Editor's Note: Today's feature comes to The Outdoor Wire from the Youth Hunter Education Association -USA.

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RATON, NM— Begun in 1985, the National Rifle Association (NRA) "Youth Hunter Education Challenge" (YHEC) completed its thirtieth year of state and national competitions. Supported by the International Hunter Education Association-USA and its 55,000 hunter education instructors from across the U.S., YHEC is the only competition that features all lessons learned in a basic hunter education program. Teams from across the country compete in eight events that include small bore .22-caliber and black powder rifle marksmanship, shotgun sporting clays, 3-D archery, orienteering, wildlife identification, hunter responsibility exam, and a hunter safety trail test.

http://www.theoutdoorwire.com/image_archive/2225049.jpg> YHEC participants on the shooting line during the 2015 event.

This year's event was held July 26-31 at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, N.M, which typically hosts the event in odd-numbered years, switching from East to West every other national competition.

Youth teams from North Carolina won this year's senior and junior division championships. The Forbush Raptors of Forbush High School won the senior division with a team roster consisting of Coach Chris Poplin and student competitors Colton Bullin, Jordan Dinkins, Dylan Horn, Dylan Poplin, Jordan Yale and Emry Wingler. The Yadkin Patriots of Forbush Middle School won the junior division with a team roster consisting of Coaches Carson Hobson and Brian Poindexter, and student competitors Colton Hanes, Matthew Lineberry, Clayton Medlin, Zack Norman and Garrett Poindexter. Both schools are in Yadkin County. Having hunter education curricula in schools in North Carolina certainly boosts YHEC participation at the state levels. Some of our teams like the Forbush schools go on to compete every year at the national level, said Travis Casper," North Carolina state hunter education administrator.

"This makes back-to-back championships for Coach Carson Hobson," said Tim Lemon, a Wildlife Commission hunter education specialist for the district that includes Yadkin County. "You have to appreciate his level of commitment to the team and all his hard work. And his hard work doesn't begin and end with the Yadkin Patriots. He is a longtime hunting education instructor, firearms safety instructor, community volunteer and well known for taking every opportunity to engage local youth in outdoor recreation."

Stewart McCollum of the Missouri's Show-Me Shooters was the overall senior division winner and Lawrence Richardson of New Mexico's Bulls-eye Diamondbacks was the overall junior division champion. The high score for coaches, who also compete in the events, went to Lawrence Meyer with the Arkansas Unregulated Militia. See complete 2015 team results and individual results here.

http://www.theoutdoorwire.com/image_archive/2225050.jpg> Attentive, individual instruction is a strong part of YHEC educational program.

Nearly 340 competitors, coaches and parents representing 16 states attended this year's event. Since its inception, YHEC has reached more than a million young men and women. NRA's Bob Davis, NRA's Outdoor Recreational Programs Department National Manager, has coordinated the event since its inception. "We began YHEC at the same time I started my career at NRA, in the Hunter Services Division," he reminisced, "I can't believe it's been 30 years –wow!" IHEA-USA's executive director, Steve Hall, who also began his hunter education career in Texas in 1985, made his first ever national YHEC to ensure IHEA-USA's continued support for an event that features skills taught in hunter education field courses. "I am hoping that more states send young men and women to national YHEC." Davis added, "If it weren't for the many dedicated coaches, YHEC volunteers and staff who run the weeklong activities, there simply would not be an event of this magnitude. Big kudos to them and my staff who work tirelessly to put on a fantastic competition each year!"

YHEC state competitions are held in 28 states and two Canadian provinces, but is sometimes difficult all of those teams to get to the national competition. Next year, the event will be back in northern Pennsylvania, and NRA's goal is to exceed 25 state or provincial teams. If you are interested in more information about YHEC, go tohttp://yhec.nra.org/

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Editor's Note: to learn more about YHEC contact Chris Chaffin Chris@ChaffinCommunications.com (321) 729-0280 Office; (321) 506-5500 Cell