BY LARRY WALES
The Virginia Peninsula Sportsmen’s Association (VPSA) in conjunction with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and the Virginia Outdoor Sportsman Show held the 85thannual Virginia Big Game ContestAugust 2-4 at the Meadow Event Park in Doswell, Virginia.
The contest featured all the large deer, bear, and turkey harvested throughout the state during the last hunting season. Overall, the event featured a record 400 deer, turkey, and bear with all displayed for the public to view.
Last year in 2022 saw 335 entries and in 2021 VPSA reached it’s previous record number of entries with 392.
DWR Executive Director Ryan Brown reacted to the amount of entries by saying, “The VPSA put on a tremendous show and I’m proud of the strides the DWR has made in Virginia to make this possible”.
Mike Jones, VSPA’s President, told me this was the smoothest running show he has led since he has taken over the show. He said that over 10,000 members of the
public came through the Virginia Outdoor Sportsman Show to view the entries. Mike noted that he is so blessed to be heading an organization that cares so much to volunteer their time to highlight the accomplishments of the hunters of Virginia.
Jones made it clear that the VPSA could not have pulled off a show of this magnitude without the 45 VPSA volunteers who spent a year planning and executing this contest. Their work was tremendous and did not go unnoticed. The VPSA team themselves travelled great distances to be onsite each day and worked 12 hour days to ensure this contest was a success for all.
The VPSA made it known that they were very thankful for the support provided by theVDWR, Wilcox Bait & Tackle of
Newport News, Green Top Sporting Goods of Ashland and Bass Pro Shops of Ashland.
In addition, the VPSA was able to help Hunters for the Hungry raise $700 in donations at the awards ceremony! The money raised will allow them to process and distribute essential protein going to men, women, and children struggling with hunger.
To date from just passing that bucket to the crowd at the VPSA award ceremony VPSA has helped to raise over $12K. This tradition was started 25 years ago in 1997 and has provided hunters for the hungry the opportunity to process and distribute a total of 7,240 pounds, 28,960 quarter pound servings to the citizens of our great Commonwealth who deal with hunger every day just from the generosity of those who
attend the VPSA State Show Annually.
The VPSA, headquartered in Williamsburg, is a group of sportsmen who serve sportsmen. They founded the Virginia Big Game Contest in 1940 and developed the Virginia Scoring
System for deer and bear. The group is the caretaker of the 85-year-old Virginia Record Book documenting the largest deer, bear, and turkey ever to roam within the Commonwealth.
In the early years of the VPSA, they assisted the game department with the Whitetail Deer recovery effort in the Commonwealth. Their members had a deer-holding pen in Newport News, known today as Deer Park.
The contest held last weekend is the oldest consecutively held deer contest in the country. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources supports the group but VPSA manages the contest entirely with its cadre of well-trained volunteers.
At the awards ceremony the group crowned many new Virginia State Champions in 14 divisions and Youth and Ladies-Only divisions as well.
The new Overall Virginia State Champion is Michael Arrington. His buck was harvested with a blackpowder rifle in Spotsylvania County Virginia and sported a 13-point rack and scored 225-8/16.
The VPSA also strives to support youth and female hunting. In 2016, they began awarding a trophy named in honor of their long serving President of 22 years, Mr. Kenneth R. Pickin, to the largest deer harvested by a youth in the commonwealth.
This year’s recipient of the Ken Pickin Youth Virginia State Championship was Wyatt Thomas Bain with his 10-point buck he harvested in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. Wyatt’s buck scored 201 6/16 points.
In 2023 the VPSA began a new tradition by starting a Female only and Female Youth Only Division. Rachaell Aldridge won both the Female only Virginia State Championship with her amazing 12-point buck from Sussex County, Virginia. Her buck scored 206 15/16. Miss Gracie Moody took the Youth Female Virginia State Championship with her 11 pointer from Isle of Wight County that scored 166 0/16.
