Texas Big Game Awards Statewide Celebration

TBGA Statewide Celebration is July 12 in San Antonio. Its put on at this time every year in conjunction with Texas Wildlife Association(TWA) Annual Convention. All of the highest scoring Whitetail, Mule and Pronghorn killed this year in Texas will be on display. They categorize LF from HF separately but both are included. It is quite an impressive collection. The entire convention is over a 2 to 3 day period but the TBGA show is Friday night.
ANYBODY GOING?

Been one time in the last 15 yrs and probably was my last time. Had some really good deer on display but not every high scoring deer killed in Texas is entered in the TBGA or any contest for that matter.

Yes, definitely lots of bucks never officially recognized. Its just that this event is the best place I know of to see a bunch of recently killed Texas heads with often great taxidermy and a chance to visit with the hunters that killed them. They usually always have all the Texas Slams recognized and displayed as well.

I went one time back after the 1992 season, which was my first and last time, when I entered my buck, and I don't remember if it was the very first event for the Texas Big Game Awards, or the second, but it was up near Llano, and I wasn't very impressed because it seemed that it was an advertisement for the local game ranches, outfitters and guides to feature their properties.
They made sure all the local mounts were the main feature of the event, as well as having speakers making long speeches about how great their hunting was at their ranches in the area.
I'm sure they may have figured out how to properly put on an awards banquet since those early days.

Jimbo, from what you described it sounds like that was one of several "Regional" TBGA shows. The one im referring to is the Statewide one which only recognizes the top 3 heads in each category. Ive been to a lot of the Regional ones and ive never experiences anything like what you described but don't doubt it, especially such a long time ago.

You are correct that it was a Regional one, and I believe it was the first one and since it was hosted by the locals of that town, it turned into their own infomercial.
It was a disappointment to say the least, so I never bothered to make another entry.
I will say there was a lot of grumblings in the crowd, so I wasn't the only one that felt that way.

That could have been the first one. I went to several Region 4 ones also during that time frame from 92-97 in Llano and Fredericksburg. The first one I went to in Llano I had a buddy who was a cattleman who did nothing but gripe about the meal....it was turkey IIRC. I went to take deer killed on ranches I managed and then to look at deer from my Region more than to listen to the speakers. I went to the Statewide ones at the TWA from the first one till about 2004 or so. I have a few of the recap books also and two books Ray Sasser did on the TBGA bucks. I was in one of those books he did.

Very interesting STxranchman. If you went to the early Statewide ones at TWA then we would of crossed paths. The YO Hilton and then Austin and finally to San Antonio to stay. Were you at the YO when Kroll and Jacobson got into the very heated debate with Hormel(not sure who else) for TPWD with Kerr on the spike issue? For yall wondering where the spike controversy started it was pretty much in that room(89?). They had to stop the "debate" in the big room and continue airing out "our" dirty laundry in a side room. The debate rages on 30 years later.
Sassers first book was the 92 season(dark green cover) and then the next two seasons. Ray told me at the time it was too much time for too little money so he stopped. I wish someone would start those books back up again. I was in the first book. Unlike what appears for you to be a long and storied career in the deer world, that was my fleeting 15 minutes of fame:)

I was at the one before the YO Hilton that was also in Kerrville IIRC at the Inn of the Hills???? I went to several at YO Hilton and ones in SA. Yes I was at the debate one with Kroll, Jacobson and the rest. Jacobson also got into it again the Southeast Deer Study Group meeting is San Antonio after that. That debate will never end on spikes. I hunted with Ray Sasser in 2004 or 2005 in South Texas for a week on a ranch I was managing. I was in a couple of his books and in one newspaper article. I was in the '94 TBGA book he did with my one claim to fame. That week Ray told me the same thing he told you about doing the books. He did a couple of books with Wyman also. I wished someone had kept doing those annual recaps but the time it took to compile, write, and edit those stories/photos was time consuming.
We have crossed paths I am sure.

I'll have to look for my copy of that green book with my name in it that I haven't seen in years.
I didn't realize I'm part of Texas whitetail history!