Annual Hunting Contests & Game Awards

Official Rules

1. Hunting Contests
   1. There shall be a “Bow Hunter of the Year” competition with winners determined by a competitive point system and awards for three Divisions:
      1. A Men’s Division,
      2. A Women’s Division,
      3. A Youth Division; defined as under 16 years of age. For purpose of competition, a youth shall be considered the age of 15 for the entire year if he/she is age 15 on January 1st of the New Year.
   2. There shall be “Husband and Wife Bow Hunter of the Year” competition with winners determined by a combined point system.
   3. There shall be a “Trophy Contest.”
2. Game Awards
   1. There shall be a “Big Game Awards” program.
   2. There shall be a “Small Game Awards” program.
3. General Contest Rules
   1. There shall be a set of official OBH Hunting Contests & Game Awards rules governing each contest and awards program. These rules shall be posted at the OBH website.
   2. Any animal entered for OBH awards must be taken legally with a bow and arrow in accordance with all applicable rules and regulations for the location in which it is harvested. Some animals, especially but not limited to furbearers, listed as eligible for hunting contest awards may require special licensing and/or tag requirements in addition to general hunting licenses and/or tags. Individuals submitting animals for OBH awards are solely responsible for determining and complying with all applicable harvest rules and regulations.
   3. Only animals legally taken in the state of Oregon shall be eligible for the Bow Hunter of the Year, Husband and Wife Bow Hunter of the Year and the Trophy Contest.
   4. Entries for the Big Game Awards and Small Game Awards may be harvested in any state, province or country provided they are taken according to the laws, rules and regulations of the locality(ies) where they are taken.
   5. To qualify for an award, a person must be an OBH member at the time of harvesting the game
   6. The calendar year shall be the starting and ending of these competitions annually.
   7. Applications for all awards must be made by January 15th of the year after the harvest.
   8. The Director of Hunting Games shall be responsible for all Hunting Contests and Game Awards, as well as the regulations concerning the awards.
   9. Paragraphs 1 through 3 originate from the OBH Bylaws and may only be changed by a vote of the Field Governors; amending Article XIV of the Bylaws. The remaining rules may be revised as the need arises with the approval of the Board of Directors.
4. Definitions of Game Animals
   1. Definition of Big Game: Alligator, Antelope, Bear, Bison, Bobcat, Caribou, Cougar, Coyote, Deer, Elk, Goat, Jaguar, Javalina or Feral Swine, Moose, Musk-Oxen, Pig, Shark, Sheep, Turkey, Wolf, and Wolverine. The young of said big game animals are not eligible for awards. The Following weights are used to determine the young: Deer and Bear under 40 Lbs., Elk under 100 Lbs.
   2. Additional Species included as Big Game: Bobcat, Lynx, Coyote, Javalina or Feral Swine and Pig. (These animals must not be taken with the aid of dogs.)
   3. Definition of Small Game: Armadillo, Badger, Beaver, Carp, Coot, Cottontail Rabbit, Crab, Crow, Duck, Eel, Fox, Gar, Goose, Gopher, Ground Hog, Ground Squirrel, Grouse, Jack Rabbit, Lemming, Marmot (Rock Chuck), Mink, Mountain Beaver, Muskrat, Nutria, Opossum, Partridge, Pheasant, Porcupine, Prairie Dog, Quail, Raccoon, Rat, Ringtail Cat, Scavenger Fish, Skunk, Squirrel, Stingray, Turtle, and Weasel.
   4. The following Game Animals are furbearers and may only be taken in Oregon under a trapping or furbearer hunting license: Beaver, Bobcat, Fox, Mink, Muskrat, and Raccoon.
   5. Points shall NOT be given for any Federal or State protected species such as the following: Golden-mantled ground squirrel, Pica, amphibians, lizards and snakes other than poisonous.
   6. Protected species in Oregon: Please refer to the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife for a current list of protected mammals and birds for the year of harvest. In addition, all marine mammals, all non-game birds except English (House) Sparrow, Rock Dove (Common Pigeon), Starling, Western Painted Turtle and Western Pond Turtle.