The other state champions for the deer categories were as follows:
CLASS 1 – GUN – 12 POINTS & ABOVE – Randy Compton – 12 Pt – Buchanan – 210 12/16
CLASS 2 – GUN – 9,10,11 POINTS – Mickey Bracey – 10 Pt – Southampton – 203 0/16
CLASS 3 – GUN – 7 & 8 POINTS – Jake Lipscomb – 8 Pt – Charlotte – 184 8/16
CLASS 4 – GUN – 6 POINTS & UNDER – George Lynch – 6 Pt – Greensville – 138 9/16
CLASS 5 – ARCHERY – 12 PTS/Over – Christian Howes – 12 Pt – Roanoke – 182 4/16
CLASS 6 – ARCHERY – 9,10,11 POINTS – Vlad Wojcik – 11 Pt – Albemarle – 194 3/16
CLASS 7 – ARCHERY – 7 & 8 POINTS – Steven Travis Jones – 8 Pt – Charlotte – 174 1/16
CLASS 8 – ARCHERY – 6 POINTS – Scott Hammond – 6 Pt – King William – 118 2/16
CLASS 9 – BP – 12 PTS/Over – Michael Arrington – 13 Pt – Spotsylvania – 225 8/16
CLASS 10 – BLACK POWDER – 9,10,11 PTS – Jake Mills – 10 Pt – Albemarle – 216 8/16
CLASS 11 – BLACK POWDER – 7/8 PTS – Emily M. Beasley – 8 Pt – Albemarle – 182 7/16
CLASS 12 – BLACK POWDER – 6 POINTS – Elijah Smith – 6 Pt – Louisa – 155 14/16
CLASS 13 – BLACK BEAR – Michael Harker – Nelson County – 30 6/16
CLASS 14 – WILD TURKEY – Curtis Foley – Franklin County – 80 2/16 (4th ALL TIME)
Thomas Atkins won the overall Virginia State Youth Championship for his giant Prince Edward turkey that scored 72 9/16. Thomas also earned a Virginia Grand Slam Award for harvesting a buck, bear, and turkey all in the same hunting season.
Levi Butler won the overall Virginia State Youth Championship for his Mechlenburg County bear that scored 28 3/16.
Addie Savage won the overall Virginia State Female Youth Championship for turkey with her Isle of Wight bird that scored 64 4/16.
Alexis “Hope” Lewis won the Viriginia State Female Championship for turkey with her Pulaski bird that scored 67 9/16.
The awards ceremony held on Sunday at the Virginia Outdoor Sportsman Show is an electric
event. There were over 600 people in attendance and the stage area was packed. Ryan Brown of the Virginia DWR delivered the opening remarks before the presentation of awards were delivered. VPSA was also honored by remarks given by Gary Arrington of the Hunters for the Hungry organization and several board members of the Virginia Chapter of the American Bear Foundation.
VPSA began the awards ceremony by recognizing the 2024 Virginia Deer Hunter’s Association
(VHDA) scholarship winners.
Denny Quaiff, President of the VHDA, Lee Walker (retired DWR), and Bob Duncan the previous and now retired Executive Director of the Virginia Game Department all noted that these scholarship winners are going on to study natural resource management and forestry in college.
VPSA President, Mike Jones, then proceeded to award the scholarship winner for the VPSA. Graham Rountree and Kathryn Jones took home scholarships.
Graham will be attending North Carolina State University and Kathryn will be attending Regent
University in the Fall of 2024.
The VPSA scholarship is actively taking scholarship donations. Please invest in our youth by
making donations today! Scholarship donations can be made by contacting VPSA President Mr.
Jones at 757-371-3335.
VPSA membership is open to anyone residing in Virginia. This is how you can help keep this contest alive and well. Membership is available at
For more information about the VPSA please visit www.vpsa.org or follow them on their Facebook page at www.facebook/virginiapeninsulasportsmenassociation.
