sights and sling allowed. Lead bullets or balls only.

Archery Challenge: Hunting style compound, recurve, or long bow with hunting-style sights. Must have minimum 6 field point arrows carried in quiver. Binocular without range finder allowed.

Wildlife Identification: Knowledge of North American game animals and birds, reptiles and protected species. The NRA Hunter’s Guide plus South Dakota Hunting Regulations will be used as resources.

Safety Trail: Knowledge of hunting and gun safety – plus the hunting regulations from South Dakota – will be the references for this event. Competitor must supply shotgun capable of shooting two shots.

Orienteering: Field and map exercises to test ability to navigate a course. Magnetic compass and electronic devices (GPS) required. Pacing chart, mapping protractors, grids, roamers, and rulers can be used.

Responsibility Exam: Knowledge of hunting, shooting, conservation, ethics, responsibility, and game laws as referenced in the NRA Hunter’s Guide and the hunting rules and regulations of South Dakota.

Please review the National YHEC Rules for full disclosure of rules and regulations that govern each of these events.

Tentative Schedule