Be a part of Minnesota white-tailed deer hunting history and include your trophy in the biggest display of state bucks in one place. If you took a mount-worthy buck during one of the 2024 Minnesota hunting seasons, bring it to the 2025 Minnesota Deer & Turkey Classic . The goal of the event is to showcase your trophy for the entire weekend, plus, you have a chance to win ribbon and a great prize.
Yes, it’s an awesome opportunity to show off the fruits of your deer hunting labors. But, even more importantly, getting a rack scored at the Classic could mean big prizes, too, including a Prize To Be Announced in 2025.
Bring your antlers in for all three days of the show – scheduled Friday, March 14 through Sunday, March 16 at Canterbury Park in Shakopee – and you’ll be eligible for a host of other prizes like Prize To Be Announced in 2025.
For those leaving their antlers for all three days, to be eligible for the drawing, whitetail antlers need a minimum gross score of 140. Shed antlers, bear skulls, moose and elk antlers are eligible. One entry is allowed per person from hunters who harvested their animals in Minnesota. The drawing and award ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. at Seminar Area B.
Prize To Be Announced in 2025 will be awarded for first place in each of the 40 categories, but winners must be on hand Sunday, March 16 (at 1 p.m.) to receive their prize (winners also receive a blue ribbon). The top three finishers receive ribbons. Must be present to receive ribbons. View the scoring categories here: 40 CATEGORIES.
Staffers from the Minnesota Official Measurers will be on hand scoring antlers all three days of the Classic. The scoring office will open early each day of the show – Friday at 10 a.m., Saturday at 8 a.m., and Sunday at 8 a.m. Trophies that the MOM staff scores also can be entered into the organization’s state recordbook, “Big Game Records of Minnesota.”
Those planning to show their trophy antlers this year may bring them to the event on Friday and leave them for the entire weekend. If the owner of a the antlers intends to display them for the duration of the three-day show, the registration form for the antlers will be stamped, and by paying for a one-day admission, that person will receive three-day admission to the show. Simply pay for a one-day admission ticket on Friday or Saturday, then if you leave your antlers, you’ll receive a three-day admission wrist band. Pick up antlers after 1 p.m. on Sunday. Must be present to receive prize and ribbon.
Attendees interested in bringing their big-game trophy antlers or bear skulls to the Minnesota Deer & Turkey Classic should rest easy knowing that those prized possessions will be in good hands. Canterbury Park will provide 24-hour security during our show. There will be two security guards on duty at all times and one security guard will be positioned at the trophy wall 24 hours a day. Security cameras are also positioned to monitor the
entire facility.
For additional details on the 2025 Minnesota Deer & Turkey Classic, visit the rest of the website. We look forward to seeing you and your antlers at the 2025 Minnesota Deer & Turkey Classic.
FAQ
• Who does the scoring? Scoring is conducted by the Minnesota Official Measurers, who are certified to score antlers for Pope & Young and Boone & Crockett.
• Can I get into the record book? “Big Game Records of Minnesota” For typical scores, the minimum threshold is 125 for an archery kill, 135 for a muzzleloader kill, and 140 for a gun kill. For nontypicals, the minimum requirements are 155 for archery, 160 for muzzleloader entries, and 165 for gun kills. A fee, which is handled exclusively through the Minnesota Official Measurers, applies.
•What are the categories? There are 40 different categories, ranging from deer and moose sheds to bear kills.
• How long does it take? The process for dropping off antlers to be scored and then picking them up has been streamlined over the years, though depending on the number of people waiting, it can take up to 2–3 hours. For this reason, scoring starts at 10 a.m. Friday and an hour before the main gates open on Saturday and Sunday of the Deer & Turkey Classic.
• Where do I bring my antlers? To the SW entrance at Canterbury Park by valet parking. Look for designated signage noting TROPHY/ ANTLER ENTRANCE. Do NOT bring your antlers to the main ticket gates! Antlers are not allowed to be carried through the exhibit area by guests.
• What does the process involve? The first thing hunters will do is fill out paperwork (three copies of the paperwork will be produced – one of which you will keep, that you will be required to turn in at the end of the show to receive your trophy), at which point they will wait their turn to have their antlers scored.
The measurers will be measuring as fast as possible, while taking extreme care to ensure accuracy. If there is a question about how something is scored, several scorers will collectively make the judgment call.
After each trophy is scored, they’ll pencil in a score on the back of the trophy mount, and then the scoresheet is entered into a database. The trophy then goes to the floor of the show, where it is displayed.
• Why should I leave my antlers on display all three days of the event? If you bring your antlers in for scoring on Friday or Saturday, and leave them on display until 1:00 pm on Sunday, you’ll be entered into a special drawing!
• How do I pick my antlers up? The designated trophy pickup spot at the event will be the Show Office Headquarters. Participants will need their original sign-in paperwork to retrieve their antlers. That’s a security measure to ensure the right folks receive their antlers. With the crowd of people, somebody could get hurt or the chances of a trophy being dropped and broken increase — for this reason once antlers have been picked up, they must leave the show immediately.
• If I leave my antlers on display, what assurances do I have that they’ll be safe? There will be a security guard on duty 24 hours guarding the trophy walls. According to the Minnesota Official Measurers, in all of the years since MOM began scoring antlers at the Deer Classic, no set of antlers has ever gone missing.
• Can I win something? On Sunday, March 16 at 1 p.m., the Minnesota Deer and Turkey Classic will award 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place ribbons in every category. Final results will appear in Outdoor News. 1st place winners will also receive a The Traveler Hang On by Rivers Edge Treestand if they are present at the show Sunday, March 16.
Ticket options for attendees with trophies/ cost for scoring: If the owner of a trophy rack intends to bring a rack or bear skull in for scoring and display during the 2025 Minnesota Deer & Turkey Classic, the following admission prices apply:
3‑Day Admission Pass for $20, which includes one free antler scoring and one entry into a special drawing.
2‑Day Admission Pass – $20 ‑Includes admission to the show and one trophy measured by the Minnesota Official Measurers. Antlers brought in on Saturday through Sunday at 1 p.m. will eligible for the special drawing.
1‑Day Admission Pass – $15 – Includes entry and one trophy measured.
(Additional trophies can be measured for $5 each.) No discount coupons apply to these special scoring-related admission offers.