Arlee girl among winners of Youth Hunting Story Contest

Inslee Moran of Arlee was among 10 state winners of the 2023 Governor’s Youth Hunting Story Contest.

“Every youth hunter in Montana should be proud of the hunting legacy they’re helping carry on,” Gov. Greg Gianforte said. “With nearly 400 submissions, we had many great hunting stories from youth hunters across the state.”

The winners will be invited to the State Capitol in the new year to celebrate and will receive prizes from Stone Glacier, Vista Outdoor, Sitka, J2 Taxidermy, Kenetrek, Montana Outfitters and Guides Association and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Here’s Inslee’s winning story:

Hi, my name is Inslee and this is a story about me shooting an elk.

I am a Native American, my family is Salish and Kootenai so I can shoot an elk on our tribal land. I am 10 years old. I started hunting because my dad hunts.

One day he took me with him and I really liked it. I’m going to be hunting with him for many years. It was fun to be in the woods and see and hear the elk.

It was early in the morning and it was me, my dad, and my cousin. We were driving and decided to get out of the truck and call for the elk. We heard them calling so then we started walking towards them and then my cousin saw them so my dad got me situated on a tree.

I was sitting on the ground getting ready to shoot and my cousin was calling the elk so I could get a shot at him. I was a little nervous and scared that I was going to miss it. I took the shot. Then I got him! He stood there for a minute and I thought to myself I didn't get him. Then he fell and tumbled down the hill! I got him and I was so excited!

“We walked to the elk and he was dead. We gutted him, my dad taught me what to do and after we did that we had to leave and go down the mountain to go get the buggy so we could load the elk up.

We went back up the mountain with the buggy. We had to cut some wood out of the way of the buggy. Now we could load him up and get out of the woods and go home. As we were getting ready to leave the elk were still bugling and that to me is cool!

So that is my story. I hope you like it.

THE END