Ten Montana Kids Honored By Governor for Their Hunting Stories

With pens in hand, these talented kids emerged as the best of the bunch.

In 500 words or less, they brought to life the wonderful memories they made on their 2024 hunting trips. And they will be celebrated at the state capitol in Helena later this month.

Montana's Governor Greg Gianforte has announced the winners of the 2024 Governor’s Youth Hunting Story Contest. In a release from the Governor's Office, he was quoted as saying, “Hunting is a vital part of Montana’s legacy, connecting generations through respect for the land and wildlife. It’s inspiring to see so many young hunters submit stories and I’m thrilled to invite the ten winners to the State Capitol to celebrate.”

Started in 2022, the Youth Hunting Story contest is open to Montana youth and apprentice hunters between the ages of 10 and 17. To enter the contest, resident hunters submitted a story of no more than 500 words about a 2024 hunt and a photo from their hunt. Eligible entries included harvesting any legal game, furbearer animals, or birds in Montana.

THE BEST OF THE BEST

This year's 10 winning writers were:

Ambreigh Morris of Baker (10 years old) for the story of her first deer hunt with her uncle.

Amelia Saylor of Wilsall (14 years old) for the story of her deer hunt in her new hometown.

Hannah Smith of Bozeman (14 years old) for the story of her first little “forkie” buck.

Hays Darr of Bozeman (10 years old) for the story of his first bird hunt, where he was “excited as a dog with a big pile of beef jerky.”

Jacob Reddish of Lakeside (16 years old) for the story of his first solo hunt.

Layton Arnold of Belgrade (14 years old) for the story about saving money for seven years to buy hunting equipment for his first elk hunt.

Malena Altschwager of Corvallis (13 years old) for the story of her deer hunt with her dad.

Noah Wheatley of Deer Lodge (13 years old) for the story of how special his deer hunt was with his dad.

Remuda Seymour of Dillon (12 years old) for the story of her new family tradition of eating cherry pie after hunting.

Wyatt Mosher of Jefferson City (15 years old) for the story of his first antelope hunt on a Block Management Area and on state land.

See if you agree that the stories make for charming reading. You can see all ten stories posted by the Governor's Office here.