For 24 years, the Texas Big Game Awards (TBGA), a partnership of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department 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.

All entries for the 2014-2015 Texas Big Game Awards have been submitted and more than 1,200 hunters, 250 landowners, 160 youth hunters, and 260 first-time hunters will be recognized across Texas at this year’s TBGA Sportsman’s Celebrations. The top 30 big game animals taken this past season will be on display and recognized during the 2015 Statewide TBGA Sportsman’s Celebration held in conjunction with TWA’s 30th Annual Convention, July 9–12th at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa.

Species recognized across the state include white-tailed deer, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, desert bighorn and javelina. Also being awarded across the state will be the top scholarship recipients of the Carter’s Country TBGA College Scholarship Program, as well as the best of the best field photos. In addition, thirteen hunters and their respective landowners will be awarded the coveted Texas Slam Award, given to hunters who harvest all three TBGA qualifying animals in the same season meeting the minimum scoring requirements.

To see some of this year’s entries, make plans to attend one of the TBGA Sportsman’s Celebration events scheduled across Texas. The celebration dates for 2015 include:

• May 16, Regions 5, 6 and 7 (Post Oak Savannah, Pineywoods and Coastal Prairies), Lufkin, Pitser Garrison Convention Center.
• June 20, Region 4 and 8 (Edwards Plateau and South Texas), Uvalde, SSGT. Willie De Leon Civic Center.
• June 27, Regions 1, 2 and 3 (Trans Pecos, Panhandle and Cross Timbers), San Angelo, McNeese Convention Center.
• July 10, Statewide TBGA Sportsman’s Celebration, held in conjunction with TWA’s Annual Convention, WildLife 2015, July 9-12, San Antonio, JW Marriott Hill Country Resort and Spa.

Under this program, awards are given to all “Scored Entries” that meet minimum regional requirements, first-time hunters, youth hunters, and landowners, and there are no entry fees. All program information, program history, entry rules, photos and sponsors are also featured on the TBGA website http://www.TexasBigGameAwards.org/.