Young hunter challenge

Young hunters in Hot Springs County and across the state will have a chance to show off their skills at the Youth Hunter Education Challenge in Thermopolis on Saturday, May 5.

For the second year, the Thermopolis Gun Club has joined forces with Friends of the NRA and Wyoming Game and Fish to bring the program to town.

In order to participate, students must have gone through and passed the hunter education program. To register, they will need their hunter education card and $5. Friends of the NRA can provide firearms and ammunition the day of the challenge.

There are several skill sets to the challenge including safety and responsibility, animal identification and different shooting challenges. New shooting challenges added this year include archer and muzzle loaders along with rifles and shot guns.

Participants will earn points at this local challenge that count toward qualifying for the state challenge. There is also a national challenge this summer.

Instructors for the challenge will work mostly 1-on-1 with the students and will come from all over, including Wyoming Game and Fish.

The junior division includes youth 14 and under on or before August 1 and the senior division is for those 15-18 on or before August 1.

There is a limit of 40 participants for the challenge and application forms may be picked up at the Chamber, the 4-H extension office, Jim Lash or Cynthia Garbin, and returned by Friday, April 27.

The challenge will be held at the Bob Milek Memorial Range, eight miles west of Thermopolis on Hwy 120.

If you have any questions you may contact Garbin at 921-8304.