West Texas Big Cat Competition Pays Out Big Bucks

Although the big bobcat contest has been popular among local hunting enthusiasts and outdoorsmen, some people are not in favor of supporting the competition.  Some claim that varmint hunting contests promote violence toward animals by encouraging contestants to kill larger animals and higher quantities of animals for bigger rewards. As a result, the WTBBC has sparked controversy periodically throughout the years among anti-hunters and animal rights activists.  Ranchers and farmers in rural communities have pointed out these animals are dangerous and destructive predators that cause great loss.

Predators including coyotes, wolves, foxes, mountain lions, grizzlies, and eagles play vital roles in our ecosystems, and their presence among people creates opportunities and challenges. Although predators may provide recreational benefits via observation and photography, they also often pose challenges for farmers and ranching operations. When predators like these destroy the crops of farmers and hunt and kill a rancher's livestock, it creates significant financial loss for them. Their bottom line is greatly affected and they must allocate additional time and resources to protecting their property and mitigating further damage and destruction. Therefore, one solution for mitigating predator depredation has been through organized predator management.

The most common form of predator management is through regulated and controlled varmint hunting. Varmint hunting is typically done at nighttime with a small group using a high-rack hunting vehicle with specialized gear and equipment such as spotlights, varmint calls, insulated camo clothing, ammo, guns, and more. Varmint hunting has significantly decreased predator depredation of crops and livestock by effectively reducing the number of predators in the West Texas area and throughout Texas as a whole. 

Others claim that hunting competitions like these are cruel and unfair and label them as pointless killing or unfair sporting. Harrison recalled an interaction he had with an animal rights activist from whom he was presented with the question,  "What do you say to people who claim that It's not a fair fight?"

His response was, "Come get your money!" He expands on his answer,

"...yeah I usually say it again. I tell them to come get their money if they think it's so easy. Come pay your entry fee and join the competition because you're about to be forty-five thousand dollars richer since it's so easy for you." Harrison continued "If you've ever been varmint hunting you are well aware of how challenging it is to call in a nighttime predator like a coyote or fox much less a bobcat or mountain lion. The odds of calling in any kind of big cat during a varmint hunt are very low. "

The West Texas Big Bobcat Competition has successfully impacted Concho Valley communities over the past sixteen years in more ways than one. Examples of positive outcomes resulting directly from the annual Big Bobcat Competition include:

• Reduced predator depredation throughout the Concho Valley
• Advances in predator management
• Increased youth involvement
• Gun safety education
• Animal/predator research opportunities for Texas-based Universities which ultimately fights against diseases like rabies.

Potential contestants can register for the upcoming competitions scheduled for 2024, which include the following dates:

• Saturday, February 10, 2024, 12:00 PM
• Saturday, March 9, 2024, 12:00 PM

Also, the WTBBC website provides an overview of contest rules listed on their Contest Rules page along with a list of facts about the competition on their Rules FAQ page and much more.

Visit their website at website at https://www.wtbbc.org/.   

Contest results from this past Saturday have been included in this article but can also be found on the site. Winners were announced and congratulated this past Sunday afternoon directly after the contest.

Supporters can subscribe to the WTBBC email list in the sidebar of the website to receive upcoming information. Supporters are also encouraged to “Like” their Facebook page for up-to-the-minute information.

Harrison emphasized that the more people that enter the contest, the bigger the payout, so spreading the word is crucial to increasing the size of the prize pool and the continued growth of the contest. In turn, the contest can expand its reach throughout Texas and positively impact more rural communities.