To celebrate our hunting heritage in Montana, Governor Greg Gianforte in 2022 hosted the inaugural Youth Hunting Story Contest for Montana youth and apprentice hunters ages 10-17. Governor Gianforte selected ten winning hunters from hundreds of entries statewide.
Bringing the contest back for its second year, Governor Gianforte is now accepting entries for the 2023 Youth Hunting Story Contest. To enter the contest, hunters must submit a story of no more than 500 words and a photo from their 2023 hunt. Hunters must be a Montana resident and a licensed hunter or apprentice hunter between the ages of 10-17. Eligible entries include the harvest of any legal game, furbearer animals, or birds in Montana.
The deadline to enter the contest is Monday, November 27, 2023. The governor will select 10 hunters, five aged 10-13 and five aged 14-17, and announce the winners in mid-December. Winners will be invited to the Capitol to celebrate with the governor and receive their prizes in January of the new year.
Previous Winners
2022 Montana Governor’s Youth Hunting Story Contest Winners
- Brynlee Epperson, Lewistown
- Emaline Musson, Belgrade
- Grayson Fulton, Colstrip
- Greyson Garza, Belt
- Jack Heicher, Townsend
- Jaeger Tombre, Savage
- Jason Michalsky, Billings
- Lilly Ebert, Whitehall
- Mika Smith, Charlo
- Ruthy Vinson, Manhattan
A special thank you to J2 Taxidermy, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Sitka, Stone Glacier, and Vista Outdoor for donating prizes to the 2022 winning hunters.
View the 2022 winning stories here: https://news.mt.gov/Governors-Office/2022-Youth-Hunting-Booklet.pdf
