Voting begins in big bass, turkey contests

Voting in the Big Bass and Turkey contests have begun, with winners of each contest earning free Official Sportsman Gear.

Winners will receive $25 gift coupons good for any of the great Official Sportsman Gear in the MS-Sportsman.com Outdoor Store. The also will receive a complimentary one-year subscription to Mississippi Sportsman magazine.

Voting in each contest will contest through Sunday (May 8), with winners announced Monday.

In the Big Bass Contest, two users are in the running for the top prize.

Mark McPhail (known as “M.Mc.” on the site) entered a photo titled “Let’s see how big it is next year ‘Maybe’” showing a big fish taken in Covington County.

“This bass was caught, by a friend, in a private farm pond,” McPhail wrote in his entry. “There were not any scales available to weigh the fish. Measurements were taken, and it was released back in the pond.”

Jared Hester (aka “jhester”) also is vying for the win with his photo titled “11 pounder.” Hester’s fish was caught in Lamar County.

“I went to a local farm pond … and found the big bass still on their beds,” Hester wrote. “I caught 12 bass, all over 3 pounds. This one weighed in at 11 pounds.

“What an amazing afternoon!!! I think it had a lot to do with my lucky Mississippi Sportsman Shirt. LOL!!!”

Click here to view each Big Bass Contest photo and vote for your favorite.

The Turkey Photo Contest voting session includes three photos. The contestants in the voting session are:

Austin Newell (aka “Austin P.”) entered “Typical Two Year Old Bird,” showing a dandy Kemper County bird he killed. The gobbler sported a 9-inch beard and ¾-inch spurs.

Michael Pullen (known as “Darren2” on the site) entered a photo of a Hancock County turkey. The photo, titled “Arianna’s first turkey, featured a 9-inch beard and 1-inch spurs.

User “glock21” (known to his family and friends as Mike Dantone) entered “Vaiden Turkey,” which shows a big Carroll County bird that carried a 10-inch beard and 1-inch spurs.

Click here to view the three photos and vote for your favorite.

There also are five vids in the Turkey Video Contest. Be sure and check out the vids and share your favorite with friends, as the winner of this contest division will be determined by the total number of views received.