The staging area of the NRA Great American Hunting & Outdoor Show didn't look like much on Friday before the show started (above). From NRAblog's vantage point in the middle of the exhibit floor, deer mounts have been carried across the hall, toward the staging area, in a steady stream of traffic.
We checked in with NRA Hunters Service's Monty Embrey for some details on the NRA Mason/Dixon Big Buck Contest. "This is the first year we've had it, and Cabela's is sponsoring the contest," he said. The Grand Prize Winner will receive a muzzleloader, and 35 other winners will receive $50 Cabela's gift certificates, Embrey said.
The divisions can get confusing -- basically, there's a special division for youth, and one for women, but also a state-by-state competition. "We'll award state winners for Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Delaware," Embrey said. If the deer was harvested before this year's season, it classifies as "historic." Official Boone & Crockett scorers are on hand to judge. Get an idea of what a Boone & Crockett scoresheet looks like here. All winners will be announced at 4 p.m. Sunday.
"This contest is going to get huge (in the coming years)," Embrey told us. "We honestly expected maybe 20 entries, and by last night, we were at 25." He estimates there are more than 50 deer in the staging area at this time.
The details:
- The contest will score Whitetail Deer and Sika Deer skulled antlers or sheds.
- The contest is open to all paid show attendees.
- There is no charge to score your animal.
- All antlers or mounts scored by contest officials will be required to be displayed at the NRA Mason/Dixon Contest for the duration of the show.
- Heads will be scored in two categories – Typical & Non‐Typical.
- There will be two divisions – Current Season & Historic (Deer takenbefore 2009).
- Antlers will receive a gross score for the contest.
- Awards will be given by category, division, state, youth and femaleentries.
- Awards will be presented for Grand Champion, Best of Show, First, Second, and Third places.
- Awards will be displayed with the antlers/mounts for the public to view at the contest beginning Sunday January 31, until 4:00 PM.
- Antlers will be scored on Friday January 29 from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM and Saturday, January 30 from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
- Antlers will be on display at the show from Friday, January 29 beginning at 3:00 PM until Sunday, January 31 at 4:00 PM.
- All antlers/mounts will need to be picked up at the contest on Sunday, January 31 at 4:00 PM.
- The show and facility is secured 24 hours a day with law enforcement officers.
- Participants must complete the proper forms and return with the proper ID to participate and pick up antlers or mounts from the contest.
- This contest is not affiliated with the Boone & Crockett or Pope & Young Clubs and is not a sanctioned contest by either organization.
We'll have pictures of the winners up shortly after they're announced.