In good news for the state’s gamesmen, Outdoor Alabama has announced that its 2023 Big Buck Challenge Photo Contest has begun.
This year’s challenge, however, is a bit different than in years past because Outdoor Alabama has added a dash of college football to the mix.
Chris Blankenship, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), discussed the state’s white tail deer population and also this year’s challenge.
“At one point, white-tailed deer were a rare sight in Alabama,” said Blankenship.
“That’s a very different story today thanks to an extensive restocking program spearheaded by the Conservation Department in the mid-20th century and successful management through the decades since.”
Blankenship said that he believes the challenge will have long-term benefits.
“This challenge is an opportunity to showcase how important conservation efforts have been in ensuring access to this natural resource for future generations of hunters and those who simply enjoy seeing deer on Alabama’s landscape,” he said.
To enter the contest, participants will need to take a photo with their buck harvest from either this season or previous seasons and upload the image on OutdoorAlabama.com/BigBuckChallenge.
The first round of prizes this year will be awarded this month. During this round, one Alabama fan and one Auburn fan will be selected from the entries and receive a pair of Iron Bowl tickets and a $250 gift card.
The second round of prizes will be awarded in mid-January. During this round, photos from one Alabama fan and one Auburn fan will be randomly selected to each receive a pair of tickets to the Alabama vs. Auburn men’s basketball game in February and a $250 gift card.
The winners will be notified by email.
The challenge is open to anyone age 19 and up who is not an employee of one of the sponsors. Household members and immediate family members of any of the sponsor entities are also not eligible to enter the challenge.
The contest closes Jan. 16 at noon.
The Challenge is sponsored by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Auburn University Athletics, and the University of Alabama through its athletics multimedia rights holder Crimson Tide Sports Marketing.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.
