PROIS Award Contest

Do you have what it takes to be the next Prois Award Recipient? Do you? Is hunting your passion rather than your sport? Is it in your blood? Do you have what it takes to become the 2012 Prois Award winner?

In our continued efforts to recognize the most dedicated female hunters around, Prois Hunting & Field Apparel proudly announces the 2012 Prois Award Contest. Prois leads the pack when it comes to athletic, performance driven hunting apparel, so it is only fitting that we honor the women who stop at nothing to experience the hunt of a lifetime.

What does it take to win the Prois Award? Guts, determination and a passion for the hunt. Involvement in conservation, management and community. If hunting is your lifestyle, you could be the next Prois Award winner. If you live to hunt and hunt to live, you could be the next Prois Award winner. Whether you have hunted your entire life, or just recently picked up the sport, you could be the next Prois Award winner. This IS the award for the hardcore female hunter!

The recipient of the 2012 Prois Award winner will enjoy the Hunt of a lifetime for SOMETHING AMAZING TO BE DETERMINED. The winner will be accompanied on the hunt by Susan Ebert from Sporting Classics Magazine. In addition to this once in a lifetime hunt, the winner will receive an unrivaled gear package from Prois Hunting Apparel, Swarovski Optiks, Bowtech, Weatherby, Rip Cord, Badlands Packs, Bog Gear, Zamberlan Boots, Buck Knives, Hunter Hills Journals, Acli-Mate, Shoot Like a Girl and Her Camo Shop. The Prois Award winner will also be flown to the 2013 SHOT Show in Las Vegas for a once in a lifetime press conference staged before premier outdoor writers, editors and corporate representatives.

Could you be the 2012 Prois Award Winner? Could you? Submit your entry today!

Submit your entry today! Tell us your story. Tell us about your passion for the hunt. Tell us about your involvement in community, management and conservation efforts. Tell us why you are the hardcore female hunter who should be the recipient of the 2011 Prois Award. Here’s how...

Send us your story in 750 words or less. In addition, send one photo of you from your favorite hunt.

Submissions should be sent to the following email address: proisaward@proishunting.com

You will receive email confirmation upon submission.

So…what happens next?

Our panel of celebrity judges will narrow down the field of contestants to the top 12 finalists. Stories and photos of each of the finalists will be loaded onto the Prois Award site and online voting will begin.

Entries will be accepted until midnight 9/31/2011.

Top 12 finalists will be posted on the website for voting on 11/01/2011.

The contestant that receives the most votes by midnight 12/15/2011 will be named the winner of the 2011 Prois Award.

Due to the prestigious nature of the Prois Award and the amassed expertise of our celebrity panel of judges, there has been a rule change instituted for the Prois Award. The winner of the award will be selected on an overall combination of scores (1) total online votes received plus (2) combined judging scores. All finalists will receive a score from each judge which will be based on (a) conservation and community efforts (b) passion for the sport (c) hunting experience and (d) overall story. The finalist with the highest score of the combined online votes and combined judging scores will be named the winner of the contest.

Prois Award winner will be invited on a combination hunt for Elk, Mule Deer, Whitetail and Wolf in the eastern foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Located 200 km North West of Calgary, Alberta – Savage Encounters finds its home nestled at the base of the eastern foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Hilly and swampy terrain with good cover of large pines and aspen guaranty that potential game reach maturity. This area is known worldwide for excellent trophy game. The hunt will take place from a lodge with an option of a spike camp as well.

Chad “SAVAGE” Lenz – has lived in, and hunted this area for more than 30 years, giving him the advantage of experience when it comes to guiding hunters to the best possible locations. Chad’s personal specialty lies in bow hunts. Having over 20 years bow hunting experience, his instincts and “know how” will be your best asset in assuring a trophy class encounter of the SAVAGE kind. With 4×4 crew cabs, horses, amphibious ATV’s & Quads, you’ll not only find yourself safely arriving at your hunting area or stand ON TIME, but you’ll also have no trouble getting back to their modern, clean & comfortable facilities at the end of each day. The full time cooking staff will also be at the ready to whip you up an amazing home cooked meal.

Elk are awesome, the most majestic of the deer species, and in his opinion the most exciting and challenging hunt you can go on. If you have ever heard an elk bugle you know what he is talking about and if you haven’t your missing out. In their area they have elk in the 260”-350” class and are restricted 6 points or larger in this zone to increase the age structure of our ever expanding herds. Elk hunts are conducted using tree stands, stalking and calling during rut.

Alberta is renowned for its large whitetail and mule deer, tipping the scales at well over 300 lbs and this area is no exception. They have whitetail and mule deer bucks in the 130”-200” class and clients usually see a couple of these giants within range each week along with smaller bucks and does. All of the whitetail hunts are conducted from tree stands or ground blinds, hunting timber country. Mule deer are also hunted using stands but spot and stalk also works well.

