Elkhart Man Wins Coveted Texas Grand Slam Hunting Prize

By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

ELKHART –   When Cole Bridges’ phone rang with an unfamiliar Austin number, he nearly ignored it.

“I told my wife, ‘I don’t know anybody in Austin — what did we do?’” Bridges said with a laugh. “Then I heard the voicemail say something about Texas Parks and Wildlife, and I thought, ‘Oh boy, what’s this about?’”

It turned out to be a phone call most hunters can only dream of receiving. The 30-year-old Elkhart man had just been chosen as the winner of the Texas Grand Slam, the most coveted drawing in the Big Time Texas Hunts program.

The Grand Slam is the top prize offered each year by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, granting one hunter the opportunity to pursue all four of the state’s premier big game species: desert bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer, pronghorn, and desert mule deer.

Only two or three bighorn sheep permits are issued in Texas each year, making the opportunity as rare as it is valuable. The prize includes fully guided hunts, lodging and meals, taxidermy for each animal, and the chance to bring along a guest — all at no cost to the winner.

Bridges said his entry started with a whim and a $9 impulse.

“Every year, I buy my hunting license online, and I get the emails about the Big Time Texas Hunts,” he said. “My wife and I were sitting in the car one day, and I told her, ‘I think I’m going to enter this just to see what happens.’”

He bought two entries. And, as he joked later, “I’ve lost more than nine dollars doing a lot less fun stuff than that.”

A few weeks later, he got the call.

“When the man told me I’d won the Grand Slam, I was just in shock,” he said. “I know people who’ve entered every year for decades and haven’t been drawn. It’s hard to believe. Even when he was explaining it, I was waiting for him to ask for my credit card number because it sounded too good to be true.”

Bridges works in Palestine and owns a small business on the side, but his real passion has always been the outdoors.

He and his wife, Amanda, spend nearly every weekend with their three children — ages seven, four and one — fishing, hunting or working around the family property.

“We’re pretty avid outdoors people,” he said. “The boys already know about gun safety and how to respect the outdoors. It’s something we do together as a family.”

That love of the outdoors is something he hopes to pass along to his kids.

“You can’t really describe what it’s like to be out there early in the morning, before sunrise, listening to the woods wake up,” he said. “I just want them to grow up appreciating that.”

When Bridges found out the Grand Slam included a guest, there wasn’t much debate over who would fill that spot.

“My wife claimed it right off the bat,” he said. “She’s been my hunting buddy from the start.” 

The couple will travel across Texas for the hunts over the next year and a half. The mule deer and whitetail hunts will take place later this fall and winter. The pronghorn hunt is scheduled for October 2026, and the rare desert bighorn sheep hunt — the pinnacle of the Grand Slam — is set for early 2026.

Taking time off for four statewide hunts might sound tricky, but Bridges said his employer couldn’t be happier.

“My boss and the folks I work with are big outdoorsmen too,” he said. “When I told them, they couldn’t believe it. They said, ‘Man, you better go enjoy it.’ So they’re totally on board.”

The desert bighorn sheep, native to Texas’s most rugged landscapes, was nearly wiped out by the 1960s. Conservation efforts funded by programs like Big Time Texas Hunts have helped restore the species to sustainable populations in West Texas mountain ranges.

Winning a permit to hunt one isn’t just a prize — it’s a piece of Texas history.

“A Texas bighorn sheep — you just don’t see those mounts on many walls,” Bridges said. “That’s what really makes this so incredible.”

The Big Time Texas Hunts program, created in 1996, uses entry proceeds to fund wildlife habitat restoration, public hunting programs, and research projects statewide. Since its inception, it has raised millions for conservation.

As the reality of his win begins to set in, Bridges said he’s still in disbelief.

“I’ve hunted my whole life and loved every second of it, but something like this — it’s just unreal,” he said. “It’s humbling, really. I’m honored and blessed to get this chance.”

For now, he’s focused on preparing his gear, spending time outdoors with his family, and waiting for the first of many adventures to begin.

“It’s something I’ll remember forever,” he said. “And I can’t wait to represent East Texas the right way.”

About the Big Time Texas Hunts Program

• The Texas Grand Slam includes hunts for bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer, pronghorn, and mule deer.
• Winners receive guides, lodging, transportation, and taxidermy for each hunt.
• Entries cost $9 each, and proceeds fund wildlife conservation projects and public hunting opportunities.
• Other Big Time Texas Hunts include “Ultimate Mule Deer,” “Premium Buck,” “Whitetail Bonanza,” and “Gator Hunt.”

For more information, visit tpwd.texas.gov/bigtimehunts.

Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]