Records of North American Big Game, 12th Edition

Records of North American Big Game, 12th Edition Edited by Eldon L. “Buck” Buckner and Jack Reneau Copyright © 2005 by Boone and Crockett Club All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Boone and Crockett Club.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2005924446 ISBN: 0-940864-51-7 Published August 2005 Published in the United States of America by the Boone and Crockett Club 250 Station Drive Missoula, Montana 59801 Phone (406) 542-1888 Fax (406) 542-0784 Toll-Free (888) 840-4868 — merchandise orders only www.booneandcrockettclub.com Painting by Ken Carlson

A Book of the Boone and Crockett Club Containing Tabulations of Outstanding North American Big-Game Trophies, Compiled from Data in the Club’s Big-Game Records Archives.

Edited by Jack Reneau Eldon L. “Buck” Buckner 2005 Boone and Crockett Club Missoula, Montana

24th BIG GAME AWARDS 1998-2000

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SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI

25th BIG GAME AWARDS 2001-2003

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KANSAS CITY, KANSAS

INTRODUCTION ELDON L. “BUCK” BUCKNER Chair Records of North American Big Game Committee

24th awards judges’ panel. (standing l-r) GLENN E. HISEY, JOHN L. STEIN, PAUL D. WEBSTER, ROBERT H. HANSON, ROGER W. ATWOOD, L. VICTOR CLARK, ROBERT A. BLACK, FREDERICK J. KING, RONALD L. SHERER, AND DALE H. REAM. (SEATED L-R) ALBERT C. ENGLAND, LARRY STREIFF, MARK O. BARA, C. RANDALL BYERS, JACK GRAHAM, AND JACK RENEAU. 25TH awards judges’ panel. (standing l-r) MARK B. STEFFEN, MARK O. BARA, ROBERT H. HANSON, RICHARD T. HALE, ELDON L. “BUCK” BUCKNER, ALBERT C. ENGLAND, PAUL D. WEBSTER, HOMER SAYE, JACK GRAHAM, WILLIAM L. COOPER, L. VICTOR CLARK, TIMOTHY D. WALMSLEY, LARRY R. CAREY. (KNEELING L-R) RICHARD C. BERRETH, JACK RENEAU, DANIEL R. CAUGHEY, FREDERICK J. KING, JOHN T. CAID, AND GLENN E. HISEY

Photographs from B&C Archives

Boone and Crockett Club published its first record book ref lecting the current scoring system in 1952. I first discovered it in the shop of Tucson taxidermist John Doyle about 1956. The late John Doyle was a B&C Official Measurer, veteran Coues’ deer hunter, and Irish philosopher. I was simply a teenager enamored with hunting and guns who devoured everything in print that he encountered on these subjects. It was John who measured my first record-class Coues’ deer, shared the next (1958) edition of the B&C records book with me, and later mentored me to become an Official Measurer in 1968.

Over the years, the size of Records of North American Big Game editions has increased greatly compared to the modest volumes of the Fifties, although the general format has remained similar. In both older and newer books you’ll find chapters about Boone and Crockett Club, big game hunting and an extensive records section. This edition is no exception.

Chapters of historical interest in this book include one on the Club’s greatest bestowed honor, the Sagamore Hill Award, and another on the National Collection of Heads and Horns now displayed at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center at Cody, Wyoming.

The Boone and Crockett Club was originally founded as a big game conservation organization. This primary focus has not changed. A significant portion of this book reports on the Club’s current conservation efforts.

Dr. Jack Ward Thomas, the Club’s Professor of Wildlife Conservation, a wildlife research biologist, and former Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, reports on the Club’s professorships sponsored at key universities and their purpose. Another conservation education project, Conservation Across Boundaries, is explained by B&C Professional Member Lisa Flowers.

