The winners of last season’s Georgia Big Buck contest
Fall 2026
Article and photo by Jimmy Jacobs.
Now that the 2026-27 deer seasons are open, let’s look back to the best of the best bucks taken in the Peach State last year.
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, Ag-Pro Dealers of Georgia and Glock help host the awards banquet.
Personnel from the DNR help with the scoring of deer and the department provides a certificate 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 2026 that event was held at the Oaks On The River in Darien.
Once a buck is scored by the DNR personnel 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.
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.
Now’s the time to hit the woodlands to see if you can secure a place on the winner’s dais this year!