(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 Texas¹ private and public lands.
To kick off the 2017-2018 hunting season, the TBGA has re-established the program¹s 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 TBGA¹s 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 TBGA¹s objectives, the program will no longer accept ³scored entries² 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. And finally, hunters will now be limited to one Texas Slam award per harvest means (rifle and archery only) in their lifetime.
About the Texas Big Game Awards:
Under the Texas Big Game Awards (TBGA) program, awards are given to all ³Scored Entries² 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 ³Scored Entry² 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 ³First Big Game Harvest² 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 ³Youth Division,² whether they harvest a buck or doe, regardless
of score.
For more information on the Texas Big Game Awards, certified scorers list, entry rules and minimum scores are also featured on the TBGA
website at
www.TexasBigGameAwards.org. The website also features photos of entries, links to great TBGA Sponsors, and Trophy Search.
The Texas Big Game Awards is proudly sponsored by: Statewide Sponsors: Hixon Land and Cattle Company, Carter¹s 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, Smith¹s 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.
www.TexasBigGameAwards.org
