The Louisiana Wildlife Federation (LWF) and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) are excited to announce that the 2025 Youth Hunter of the Year Award is now accepting applications. A  panel of judges will name one boy and one girl who best represented the joy, thrill, and camaraderie of hunting. 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 are due January 30th 2026. 

To enter the 2025 Youth Hunter of the Year contest:
• Complete and submit the nomination form below
• 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

Our two winners will receive a plaque in recognition of their achievement and a gift card. Winners will also be recognized at LWF’s 60th Annual Conservation Achievement Awards banquet in April. Everyone who enters will also be included in a drawing for a $100 gift card.

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