Page 5 - 2019 MAR/APR Outdoor Oklahoma

Off the Beaten Path

GRAB YOUR ANTLERS, IT’S MADNESS TIME!

ODWC’S FREE SCORING EVENT SET FOR MARCH 5

Ever wonder how that deer, elk, pronghorn or black
bear you bagged might stack up against the best of the
state’s Cy Curtis Award winners? You’ll have a chance DON P. BROWN/ODWC
to find out if you have your antlers, horns or skulls
professionally scored during March Rack Madness!
For the third year, this free public scoring event is
returning bigger and better than ever at the Oklahoma
Department of Wildlife Conservation’s headquarters,
1801 N. Lincoln Blvd. in Oklahoma City.
For the first time, prize drawings will be held for
those who bring items for scoring. The grand prize
will be an Oklahoma Lifetime Combination Hunting
and Fishing License valued at $775, provided by the
Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Foundation.
March Rack Madness will run from 1 to 8 p.m.
March 5. Attendees will also find free informative
seminars, food concessions, Operation Game Thief
trailer, a free fish fry and great camaraderie among
fellow sportsmen and sportswomen! One of last year’s March Rack Madness attendees discusses his monster buck with
Scoring will be handled on a first-come, first-served a Wildlife Department scorer.
basis. There is a two-item limit per person. Each person who have a customer ID through the Go Outdoors Oklahoma
brings items for scoring will be registered for the event, and license system at https://license.gooutdoorsoklahoma.com.
will receive a free subscription to Outdoor Oklahoma, the Attendees are urged to pre-register through their online
official magazine of the Wildlife Department. Anyone bring- account, which could quicken the pace for scoring. To pre-reg-
ing items will also receive one entry into the prize-drawing ister, log into your account and click “Events.”
hopper. Prize drawings will be held each hour, with the Free seminars will be offered:1 p.m. – DIY Deer Rack
grand prize drawing at 6 p.m. Winners must be present to Scoring; 3 p.m. – Deer Aging; 5 p.m. – Field Trophy Care.
claim prizes. Grand prize winner must be eligible to hold a Food trucks will set up beginning at noon. Those that have
lifetime license and will have an option to transfer the license confirmed are Oh My Gogi, Coits and Phil Me Up Cheesesteaks.
to someone else who is eligible. Don’t miss the “Wall of Shame” exhibit in the Opera-
Walk-ins are welcome, but anyone with items to score must tion Game Thief trailer. You’ll see various wildlife stolen by
poachers from the law-abiding sportsmen and sportswomen of
the state. Game wardens will be on hand to chat with visitors.
The Wildlife Department will prepare a fish fry starting at
5 p.m., free for all attendees. The grand prize drawing will be
at 6 p.m. And there will be other activities as well.
Of course, the centerpiece of the Madness is the scoring.
A team of certified scorers will be working nonstop until 8
p.m. Those who arrive too late to have items scored will have
an option to leave their items to be scored later.
To qualify, antlers must both be attached to the skull plate
whether mounted or unmounted. In addition to white-tailed
and mule deer antlers, scoring will also be available for elk
antlers, antelope horns and bear skulls.
Hunters whose items meet the minimum required scores
will be eligible to enter the Department’s Cy Curtis Awards
Program, which recognizes trophy Oklahoma mule deer, elk,
antelope and black bear as well as the hunters who harvest
them. The program began in 1972 and is named for a former
Department wildlife biologist who is recognized as the per-
son most responsible for the restoration of white-tailed deer
populations in Oklahoma.

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