Yes, and I loved every minute of it! Big buck contests are a great way to meet new friends and share experiences...win or lose. Anyone else?

Iv enjoyed the ones iv been to,i dont see how something that brings people with the same interests together is a bad thing,you can bet peta has their own gatherings.

Before anyone states that contests give groups like peta ammo for their cause just let me say,it doesnt matter.their goal is to take hunting away peice by peice.if you start giveing them what they want they will never stop.

Skinnner, Peta worries me in the very least. They've been exposed enough of late that they have lost plenty of steam. For the most part, the air has left their sail. I am more worried about these growing elistists within our community.

I was in a big buck contest in South Dakota. The proceeds benefitted a 15 month old girl diagnosed with a rare form of skin cancer. Hunters raised over $20K to help support her parent's travel and living expenses while she had an extended stay in a treatment center in Texas. I can tell you, when it was all over, we all felt like winners. The lad who actually shot the biggest buck received a ballcap and a congratulatory pat on back the from the rest of us.

I did another which raised money for a breast cancer patient- she had been denied insurance. The request to participate came from a good friend who runs an outfitting business in Arizona (the young lady involved was his neice). Because of his connections in the outdoor world, he was able to acquire some pretty nice prises. Those prises, in the end, were never taken. Rather, they were auctioned off to the general public outside the contest. The hunters did their part to care for a community member. The point should be made, the contest was the intial rallying force. That was ten years ago, and to my knowledge the young lady is a survivor.

I was in another within the Bowhunting.com forum. My teammate and I won-we received a few trinkets from the website. The enduring friendships we received from each other are priceless. Today, all ten of us, from different walks and regions of the US, are like brothers.

Not all things are "too bad", and if someone wants ammo, there it is!

When I write my book, I hope to have more than Xs and Os representing me and the deer. I may consider a few crayon drawings in spite...

Fund raisers don't work without prizes?

Sorry for the delayed response Pete. I had a little business travel which needed my full attention. I don't mind answering your direct questions.

Can you please define “prizes”? I mean, I have been to fundraisers where I have walked away with art and sculpture. I have also been to fundraisers where I’ve walked away with a sense of satisfaction. Both could be considered a prize. If by prize you mean something tangible, then sure. It is possible to have a fundraiser without a prize. I'm pretty sure you already knew this. Are legitimate prizes a bad thing Pete? If I pay the money, am I not entitled to a prize?

Wow, this is still going huh?

You talked about a big buck contest/fund raiser. Your point I assume was that some big buck contests do good. Maybe so, but it's still a contest with prizes. Even if the only prize is winning the contest. I'd be willing to bet the majority of the hunters are in the contest more than the fund raiser.

So, is it a big buck contest disguised as a fund raiser, or a fund raiser disguised as a big buck contest?

If the hunters were really interested in contributing to the cause. It can be done without the contest. Which comes back to the question in my above post.

I'm sure for those who don'tr agree with big buck contests. The above fund raiser is just another big buck contest. The prize, or lack of prizes doesn't matter. The prize is bragging rights.

Whatever Pete. You are pretty vocal (mostly against) for a man who doesn't care how and why people hunt...which brings us full circle.

That was the question.it wasnt who here is against/for big buck contests.no wonder a post like this turns into something like this.maybe if you dont have anything good to say why say anything?