Summer 2023
Article and photos by Jimmy Jacobs.
The Georgia Big Deer Contest is the longest continuously-running big-buck competition in the state. First instituted by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources back in 1967, in the ensuing years it has had more than 5,000 entries and honored the top bucks in all the ensuing years.
Beginning in 1993 the Georgia Outdoor Writers Association came on board as a co-sponsor and in 2013 Georgia Outdoor News began running stories about the winners. Additionally, the Georgia Power Company helps host the awards banquet.
Personel from the DNR help with the scoring of deer and the department provides a certicate recognizing each winner. GOWA provides a wall plaque for each winner, as well as hosting them for dinner at the presentation during the annual GOWA Awards Banquet in the spring. In 2023 that event was held at Unicoi State Park and Lodge in Helen.
Once a buck is scored by the DNR personel or reported to them by qualified scorers with the Pope & Young or Boone & Crockett clubs, the deer is automatically entered in the contest free of charge.
The 2022-23 Big Deer Contest winners.
To qualify for entry in the contest, a typical archery-killed buck must score at least 120 Pope & Young Club points, and a non-typical archery buck must score at least 155 P&Y points. For firearms kills, typicals must score a minimum of 145 Boone & Crockett Club points, with non-typicals needing 170 B&C points.
The winner of the 2022-23 competition in the Typical Archry category was Jason White for a 155 4/8 P&Y buck taken in DeKalb County. The Non-Typical Archery award went to Brice Spillers for his Upson County buck scoring 184 6/8 B&C.
In the Typical Firearms category, the top spot went to Wade Severson for his 184 2/8 B&C buck from Wilcox County. The winning Non-Typical Firearms category winner was Lindell Richey for his Green County buck scoring 193 7/8 B&C.
The winners of the 2021-22 competition at the 2022 awards banquet in Rome.
Jimmy Jacobs is a member of the Georgia Outdoor Writers Association, has been collecting the information for the Georgia Big Deer Contest and acting as the awards emcee since 1989. He can be contacted at jimmyjacobs@mindspring.com