With opening day of the white-tailed deer general season slated for Saturday, Nov. 6, KOXE and Buckmasters have announced the start of the Heart of Texas Big Buck Contest.

Larry Hart and Tim Schoen of the local Buckmasters chapter stopped by KOXE Thursday morning to discuss details of the contest.

“We’re pretty excited about the Big Buck Contest and we think it’s going to grow into something really, really big,” Hart said. “It’s going to take off and Buckmasters is glad to be associated with it. It costs you $5 to enter and the entry fees go to our chapter project funds. That’s going to help a lot of people in our community through our charitable projects.

Schoen added, “One hundred percent of these proceeds will be kept locally for projects. We’ve helped with youth hunts for disabled, handicapped and terminally ill children, the Salvation Army, the Good Samaritan Deer Project, Project Venison for other food banks in the area, youth hunters of outdoor education, the 36th Division Memorial Project, Toys for Kids, local wildlife rehabs and more.”

Contest award categories include:

• Low Fence Division
  • Longest Spike
  • Eight Point buck
  • Non-Typical Buck
  • Widest Spread Buck
  • Overall Biggest Buck
• Youth Division Largest Buck
  • Longest Spike
  • First Place
  • Runner up
• High Fence Division
  • Overall Biggest Buck
  • Longest Drop tine

Winners of each category will be revealed during the month of January.

“General deer season goes through the first Sunday of January for bucks and the youth season goes two weeks after that,” Schoen said. “Usually after youth season we wrap up the scoring and figure out first place in every division. Basically the Buckmasters scoring is the gross Boone and Crockett score. It’s the same as that, it just doesn’t have any deductions like the Boone and Crockett final score does. It’s full credit scoring, and that’s how we score for the contest.”

Prizes include guns, deer blinds and feeders, taxidermy and processing services, coolers, clothing, archery and hunting gear, gift cards and baskets from local businesses and more. There will also be prize for the largest spike and best photo. In addition to the big prizes, KOXE and Buckmasters will give away daily and weekly prizes to contestants such as deer blocks, deer corn, gift cards and free deer processing coupons. The winners of the contest will also be recognized at the annual Buckmasters banquet on Mothers Day weekend.

Big Buck Contest registration locations are as follow:

BROWNWOOD/EARLY

AG-MART – 2400 US-377, Brownwood, TX 76801

BROWNWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – 600 E. Depot St, Brownwood, TX 76801

CASH TEXAS PAWN – 501 E Commerce St, Brownwood, TX 76801

DEPOT LIQUOR – 1001 Vine St, Brownwood, TX 76801

DOUBLE H MERCANTILE – 504 Early Blvd, Early, TX 76802

EARLY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – 104 E Industrial Dr, Early, TX 76802

EARLY TEXAS VISITORS & EVENTS CENTER – 419 Garmon Dr, Early, TX 76802

HOMETOWN LIQUOR – 3501 US-377 STE S, Brownwood, TX 76801

STICK & STRING BOW SHOP – 3427 Milam Dr, Brownwood, TX 76801

PERKS DEER PROCESSING – 5100 FM2126, Brownwood, TX 76801

UNDERWOODS CAFETERIA – 402 E Commerce St, Brownwood, Tx 76801

WILDFIRE OUTDOORS – 3002 Early Blvd, Early, TX 76802

BANGS

RA’S OUTDOOR SUPPLY – 7523 US Hwy 67, Bangs, TX 78623

COLEMAN

PRICKLY PEAR BOUTIQUE – 109 S Commercial Ave, Coleman, TX 76834

CROSS PLAINS

J & L SALES – 116 SE Fifth St, Cross Plains, TX 76443

GOLDTHWAITE

RANCHLAND COUNTRY STORE – 140 US -84 W, Goldthwaite, TX 76844

MILLS COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – 1219 Fisher St, Goldthwaite, TX 76844

LLANO

SHEPPARD’S TAXIDERMY – 601 W Young St, Llano, TX 78643

OWENS

LONESTAR TAXIDERMY & PROCESSING – 9901 US-183, Owens, TX 76802

RISING STAR

FULL DRAW LEGENDS, INC. – 200 E. College Street, Rising Star, TX 76471

SAN SABA

SAN SABA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – 404 E Wallace St, San Saba, TX 76877

SHEPPARD’S TAXIDERMY – 608 W Wallace St, San Saba, TX 76877

SANTA ANNA

SANTA ANNA CUSTOM PROCESSING-503 Wallis Ave, Santa Anna, TX 76878

Big Buck scoring locations include:

BROWNWOOD/EARLY

DOUBLE H MERCANTILE – 504 Early Blvd, Early, TX 76802

STICK & STRING BOW SHOP- 3427 Milam Dr, Brownwood, TX 76801

GOLDTHWAITE

RANCHLAND COUNTRY STORE -140 US -84 W, Goldthwaite, TX 76844

OWENS

LONE STAR TAXIDERMY & WILDGAME PROCESSING -9901 US 183, Owens, TX 76802

RISING STAR

FULL DRAW LEGENDS, INC.  -200 E. College Street, Rising Star, TX 76471

SANTA ANNA

SANTA ANNA CUSTOM PROCESSING-503 Wallis Ave, Santa Anna, TX 76878

Rules and regulations for the contest can be found at the following link: 2021 Rules & Regulations | (koxe.com)