About YHEC
Youth Hunter Education Challenge
NRA's Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC) provides a fun environment for kids 18 and under to improve their hunting, marksmanship and safety skills. Through its simulated hunting situations, live fire exercises, educational and responsibility events, YHEC helps build upon skills learned in basic hunter education courses and encourages safer, lifelong hunting habits.
From rifle, bow and muzzleloader shooting at life-sized targets, to wildlife identification, map and compass orienteering and more, YHEC participants can get hands-on training in eight skill areas, giving them expertise in all methods of take and all types of game.
"What the heck is YHEC?"
Written by Charles "Charlie" Fox
The Youth Hunter Education Challenge known better as (YHEC) is not just another shooting competition. If it were, we would put up targets, count hits and award prizes.
While everyone is not created with the same talents or desires, they all do have the ability to do the best that they can with the talents and desires they were given.
YHEC is about so much more than shooting. It is about the passing of values, given to us in our childhood, on for generations that follow.
YHEC is about the teaching of skills that will serve participants in their adult life. It is about the sharing of knowledge, understanding and respect for wildlife and for those who share this planet with us.
YHEC is about friendships that continue throughout the years that become extensions of your family.
YHEC is about the bonding of people from all walks of life who share common values.
YHEC enriches the lives of volunteers, coaches and those that participate.
If all of these things are worthy of your time and energy, come and be part of this thing we call “YHEC”!
About the Author
Charlie was instrumental in the formation of YHEC. He started out as a coach for a local club in the mid 1980’s, then became the Pennsylvania State YHEC Coordinator and the Muzzle Loader Event Director for the National YHEC Event. Charlie was an avid outdoorsman with a lifelong love of teaching and mentoring youth. Unfortunately, we all lost an advocate for the outdoor community with Charlie’s passing in 2022.
Events
Archery
Participants will move through a field archery course in a natural setting. The course is designed to simulate shooting situations encountered while bowhunting.
Muzzleloader
Participants will shoot the muzzleloader course in a natural setting. The course is designed to simulate shooting situations encountered while hunting.
Shotgun
Participants will move through a multiple-station Hunter’s Clays course. It designed not designed after trap or skeet, but to simulate hunting conditions and situations.
22 Rifle
Participants will move through a walk-through rifle course in a natural setting. The course is designed to simulate shooting situations encountered while hunting.
Hunter Responsibility Exam
Participants will complete a written examination that includes 60 to 150 objective questions, which may be multiple choice, true or false or fill-in-the-blank.
Hunter Safety Trail
Participants will walk through a multiple-station, predetermined trail, designed to simulate actual hunting conditions and situations. Participants will be required to demonstrate hunter safety.
Orienteering
Participants will be required to demonstrate their knowledge of outdoor skills by completing a written test and accomplishing field compass skills at predetermined outdoor stations.
Wildlife Identification
The wildlife identification will be conducted with participants walking through multiple stations observing North American game animal tracks, mounted animals, and other identifying animal parts/signs that could be used to readily identify the specimen.