4-H Shooting Sports requires 4-H members to be under the direct leadership of a certified 4-H Shooting Sports Leader in either shotgun, rifle (BB gun, air rifle, .22), archery, pistol, muzzleloader, and/or hunting skills. No firearms can be entered as an exhibit, nor live ammunition; however, information can be shared through pictures. Please refer to General Rules for more information for Classes D347004 – D347009 and D347901.
All 4-H members are limited to one (1) exhibit per entry number and four (4) exhibits per project.
GENERAL RULES:
- No Firearms, Items with a Blade (broad heads, knives, saws, etc.) or related items of any other kind, may be exhibited. This applies to actual items, replicated items, and item parts. Photos are a suitable substitution for actual items.
- Show What You Did & Learned: - All 4-H members must show evidence of their personal field experiences, study or observations that relate to their exhibit. This helps judges understand what the 4-H member did and learned in the process that led to the exhibit.
- Proper Credit: - Show proper credit by listing the sources of plans or other supporting information used in exhibits.
- Exhibitor Information: - The 4-H member's name, county, age must be on the back or bottom of all displays.
- Wildlife & Wildlife Laws: - "Animal" or "wildlife" in the following classes includes wild fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, or mammals. Domestic animals (i.e. domestic livestock or house pets) and insect exhibits are not appropriate for this area. 4-H members must comply with current state and federal laws. It is illegal to possess threatened, endangered, or protected wildlife, or the feathers, nests, or eggs of non-game birds. These items cannot be part of any exhibit. Game birds and game animals taken legally during an open season may be used.
- Project Materials: - Related project booklets include Exploring Your Environment Series, 4-H Shooting Sports, Amphibians, Bird Behavior (EC59381), Fishing for Adventure Project Manuals, Wildlife Conservation (4H125), Geology, and Outdoor Adventure. Other resources include: Outdoor Skills: Learning Science in the Outdoors series (Science Signature Outcome Program) outdoornebraska.gov/afterschool and www.whep.org.
- Exhibit Size Guidelines
- Board and Poster Exhibits: Mount all board exhibits on ¼ inch plywood, Masonite, or similar panel no larger 24 inches high x 24 inches wide. Poster exhibits should be on regular poster sheets, no larger than standard size (22 inches x 28 inches) but half size, 22 inches x 14 inches, is recommended.
- All Other Exhibits: Exhibits other than poster/display board should not exceed 48 inches x 48 inches and be able to be moved by two people. Large exhibits (larger than listed above) must be suited and prepared for outdoor exhibition at the Nebraska State Fair. If large exhibits are not suited for outdoor exhibition, youth have the option to create a poster or another suitable substitute for the exhibit, instead of exhibiting the project itself.
Follow Nebraska Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
All static exhibits must have received a purple ribbon at the county fair to advance to the State Fair.
Score sheets and additional resources can be found at https://go.unl.edu/ne4hconservation-wildlife-shooting. An explanation of projects and curriculum resources can be found at https://4h.unl.edu/resources/projects/.
Classes:
PREMIUMS: Purple, $4.00; Blue, $3.00; Red, $2.00; White, $1.00 (** DENOTES NOT Eligible for State Fair)
D347001 Shooting Aid or Accessory (Scoresheet SF253A) - Any item which helps the shooter/hunter better perform their sport, examples: rifle sling, kneeling roll, arm guard, shotgun vest, target boxes, shooting stick, etc. Include your design, or plans you adapted, what the item is and used for.
D347002 Storage Case (Scoresheet SF254A) - Any item with the purpose to safely hold a firearm, bow, ammunition, and/or arrows. Examples: soft sided shotgun case, quivers, firearm safe. Include your design or plans you adapted. Explain how the storage case is used.
D347003 Practice Game or Activity (Scoresheet SF255A) - Invent or adapt an activity to practice or teach a project skill. Include pictures of youth playing the game, testimonials of 4-H members who played the game, what skill is being worked on, and directions for the game. Explain how you came up with the game or adapted it to fit the needs of your group members.
D347004 Science, Engineering, Technology Advancements of Shooting Sports, Conservation, or Wildlife Essay or Display (Scoresheet SF256A) - Choose a specific area of shooting sports and share how it has advanced. Include a timeline and photos or illustrations. Keep your topic narrow and manageable. Essays are limited to 1000 words and should be on 8.5 inch x 11 inch paper.
D347005 Healthy Lifestyles Plan (Scoresheet SF257A) - Include a shooter’s (hiker’s, camper’s, angler’s) diet and exercise plan, and how the 4-H member will benefit or improve from following the plan. Ideally, the 4-H member would follow the plan and include some journal entries about adaptations or improvements made while following the plan.
D347006 Citizenship/Leadership Project (Scoresheet SF258A) - Share a display on a citizenship project or leadership project the 4-H member took on individually or with a group to improve some aspect related to 4-H Shooting Sports, Conservation, or Wildlife. Examples could be range development, conservation planting to attract wildlife, a camp, or 4-H recruitment event. Include who benefitted from the project, what the 4-H member’s role was, and any results.
D347007 Career Development/College Essay, Interview, or Display (Scoresheet SF252A) -Research opportunities for careers related to this area or opportunities for college majors or college activities to help discover using project skills beyond a person’s 4-H career. Essays are limited to 1000 words and should be on 8.5 inch x 11 inch paper. Interviews need to include a picture of the interviewee in their work setting, questions asked, and a transcript of answers.
D347008 Community Vitality Display (Scoresheet SF251A) - Explore the difference shooting sports, conservation, fishing, and hunting make in keeping Nebraska vibrant especially in rural areas. Present facts and research in an interesting way for the public to learn from.
D347009 Ag Literacy-Value Added Agriculture Interview or Research Project (Scoresheet SF250A) - Explore how traditional ag producers are adding value to their production agriculture operations through conservation efforts, hunting, raising pheasants, shooting sports related tourism, etc. Present finding in an interesting way for the public to learn from.
D347010 Shooting Sports Educational Exhibit or Display (Scoresheet SF254A) - Create an educational exhibit or display relating to a topic about Shooting Sports. Displays involving firearms or bows may be exhibited as a photographic display on a poster or in a notebook. Handmade items must include information explaining how the item was made and its intended use. Photos are encouraged.
**D347901 County Only Exhibit (Scoresheet CF161)