Just wanting to see everyone's opinions on contest rules, like limit? No limit? Point system ? And so on!!! Keep in mind I'm talking about a state wide hunt.

Big money. angelo puts on a good one

I am one of the guys that puts on the contest in Blanket. We are just always trying to see what we can do to make it better. I know that money is a big draw!!!

Thanks for responding caveman, seems like its hard to get anyone to do that one here!!

What I like about Angelo's hunt is that it's a open ball game from the start, maybe excluding most animal catagory, 17 dogs and 53 fox is tough in our areas, but most cats and big cat can be done on small places as well as large ones. Angelo is one of the first contest in a while that has al least a fair playing field with a very large return we won it 3 years ago before it got as large as it is now and won something around $5800 after selling furs , that's still a lot of money now it's up to $20,000 which is great , I live in blanket and have heard y'all are putting on a good honest contest which is to be commended.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Bobcats should be more points than coyotes.

Hot ladies in skimpy fur outfits....

Do away with the 24 hour time table. Do 1 hour before dark until 9am the next morning. That noon to noon is way to long.

Lots of good thoughts!!!!!

Besides the money, the Angelo contest gives everyone state wide a fair shake( besides side pots) I will not hunt one on point systems unless it is local and has boundaries as to where you can hunt. Killing 10 yotes in the panhandle is a whole lot easier than killing 10 in my area. Killin grays in my area is easier than in others and so on. I do like the fact you have to kill 5 grays or 5 yotes to enter a cat. Adds a little more to it.

A one day, 8 hour hunt, 6AM to 2PM or 7AM to 3PM. It equals the playing field for those that only have smaller acreage to hunt on. Some would even be able to hunt the contest off of their deer lease. Hand calls only, it takes a little more skill with a hand call, but it lowers the "investment" cost need to hunt in contest.

I like the points. Coyotes and cats only. No foxes or varmints.it's hard to competes with someone getting 50 or 60 foxes/varmints. Keep them a side pot.

Dont like the hand call only idea! Hand calls are great but only so much u can blow on them....

A hand call competition or at least class would have me interested... anyone can hit a button...

There are over 10 different reeds that are commercially made, each reed can be installed in a call body that can be made in a LOT OF WAYS, each call body will make a unique sound. Then you have the operator, a good hand caller can get a lot of different variations out of one call.

The combination of sounds is endless, if you cannot get enough sounds, you need to work on your collection of calls and learn how to use the calls properly.

Next is the truly custom hand calls where the callmaker makes their own toneboard. Again, very unique sounds and depending on the call operator, their ability to hand tune the calls they have a very versatile call. It is easy for people to use the electronics, the learning curve is real short, "Where is the on and off button".

A lot of people are wanting a cap of say 5 on the animals. And I am seeing the point of that!!! What do you guys thing? Right now our contest has red fox 5 pts, bobcat 4 pts, coyote 3 pts, gray fox 2 pts, and coon 1pt. We have a 7 animal cap but once you get past 7 you can keep shooting the species for 1 point each after 7. Except coons they are capped at 5 and that's it no more on coons. What do you think?

I agree. Its kind of like coming to the weigh-in at a bass tournament with a boat full of carp.

I agree with Ronnie, hand calls are great, but in a 24hr hunt there's only so much hand calling I can do before I need a break.

The hunts that start late afternoon say 5ish that will give you that one evening stand then hunt all night with enough time in the AM for a few good stands works great. 24hrs is way too long

yall remember this weekend I am putting on a Handcall only Contest . One man only as well with a 200$ entry fee . Wont be as many in it but still gonna pay good to win it . Its a 2 day daylight only hunt .

Some of these guys can't play with your rules, they would get too tired only using hand calls.

We have hunted the San Angelo big cat contest several years as well as a few contest that ran off a points system. They both are fun formats for sure. Here's my idea of a great predator contest. Use the same format as what Jeremy and the guys at the San Angelo contest are doing but change it slightly.

basically it would break down like this

5 greys or 5 coyotes to enter the heaviest bobcat... same as normal... that keeps it challenging

but here's the change up no more " most " animals for the jackpot.

Change the jackpots to heaviest fox,coyote,coon it's that simple!

What this will do is even the playing field even more for everybody to win some cash no matter how large or small your ranches are.

think about it if it's getting close to weigh Inn and you have 7 fox and 4 coyotes 2 coon for instance and your buddy calls and says he heard so and so team had 14 fox 6 coyotes 4 coons ... most likely you won't even go into the weigh Inn because of the long drive and extra cost in fuel just to win squat ... but with this format you will make that extra 2 hour or even 4 hour drive for a chance that your fox , coyote, or coon might just out weigh everybody else and you win 5000.00 jackpot off of one of them.

You see how this makes more people attend the contest and have a chance to win some cash... After all its a heavy bobcat contest anyways why not make it heavy jackpots too? I'm betting this format would draw even more entry's each hunt as well.

You can keep the contest 24 hours but I wish there was some way to start it earlier then 12:00 at lunch... you miss all your good morning calling that way.

Also keep it state wide and always allow mail in entry forms that helps allot.


Jeremy and the guys are doing a heck of a job and run one of the best contest in Texas. They got real smart by adding the raffle tickets to the contest this year too. Even if you don't win the contest you still have a chance to win some nice calling gear in the raffles for just showing back up to check inn.

The only problem I can see with this idea is the weighing of all the animals would take some time... that's why I would make a rule telling each team they can ONLY pick 2 of their biggest fox,coyotes,coons to be weighed in for the jackpots that way your only weighing 6 critters at the most for each team...it might take more man power or volunteers but I bet that wouldn't be a big issue.

that's just my 2 cents ... but I would attend that contest every year!

God bless Skinner

Some of these guys can't play with your rules, they would get too tired only using hand calls. [/quote]

Definitely not afraid to use the hand calls on a full day hunt, but being up 24hrs is already hard enough not to mention trying to blow a call at 3am when your dead tired. When I'm in a competition I'm in it to win it and mixing in a digital call with hand calls gives a larger variety of sounds that put the odds more on my side. I think the more sounds you have at your disposal just increases the chance of calling in an animal.

When everybody else is playing by the same rules, it equals the playing field for everyone. Or do you think the next guy has an advantage because the rules said hand calls only. It is a contest, since the rules apply to everyone, it shouldn't matter, the restrictions would effect every contestant equally. The results would show who is the best based on the set of rules, not based on how easy the requirements where.