Last season was the inaugural year for the Ultimate Upland Longest Rooster Tournament. Ultimate Uplanders across the country took to the field with their Rooster Rulers® in search of the longest pheasant in the country. It was a great battle that lasted until the closing day of pheasant season. A number of 38″+ birds were harvested but in the end the winning bird was taken by Luke Wendorff (aka Sparks on UUL).
Luke is fairly new to bird hunting, but this lucky teen put down a monster 41.25″ bird on December 3, 2011 in Pine County Minnesota to take the lead and hold it until the tournament wrapped up on February 20th. This was Luke’s only bird last season and the third bird he’s ever harvested in just his second season of hunting.
The tournament was such a fun time last year and great source for friendly competition, camaraderie and sportsmanship — which is why we’ve brought it back again with just a couple tweaks.
This is a nationwide tournament that encompasses 38 states’ with pheasant seasons. To enter, all you have to do is purchase the official 2012-2013 Rooster Ruler® decal and apply it to your vehicle window, bumper, tailgate or wherever is most convenient. You could even apply it to scrap wood but it won’t look nearly as cool as your car would. When you harvest a longtailed pheasant take a photo measuring the bird tip-to-tip using the Rooster Ruler® and post it to Ultimate Upland Lodge’s online Longest Pheasant Tournament Forum or to the Ultimate Upland Facebook album. The hunter who harvests the longest bird of the season will win a prize package including an Ultimate Upland shirt, Ultimate Upland hat, 100 rounds of our favorite pheasant shells*, a custom trophy from our friends at Heritage Game Mounts and will have their name and rooster’s stats posted on the pheasant page of ultimateupland.com for all eternity.
New this season, the hunter who scores the most birds over 35″ will also win an Ultimate Upland shirt, Ultimate Upland hat and 50 rounds of our favorite pheasant shells*. So even if someone posts a 44″ monster early in the year you still have a chance to win by posting more big birds than anyone else.Also new this season, the bad beat: the Rooster Ruler® can spark competition between the hunters in your own group. We encourage friendly wagers between hunting buddies (ie, person with the shortest bird of the day buys dinner). So we’ll select the best story and photo of the worst beat — losing by a beak — and whoever submits this will receive an Ultimate Upland shirt and hat.
You may be wondering “why can’t I just use any old measuring stick and post that picture, instead of buying the Rooster Ruler®?” Or “why can’t I just use my Rooster Ruler® from last year.” Well, the simple answer is everyone has to have skin in the game. And with our ruler we’ll have a static and consistent known scale that will help us better compare photographs. Also, our ruler is dated, so these measurements will only be good for this hunting season. Next season the tournament starts over.
We’ve kept the prize package modest because this competition is primarily about bragging rights. And there is only so much verification we can do since we can’t be in 38 states at once. There is a level of Sportsmen’s/ Sportswomen’s honor involved. And the price of entry, although low, should still help keep the neerdowells away.
In the event of a tie: If per chance two hunters harvest birds that are indistinguishable in their overall length we’ll refer to the next longest entry by each to determine the winner (so it behooves hunters to post multiple entries). If a clear winner can still not be determined, extra points will be awarded to hunters with Ultimate Upland decals or tshirts included in their photos. The easiest way to win is shoot a rooster so large that it cannot be contested.
So purchase your Rooster Ruler® at the gear store today and get entered into the 2012-2013 Ultimate Upland Longest Rooster Tournament. The tournament will end on the final day of pheasant season February 18, 2013.*Our favorite shell will be determined by the end of the season, so if any manufacturers would like us to test their rounds in the field for a chance at this favorite shell title, feel free to let us know.
Tournament Disclosure (the fun legal stuff)
• ELIGIBILITY: Sweepstakes is open only to U.S. residents 18 years or older and minors accompanied by a legal guardian or responsible adult. Void where prohibited by law. Ultimate Upland, LLC (UU) and their respective affiliates, as well as all others involved in this promotion and their immediate families (defined for the purposes of this Tournament as parents, spouses, children, siblings and household members) are not eligible. Only the Ringed-neck pheasant will be considered as valid species.
• PRIZE: Prize will be awarded at the conclusion of the Tournament to one (1) winner, selected by UU from among all eligible entries received throughout the Promotional Period. The odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received throughout the entire Tournament
• WINNERS: Prize will be awarded by Ultimate Upland, LLC, whose decisions on all matters relating to the Tournament will be binding and final. Winners will be notified on or about two (2) days following winner selection. The winning name can be obtained by writing to info@ultimateupland.com.
• ADDITIONAL TERMS: Tournament is valid in the United States only. If you do not live in the United States, do not enter the Tournament. If for any reason the Tournament including, but not limited to, the online portion, does not function as planned, its integrity or feasibility is undermined, or anything compromises the administration, security, fairness, proper conduct or intended play of the Tournament, Ultimate Upland, LLC reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual the Sponsor deems responsible, and/or to abbreviate, cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Tournament. UU assumes no responsibility for any defect or delay in operation or transmission, communications failure, theft, destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries, including any erroneous appearance of qualification for a prize. If the Sponsor, in its discretion, elects to abbreviate the Tournament, the Sponsor reserves the right, but shall have no obligation, to award the prize(s) from among all valid and eligible entries received up to that time. All entries are the property of the Sponsor and are not returnable.
• WARNING: ANY ATTEMPT BY ANY PERSON TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS SWEEPSTAKES IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH ATTEMPT BE MADE, ULTIMATE UPLAND, LLC RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. Tournament entries generated by a script, macro or other automated means are ineligible and will be disqualified.
• RELEASE OF LIABILITY: By entering, entrant agrees to accept and abide by the rules of this Tournament and agrees that any dispute with regard to the conduct of this Tournament, rule interpretation, or award of prize, shall be resolved by UU in its sole discretion, whose decision shall be binding and final. By participating, entrant agrees to release and hold harmless the Sponsor and any respective parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, and the officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives of each from any injury, loss or damage to person or property due in-whole or in-part, directly or indirectly to the acceptance, use, or misuse of a prize, participation in any Tournaement-related activity, or participation in the Tournament. Sponsor is not responsible for any typographical or other error in the printing of this offer, administration of the Tournament or in the announcement of prizes, including such error as may give an erroneous indication that a prize has been won.
