The Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC) is a program for graduates of the Missouri Hunter Education Course and provides an opportunity to help make tomorrow’s hunters more skilled and responsible. The YHEC program has two divisions: Juniors ages 11 through 14 and Seniors ages 15 through 18. Individuals that have not yet taken the Hunter Education Course may participate in YHEC, however they need to be Hunter Education Certified before the state challenge in June. Although the Hunter Education Certification is required, this organization is not just for young hunters. The program emphasizes general marksmanship skills as well as an appreciation for the outdoors that would be interesting to many youngsters – no video games required!

The YHEC program is much more than an extension of the Hunter Education Program. The Challenge consists of eight events for our young hunters and marksmen to develop their skills and knowledge: Rifle, Archery, Shotgun, Muzzleloading, Orienteering, Wildlife Identification, Hunter Safety Trail and the Hunter Responsibility Exam.

All participants will need the following equipment for the marksmanship challenges: a .22 rimfire hunting type rifle, a repeating shotgun, a muzzleloader and a hunting type bow. Obviously, the best results will be from equipment owned by the shooter with proper fit, however the YHEC organization does have equipment that new members can borrow to get them started.

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