4th Annual Montana Youth Hunting Story Contest Underway

With the start of the fall hunting season comes the return of a budding Montana tradition: the Governor's Montana Youth Hunting Story Contest.

What are the requirements?

The contest opened on Monday and takes entries until December 2nd.

Entrants must be between the ages of 10 to 17 and have a valid hunting license or apprentice license for entrants ages 10 and 11.

The story length must be 500 words or fewer and must include a photo from the hunt.  (Pics or it didn't happen!)

Finally, the story may be about the legal hunting of legal game animals, furry or feathered.  Based on past winners, it doesn't have to be about the hunt itself, it just has to be at least tangentially connected to hunting or hunting-adjacent.

Two winners from last year had stories like that, one about saving up to buy equipment for their first hunt and another about a post-hunt family tradition.

What then?

Once the entry window closes, a total of ten winners will be chosen, five from the 10 to 13 age range and five from the 14 to 17 range.

Once the winners have been chosen, in early January, they will arrive in Helena to meet the governor and accept their prizes.  Their stories will also be published.

What can they win?

The contest sponsors are J2 Taxidermy, Kenetrek Boots, the MT Outfitters and Guides Association, Murdoch's, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Sitka, and Stone Glacier.

The actual prizes aren't announced, but going by last year's prizes and the nature of the subject matter, hunting gear is a safe bet.