Los Cazadores Whitetail Deer Contest

PRESENTED BY

Los Cazadores

Home of the World's Largest Whitetail Deer Contest

A hunter in camo holds the antlers of a whitetail buck on his truck tailgate while a young hunter reaches out to touch it

2026 – 2027

Deer Contest Registration

NOW OPEN

Contest participants must be registered PRIOR to harvesting their entry and possess a valid Texas hunting license. Sign up online or in-store at any Los Cazadores location.

40Years Since 1986

11Divisions

4Texas Breezeways

3DTrophy Scan Scoring

2×Weekly Leaderboard Updates

How the Contest Works

For 40 years, Texas hunters have brought their best bucks to Los Cazadores. Here's how to get yours on the board this season.

Register First

Sign up online or in any Los Cazadores store before you harvest. Your entry is official once your form and fee are received.

Hunt Texas

Hunt with a valid Texas hunting license. Keep the cape attached to the skull. Antlers-only entries aren't accepted, and skull-cap entries go to the Open division.

Visit a Breezeway

Bring your buck to one of our four scoring locations during store hours. Our staff will help you fill out the entry form and answer scoring questions.

Get Scanned

Your rack is 3D-scored by Trophy Scan using SCI guidelines. You'll get a digital scoresheet and a 3D model of your trophy.

Climb the Board

Leaderboards update every Tuesday and Friday all season. Every entry is invited to celebrate at the Big Buck Bash in summer 2027.

Since 1986

40 Years of Big Bucks

It started in Cotulla with a red-and-white sign, a $5,000 grand prize and South Texas hunters who wanted to know whose buck was best. Four decades later, the Los Cazadores Deer Contest is the World's Largest Whitetail Deer Contest. Scoring has gone from tape measures to 3D scans, but the tradition hasn't changed: register first, hunt hard and bring your buck to the Breezeway.

1986Los Cazadores, Hunting Headquarters, gets its start in South Texas.

1988–89The 3rd annual Los Cazadores Trophy Whitetail Tournament awards a $5,000 cash grand prize.

1989A Los Cazadores Youth Wildlife Scholarship is awarded.

2026–2740 years, 11 divisions, 4 Breezeways and every buck scored in 3D by Trophy Scan.

George Strait in a Texas sweatshirt and camo cap kneels behind his 1988 grand prize whitetail buck, with a typed caption below

Newspaper clipping headlined Strait's buck leads contest, with a photo of George Strait and his buck

Typed letter from George Strait to the board members of the Los Cazadores Trophy Whitetail Tournament

From the Archives · 1988–89

The King of Country's Grand Prize Buck

George Strait won the $5,000 cash grand prize at the 3rd annual Los Cazadores Trophy Whitetail Tournament with a 191 gross B&C buck taken on his Webb County ranch on November 26, 1988. The deer was later entered in the Boone and Crockett record book with a net score of 181.

Then he gave back. In a letter to the tournament board, Strait presented $2,500 to start the Los Cazadores Youth Wildlife Scholarship Fund for high school graduates pursuing a degree in wildlife management.

"I hope it will serve as an adequate start to a perpetual scholarship fund..."
— George Strait, letter to the tournament board

From the Breezeway Archives

Two hunters pose with a buck in front of the original red and white Los Casadores Trophy Whitetail Tournament sign advertising a $5,000 grand prize, with a handwritten note reading Kelly Vesper, Cotulla, widest spread 23 inch winner — **The Original Sign**Kelly Vesper of Cotulla, widest spread winner at 23", in front of the early tournament sign. $5,000 grand prize.

A hunter holds up a heavy-antlered whitetail buck in front of the yellow South Texas Headquarters, Los Cazadores Trophy Whitetail Tournament sign — **South Texas Headquarters**Home base of the Los Cazadores Trophy Whitetail Tournament.

Minnie Dora Bunn Haynes holds the massive antlers of her grand prize winning buck inside a wood-paneled room — **Minnie Dora Bunn Haynes**Laredo. $5,000 cash grand prize winner. 241 gross B&C, 31 measurable points. Largest ever by a woman at the time.