   7. Any Big Game or Small Game animal as defined in the previous sub-sections that may become protected either federally or on a state level, before these rules can become amended are not eligible for this contest. It is the responsibility of the hunter to know if the species he or she is hunting is a protected species. Conviction of game law violation can mean loss of OBH Membership and/or Trophies.
5. Bow Hunter of the Year Award
   1. There shall be a perpetual plaque, plus a small permanent plaque for the first through third place winners in each division.
   2. In the men's divisions, there shall be patches appropriately embroidered for first through twelfth place.
   3. In the women's and youth divisions, there shall be patches appropriately embroidered for first through sixth place.
   4. In the event of a tie, all persons sharing the tie will receive the same patches/awards.
   5. The following year a biography of the winners shall be featured in the OBH publication.
   6. Small Game point system combined with the Big Game point system shall be used as a basis for determining the "Bow Hunter of the Year." There shall be a limit of fifty (50) Small Game points per season per contestant for the competition in the "Bow Hunter of the Year". The following point system for big game shall be allowed:
      1. Minimum skull measurement of 13 inches for an adult bear,
      2. Minimum skull measurement of 9.5 inches for an adult cougar,
      3. No bonus given for skull measurement of Coyotes & Bobcats.
   7. The final score shall be rounded to nearest full number except in case of tie; convert all fractions to second decimal as per the Fraction Conversion Chart.
6. Husband & Wife Bow Hunter of the Year
   1. For “Husband & Wife Bow Hunter of the Year” competition, each individual must harvest at least one Big Game animal in Oregon.
   2. All “Bow Hunter of the Year” rules apply.
   3. The winners will be determined by a combined score and receive a permanent plaque.
7. Trophy Contest for Big Game
   1. Trophy Classifications shall follow the Pope & Young (P&Y) classifications for Big Game animals found within the geographic boundaries of Oregon. P&Y guidelines shall be followed for all species boundaries.
   2. Trophies will be awarded to the largest of each species according to the P&Y system of measurement for antlers, horns and/or skulls.
   3. Only one animal of each species of big game shall be allowed in any one competitive year.
   4. To be eligible for Trophy Contest awards:
      1. All animals must be taken within the geographic boundaries of Oregon,
      2. Animals with boundary restrictions taken near boundaries (i.e. Blacktail and Mule Deer) must have exact location of harvest,
      3. There must be two or more entries in each category for the award to be given, unless:
         1. Entry exceeds the P&Y minimum, or
         2. Entry exceeds the previous winning entry.
      4. Antlers, horns or skulls may be measured by an OBH member, in the event of a tie or if both animals of the same species are close in score, all animals in question will be panel measured at the same time prior to the awards banquet to determine the winner. Official Pope & Young measurers will be used.
8. Big Game Awards
   1. Fair Chase Rules; any animal harvested under the following circumstances should not be considered for awards: yarded in deep snow, helpless on ice, helpless in water, helpless in a trap, while confined behind fences, as on game farms etc., from powered vehicle or powered boat, by spot lighting at night, shooting across public roads, defiance of game laws or out of season, or other methods considered non-sportsman like conduct.
   2. Awards:
      1. First award shall be the OBH Gold Bear Pin and # 1 Bar,
      2. Second through Fourteenth numbered bars, which attach to Gold Bear Pin,
      3. Fifteenth award shall be a new bar inscribed "Expert Bow Hunter",
      4. Sixteenth through Twenty fourth numbered bars, which attach to Gold Bear Pin,
      5. Twenty Fifth bar shall be inscribed “Master Bow Hunter"; this concludes the program.
9. Small Game Award
   1. A minimum of forty (40) points is necessary to receive the Small Game award patch.
   2. A contestant will receive one (1) point per animal with a limit of six (6) points for any one species.
   3. Only six (6) points in aggregate will be allowed for the following animals: Mouse, Bull Frog, English (House) Sparrow, Starling, Mole and Rock Dove (Common Pigeon).
   4. Awards:
      1. First through third award shall be the "Small Game Hunter" Patch,
      2. Fourth award shall be the "Master Small Game Hunter" patch; this concludes the program.