Texas Big Game Awards Announces New Rules for 2017-18 Season
San Antonio – Celebrating its 27th year, the Texas Big Game Awards (TBGA), a partnership of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the Texas Wildlife Association (TWA), continues to be the leader in recognizing the contributions that landowners, land managers and responsible hunters make to managing and conserving wildlife and wildlife habitat on Texas’ private and public lands.
To kick off the 2017-2018 hunting season, the TBGA has re-established the program’s objectives and modified entry requirements. The purpose of the TBGA is to make everyone aware of the important role ethical hunting and habitat management play in the lives of our young people, and to the ecosystem over which we must be responsible stewards.
To do that, the TBGA’s objectives are to recognize:
1. The importance of our hunting heritage.
2. The landowners who work to achieve healthy habitats.
3. The quality of big game animals in Texas.
4. The achievements of young and new hunters.
5. The hunters who harvest these animals
In an effort to re-focus on the TBGA’s objectives, the program will no longer accept “scored entries” from release sites for five (5) years following the last release date. This will affect all properties with pen-raised, Trap/Transport/Transplant (TTT), and/or Deer Management Permit (DMP) deer released after March 1, 2017. Also new for this season is the addition of the javelina to the Texas Slam award category. This does not affect those wanting to enter the Youth Division or First Big Game Harvest category entries, subject to all other TBGA Rules.
About the Texas Big Game Awards:
Under the Texas Big Game Awards (TBGA) program, awards are given to all “Scored Entries” that meet minimum regional requirements, and there are no entry fees. Deadline to enter is a postmark date of March 1, 2018. Hunters who harvest a white-tailed deer, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, javelina, or desert bighorn sheep this season meeting the minimum Boone and Crockett (B&C) net score requirements for their respective Region may be eligible to receive recognition in the “Scored Entry” category, as well as the landowner of the property from which the trophy was taken.
Hunters of any age who harvest their first big game animal in Texas are eligible for the “First Big Game Harvest” category. Hunters who harvest a white-tailed deer, mule deer, javelina, or pronghorn antelope are eligible whether they harvest a buck or doe, regardless of score of the animal in this category.
And, any youth hunter (under 17 years of age when they purchase their hunting license) with a Special Resident Hunting License who harvests a white-tailed deer, mule deer, javelina, or pronghorn antelope is eligible for the “Youth Division,” whether they harvest a buck or doe, regardless of score.
The Texas Big Game Awards is proudly sponsored by: Statewide Sponsors: Hixon Land and Cattle Company, Carter’s Country Outdoor Stores, and Shiner. Texas Regional Sponsors: Capital Farm Credit, Blaser, Leupold and Stevens, GameGuard, Nikon, Record Rack Game Feeds, Lee Hoffpauir Outdoor Superstore, Smith’s EdgeSport, Big & J Feeds, Swagger Bipods, Skull Hooker, ThermaCell, Mike Childress Art, Yeti Coolers, Daisy, Stratus Systems, Walkers Game Ear, Stealth Cam, Cyclops Varmit Lights, American Hunter, Western River Game Calls, and Kendra Scott Jewelers.