Has anybody on here ever gone to the banquet for your region? I had a buck that qualified for the TBGA and was thinking about going. It is a free meal for the person that qualified and fairly cheap to bring a wife/guest ($12). Just curious to hear some feedback from anyone that attended before.

Wife and Kacee went last year because I was fishing a bass tourney and they were disappointed and have no intentions of going back again.

I have been to a few in South Texas and the Hill Country. Some were really great and had lots of folks there and others not so good. They are now combining regions to get more folks to bring heads for the public to view.

I went to one with my dad when he killed his big buck. BBQ was good and there were lots of other big deer to look at. They had it at some boy scout ranch and what really sucked is there were some giant Bass spawning at the pond but they didnt allow fishing during the spawn!

Nope, if I remember correctly it is late summer and I am already back to working.

I started to go for mine a few years ago. My wife and I got there and it was packed. Her being pregnant at the time we decided not to go. She was hungry NOW. They sent me the certificate in the mail.

My wife and I went after I got my second certificate. Packed house, but all in all it wasnt that good. It'll be the last one I go to probably.

I've been to the one for Region 3 several times.There is plenty of good food/beer,big deer to look at and plenty of people to talk with. I had a great time and will probably go back this year if I'm not in school. My brothers buck and several others taken last year qualified.

I was invited to go this year.. Can you tell me what disappointed your two ladies?? I don't want to waste gas that I could use like going to my lease! LOL Thank you sir.

Was planning on going with my son but having second thoughts now..

I've been and thought it was very good - but it could always be better...any suggestions? Bigger building? more taxidermy? live band? etc.

Good experience, especially for the young ones. Kind of like a Ducks Unlimited banquet. View the top trophies shot in your region, eat dinner, silent auctions, slideshows and speeches from TPWD biologists on ageing & scoring, game wardens, etc., rub elbows with other hunters in your region.

Went to the one they had in Burnet a few years ago with my nephew winning the Region Scholarship award and it was nice, good food, some neat silent auction items.

Went last year to the State Convention in San Antonio, my youngest nephew won the Statewide Scholarship for his essay and it was a little more classy, catered dinner, waiters, etc. but didn't stay for the evening, cost was a little more than we could swing and we were a little over 2 hours home.

i think there is one in abilene this year. we shot a 152" off of our lease. i think we are going.

That is one Kim and Kacee went to last year and said it was a waste.

Anything that could be done better to get more attendance?

I will ask I had planned on going but had a bass tourney so Kim took her.

The one in Abilene this year is combining 3 Regions in one banquet..region #1, #2, and #3 on August the 6th I think. So they are trying to up attendance that way.

I have been a number of times and I think you should go and enjoy your recognition. It was not a barn burner of a time but it certainly wasnt a waste of time. I dont go to them anymore because it is a been there done that kinda thing for me but I think you should definitely go.

Seems like the reviews are mixed. I think I will probably end up going. Got a good buddy and his wife that live right outside of Abilene (Tuscola area). Might be a good excuse to get down there, see them, and eat at Perini the night before.

Did someone say Perini's

I went to one of the first ones held in Llano back in the spring of 1993 for a buck I took during the 1992 season.

They surely have changed and worked out all the kinks I would hope, but I was dissappointed in the one I went to.

The majority of the long drawn out attention went to the local hunting ranches, and featured most of the speakers and mounts from those ranches, and it was like watching an infomercial on hunting around Llano Texas.

Everyone else got very little mention since they didn't come off a local game ranch even though their trophy's were more impressive.

That was the last time I entered one, but they did a good job of souring it for me, and I'm glad to hear they are better now.

I was at the one in Llano also. It was not as good as the others that followed after that for Region 4. Fredericksburg had one of the best I went to back then for that Region.

The buck I took qualified so I will be going. I had a good time last year and enjoyed hearing stories from other hunters.