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Looking for some ideas

Mike R

*Supporting Member*
336
55
Next year I'm thinking about have a big buck contest. Probably giving away a shoulder mount to the winner. Also maybe a half price mount to longest tine or something of that nature. What I would like to get from you guys is any ideas you might have about a contest like this, looking for rules that you would like enough to bring a deer in to enter it. Since I'm targeting deer hunters most of you on here are guess what deer hunters. That's why I'm here to ask. Anything you can add would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Mike
 

JD Boyd

*Supporting Member*
3,173
0
Urbana
I'd say give the highest net score the freebie and the highest gross the discounted mount. Just a thought... Nice of you to offer this.
 

Ohiosam

*Supporting Member*
11,708
191
Mahoning Co.
A local gunshop runs a contest, I really don't know the details but they put all the pics on Facebook. Gets lots of people looking at their page.

Maybe instead of just the biggest have several smaller prizes. Ie youth, woman, seniors, or random drawing. If you only go with highest score someone could bring a 200 incher in the first day.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
I think you should give away a mount to someone with a name that rhymes with Will Six.

Maybe you could give a mount to a person that gives you cold beer at Max's show?

How about someone on your team for the TOO contest?

Just brain storming for you.:smiley_crocodile:
 

Lundy

Member
1,307
127
I think Sam is on the right track for sure.

Anytime you run a contest the people that want to enter need to believe that they have a chance of winning if they are to stay involved or enter, especially if there is a entry fee of some kind.

Most guys do not believe they are going to kill the biggest deer next year to win the mount, just a fact of life rather it be land available to hunt, time, interest, whatever.

If you run a contest that had a minimum size or score or points, something, to qualify to put them in a drawing to win a free mount you would generate a lot more interest I think.

As I'm sure you know some guys that mount a 120 class buck as just as proud of it as someone that mounts their 170.

The more you spread the love and give more opportunity to win the more participation and excitment you can generate.

I created a different format for walleye tournament on Erie some years ago. I went away from the "pro" type competition, payed out a ton of places rather than making it the traditional top heavy payout and changed the team format. What the traditional walleye tourney guys said wouldn't work because they could not draw 35 boats to a tourney. We were able to fill out the max field of 110 boats. The 6th and last year I held it we sold out the 110 boat field in 22 hrs from when entry opened.

I guess that is a long winded way of saying give more opportunity to win other than the old biggest deer stuff like everyone else.
 

huntn2

Senior Member
6,090
157
Hudson, OH
I am with Sam and Lundy with the approach and generating buzz. You want as many big racked bucks as possible for marketing. People like to look at bucks whether it is a pic of a 120 or a 170. You will want them all. That means someone who rhymes with Will Six is DQ'd cause rumor has it he is only hunting antlerless deer.....
 

JD Boyd

*Supporting Member*
3,173
0
Urbana
I think Sam is on the right track for sure.

Anytime you run a contest the people that want to enter need to believe that they have a chance of winning if they are to stay involved or enter, especially if there is a entry fee of some kind.

Most guys do not believe they are going to kill the biggest deer next year to win the mount, just a fact of life rather it be land available to hunt, time, interest, whatever.

If you run a contest that had a minimum size or score or points, something, to qualify to put them in a drawing to win a free mount you would generate a lot more interest I think.

As I'm sure you know some guys that mount a 120 class buck as just as proud of it as someone that mounts their 170.

The more you spread the love and give more opportunity to win the more participation and excitment you can generate.

I created a different format for walleye tournament on Erie some years ago. I went away from the "pro" type competition, payed out a ton of places rather than making it the traditional top heavy payout and changed the team format. What the traditional walleye tourney guys said wouldn't work because they could not draw 35 boats to a tourney. We were able to fill out the max field of 110 boats. The 6th and last year I held it we sold out the 110 boat field in 22 hrs from when entry opened.

I guess that is a long winded way of saying give more opportunity to win other than the old biggest deer stuff like everyone else.

Then why have a big buck contest? I guess I'm missing the point of the hole thing...
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
I am with Sam and Lundy with the approach and generating buzz. You want as many big racked bucks as possible for marketing. People like to look at bucks whether it is a pic of a 120 or a 170. You will want them all. That means someone who rhymes with Will Six is DQ'd cause rumor has it he is only hunting antlerless deer.....

Well played my friend. Well played.:smiley_crocodile:
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
You could use the same formula we use here for the deer contest in regard to scoring bucks, or at least a modification of it. That way you could have your own unique formula and it would be fairly objective. Give the highest scoring buck the free mount and the second the half price mount.

Sample Idea

Number of Points +
Inside Spread +
Longest Beam +
Longest Tine +
Both Base Masses =

Score