40th Youth Hunter Education Skills Tournament held in March

Events include archery, shotgun, rifle

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has set the schedule for the 40th annual Youth Hunter Education Skills Tournaments (YHEST). More than 4,000 students will compete in events including shotgun, archery, rifle, orienteering and a written hunting skills exam.

The 2017 schedule by state wildlife district:

District 1: March 25, Eastern 4-H Center – 100 N Clover Way, Columbia

District 2: March 11, New Hanover Law Enforcement Officer Range – 5301 Holly Shelter Rd., Castle Hayne

District 3: March 18, Rose Hill Farm – 3851 Rose Hill Lane, Nashville

District 4: March 18, Camp Freedom – 7366 Sherrill Baggett Rd., Falcon

District 5: March 4, Chatham County Wildlife Club -Wildlife Rd., Bear Creek

District 6: March 18, Lentz Hunter Education Complex – 2030 Gibson Mill Rd., Ellerbe

District 7: March 11, Hunting Creek Shooting Preserve – 300 N. Meadow Rd., Harmony

District 8: March 18, Catawba Valley Wildlife Club – 2705 Lynn Mountain Rd., Vale

District 9: March 18, Polk County Wildlife Club – 1243 Little Mountain Rd., Columbus

Competition is conducted on senior (high school) and junior (middle and elementary schools) divisional levels, with overall team and overall individual awards based on aggregate scores in all events. Home-schooled students and teams representing 4-H or FFA also can compete, provided they meet eligibility requirements.

Sixty teams will move on to compete at the state tournament on April 29 at the Lentz Hunter Education Complex in Ellerbe. For more information about the Youth Hunter Education Skills Tournament, go to www.ncwildlife.org/YHEST.

While the competition is for students 18 years and younger, the Commission offers free hunter education courses and advanced hunter education on a regular schedule for all ages. For more information, go to www.ncwildlife.org/huntered or call 919-707-0031.