Wolves are also abundant in this unit and also on the menu, so if we chance on one, start shooting as these crafty critters don’t hang out for long. Big bears and moose are also in the area and will be an exciting encounter if we happen to see one or two. This hunt is a Canadian Safari in one of the prettiest places on the planet with top guides who will put you in the heart of it!

Hunt Offer: One trophy elk rut rifle hunt combo with whitetail, mule deer and wolf. 9 Day – 2x1

Value at $25,000

Note: Taxes per person of $625, licenses of $1,350 and flight to the hunt are not included and are the responsibility of the award winner

This Unrivaled Gear Package is from the following Sponsors:

• Prois Hunting Apparel
• Savage Encounters Inc.
• Outdoor Connection Inc.
• Bowtech Archery
• BOG-POD Gear
• Acli-Mate Sport Drink

• Blacks Creed Gear
• Hunter hills Journals
• Ripcord Arrow Rest
• Swarovski Optik
• Zamberlan Hiking Boots

In our best efforts to provide the ultimate judges for the 2011 Prois Award, we have proudly amassed some of the leading industry personalities to represent this award. Read about each of our judges below.

Kirstie Pike - CEO Prois Hunting & Field Apparel for Women

Kirstie is the founder and CEO of Prois Hunting & Field Apparel for Women. A lover of the outdoors, Kirstie developed the unique Prois line in efforts to provide the ultimate, high-performance huntwear for women . In addition to operating Prois, Kirstie is a registered nurse and continues to pick up occasional shifts at Gunnison Valley hospital, where she served as the Director of Emergency Department and Trauma Services for 13 years.

Craig Boddington - Outdoor Writer

Craig Boddington was born and raised in Kansas, where his early big-game experience, in the mid-1960's, included pronghorn and mule deer in Wyoming, whitetail and mule deer in Kansas, and mule deer in Colorado. When not involved with hunting and shooting, much of his early years were spent in Boy Scout activities. At 14 he became an Eagle Scout, at 16 received a Silver Palm on his Eagle, and at 17 was the youngest person to become Activities Director at his regional Boy Scout camp. A member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, he attended the University of Kansas on an NROTC scholarship, graduating with an English degree and a regular commission in the United States Marine Corps. His outdoor writing career began in college and continued while on active duty. In 1979 he joined Petersen Publishing Company, where he served as Associate Editor, GUNS & AMMO magazine; Editor, GUNS & AMMO Specialty Publications; Executive Editor, Petersen's HUNTING Magazine; and from 1983 to 1994 Editor of Petersen's HUNTING Magazine. His current position with InterMedia (former Petersen's and Primedia) is Executive Field Editor InterMedia Outdoors, including GUNS & AMMO, Petersen's HUNTING, and RIFLESHOOTER.

Guy Eastman - Publisher Eastman’s Hunting Journals

Guy Eastman is an avid outdoorsman, trophy hunter, hunting and wildlife film maker, that is a producer of hunting videos, films and television shows, publisher of the Eastman’s Bow Hunting Journal and Eastman's Hunting Journal, the hunting magazine that has a 10,000 strong reader base. The Eastman’s Hunting Journal was started in 1987 by his father Mike and mother Bertie Eastman.

Guy is an accomplished lecturer and authority on hunting. Eastmans.com, his company, is an invaluable resource for practically everything related to hunting for the hard core hunting enthusiast. Big game hunting is in Guy's blood and he has been hunting with his father and grandfather from a very early age, to build up a wealth of experience, knowledge and hunting wisdom. He can now be seen bow hunting elk, black bear and grizzly bear on the Outdoor Channel. He can also be seen rifle hunting back country mule deer.

Diana Rupp - Editor in Chief Sports Afield

Diana Rupp, Editor-in-chief, Sports Afield magazine Diana Rupp was born and raised in northern Pennsylvania, where the opening day of deer season is the most important day of the year. Her parents introduced her to hunting at an early age, sparking a lifelong passion. Diana has worked for outdoor magazines for twenty years, and her travels in pursuit of big game have taken her throughout the United States and Canada as well as numerous trips to Africa and Europe. She has been editor-in-chief of Sports Afield since 2002, when she was hired to spearhead its re-launch as an upscale big-game hunting magazine.

Previously she served as editor of Wing & Shot and Wildfowl, editorial director of The Northwoods Group, and contributing editor of Sports Afield. Diana holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania; she is also a book author and has written dozens of hunting articles for a wide variety of U.S. outdoor publications. She lives in California with her husband and favorite hunting partner, Scott.

Ron Schmeits - President NRA

Ron Schmeits is a NRA Life Member and a Benefactor Member since 2005. In addition, he serves as chairman of the Board of Trustees for the NRA Whittington Center, a 33,300-acre premiere shooting and hunting facility in Raton, New Mexico.

Ron is a long time member of the Single Action Shooting Society and is known by SASS members as “Judge Banks”, SASS #40000. He also is a member of the NRA Heritage Society, a committed supporter and sponsor of Friends of NRA, and an active member of a variety of civic groups and community service organizations including Elks and Rotary.