Mike Mireles sits on a truck tailgate holding his compound bow and the antlers of his archery buck — **Mike Mireles**Laredo. Archery division winner. Kenedy County buck, 181 gross B&C.

Misty Sumner kneels beside her spike buck in front of the South Texas Headquarters tournament sign — **Misty Sumner**Pearsall. Longest Spike winner. Frio County spike measured over 11 inches.

Gary Maske in a cowboy hat holds a set of antlers in front of the red Grand Prize tournament sign — **Gary Maske**3rd place, All-Around. Dimmit County buck, 169 gross B&C.

Jeff Satcher in a cowboy hat kneels beside his buck in front of a Los Cazadores Cotulla, Texas backdrop — **Jeff Satcher**San Antonio. 3rd place, Best Overall Buck. Webb County, 167 gross B&C, 16 points.

A smiling woman holds up the antlers of her buck beneath a Sportsman's Headquarters, Los Cazadores Deer Contest sign — **The Breezeway, Then**Sportsman's Headquarters, home of the Los Cazadores Deer Contest.

Every buck on the board is part of the story. Make yours part of the next 40.

New This Year

Two new awards for the 2026 – 2027 season

The Dead Even

New!

The Dead Even

The truest example of a symmetrical typical whitetail.

Determined by Trophy Scan, this award goes to the typical buck with the lowest total side-to-side antler deductions based on official Trophy Scan scoring. It's not necessarily the biggest buck, just the most perfectly matched one.

Minimum 10 points
Tie-breaker: highest gross score
Winner announced at the award banquet

The winner receives

$250 credit toward Los Cazadores Taxidermy
A plaque
2 complimentary tickets to the Big Buck Bash Awards Ceremony
The award title embroidered on their jacket

Ranch of the Year

New!

Ranch of the Year

Bring your whole ranch to the Breezeway.

Awarded to the ranch with the greatest number of entries brought into the Los Cazadores Breezeways. Any entry counts, including ranch bulk entries, individual contest entries and annual memberships, as long as the hunter lists your ranch name on the Breezeway entry form.

The winner receives

A plaque
A replica shoulder mount of the deer of their choice from Los Cazadores Taxidermy
A table at the 2026-2027 Big Buck Bash
Social media posts about their ranch
A blog feature on the Los Cazadores website
An email blast recognizing their award with a link to their website or blog

Contest Entry Options

Pick Your Entry

Every entry includes a 3D Trophy Scan and an official scoresheet. Register online below or in-store at any location.

Deer Contest Entry

$49.99

per hunter

Entry into the Deer Contest
3D Trophy Scan & scoresheet
Up to 2 animals entered

Best Value

Annual Membership

$149.99

expires July 1

Deer Contest and Spring Turkey Contest
3D Trophy Scan & scoresheet
Up to 4 animals entered

Caza Youth

FREE

ages 14 & under*

Entry into the Caza Youth Division
3D Trophy Scan & scoresheet
Up to 2 animals entered
Participation award

New

Ranch Entry

$175

per ranch

Entry into the Deer Contest only
Scoresheet sent to the ranch and the hunter
Up to 5 animals entered
Counts toward Ranch of the Year

Lifetime Membership

$1,250

one time

All annual membership benefits, for life
Entered before open registration every season

*Youth entrants must be 14 or under as of September 1, 2026. Free youth entries compete in the Caza Youth Division only. Youth hunters who want to compete in other divisions may purchase a paid entry before harvest. Ranch entries must be harvested on the registered ranch.

2026 – 2027 Divisions

11 Divisions. One Statewide Stage.

Tap a division to see its live leaderboard.

High FenceStatewideSponsored by Hornady Low FenceStatewideSponsored by BPI Outdoors Hill Country High FenceHill Country countiesSponsored by Twisted X Brewing & Yogi Bins Hill Country Low FenceHill Country countiesSponsored by Vortex North Central High FenceNorth Central countiesSponsored by Horizon Firearms North Central Low FenceNorth Central countiesSponsored by SIG Sauer Archery High FenceBow only, no crossbowsSponsored by Leupold Archery Low FenceBow only, no crossbowsSponsored by Texas Wildlife Supply OpenBreeder, DMP & tagged deerSponsored by Turtlebox MexicoWhitetail & mule deerSponsored by All Seasons Feeders Caza YouthAges 14 & underSponsored by Burlebo

Legends Club Minimums

Bucks that meet these SCI gross scores earn a spot in their division's Legends Club.

