San Antonio – For sixteen years, the Texas Big Game Awards (TBGA), a partnership of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the Texas Wildlife Association (TWA), has been 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 lands.

The purpose of the Texas Big Game Awards is to make known to all citizens of the state of Texas 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. Under this program awards are given to all “Scored Entries” that meet minimum regional requirements and there are no entry fees.

Hunters who harvest a white-tailed deer, mule deer, or pronghorn antelope this season meeting the minimum B&C requirements for their respective Region may be eligible to receive recognition in the Scored Entry category as well as the landowner for where the trophy was taken. Hunters of any age who harvest their first big game animal in Texas (including Javelina) are eligible for the First Big Game Harvest 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 big game animal in Texas is eligible for the Youth Division whether they harvest a buck or doe, regardless of score.

For those hunters who harvest “Scored Entry” qualifying animals and have their completed entry form in by the January 31, including First Harvest and Youth Division entries, will be eligible for the Grand Prize of a Texas Lifetime Hunting License! Photos for this drawing are not required but encouraged. The license reward is proudly sponsored by Smith’s Abrasives and Hunter’s Specialties. It is preferred that photos be emailed in to tbgaphotos@texas-wildlife.org or hunters can mail in their photos with their entry forms.

The TBGA website also features the $20,000 College Scholarship Program sponsored by Carter’s Country Outdoor Stores. Scholarship applications are now available and will be due in March 2007. All program information, program history, entry rules and minimum scores are also featured on the website. The TBGA website will also feature photos of entries that are entered this season. Last season over 700 photos were mailed in. You can check out links to great TBGA Sponsors too.

For more information on the Texas Big Game Awards, entry information, or for a local certified TBGA scorer, please visit our website at www.TexasBigGameAwards.com or call (800) 839-9453, ext. 114 for more information. The final deadline to enter the Texas Big Game Awards for the 2006-2007 season is March 15, 2007.

David Brimager
Assistant Vice President
Texas Wildlife Association
2800 NE Loop 410, Suite 105
San Antonio, Texas 78218
Phone (210) 826-2904, ext. 114
Fax (210) 826-4933
www.texas-wildlife.org
www.TexasBigGameAwards.com