Correspondent photo / Tim Gleason Payton Palette of Badger Middle School answers questions from Trumbull County Sheriff Mike Wilson after winning the Biggest Buck Award at Sunday’s fifth annual Big Buck Contest at Badger High School. The contest had 75 students from the Joseph Badger, Mathews, Bloomfield-Mespo and Southington school districts participate.

KINSMAN — The best young hunters in Trumbull County gathered at Badger High School Sunday to honor the winners of the fifth annual Northeast Ohio Big Buck Contest.

The contest, with 75 kids participating, was sponsored by approximately100 companies and individuals who also were on hand at the banquet. An estimated 250 people attended the afternoon affair, which included a luncheon buffet to highlight the celebration.

The participating students came from four school districts — Joseph Badger, Bloomfield-Mespo, Mathews and Southington. There was no entry fee and event organizers hope to add more school districts in the future.

“Our goal is to add one Trumbull County school district each year,” said Mike Currington, Fowler police chief and co-founder of the contest. “This year, we added Southington and next year we have already received a commitment from Lordstown.”

Another goal of the annual contest is to teach valuable life lessons to young people.

“If you think about it, the experience teaches students about patience, work ethic and responsibility,” Currington said. “They need to work hard to get an end result. They also need to plan and organize their strategy.”

Trumbull County Sheriff Mike Wilson was in attendance and believes the contest has several benefits.

“Law enforcement on many levels is involved with this effort,” Wilson said. “It humanizes police to children. We make sure it is conducted properly and I love the fact that it provides a sense of confidence to the kids who participate. It also brings the families together for a common cause.”

Students participating in the contest were mandated to take a gun safety course to learn all of Ohio’s hunting laws and regulations. The time frame for legally harvesting the deer, buck or doe, either in Ohio or Pennsylvania, began on Sept. 28, 2024 and ended Feb. 2. Only one deer per student was accepted.

“The exercise is wonderful for family bonding,” Currington said. “Families go along with the participating students and they use their harvest for food. What is not eaten by the families is donated to needy people in our area who are food insecure. We’re really proud that the contest actually feeds a lot of people, especially those in need.”

The first contest was held during the fall-winter of 2000 and 2021 when the country was enduring the coronavirus pandemic. Currington teamed up with the Trumbull County’s Sheriff’s Office to figure out a way to get kids outdoors and stay active during COVID-19.

Eleven students competed that year and participation has been on the rise ever since. Boys and girls ages 8 through 19 are becoming more involved.

“Last year, we had 50 kids attend the banquet,” said Stephen Smith, who also co-founded the annual event and is a school resource officer at Badger schools. “This year, there were 75 kids who came. We’re also seeing more girls sign up and that’s a great thing.”

Every student participating received a prize from the event sponsors. Prizes included a shotgun, black powder gun, modern Swiss army knife, trail camera, shooting bench, tree stands and processing knives.

The event sponsors, according to Smith, are critical to the success of the contest.

“We’re so grateful for all the support we receive,” Smith said. “Trumbull County Ducks Unlimited has been a great friend, as have so many others.”

Other major contributors include Foxconn, Top Gun Firearm and Outdoors, Ohio State Arms, Mesopotamia Fire Association, Whitetails Unlimited, Cajun Two Step and the Joseph Badger schools administration and staff.

The contest was structured into three age brackets: ages 8-11, 12-15 and 16-19. Awards were given for the largest three deer harvested. In addition, the Biggest Buck Award was presented to Payton Palette, a student from Badger, who took the biggest deer based upon size. Palette received a special plaque for his efforts.

First-place winners in each age group received high-tech binoculars and a $50 gift card for the Eastwood Mall. Second-place winners received a hand-held range finder and third-place winners received a deer corn feeder.

Winners

8-11 age bracket:

1. Alexa Ague (Mathews)

2. K.J. Koperdak (Mathews)

3. Dwight Merlino (Bloomfield)

12-15 age bracket:

1. Hunter Miller (Badger)

2. Payton Palette (Badger)

3. Wesley Murphy (Mathews)

16-19 age bracket:

1. Lukas Kalister (Bloomfield)

2. Savannah Steh (Badger)

3. Savannah Haught (Bloomfield)