The Louisiana Wildlife Federation (LWF) and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) are excited to announce that the 2025 Youth Hunters of the Year Award have been chosen!

A  panel of judges have named one boy and one girl who best represented the joy, thrill, and camaraderie of hunting. To find out who won please attend our 60th Annual Conservation Achievement Award  or watch this space for updates!

Youth hunters must be Louisiana residents who were 15 years old or younger at the time of the hunt, and the hunt must have taken place within the 2025 calendar year (January 1 through December 31, 2025).  Applications for 2026's Youth Hunter of the Year will be announced during Hunting Season.

To enter the 2026 Youth Hunter of the Year contest:
• Complete and submit the nomination form when it is opened.
• Submit a short story written by the applicant describing the hunt
• Submit photo(s) from the hunt

Eligibility Requirements:
• Hunter must be a Louisiana resident
• Hunter must be 15 years old or younger at the time of the hunt
• The hunt must take place between January 1 and December 31, 2025
• Short story must be written by the youth
• The hunt does not have to result in the harvesting of an animal
• One entry per youth hunter
• Previous winners are not eligible

NOTICE: Parent/guardian signature above grants permission for the Louisiana Wildlife Federation and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) to publish photographs, names, and likenesses of your minor child, for use in the Louisiana Wildlife Federation’s and LDWF’s print, online, social media, and video marketing materials, as well as other publications