Division	SCI Gross
Open	265
High Fence	200
Archery High Fence	185
Low Fence	180
Hill Country High Fence	180
North Central High Fence	180
Mexico	170
Archery Low Fence	160
Hill Country Low Fence	150
North Central Low Fence	150

Map of Texas counties with the North Central and Hill Country division boundaries outlined in red — Hill & North Central division counties

Awards & Prizes

What You're Hunting For

Beyond the leaderboards, these headline awards are presented at the Big Buck Bash.

Best All-Around

Highest gross SCI score across all divisions (excluding Open).

Plaque, 4 Big Buck Bash tickets and a prize package valued at $2,000

Don Keller Award

Named for the late wildlife artist. Three staff-selected deer go to a public vote.

$250 taxidermy credit, plaque and 2 tickets

Freak of the Year

The wildest rack of the season. Three staff-selected deer go to a public vote.

Belt buckle, plaque, $250 taxidermy credit and 2 tickets

The Dead Even New

The most symmetrical typical buck (10+ points), scored by Trophy Scan.

$250 taxidermy credit, plaque, 2 tickets and an embroidered jacket title

Ranch of the Year New

The ranch with the most Breezeway entries.

Plaque, replica shoulder mount, Bash table and marketing feature

Division Winners

Overall 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in every division.

Custom jackets and gift cards

Category Awards

Categories vary by division. See the official rules for the full list.

Most Points · Phantom BlindsWidest Spread · WeatherbyMr. Heavy · FierceMr. Drop Tine · FaxonWomen's · RetayYouth · WiseeyeVeterans / Military · CargillBest 6 Point · American Outdoor BrandsBest 7 Point · BurrisBest 8 Point · TaurusBest 9 Point · SavageLongest Spike · Bear ArcheryHeaviest Buck · Christensen ArmsHeaviest Doe · TactacamLegends Club

Check-In & Scoring Locations

Bring It to the Breezeway

Entries are scored by an approved Trophy Scan scanner during regular store hours at these four Los Cazadores locations.

Buchanan Dam

15395 TX Hwy 29
Buchanan Dam, TX 78609

Get Directions →

Granbury

7730 East Highway 377
Cresson, TX 76035

Get Directions →

Pearsall

490 Interstate 35
Pearsall, TX 78061

Get Directions →

Stonewall

14887 US Hwy 290 East
Stonewall, TX 78671

Get Directions →

Official Scoring Partner

Powered by Trophy Scan

Every Los Cazadores contest entry is scored with Trophy Scan, a 3D scanning system that builds an exact digital replica of your rack and calculates official scores from it. That means faster, more consistent scoring in every Breezeway and a permanent digital record of your trophy.

Every entry is scored by Bailey Luker, Trophy Scan's SCI-certified Director of Scoring, so every buck in every division is measured by the same expert.

3D Digital ModelYour buck is captured as a 3D scan you can view and share.

Official ScoresheetIncluded with every entry. Ranch entries are sent to the ranch and the hunter.

One Certified ScorerEvery entry is scored by an SCI-certified scorer using SCI guidelines.

Powers the Dead EvenTrophy Scan's side-to-side deductions decide the new symmetry award.

Learn More About Trophy Scan

Summer 2027

The Big Buck Bash

All contest entries are invited to attend. The Big Buck Bash is where we celebrate the season, present the awards and crown this year's winners, including the first-ever Dead Even and Ranch of the Year. Additional tickets may be purchased.

Meet the Contest Team

The Crew Behind the Contest

Questions about your entry, scoring or the rules? These are the people who make the World's Largest Whitetail Deer Contest happen.

Kenzie Hudson

Contest Manager

Manages the contest from registration through awards, including entries and leaderboards, and helps with the Big Buck Bash. If you have a question, Kenzie can point you in the right direction.

