Hunter Skills

Event Description: These events include written exams, orienteering and map reading. Written exams may consist of True/False, multiple choice, matching, short answer, fill-in the blank, ranking alternative choices or any other objective testing method the officials may choose.

Hunter Skills: This event includes a written exam that contains up to 80 questions covering topics from the NRA Hunter’s Guide and is not limited to:

• Stand or blind location or use
• First Aid
• Cutting instruments
• Hunting clothes/footwear choices
• Firearms/ammunition
• Basic ballistics for hunters
• Map navigation and use
• Game recovery
• Post harvest handling
• Track and sign interpretation
• Calls and calling
• Hunt planning
• Optics
• Decoys and their use
• Care and use of hunting equipment
• “Woodsmanship” and “Plainsmanship”

Any other skills or equipment included in the references.

Map Reading: This event includes up to 20 written questions concerning map interpretation and map reading. USGS/topographic maps will be used for test purposes.

Compass Courses: Competitors will be required to complete up to 2 compass courses for this event. No calculators, binoculars or range finders are allowed on the compass course. The compass courses will run the following units: Feet

Compass and writing pen or pencil must be provided by the competitors.

Time Limits: 

• Event Officials will determine an appropriate time for the testing and will announce to the group prior to beginning the competition. 
• Reading assistance will be provided during testing, upon request prior to event.

Hunting Scenario/Hunter Decision Making Event Description: This event is based on ethics, safety, landowner relationships, federal games laws & regulations, the selected state’s game laws and shooting skills.

Twenty to 60 decision-making questions will be posed. Decision Making and Hunting Scenario questions may consist of True/False, multiple choice, matching, short answer, fill-in the blank, ranking alternative choices or any other objective testing method the officials may choose.

Competitors may be asked to demonstrate knowledge or skill and/or may be evaluated by an oral or written test. The desire is that any written testing will be as “objective” as possible rather than “subjective” in nature.

In addition, competitors may view videos of hunting situations and be asked “shoot or don’t shoot” and “why.”

2026 Hunting Scenario: 15 to 30 questions will be posted on the following scenario. 

Friends have invited your family to come visit/hunt with them in Kentucky. Waterfowl will be at the top of your list for this hunt but you’re hopeful you can also hunt rabbit and quail. Your friends own a lot of land in Graves County, KY. This is where you will hunt most of the time, but you might venture to the Kaler Bottom WMA to try your luck.  Your mom, dad and sister will be traveling/hunting with you.  You are 15 years old. Your mom is 40, your dad is 42 and your sister is 17 years old. Each of you have completed a hunter education course. You will be hunting January 16-18, 2026.  All of you will be using shotguns for the entire hunt.

Time Limits: Event Officials will determine an appropriate time for the testing and will announce to the group prior to beginning the competition. 

Reading assistance will be provided during testing, upon request prior to event.

Shooting Skills: Coaches/parents need to stay behind designated shooting lines during competition.

• Archery (15 targets) – for archery, a “hit” will be the heart-lung vital area on a 3-D target. A “miss” will be any other shot. Maximum distance to target: Compound – 50 yards, Recurve – 35 yards. The course may not be previewed, scouted, or walked. No binoculars/range finders. Hunting scenarios may include: shooting from blinds, elevated stands, kneeling, sitting, moving targets, and other hunting situations.
• Shotgun (15 targets) – clay targets will be scored as a “hit” or “miss”. Shooting stations will imitate various hunting scenarios. Hunting scenarios may include: shooting from blinds, elevated stands, kneeling, sitting, walking, kicking brush and other hunting situations. Different colored targets may be used to distinguish “no shoot” targets.
• Rifle (15 targets) – a “hit” will be the heart-lung vital area on a 2-D animal target as noted in the examples exhibited at the contest. The maximum distance will be 80 yards. Competitors may be expected to shoot in Prone, Kneeling/Sitting, or Standing positions. Parents or coaches may glass targets with binoculars but are NOT allowed to communicate with competitors.
• All shooting disciplines in the Hunting Skills contest will be at unmarked distances.

Hunting Skills Scoring

Daily Awards

• Individual Awards are determined by adding where an individual ranked in each of the daily events. The lowest combined Rank Score would be the overall winner for that discipline.
  • For example,
    • Competitor A ranked 1^st in Wildlife ID, 4^th in Wildlife Management, and 5^th in Archery. They would have a Rank Score Total of 10 points (1+4+5).
    • Competitor B is ranked 2^nd in Wildlife ID, 1^st in Wildlife Management, and 8^th in Archery, they would have a Rank Score Total of 11 points (2+1+8).
    • Competitor A would be ranked 1^st, and Competitor B would be ranked 2^nd for that day’s events.
• Rankings, for determining daily individual and team awards, are based on the Rank Score without the use of tiebreakers. If there was a 6-way tie for first, all 6 would get a 1. The next highest score would be 2. If there was a 4-way tie for third, all 4 would receive a 3, and the next highest score would get a 4 and so on. (See example below).

• Team Awards will be determined by adding the placing points for the 3 events and using the top 3 team members’ Rank Score Total. The lowest combined Ranked Score would be the winner for that day.
• Tiebreakers
  • The first tiebreaker is the Rank Score in the shooting discipline for that day.
  • The remaining daily tiebreakers are as follows.
    • Day 1
      • 2^nd tiebreaker = Wildlife ID Rank Score.
      • 3^rd tiebreaker = Wildlife Management Rank Score.
      • If needed, event management will determine remaining tiebreakers.
    • Day 2
      • 2^nd tiebreaker = General Hunting Skills Rank Score.
      • 3^rd tiebreaker = Map Reading Rank Score.
      • If needed, event management will determine remaining tiebreakers.
    • Day 3
      • 2^nd tiebreaker = Decision Making Rank Score.
      • 3^rd tiebreaker = Compass Course Rank Score.
      • If needed, event management will determine remaining tiebreakers. 
  • Daily tiebreakers for teams will be applied to the 3 team members with the highest ranking for each of the daily events.