The Anson County Chamber of Commerce hosted the 19th annual Big-Game Hunt tournament and organizers say it was, once again, a great success.
Carson Davis of Polkton, and Blake Leviner of Rockingham, earned top honors in the buck and doe categories, in the tournament held Thanksgiving weekend. Both of them earned prize money of $800 each.
Davis’s 8-point, 161.5-pound buck was shy of the record by 23 pounds set two years ago by Bron Hyatt, 184.7-pounds and 10 points.
Richard Allen of Peachland, placed second with an 8-point 150.5-pounder and pocketed $500, followed by Frank Curran of Polkton, 8-point, 149 pounds, $375; Terry Wagner of Lexington, 9-point, 138 pounds, $200; Bryan Tucker of Morven, 11-point, 136.2 pounds, $75; and Michael Williams of Wadesboro, 8-point, 134.9 pounds, received a free 2017 tournament registration plus $25 daily prize money.
Leviner weighed in a 122.7-pound doe to earn $800 in total prize money and set a new record. Tracy Holmes has held the record since 2006 with a doe that tipped the scales at 119.1-pounds. Lynn Clodfelter of Norwood placed second with a 101.4-pounder for $475, followed by Alan Hildreth of Marshville, 101.4 pounds, $400; Alvin Bates of Peachland, 99.8 pounds and $200; Zac Tarlton of Wadesboro, 93.2 pounds, $125; and Jordan Lowery of Morven, 93.2 pounds, $25 daily prize money and a free 2017 Big-Game Hunt registration.
In the youth buck category, Garrett Maner of Wadesboro won top prize money of $300 with a 10-point, 155.2-pounder. Seth Gathings of Wadesboro took second place in the buck category winning $175 with an 8-pointer at 138.4 pounds followed by Jordan Sikes of Wadesboro, 8-point, 132.2 pounds $100; fourth place was Sam Davis of Polkton, spike, 114.1 pounds and $75 in prize money; and Garrett Sikes of Lilesville with an 6-point, 104.7-pounder $15 daily prize and a free 2017 Big-Game registration.
Alan Dale McRae of Wadesboro, won the youth doe category with a 91.0-pounder worth $300. The record for the youth largest doe of 115.3 pounds was set by Elizabeth Tarlton of Wadesboro in 2008.
Mason Dennis of Albemarle, placed second with an 75.8-pounder and won $175, followed by Cole Sikes of Polkton, 76.5 pounds, $100; Mallory Sikes of Wadesboro, 75.8- pounds, $75; and Jake Flake of Wadesboro who received $15 daily prize money and a free 2017 registration for his 75-pounder. The 2017 weigh-in breakdown listed 28 bucks and 40 does — a grand total of 68 deer.
The entire bay area of the Ansonville Volunteer Fire Department was available for the tournament and there was still standing room-only at the banquet held on Saturday night. Winners of the drawings include: Cole Sikes, youth gun; youth crossbows donated by Whitley Power and Equipment and Reel Determined Outdoors went to Abbey Hill and Jake Flake.
Raffle ticket winners: Henry Ferguson won the Tikka T3 Lite 30-06 with scope; Chuck Horne won with Bushnell deer cam and Otoniel Miranda won $100. From Stretch Arm Strong, Alvin Bates won Deer Feeder and Tony Ricketts won a deer blind. There was only one pick-board winner this year, John Albertson, who won the Yeti cooler and patio heater. Split the Deck winners were Lane Thomas and Jimmy Williams. Thomas won a Marlin .308 and Williams won a CVA 270.
The kids’ games were a lot of fun again this year and all the little ones received goody bags.
The Anson County Chamber of Commerce, the tournament’s host, thanked all the hunters who participate each year and support this event. The tournament had another year with more than 300 registered hunters.
The Chamber could not host this event without the generous tournament sponsors. They are as follows: Four A Loader Work & Woodsmen Forestry, Title sponsor; Uwharrie Bank, Banquet Sponsor; Gold sponsors; Cobb-Vantress, Duke Energy, Pee Dee Electric and Waste Connections, Silver sponsors; Lynn Thomas Grading, Tyson Foods, Valley Proteins, Inc., and Windstream, Bronze sponsors; Anson Towing & Recovery, Bates Law Firm, First Financial Bank, and Hill’s Taxidermy; Youth sponsors; Dale McRae Farms, Precision Saw Works, Whitley Power Equipment and Reel Determined Outdoors, Youth Daily sponsors; Dennis Concrete Finishing and Kiker Resource Management LLC.
Shelby Emrich the Chamber’s Executive Director stated that, “The Big-Game Hunt tournament is very successful because of all of the great volunteers.” She thanked Jennifer Tarlton, Stephanie Wilson, Jake Ricketts, Brandon Ratliff, Ethan Pafford, Chance Emrich, Bailey Emrich, Madison Emrich, Caroline Goins, Holly Thomas, Ginger Phillips, Kamryn Phillips, Tiffani Campbell, Kurstin Hartsell, Hannah Ross, Danielle Lee and Laura Jo Lee.
Emrich also thanked the “kitchen crew” Susan Thomas, Janice Lee and her Emrich Family; Marcia, Adam, Tommy and Karen.
Emrich gave special thanks to the Chamber’s Board of Directors for all their support, to her husband Tim for all he did for the tournament, Courtney Webb for helping with ad sales for the program book and assisting on Friday. Emrich also thanked Robbie Hill, Carly Little and Heath Ricketts for all their help and support of the tournament. She also thanked those who donated door prize items; D & K Skull Mounts, Hill’s Taxidermy, H.W. Little, Pee Dee Electric, Duke Energy, Plank Road Realty, SPCC and Helms Farms. A thanks also goes to Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Refreshment Services, Wadesboro IGA and the Ansonville Volunteer Fire Department for allowing the event to be held at the fire department each year.
The 20th annual Big-Game Hunt Tournament will be held on Nov. 24-25 of 2017.
