Wyatt McKenzie Submits Winning Hunting Story to Governor Greg Gianforte Competition
Author: Wyatt McKenzie, East Helena Hunter
Wyatt McKenzie
East Helena Hunter
Editor’s note: Wyatt is a freshman-level homeschooled student who lives in Broadwater County just east of East Helena. He entered the competition at his mother’s suggestion and was one of ten students who won Governor Greg Gianforte’s 2025 Youth Hunting Story Contest.
Dear Governor Gianforte,
My name is Wyatt, and I am 14 years old. I am writing about my awesome elk hunt on the Climbing Arrow Ranch. It was an incredible experience to have with my two favorite hunters, my dad and grandpa.
A lot of people my age spend their weekends playing video games or hanging out with friends, so I am thankful to go out and see the beauty of our state. Many adults never get the chance to hunt on private land, or get a bull elk, so I just feel incredibly lucky that I got permission to hunt the CA Ranch through the Montana Access Program conducted through the Montana Conservation Society.
It was an early morning on the day I shot my elk. We woke up at 4:00 in the morning, which was very early for me because I usually wake up at 8:30. Dad and I got ready as Mom made us breakfast. Then, at 4:30, we packed up and got in the truck. By 6:15, we made it to the ranch. We unloaded the gun, some coats, and our orange. After that, we met up with grandpa and stepped into the side-by-side with our two guides, Steve and Slate. It seemed like hours, but in just a few minutes, Steve had driven us to one of the best hunting spots on the ranch.
Long before we got anywhere near the elk, we stopped the side-by-side and stepped out. All of us stalked up the two-track that we had been following, careful not to step on anything that might give us away. Then, without making a sound, Steve turned left and walked up a small incline and then turned slightly left again. After that, all of us turned to the right and hid behind some cover in the form of a tree, quietly setting up the shooting sticks. Steve, my dad and my grandpa had me aim at different spots, ranging them and telling me where to hold if the elk walked up the draw there. A while later, we had found a second clump of trees and set up again. This was it. We heard the elk rattling their antlers and bugling. A dozen elk walked out. I knew which one I wanted to shoot before anyone told me. The second bull from the front with five cows following him. He was 65 yards away. That was the closest shot I had ever had. He stopped for a second, and just as I was about to shoot, he got up and moved, causing me to hold my shot. He stopped again. The suppressed rifle barely made a sound. I tried to reload, but the round did not chamber. Dad said that I had hit it. Much calmer, I reloaded and fired again. Both were great shots, leading to a clean kill.
I am very happy to share my hunt with you.
Respectfully,
Wyatt McKenzie
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Image 1 Caption: 14-year-old Wyatt McKenzie poses with his first elk kill.
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