Some poeple have all the luck.
Fifteen lucky sportsmen are making special plans for hunting season as winners of this year’s Big Time Texas Hunts.
The hunters were selected by random computer drawing from applicants in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department program.
All told, hunters bought 57,653 Big Time Texas Hunt entries during this year’s sales period through the Oct. 15 deadline. This generated $545,758 in gross revenue to support wildlife research, habitat management and public hunting.
The winner of this year’s Big Time Texas Hunts crown jewel, the Texas Grand Slam hunt package, which includes four separate guided hunts for Texas’ most prized big game animals; desert bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer, pronghorn antelope and mule deer is Kelly Lee Hill of Spring, Texas.
Hill admits he only recently learned about the Big Time Texas Hunts while taking a hunter education course in order to meet requirements for bowhunting in other states. “I had no idea these hunts were being offered,” he recalls. “I went to work and told all my friends and we all entered; I won. I know there are people who’ve been entering for years so I feel fortunate to win. I’m excited.”
Following are the winners of this year’s Big Time Texas Hunts:
Texas Grand Slam — Kelly Lee Hill, Spring
Premium Buck Hunt — Michael Brown, Magnolia
Exotic Safari — Kepha Hawkins, Clyde; Julius Zapalac, Ledbetter
Whitetail Bonanza — James Marsh, Bluemont, VA; Cody Stewart, San Antonio; Lloyd Dunn, San Antonio; James Watkins, Bullard; Pat Green, New Home; Danny Clark, Navasota; Timothy Motes, Humble
Big Time Bird Hunt — Jeffrey Hilsberg, Austin
Gator Hunt — Robert Pulley, Lucas
Texas Waterfowl Hunt — Robert Holmes, Cypress
Wild Hog Adventure — Mike Davis, San Angelo