Montana Governor’s Youth Hunting Essay Contest Now Open

With just a few weekends of the general hunting season left in Montana, hunters will be heading out for the last few chances to bag the big one.  And put meat in the freezer.  It will also mean some great stories to be told for years to come.

via GIPHY

The Governor's Office in Helena wants to hear those stories from the youth hunters that are making those memories at hunting camp.  Governor Gianforte has announced the annual Youth Hunting Essay Contest is officially underway in the state.

Get our free mobile app

Montana Governor's Youth Hunting Essay Contest Now Open

The 4th annual Montana Governor's Youth Hunting Essay Contest offers the opportunity for kids aged 10-17 to submit their favorite hunting story or memory.  The Governor's Office goal is to help "honor Montana’s hunting traditions and celebrate the next generation of sportsmen and women."

READ MORE:  Why Montana Apple Users Should Never Turn This Off

To enter, the requirements are pretty easy for the young hunter:

•  Be a Montana resident between the ages of 10 and 17
•  Hold a valid hunting license or apprentice hunting license
•  Submit a story of 500 words or fewer
•  Include a photo from their hunt

The contest also states that "eligible submissions may involve the harvest of any legal game animal, furbearer, or bird in Montana."

Deadline Approaching to Submit Essays to the Montana Governor's Office

Deadline for entry of essays in the contest is on December 2, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. MST.  Once the deadline passes, Governor Gianforte will choose ten winners, five between the ages 10–13 and five between the ages 14–17.

Those winners will be invited to the state capitol in Helena to tell their stories and to receive prizes from sponsors including Sitka, Stone Glacier, Kenetrek Boots, J2 Taxidermy, Murdoch’s, the Montana Outfitters & Guides Association, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and Zink’s Big Sky Archery Targets.  Submissions for the contest can be made here.