Utah invites hunters of all ages to annual skills challenge in Logan

Hunters who want a hard, practical check on their field skills have a date with the Cache Valley Public Shooting Range in Logan. Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources is taking registrations for the annual Utah Hunting Skills Challenge, a two-day competition that starts Friday, May 15, with a written exam and wildlife-identification test, then returns Saturday, May 16, for the hands-on stations that make the event more than a classroom refresher.

The challenge is set for the DWR’s full-service range at 2851 W. 200 North in Logan, a facility west of town that runs indoor and outdoor ranges year-round and also hosts archery, handgun, muzzleloader, rifle, shotgun, cowboy action and Hunter Education activities. Registration costs $35 per participant, and DWR asked hunters to sign up by May 8, though entries remain open until the day of the event.

Steven Bassett, who manages the Cache Valley Public Shooting Range, said the competition is meant to let youth and adults show what they learned in Hunter Education in a setting that still feels like a family outing. That broader approach is part of the point. The event was once known as the Youth Hunter Education Challenge, but Utah has since opened it up to hunters of all ages who have completed Hunter Education.

The fieldwork is the draw. Competitors will move through wildlife identification, .22 long rifle, shotgun, archery, muzzleloader, orienteering and a safety trail that tests ethics and decision-making through realistic hunting scenarios. The written exam checks hunting rules and Hunter Education material, turning the weekend into a live-fire version of a skills review rather than a straight competition.

Utah’s Hunter Education course is required for anyone born after Dec. 31, 1965 who wants a hunting license in the state, and DWR says the program is nationally recognized. That makes the skills challenge an obvious next step for newer hunters, especially younger participants looking to turn course material into muscle memory before heading into the field.

The event also carries a bigger tradition behind it. The National Rifle Association launched the Youth Hunter Education Challenge in 1985, Utah has been in the program since the start, and DWR says 16 states now participate. In Utah, the top five scorers in the junior and senior divisions will receive prizes, along with the top three adult scorers. For families that hunt together, it is a rare chance to put theory, etiquette and marksmanship in the same weekend and see where the weak spots still are.