The lucky number in the first NWPA Outdoors Deer of the Year contest is 17.

That’s how many points each of the winners’ bucks had: Rob Potter’s Clarion County trophy and Bill Wiltse’s Crawford County non-typical.

Potter, of Erie, received the most votes in online balloting from Dec. 12-31 and earned inaugural Deer of the Year honors in the Erie Times-News/GoErie.com-sponsored contest. He wins a prize pack including a 145-pound Camo Poly Rope by SecureLine; “Steelheader’s Journal,” signed by author John Nagy; four GoErie.com camp mugs; a GoErie.com bottle opener; and a game tag protector donated by James Wolfgang, owner of Wolfgang Products in Saegertown and a contest entrant.

Wiltse, also of Erie, was named the Editor’s Choice winner after a review of the entries. He wins a prize pack including a 110-pound Camo Poly Rope by SecureLine; “Beyond Catch & Release: Exploring the Future of Fly Fishing,” by Paul Guernsey; four GoErie.com camp mugs; a GoErie.com bottle opener; and a Wolfgang game tag protector.

There were 28 photos uploaded, and 98 people registered to vote. The photos were viewed more than 80,000 times during the duration of the contest, and are still available at GoErie.com/deeroftheyear.

For even more images of successful hunters, visit the NWPA Outdoors Hunting and Fishing gallery.

Bob Lewis, of West Springfield, shot a 10-point near his home. The deer was the largest in his 48 years of hunting; it had a 17 1/2-inch and 20-inch outside spread, and the rack was more than 15 inches high.

Jared Dikeman, of North East, shot a gorgeous 9-point while hunting in Wattsburg.

Dikeman’s deer was one of the finalists for the NWPA Outdoors Deer of the Year. Voting ended Dec. 31; watch for the public vote winner and an editor’s choice winner Jan. 6 in the Erie Times-News sports section and at NWPAOutdoors.com.

Bruce Long, of Erie, checks in with the final Deer of the Day for 2012. Long shot his 10-point buck locally during archery season while in the field with his crossbow for the first time. The buck’s green score was 135 inches, and it had a 23-inch neck and weighed more than 200 pounds field dressed.

Bruce’s Big Buck Down

George King, of Girard, used his crossbow to shoot an 11-point trophy buck in East Springfield during archery season. The deer weighed 198 pounds field dressed and had a 21 1/4-inch outside spread.

Vote for the NWPA Outdoors Deer of the Year at goerie.com/deeroftheyear. Voting ends Monday, and the Deer of the Year will be announced Jan. 6 in the Erie Times-News and on www.GoErie.com, along with an Editor’s Choice pick.

You can still submit your deer photo to the GoErie Hunting and Fishing gallery.

Marcus Yudt, 14, of Millcreek Township, shot this 8-point buck Dec. 1 in Forest County while hunting with his father and two brothers. His brother Steven spotted the deer.

Vote for the NWPA Outdoors Deer of the Year at goerie.com/deeroftheyear. Voting ends Dec. 31, and the Deer of the Year will be announced Jan. 6 in the Erie Times-News and on www.GoErie.com, along with an Editor’s Choice pick.

You can still submit your deer photo to the GoErie Hunting and Fishing gallery.

Brian Kightlinger, of Venango, shot a buck Nov. 28 near his home. It was his first-ever 10-point.

2012 PA Rifle Buck

Vote for the NWPA Outdoors Deer of the Year at goerie.com/deeroftheyear. Voting ends Dec. 31, and the Deer of the Year will be announced Jan. 6 in the Erie Times-News and on www.GoErie.com, along with an Editor’s Choice pick.

You can still submit your deer photo to the GoErie Hunting and Fishing gallery.

Erie resident Joe Campanella, a junior at McDowell Senior High School, shot a 10-point mule deer Oct. 28 while hunting in Wyoming. The deer weighed almost 300 pounds.

Wyoming Mule Deer

Kirk P. Hulick, left, and his son, Kirk C. Hulick, each shot a deer on family property in Rockdale Township, Crawford County, during the Pennsylvania general hunting season.

Kirk P. Hulick, of Erie, got his 9-point on opening day at 11:30 a.m. He used a .243.

Kirk C. Hulick, also of Erie, got his 185-pound 8-point Dec. 1 at 11 a.m. with his .308.

Vote for the NWPA Outdoors Deer of the Year at goerie.com/deeroftheyear. Voting ends Dec. 31, and the Deer of the Year will be announced Jan. 6 in the Erie Times-News and on www.GoErie.com, along with an Editor’s Choice pick.

You can still submit your deer photo to the GoErie Hunting and Fishing gallery.

Frank Pluta shot an 8-point buck at 7:30 a.m. Nov. 26, the opening day of deer season in Pennsylvania.

Vote for the NWPA Outdoors Deer of the Year at goerie.com/deeroftheyear. Voting ends Dec. 31, and the Deer of the Year will be announced Jan. 6 in the Erie Times-News and on www.GoErie.com, along with an Editor’s Choice pick.

You can still submit your deer photo to the GoErie Hunting and Fishing gallery.