The Great Land Goes National
Alaska sends its first Youth Hunter Education Challenge team to the national stage
Making Alaska history: Coach Melody Taylor and members of the Great Land Grizzlies, Alaska’s first team to compete at the National Youth Hunter Education Challenge.
| “This milestone is bigger than a single competition. It shows that Alaska is building capable, ethical and confident young hunters.” |
In 2026, Alaska reached a milestone years in the making: the state sent its first team to the National Youth Hunter Education Challenge. Competing as the Great Land Grizzlies, the young Alaskans carried more than a team name. They carried Alaska’s hunting heritage, the work of dedicated volunteers and the hopes of everyone investing in the next generation of safe and responsible hunters.
Led by coach Melody Taylor, the team traveled from Alaska to compete against youth from across the country. The experience tested far more than marksmanship. It demanded focus, preparation, teamwork, wildlife knowledge, navigation skills and sound decisions under pressure.
ALASKA YOUTH HUNTER EDUCATION CHALLENGE | 2026
More Than a Shooting Competition
The Youth Hunter Education Challenge, commonly called YHEC, is designed as the next step after basic hunter education. The program gives young people a chance to apply what they have learned in realistic, competitive events that mirror the skills and judgment required in the field.
National YHEC events traditionally include archery, .22 rifle, shotgun and muzzleloader, along with wildlife identification, hunter responsibility, a hunter safety trail and map-and-compass navigation. Together, those events reward the complete outdoorsman or outdoorswoman – not simply the best shot.
Alaska competitors take aim during the archery portion of the national challenge. YHEC combines shooting ability with safety, discipline and field awareness.
| COACHING IN THE FIELDCoach Melody Taylor works with an Alaska participant during an outdoor-skills event. Good coaching at YHEC is about more than giving answers – it is about teaching young people how to slow down, think clearly and make responsible choices. |
The Alaska Program
Alaska’s YHEC effort grows from the same foundation as the state’s broader hunter education work: safety, ethics, conservation and respect for wildlife and other people. Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Hunter Information and Training Program administers hunter education and related outdoor training across the state with the help of hundreds of volunteer instructors. Those programs help young Alaskans move from classroom knowledge to practical skills they can carry into the field.
The Alaska YHEC program has been centered in Fairbanks and supported by coaches, parents, range volunteers, community partners and conservation organizations. Practices and competitions require access to ranges, equipment, ammunition, targets, travel funding and countless volunteer hours. Sending a team thousands of miles to nationals is therefore a community achievement as much as a team achievement.
ALASKA YOUTH HUNTER EDUCATION CHALLENGE | 2026
Skills That Last a Lifetime
YHEC teaches lessons that stay useful long after the scores are posted. Young participants learn to handle firearms and bows safely, identify wildlife, navigate with a map and compass, follow hunting laws and make ethical decisions when the “right” choice may mean not taking a shot.
They also learn how to prepare, accept coaching, recover from mistakes and support teammates. Those habits build stronger hunters, but they also build stronger young adults.
The national experience gave Alaska’s competitors opportunities to meet and build friendships with youth from other states while sharing a common respect for hunting and the outdoors.
| WHAT YHEC BUILDSSafe firearm and archery habits • Ethical decision-making • Wildlife knowledge • Navigation and outdoor readiness • Confidence, teamwork and leadership |
A National Stage – and a Strong Showing
The team’s first trip to nationals was not simply ceremonial. Alaska competitors stepped into a demanding national field and showed that they belonged there. One of the photographs from the awards ceremony captures an Alaska team member holding a third-place plaque – a powerful reminder that the state’s first national appearance also included competitive success.
An Alaska competitor is recognized on the national awards stage with a third-place plaque – a strong result during Alaska’s first trip to National YHEC.
ALASKA YOUTH HUNTER EDUCATION CHALLENGE | 2026
Why This Matters for Alaska
Alaska’s hunting future depends on more than opportunity. It depends on young people who understand the responsibility that comes with that opportunity. They must know how to be safe, how to respect wildlife, how to follow the law and how to make good decisions when no one else is watching.
Programs like YHEC help turn those values into habits. They connect young people with mentors, give families a positive place to learn together and create a pathway from hunter education into a lifetime of responsible participation in Alaska’s outdoors.
For the Alaska Outdoor Council and other organizations that support youth education, this first national team is proof that those investments matter. Financial support helps cover equipment, range use, training and travel. Volunteer support gives young people trusted adults who are willing to teach, coach and encourage them. Together, those contributions make opportunities possible that many Alaska families could not create on their own.
Coach Melody Taylor and an Alaska team member share a moment during the national competition. Mentorship is at the heart of the YHEC experience.
The Beginning of Something Bigger
The Great Land Grizzlies made history by becoming the first Alaska team to attend National YHEC. But the greater accomplishment may be what comes next: more young Alaskans training, more communities participating, more volunteer coaches stepping forward and more Alaska teams earning the chance to represent the state.
The first team opened the door. The challenge now is to keep it open and make sure the next generation has the training, support and encouragement to walk through it.
| HELP BUILD THE NEXT ALASKA TEAMSupport can take many forms: sponsor equipment or travel, volunteer as a coach or range helper, or encourage a young Alaskan to complete hunter education and begin building outdoor skills. |
The first trip made history. The next one builds a tradition.
PROGRAM NOTE
Background information on Alaska hunter education is based on the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Hunter Information and Training Program. National event descriptions are based on the NRA Youth Hunter Education Challenge program. Team details and photographs were provided for this article.
