The 2019 Regional YHEC Championships were held in Bentonville, Arkansas, and near Elmire-Ithaca area of New York State. Attendance was nearly equal to National attendance, Embrey noted, and he was very encouraged by that fact. Practice for the Regional Championships occurs at the local and state levels. YHEC at the local level is a basic introduction for youth who are interested in hunting. State YHEC events are at an intermediate level and require youth to have completed a hunter education course or the NRA on-line hunter education course. To participate in a YHEC event, you must be 18 years of age or under. If a Hunter Education course is required, you must follow your state's age requirements. Local and state YHEC events must feature at least one of the following responsibility/educational events and one of the following shooting events: • • • • • • • •
Hunter Responsibility Exam: Students test their knowledge of hunter safety, ethics, responsibility and the laws; Hunter Safety Trail: Here, young hunters demonstrate their knowledge of safe hunting practices in various hunting situations; Orienteering: Hunters prove they know how to navigate a course using a map and compass; Wildlife Identification: Participants identify tracks, hides, feathers and other signs of North American wildlife; .22 Rifle: Utilize a .22 rifle to shoot at actiontype or life-size game targets; Shotgun: Demonstrate shotgun shooting skills across multiple hunters' clays stations; Muzzleloader: Use a muzzleloading rifle with open sights to shoot at action-type or life-size game targets; Archery: Walk through an archery course set up with life size animal targets.
Splitting up the National in two (three in 2020) separate venues does mean that YHEC will likely need more volunteers---more for the various events and more at the local and state levels as increased number of youths enter the program. If you are an experienced hunter, considering volunteering your time to help at a YHEC event. Want more information on YHEC? Visit the website at: https://yhec.nra.org/. MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Join us next year for the 2020 Regional Events: • • •
July 12-15, 2020 Eastern Regional, Breesport, NY July 19-25, 2020 Mid-West Regional, Bentonville, AR August 3-7, 2020 Western Regional, Hyrum, UT Fall 2019 • NRA CLUB CONNECTION • 3