Published: November 30, 2009 12:52 am      

Deer hunters can earn prizes for photos

The Tribune-Democrat and local outdoors retailers are teaming up to showcase the region’s deer hunters. When you bag that buck – whether it’s a trophy 10-point or something smaller – take a quality photograph and send it to the newspaper.

We’ll publish all the deer photos you send in.

And lucky, random hunters will receive prize packs from area retailers.

Hunters can send pictures by e-mail to sports@tribdem.com, or mail or deliver the pictures to our offices at: 425 Locust St., Johnstown PA 15907.

The deadline for submitting pictures is Dec. 16.

You can start sending them today with the opening of antlered deer season.

Here are some guidelines for taking those deer pictures:

n Think about background: Drag your deer off the pickup truck and into the grass or nearby woods where there’s a suitable backdrop. You should squat or kneel down to be on the same level as the deer. Include your gun in the photo, if you like.

n Keep it sharp: Do your best to make sure both you and the deer are in focus, and all important elements are inside the picture frame. Try to fill the frame with yourself and the deer.

n Go solo: Please keep family members, hunting buddies and your dog out of the photo. Limit it to the hunter only.

n Lose the blood: Clean up your deer before taking the picture, and try to clean blood off your clothes. And please push the deer’s tongue back inside its mouth. (Even dead animals can be displayed tastefully.)

n Include information: Along with the photograph, send us your name and age, where you shot the deer, what gun you used, and any important statistics about your deer (points, weight, etc.). If you want the photograph returned, please include a stamped and addressed return envelope.

Happy hunting!