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- Team participants walk a natural grassland-woodland trail testing their wildlife identification skills and hunter knowledge. The course is designed to simulate actual wildlife encounters and signs "as seen" in the field.
- The Hunting Wildlife Identification Challenge questions require the participant/teams to observe and identify animal sounds, signs, silhouettes, decoys, mounts, study skins or tanned hides, and tracks. Animal tracks may be original or molds made of the prints. Wildlife signs may be real or reproduced. Challenge items will be observed at various distances and under various light conditions. Participants are not allowed to touch specimens unless instructed otherwise by the Challenge coordinator.
- Each question is assigned a point value determined by degree of difficulty along with other factors. Partial credit is possible for some questions. The Hunter Wildlife Identification Challenge has a possibility of 300 points.
- Information used for questions has been taken from the NRA's The Hunter's Guide, the North Central Regional Hunter Education Manual, other wildlife manuals, and wildlife organizational publications. Iowa hunting law (primarily seasons, bag/possession limits) also provide materials for questions.
- Team participants are not allowed to have in their possession written, taped, or transcribed materials or electronic devices while participating in this activity. No talking is allowed between the participants or with their coaches while on the challenge course. Only one participant is allowed at a station. Coaches are allowed to walk the trail and take the challenge after the youth participants are well down the trail. Participants will be taken back through the course by a Challenge coordinator after everyone has completed the challenge during that time period. Coaches may ask the Challenge coordinators ahead of time to help those participants who may have reading disabilities.
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