Well, here we go again. First off I'd like to apologize for not having our intercom system working. We sold the bar and it has been remodeled but somewhere in there the mic system was taken out and we didn't know it until the last minute. I felt it hurt the contest and the auction. I planned on telling the story about helping an 85 year old man get his first bull and inviting people(mostly the youth) to tell thier hunting story and making a few announcements. But it was an intercom bust.
nevadabone, to say that someone may have won because of what thier last name is was innapropriate. The only reason a person wins is because thier animal scores the best. If there is any wrong doing going on in this contest I will try to make it right or pull myself and my support away from it. As far as the youth that did not win with his archery buck in the archery category is as stated above. Youth have thier owne division seperate from the adult division and they can hunt archery, muzzy or rifle season or all three seasons. Shooting such a nice buck during the archery season like he did was a great accomplishment and he has my respect and admiration. It was probably one of my favorite bucks at the contest. But to put it short and sweet, he was beaten out by several other bucks which also was the result last year. Now a lot of people will say that it is unfair to put archery bucks in with muzzy or rifle bucks but it was his choice to shoot that particular buck and if he wanted to he could of held off and looked for a different buck or waited until muzzleloader or even rifle season to choose a different buck. It was his choice to choose this buck and he had the chance to hunt any or all three seasons. His Dad is a very accomplished hunter and puts out extra effort and has been rewarded with at least one win that I know of in our contests. He is actually one of my hunting hero's and the kind of hunter I would like to be. Nevertheless, he knows what our scoring system is and how it works and he has been gracious enough to support us in our past contests and I hope in future contests as well. Last year I felt bad that his son did not place in our contest but it was not because he killed a big and beautiful buck during the archery season but because somebody had stated that we had more categories and prizes for adults instead of youth and after some thought I agreed with what they said. This same youth was the very next youth with the next highest scoring buck being 4th place, and so I got in touch with his Dad and a gift was given. If a different kid would have had the 4th place buck then that is the kid who I would have given the gift to.
Lets talk about our scoring system. As stated last year, we have too many entries and it takes too long to score all of our entries Boone and Crockett style. But even if we did use the Boone and Crockett system I'd like to point out that the same thing can happen in its scoring system. Sometimes a spindly or smaller buck will out score a bigger buck due to one side being different or maybe he has a drop tine on one side or a sticker which will account for deductions. Remember, Boone and Crockett uses the Net measurement and not gross measurement. The bigger buck might have more bone but in the eyes of B&C's scoring system it measured less. I personally prefer the Safari Club International's scoring systen who uses the Gross score. But still they use a spread measurement which in my opinion is dumb because the spread measurement is nothing but air and has nothing to do with bone growth. Now if I'm incorrect about how these organizations measure and score then please set me straight. So we have the same thing going on here as in B&C's scoring system. If you have a small buck with stickers it racks up points or a crab clawed buck with a wide spread it again racks up points. Or a narrow but very tall buck will again rack up points. so in the Watering Hole's eye's with our redneck scoring system your gonna have some bucks that are big get out scored by smaller bucks. This is not always the case but it happens. All I can say is that I support this scoring system. It has been this way since its beginning and as far as I know it will stay this way and I will keep supporting it. We are just a Ho-bunk bar in a Ho-bunk community with a Ho-bunk Big Buck and Bull Contest but I'm proud of it and will strive to make it better each year. Nevadabone, I'm sorry if it seems that I picked on you in my response but this was actually meant for everybody who wants to read it. I'm sorry that you did not enjoy yourself at our contest and hope the next one makes you happier.
Biggestrack, I saw where you wrote that you "thought it would change this year" but I'm not sure what you mean. I also saw where you agree with our scoring system and if you do then all I can say is that your sons buck was out scored. You also mentioned that maybe we could divide our youth category into three categories like the adults being archery, muzzy and rifle. We at the Watering Hole discussed this and chose to keep one category. I hate to say it but we do have people out there who will lie about which season they killed thier buck and will teach thier children to do the same. (And no I do not mean you). Also as stated above, the youth have a choice to hunt any or all three seasons. I am in no way trying to take anything away from your sons accomplishments of last year or this year but the end result is that it is his choice. Also, I do not know your son and barely know you but I have a high opinion of you both. Your son was very respectful and polite the other day and in my book is already a winner as well as his Dad. I've been to the Muley foundation banquets and I've read who the donaters are and I see that you and your wife are huge donaters. I'd like to thank you for all you do for the mule deer and hunting in general. I would also be glad to have you as part of our contest and maybe be one of our score people, no pun intended. Also, I would be glad to take you and your sons buck and meet the guy who scored it and we can rescore it if you question our scores.
nv_hunter, I don't know what to say about your compliment except for I am humbled. Believe me though, I'm human. By the way, you don't live in Nevada anymore, its time to change your handle, ha ha.
And also, thanks to everybody else who has complimented me but I am only one person. This contest is the result of many people and thier efforts. As far as the youth rifles, I bought one rifle and put on a raffle. The raffle raised enough money to buy two rifles. Then my wife talked somebody into buying $500.00 worth of raffle tickets which bought a third rifle for the youth category. If that person would have won the raffle he planned on donating it to the youth category as a fourth place rifle prize but he did not win. My wife could have put that $500.00 towards other parts of the contest but chose to try and help me make the youth category better with more prizes. So I want to thank my wife, Mrs. fatrooster. Also I'd like to point out that you people are the ones who bought the raffle tickets and it was your combined money that bought those rifles. Thankyou. I am already selling tickets to buy rifles for next year. $25.00 per ticket or 5 tickets for $100.00. All of this money goes to rifles for the youth category so the more I sell the more rifles bought for that category.
If anybody else has any complaints then by all means spill them out. That goes for suggestions as well. Or if you prefer send me a PM.
Thanks again, fatrooster, Drew Edwards.
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