Cassie Roddy

Contest Scanning · Pearsall

Handles the majority of contest scanning. Based at our Pearsall location, Cassie is likely the one capturing your buck in 3D when you bring it to the Breezeway.

Bailey Luker

Director of Scoring · Trophy Scan

SCI certified. Bailey scores every single contest entry, so every buck in every division is measured to the same standard.

Reach the contest team at contests@loscazadores.com or call (830) 505-1424.

2026 – 2027 Contest Sponsors

Thank You to Our Sponsors

The World's Largest Whitetail Deer Contest is made possible by these partners. Show them some love next time you gear up.

Overall Contest Sponsor

Overall Sponsor

Official Scoring Partner

Division Sponsors

Low Fence

High Fence

Open

Hill Country Low Fence

Hill Country High Fence · Twisted X Brewing & Yogi Bins

North Central Low Fence

North Central High Fence

Category Sponsors

Most Points

Widest Spread

Fierce

Mr. Heavy

Mr. Drop Tine

Women's

Youth

Veterans / Military

Best 6 Point

Best 7 Point

Best 8 Point

Best 9 Point

Longest Spike

Heaviest Buck

Heaviest Doe

Legends Club Sponsors

Low Fence Legends Club

High Fence Legends Club

Open Legends Club

Archery Low Fence Legends Club

GSM Outdoors

Hill Country Low Fence Legends Club

Interested in sponsoring the contest? Email contests@loscazadores.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to register before I hunt?

Yes. You must be registered before you harvest your entry. Registration is official once your entry form and fee are received online, by mail or in-store. You also need a valid Texas hunting license.

How do I bring my deer in?

Bring your buck to any of our four Breezeway scoring locations during store hours. Texas bucks need the cape attached to the skull to qualify for any division except Open. Skull-cap entries go to Open, and antlers-only entries aren't accepted.

When does the contest end?

The contest ends with the close of the Texas general deer season. Entries are accepted up to two days after the close with proof of in-season harvest. Late-season MLDP deer aren't accepted. Mexico entries are accepted through February 28, 2027.

How often is the leaderboard updated?

Leaderboards update every Tuesday and Friday during the season, with occasional exceptions. Results aren't final until the official final leaderboard is posted.

Who can enter the free youth division?

Hunters 14 and under as of September 1, 2026 can enter the Caza Youth Division for free, with up to 2 animals and a participation award. To compete in other divisions, a youth hunter needs a paid entry before harvest.

How does my ranch qualify for Ranch of the Year?

Every entry counts, including ranch bulk entries, individual entries and annual memberships, as long as the hunter lists your ranch name on the Breezeway entry form. Ranch and landowner names stay private at the hunter's request.

What if my buck is in velvet or from a CWD zone?

Velvet scores are reduced by 2%, or you can remove the velvet and re-score. CWD-zone deer are accepted, but you must email the contest director within 48 hours of submitting to avoid placement in Open.

Can one deer win more than one category?

No. If your deer qualifies for more than one category, you choose which one it competes in. Each animal can place only once.

These answers are a summary. The official rules always take priority.

Keep Hunting

More Los Cazadores Contests

Spring Turkey Exotics Pig Contest Predator

Contest participants must be registered PRIOR to harvesting their entry and possess a valid Texas hunting license.

Los Cazadores Whitetail Deer Contest

Enter the Los Cazadores Whitetail Deer Contest - Texas's biggest annual deer competition. Submit your buck, view the leaderboard, and win prizes.

The Los Cazadores Whitetail Deer Contest is one of the most anticipated hunting competitions in Texas.

Enter your buck at any of our four Texas locations:

Pearsall
Stonewall
Buchanan Dam
Granbury (Cresson)

All entries are scored and verified at the time of submission.

Scoring is conducted using official measurements via Trophy Scan. Stop into your nearest Los Cazadores location to register your harvest and get your buck on the leaderboard.

Not sure if you qualify? Review the full contest rules HERE or visit any store location for details. Our staff is on hand throughout the season to help with entry, scoring questions, and Trophy Scan submissions.

Stay on top of the leaderboard all season long - updated regularly so you can see where your buck stands against hunters across the state!