2025 Rules & Regulations

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OFFICIAL 2025-26 CONTEST RULES

Contest Categories

  • Archery Only Division (Sept. 27 -Oct. 31, 2025)
  • Low Fence Division (Nov. 1- Jan. 4, 2026)
    • Big Eight Point buck
    • Non-Typical Buck
    • Widest Spread Buck
    • Overall Biggest Buck
  • Youth Division (Oct. 24-26, -Jan.5-18, 2026)
    • Overall Biggest Buck
    • Big Eight Point buck
    • Longest Spike
  • High Fence division
    • Overall Biggest Buck
  • Women’s Division
    • Overall Biggest Buck
    • Big Eight Point Buck

 Rules and Regulations

  1. Registration is FREE until Nov. 30, 2025.   
  2. Register Online Here
  3. The Contest is for the 2025 white-tailed deer Archery and General Rifle hunting season.
  4. The General rifle contest has four divisions: Low Fence Division, High Fence Division, Women’s Division and Youth Division.
  5. All participants that register and shoot a deer in archery season will be in the same contest.
  6. The Youth division will begin on Oct. 24, 2025 and end on Jan. 18, 2026 while the regular contest for adults will begin with the start of the season on November 1st and end on Jan. 4, 2022.
  7. Low Fence Division- animals that are harvested from property without game proof fencing, or property that has at least one mile of its perimeter with low fences.
  8. High Fence Division- animals harvested from property that is completely fenced with game proof fencing or has less than mile of low or no fencing.
  9. Youth Division- All hunters that are 16 years old or younger as of Dec. 31, 2025, will automatically be in the Youth division.
  10. Hunters must register online at https://www.koxe.com/bigbuck/ or at a registration location in person before submitting a harvested buck into the contest.
  11. All hunters must have a current valid Texas hunting license before hunting and entering a harvested buck into the contest.
  12. All State, Federal and local laws must be followed.
  13. All deer must be killed in the State of Texas.
  14. All bucks must be brought into an authorized scoring sponsor location by the person that killed it during normal business hours.
  15. All bucks brought in for scoring MUST, at a minimum, have the cape attached to the head. No skull cap and antlers only submissions will be accepted.
  16. After getting your buck measured by an authorized scoring location, hunters must keep the horns or make them available to The Heart of Texas Big Buck Contest in the event of a tie or discrepancy.
  17. If the deer is taken to a taxidermist, the hunter will need to provide The Heart of Texas Big Buck Contest with the name, address and phone number if requested.
  18. Animals may only be brought to one authorized location for measuring/scoring listed at koxe.com/bigbuck
  19. All Winners must agree to submit to a polygraph lie detector test if requested. Failure to comply will result in disqualification from the contest.
  20. All hunters must retain and submit a field photo of the person that killed the buck with their deer.
  21. Ties will be decided by a random draw from a hat by an authorized representative.
  22. Out-of-state contestants must have a valid Texas Hunting license.
  23. All scoring will initially be done by designated scoring sponsor locations but will not be considered official until verified and finalized by The Heart of Texas Big Buck Contest’s official scoring team.
  24. The Heart of Texas Big Buck Contest reserves the right to amend the official rules at any time.
  25. The Heart of Texas Big Buck Contest reserves the right to disqualify any deer entered into the contest at their sole discretion.

The Heart of Texas Big Buck Contest is offered through a partnership between Rackin Up Dreams Outdoors and Brown County Broadcasting Co.  All questions and inquiries should be directed to Brown County Broadcasting Company: https://www.koxe.com/contact-us/  or (325)646-3505.

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