Hog tournament offering up big prizes for Texas-size porkers
I would hate to be a plump feral hog with Team Pork Chop and Biscuit on my tail. There is a good chance I would wind up with an apple in my mouth while smoking on a hot pit surrounded by a group of hog hunters spinning colorful yarns about the big one that didn't get away.
Team Pork Chop and Biscuit killed more hogs than any other team entered in the Texas Big Nasty Hog Contest last year. My guess is they'll be looking for a repeat performance in 2012, but it won't come easy with Team Piglet, Team Final Squeel, Hog SWATT, Natural BoarN Killers and dozens of others out there trying to rob them of the title.
Currently in its fourth year, The Big Nasty is among the biggest hog hunting contests of its kind nationally. It is certainly the richest I have heard of in these parts.
The contest last year passed out more than $12,000 worth of door prizes at an opening ceremony that drew more than 500 people. Another $13,000 in prizes went to the top finishers in various categories and divisions when the contest closed a month later.
"We're looking for this thing to get even bigger, too," says Terry Hayley of Winnsboro. "It has been a statewide contest the last three years, but we're going nationwide with it this year."
Hayley is the master of ceremonies for the Texas Big Nasty, a well-run, family-oriented hog hunting contest organized in 2009 by a trio of East Texas archers who call themselves the "blue-collar bowhunters." Among them are Quitman's Cody Hunt and Pickton's Jeremy Sickles and Jared Brumley. Together the men operate a website called bluecollarbowhunter.com, where they market everything from hard hitting bowhunting DVDs to bowfishing trips and gar scale necklaces.
"We were looking for a way to give the bowhunters a good excuse to keep hunting for a little while longer before spring," Brumley said. "Plus, we wanted to try to help do something about the feral hog problem we have in this part of the country."
The feral hog problem Brumley speaks of is a big one.
While feral hog populations are skyrocketing across the South, the increasing numbers are of particular concern in Texas. Some researchers think there could be more than three million feral hogs in Texas today, and they are causing an astronomical amount of damage. Recent studies indicate feral hogs cause more than $52 million in damage for Texas landowners every year. Nearly $10 million is spent annually repairing the damage and conducting control efforts.
Not only do the pigs root, wallow and destroy agricultural crops and hay meadows, they also wreck fences and compete with livestock and more desirable wildlife species for food. Some experts have referred to feral hogs as the mammalian equivalent to fire ants.
The problem isn't just limited to rural areas, either.
"The porkers have literally moved to town and are now causing significant damage in urban and suburban communities," says Billy Higginbotham, a Texas AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist. "This damage includes the rooting of landscapes, parks, lawns, golf courses, sports fields and even cemeteries as they search for food. It has been estimated that a single hog can cause over $200 in damage annually."
The Texas Big Nasty gives hunters of all ages the opportunity to perform a little hog control and have the opportunity to win some cool prizes in the process. The unprecedented tournament format is as diverse and fair as they come.
The contest awards a rich purse of goodies including compound bows, pop-up blinds, ladder stands, climbing stands and other hunting paraphernalia to hunters who grab the top spots in four divisions including adults, ladies, youth and kids.
Adult division teams may consist of up to two hunters, limited to bow hunting only. Ladies, youth (ages 13-16) and kids (12 and under) divisions are open to one person teams using gun or bow.
The top spots in the adult division are decided by the accumulative weight of the two heaviest hogs taken by each team over the course of the month-long event, which runs from Feb. 5 through March 4. The other three divisions are decided by the heaviest single hog. Prizes also are awarded for the best in-the-field photo, best video, longest tusks and most hogs shot on video.
Brumley says the contest is run on somewhat of an honor system, since it is not logical for registered hunters to bring every hog they kill to the contest headquarters in Pickton. However, there are some restrictive rules in place to deter cheating.
For starters, hunters must be preregistered to participate and all hogs must be harvested in accordance with state and federal laws. Night hunting is legal in Texas but not in some other states. Furthermore, every hog entered in the contest must be reported by phone within 24 hours of recovery.
The main kicker is that each hog must have valid video footage to support the kill. A valid video must depict the hog in clear view when the shot takes place, show impact of the arrow, have hunter/videographer verification and depict the weighing process from start to finish, nonstop.
Lighted nocks must be used during night hunts for video confirmation. Any hog entered without sufficient video support will be automatically disqualified.
Contest rules also require that all hunts be performed by fair chase on open range (no high fence or penned hogs allowed) without the aid of traps or dogs -- dogs may be used for blood trailing and recovery. All contest winners must pass a polygraph test before prizes are awarded.
"We've done everything possible to make sure everything is kept on the up-and-up," Hayley said. "This contest has just about doubled in size every year since it started, and our goal is for it to continue to grow and get more young people involved in the sport. And the neat thing is nobody is making a dime off the deal. It's a 100 percent pay back."
Entry fees vary with the division. The adult division costs $120 per team; ladies $50; youth $35; and kids $25. Opening ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. Feb. 4 at the Pickton Community Center.
Brumley promises that "Willie" will be there to greet the crowd when the gates open. Willie is a 365-pound feral hog boar that Brumley caught by hand when it was just a shoat.
"I brought him home and before I knew it my dad was out there feeding him milk and cornbread," Brumley says chuckling. "He raised him that way. He gets out there and walks him around on a leash, just like a big ol' dog."
For more information about the contest or to download entry forms, visit texasbignastyhogcontest.com or call 903-348-2461.
Matt Williams' e-mail address is mattwilliams@netdot.com.
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