Ron Spomer - Writer, wildlife photographer and TV host

Writer, wildlife photographer and TV host (Winchester World of Whitetail) Ron Spomer has been hunting for more than 45 years and writing about his adventures for 35 years, winning awards and even the odd paycheck now and then. A recognized authority on rifles, ballistics and optics, Spomer is also a student of wildlife, natural history and wild places. He has hunted on six continents and identified more than 500 species of North American birds. He has authored seven books on hunting and natural history and isn't done yet. He presents educational seminars at various venues.

Brenda Valentine - NWTF Spokesperson & TV Host

Brenda is the National Spokesperson for the NWTF. She is the host of the NWTF's award winning TV program, "Turkey Call", on the Pursuit channel. SHe is a 15 year veteral of the Bass Pro Shops National Redhead Hunting Team. She co-hosts Bass Pro's "Real Hunting TV" on Vs and is a regular on the Bass Pro "King of Bucks" program.

Brenda was the first woman inducted into the National Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame, she is a member of the West Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and is a present nominee for the National Archery Hall of Fame.

Only one entry per person shall be accepted.
Entries must be received by midnight, September 31 2011.
Submissions MUST be sent in accordance to guidelines. Summary must be 750 or less. Only one photo will be accepted. Please add that summary should be submitted in WORD format
Top 12 finalists will be determined and announced on November 01 2011.
Top 12 finalists will be listed on the Prois Hunting Apparel website and online voting will commence. Votes will be accepted until December 15th, 2011 at midnight.
The winner will be announced following cessation of voting. The winner will be invited to press conferences at the Archery Trade Association trade show in Columbus, OH and the SHOT Show in Las Vegas, NV.

Due to the prestigious nature of the Prois Award and the amassed expertise of our celebrity panel of judges, there has been a rule change instituted for the Prois Award. The winner of the award will be selected on an overall combination of scores (1) total online votes received plus (2) combined judging scores. All finalists will receive a score from each judge which will be based on (a) conservation and community efforts (b) passion for the sport (c) hunting experience and (d) overall story. The finalist with the highest score of the combined online votes and combined judging scores will be named the winner of the contest.
Any violations in voting rules may result in the contestant’s disqualification from the contest.
Open and offered only to persons who reside in all States and Canadian Provinces except where prohibited by law, 18 years of age and older when Contest begins. Staff from participating sponsors are not eligible.
Entries are null and void and will be rejected if not obtained in accordance with these rules and through authorized, legitimate channels, or if they are from other games or contests, if they are copied, computer generated, or mechanically reproduced, or if any part of an entry is counterfeited, illegible, mutilated or tampered with in any way, or if they contain or reflect printing, typographical, mechanical, or other errors.
No purchase necessary to win.
Winners may not substitute, assign or transfer the Grand Prize, or redeem the Grand Prize for cash, but Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prize should the advertised prize become unavailable in whole or in part for any reason.
Participants agree (a) to abide by these rules and all decisions of Sponsor and the Promotional Participant which shall be final in all respects relating to this Contest; (b) that Released Parties will have no liability whatsoever for, and shall be held harmless by participant against any liability for any injuries, losses or damages of any kind to persons, including death, or property resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from acceptance, possession, misuse or use of any prize or participation in this Contest or any Contest related activity; or for any typographical or other error in the printing, offering or announcement of any prize via entry forms, posters or any other media; (c) except where legally prohibited, to grant (and agree to confirm that grant in writing) permission for the Released Parties and those acting under their authority to use his/her name, photograph, voice and/or likeness, for advertising, trade and/or publicity purposes without additional compensation in all media now known or hereafter discovered, worldwide and on the Internet, without notice, review or approval; (d) that the Released Parties may collect the personal information submitted by participants, and use the information for sales and marketing purposes; (e) that winner (and winner's travel companion, and parent/legal guardians of either, where applicable) will be required to complete, sign, and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, a Liability Release and, where lawful, a Publicity Release within 14 days of receipt and that if documents are not returned by winner and winner's travel companions on a timely basis, or if any prize notification or prize is returned as non-deliverable on account of inaccurate or incomplete entry information or otherwise, or if winner is found to be ineligible or not in compliance with these Official Rules, such prize will be forfeited and awarded to an alternate winner; (f) if no alternate winner can be selected for a given prize, for any reason in the Sponsor's sole discretion, the prize will be forfeited in its entirety and will not be awarded to any Contest participant; and (g) Sponsor may disqualify anyone from participating in the Contest or winning a prize if, in their sole discretion, they determine that such person is attempting to undermine, tamper with, or abuse any aspect of the Contest, by cheating, deception or other unfair playing practices, or intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other entrant or Sponsor's representatives and Sponsor reserves the right to terminate such participant's eligibility. ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES AND OTHER REMEDIES (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS' FEES) FROM ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.
Submission of entry implies acceptance and understanding of rules governing this contest.