The Biggest Bucks Of The Lone Star State: Unpacking The 2024–2025 Texas Big Game Awards Standings
The Texas Big Game Awards (TBGA) continues its decades-long tradition of celebrating the state’s finest wildlife resources, ethical hunters, and dedicated land managers. As of the current date, December 26, 2025, the program is tracking the impressive harvests from the 2024–2025 season, with unofficial standings already revealing some truly massive bucks and exceptional hunting stories from across the Lone Star State. This free, certificate-based awards program is more than just a contest; it is a vital partnership between the Texas Wildlife Association (TWA) and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) to promote sound habitat management and the crucial role of hunting in conservation.
The TBGA is designed to foster cooperation among hunters and landowners, recognizing not only the size of the animal but also the ethical conduct of the hunt and the land stewardship practices that produced such quality big game. This year’s season showcases the success of rigorous wildlife management, with hunters competing across eight distinct geographical regions of Texas, from the brush country of South Texas to the mountainous terrain of the Trans Pecos.
The Monster Bucks: Unofficial 2024–2025 Standings and Scoring
The core of the Texas Big Game Awards lies in the "Scored Entry" categories, which utilize the rigorous standards of the Boone and Crockett Club scoring system. For the 2024–2025 season, the unofficial standings are generating significant buzz, particularly in the White-tailed Deer categories, which remain the most popular entries.
The TBGA uses net green scores for ranking, meaning deductions are made for non-symmetrical points, rewarding animals with the highest degree of antler symmetry. The top five entries in each regional category are subject to a mandatory re-score by an Official Scorer to confirm the final results before the annual awards banquet.
Highlights from the Current Season’s Standings
Early unofficial reports for the 2024–2025 season highlight the success of habitat management across various regions. These impressive entries underscore the effectiveness of sound wildlife management practices, such as maintaining optimal sex ratio and implementing strategic habitat management techniques.
- Non-typical White-tailed Deer: One of the most notable early entries is the Non-typical White-tailed Deer harvested by Jeremy L. Johnson in Hall County. His impressive entry recorded a Gross Score of 183, with a Net Score of 168 4/8. This score immediately places him among the top contenders for the statewide title.
- Typical White-tailed Deer: Another strong entry was submitted by Joseph Welborn from Cottle County, who entered a Typical White-Tailed Deer from a high-fenced property. The official scores are pending, but the quality of the animal reflects excellent land stewardship.
- Regional Recognition: The TBGA divides Texas into eight regions, ensuring that hunters from all parts of the state—from the Pineywoods to the Panhandle—have an equal opportunity for recognition, regardless of the differing minimum scoring criteria across regions.
More Than Antlers: Recognizing Conservation and New Hunters
The Texas Big Game Awards is fundamentally a conservation program. It seeks to recognize the entire hunting and wildlife management community, not just those who harvest record-breaking trophies. This focus is evident in its special award categories, which build topical authority around ethical hunting and land stewardship.
The Prestigious Land Stewardship Award
The Land Stewardship Award is arguably the most prestigious honor conferred by the TBGA. This award recognizes the landowners and land managers—both for low-fenced and high-fenced properties—whose long-term efforts in habitat management and conservation have led to the production of quality big game animals. Ranch eligibility is tied directly to the entry of a qualifying animal, linking the hunter’s success to the land manager’s dedication.
Recipients of this award demonstrate a commitment to sustainable practices, often working closely with biologists from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and entities like the Texas A&M Forest Service to implement effective habitat management techniques.
Youth Division and First Big Game Harvest
To ensure the future of Texas's hunting heritage, the TBGA places a strong emphasis on new and young hunters. The program features two key categories designed to encourage participation and ethical hunting from an early age:
- Youth Division: Recognizes hunters aged 17 and under who harvest a qualifying animal. This category promotes early engagement in outdoor sports and responsible hunting.
- First Big Game Harvest Award: This certificate-based award celebrates the first lifetime harvest of a big game animal by any hunter, regardless of age, provided the harvest was ethical and legal.
The Texas Slam and a New Addition for the 2025–2026 Season
The "Texas Slam" is a challenging and highly sought-after award within the TBGA. It recognizes the exceptional hunter who successfully harvests four different species of big game in Texas during a single season. The traditional required species are:
- White-tailed Deer (must meet minimum score)
- Mule Deer (must meet minimum score)
- Pronghorn (must meet minimum score)
- Desert Bighorn Sheep (must meet minimum score)
In a major update for the upcoming 2025–2026 season, the TBGA has announced the addition of the Javelina to the Texas Slam award category. This change introduces a new "scored entry" category for this smaller big game animal, broadening the scope of the competition and further encouraging hunters to explore the diverse wildlife of Texas.
This addition reflects the program's commitment to evolving with Texas's wildlife landscape and recognizing the ethical harvest of all big game species. The TBGA continues to be the gold standard for recognizing conservation success, ethical hunting, and the invaluable efforts of land managers across the state, ensuring that the legacy of quality big game animals in Texas endures for future generations.
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