ALASKA YOUTH HUNTER EDUCATION CHALLENGE | 2026
ALASKA YOUTH HUNTER EDUCATION CHALLENGE
The Great Land Goes National
Alaska sends its first Youth Hunter Education Challenge team to the national stage
Making Alaska history: Coach Melody Taylor and members of the Great Land Grizzlies, Alaska’s first team to compete at the National Youth Hunter Education Challenge.
| “This milestone is bigger than a single competition. It shows that Alaska is building capable, ethical and confident young hunters.” |
In 2026, Alaska reached a milestone years in the making: the state sent its first team to the National Youth Hunter Education Challenge. Competing as the Great Land Grizzlies, the young Alaskans carried more than a team name. They carried Alaska’s hunting heritage, the work of dedicated volunteers and the hopes of everyone investing in the next generation of safe and responsible hunters.
Led by coach Melody Taylor, the team traveled from Alaska to compete against youth from across the country. The experience tested far more than marksmanship. It demanded focus, preparation, teamwork, wildlife knowledge, navigation skills and sound decisions under pressure.
ALASKA YOUTH HUNTER EDUCATION CHALLENGE | 2026
More Than a Shooting Competition
The Youth Hunter Education Challenge, commonly called YHEC, is designed as the next step after basic hunter education. The program gives young people a chance to apply what they have learned in realistic, competitive events that mirror the skills and judgment required in the field.
National YHEC events traditionally include archery, .22 rifle, shotgun and muzzleloader, along with wildlife identification, hunter responsibility, a hunter safety trail and map-and-compass navigation. Together, those events reward the complete outdoorsman or outdoorswoman – not simply the best shot.
Alaska competitors take aim during the archery portion of the national challenge. YHEC combines shooting ability with safety, discipline and field awareness.
| COACHING IN THE FIELDCoach Melody Taylor works with an Alaska participant during an outdoor-skills event. Good coaching at YHEC is about more than giving answers – it is about teaching young people how to slow down, think clearly and make responsible choices. |
The Alaska Program
Alaska’s YHEC effort grows from the same foundation as the state’s broader hunter education work: safety, ethics, conservation and respect for wildlife and other people. Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Hunter Information and Training Program administers hunter education and related outdoor training across the state with the help of hundreds of volunteer instructors. Those programs help young Alaskans move from classroom knowledge to practical skills they can carry into the field.
The Alaska YHEC program has been centered in Fairbanks and supported by coaches, parents, range volunteers, community partners and conservation organizations. Practices and competitions require access to ranges, equipment, ammunition, targets, travel funding and countless volunteer hours. Sending a team thousands of miles to nationals is therefore a community achievement as much as a team achievement.
ALASKA YOUTH HUNTER EDUCATION CHALLENGE | 2026
Skills That Last a Lifetime
YHEC teaches lessons that stay useful long after the scores are posted. Young participants learn to handle firearms and bows safely, identify wildlife, navigate with a map and compass, follow hunting laws and make ethical decisions when the “right” choice may mean not taking a shot.
They also learn how to prepare, accept coaching, recover from mistakes and support teammates. Those habits build stronger hunters, but they also build stronger young adults.
The national experience gave Alaska’s competitors opportunities to meet and build friendships with youth from other states while sharing a common respect for hunting and the outdoors.
| WHAT YHEC BUILDSSafe firearm and archery habits • Ethical decision-making • Wildlife knowledge • Navigation and outdoor readiness • Confidence, teamwork and leadership |
A National Stage – and a Strong Showing
The team’s first trip to nationals was not simply ceremonial. Alaska competitors stepped into a demanding national field and showed that they belonged there. One of the photographs from the awards ceremony captures an Alaska team member holding a third-place plaque – a powerful reminder that the state’s first national appearance also included competitive success.
An Alaska competitor is recognized on the national awards stage with a third-place plaque – a strong result during Alaska’s first trip to National YHEC.
ALASKA YOUTH HUNTER EDUCATION CHALLENGE | 2026
Why This Matters for Alaska
Alaska’s hunting future depends on more than opportunity. It depends on young people who understand the responsibility that comes with that opportunity. They must know how to be safe, how to respect wildlife, how to follow the law and how to make good decisions when no one else is watching.
Programs like YHEC help turn those values into habits. They connect young people with mentors, give families a positive place to learn together and create a pathway from hunter education into a lifetime of responsible participation in Alaska’s outdoors.
For the Alaska Outdoor Council and other organizations that support youth education, this first national team is proof that those investments matter. Financial support helps cover equipment, range use, training and travel. Volunteer support gives young people trusted adults who are willing to teach, coach and encourage them. Together, those contributions make opportunities possible that many Alaska families could not create on their own.
Coach Melody Taylor and an Alaska team member share a moment during the national competition. Mentorship is at the heart of the YHEC experience.
The Beginning of Something Bigger
The Great Land Grizzlies made history by becoming the first Alaska team to attend National YHEC. But the greater accomplishment may be what comes next: more young Alaskans training, more communities participating, more volunteer coaches stepping forward and more Alaska teams earning the chance to represent the state.
The first team opened the door. The challenge now is to keep it open and make sure the next generation has the training, support and encouragement to walk through it.
| HELP BUILD THE NEXT ALASKA TEAMSupport can take many forms: sponsor equipment or travel, volunteer as a coach or range helper, or encourage a young Alaskan to complete hunter education and begin building outdoor skills. |
The first trip made history. The next one builds a tradition.
PROGRAM NOTE
Background information on Alaska hunter education is based on the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Hunter Information and Training Program. National event descriptions are based on the NRA Youth Hunter Education Challenge program. Team details and photographs were provided for this article.
ALASKA YOUTH HUNTER EDUCATION CHALLENGE | 2026