Dr. Winifred Kessler, another B&C Professional Member in charge of the research grants program, dexvii

this edition includes a color section featuring custom or otherwise special rifles such as this one owned by theodore r o o s evelt — a h o ll a n d & holland royal grade double barrel rifle in .500/.450 caliber. the rifle was used by tr and son kermit on their historic safari of 1909-1910.

scr ibes cur rent projects the Club is assisting financially. Jim Heffelf inger, a de er e x p er t w it h t he A r izona Game and Fish Depa r tment a nd author of a soon to be published book on deer of the Southwest, has contributed an informative piece on DNA research as it relates to big game records keeping.

In keeping with the Club’s tradition of leadership in the conservation area, Steve Mealey tells of the historic and effective formation of the American Wildlife Conservation Partners while Gary Wolfe relates the formation of the Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance.

Boone and Crockett Club’s initiation of the Hunt Fair Chase campaign and its message of a basic Club tenet is covered by Keith Balfourd.

A fascinating article on antlers and factors affecting their growth and development by Dr. Robert Brown of Texas A&M University will be of interest to any deer hunter.

The current trend to dictate wildlife management via the ballot box with misguided initiatives instead of biological facts and proven techniques is reported in Vern Bleich’s excellent treatise on the effects of anti-hunting efforts.

One of my favorite chapters in the 1958 records book included photos of selected rifles for hunting North American big game. The special color section of this book features custom and otherwise special rifles that have connections to both current and former Club members and other noted hunters, from Theodore Roosevelt to Jack O’Connor.

A special feature of this 12th Edition is a collection of “most memorable hunt” stories from some of today’s well-known outdoor writers. One of my favorites is Gordon Whittington’s tale of going back in time to take a deer at the same location and with the same old rif le as he did the first time decades ago. Others in 2004, the club’s hunt I personally connected with were Diana Rupp’s elk hunting fa i r c h a s e p r o g r a m reached o ve r 5 story, Todd Smith’s sheep hunting account, Bob Robb’s deer m i ll i o n h u n t e r s a n d hunt, and Craig Boddington’s desert sheep story. outdoorsmen. xviii

INTRODUCTION RNABG 12TH EDITION

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BARREN GROUND CARIBOU 477 points n Daniel L. Dobbs

ROCKY M OUNTAIN GOAT 56 -6 /8 po in ts G . Wob er & L. M ic ha lc hu k

TULE ELK 365 points n Bryce Evans

MOUNTAIN CARIBOU 453 points n C. Candler Hunt

ROOSEVELT’S ELK 404-6/8 points Jason S. Ballard

NON-TYPICAL COLUMBIA BLACKTAIL 208-1/8 points Frank S. Foldi

NON-TYPICAL SITKA BLACKTAIL 134 points William B. Steele, Jr.

BIGHORN SHEEP 208-3/8 points Guinn D. Crousen MUSKOX 129 points Craig D. Scott

PRONGHORN 95 points n David Meyer

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NON-TYPICAL COUES’ WHITETAIL 196-2/8 points n Native American

PRONGHORN 95 points n Dylan M. Woods

INTRODUCTION RNABG 12TH EDITION

The primary reason for a big game records book is for the records themselves.

This latest edition stands as a tribute to the success of modern wildlife management and continued conservation of habitat, despite increasing and continuous adverse factors. It includes over 5,000 new entries. The category with the most entries is the whitetail deer, as would be expected. It is somewhat startling to compare whitetail entries in this edition with those in the 1952 book. Back then, 84 typical whitetails were listed that met the then minimum score of 140. This book includes 4,060 that make the current minimum of 170!

This book includes records for the first time of three new categories: non-typical Columbia blacktail deer, non-typical Sitka blacktail deer, and tule elk.

In addition to the three new World’s Records in the new categories mentioned, new World’s Records have been replaced in eight other categories since publication of the 1999 book. Led by Guinn Crousen’s year 2000 bighorn ram that edged out the Weiler ram taken in 1911, other categories with new leaders, or a tie are: non-typical Coues’ deer, barren ground caribou, mountain caribou, Roosevelt’s elk, Rocky Mountain goat, muskox, and pronghorn. In the pronghorn category two trophies tied for World’s Record status.

It will be interesting to see if North America’s wildlands and evolving management will produce similar records in the next six years!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Eldon “Buck” Buckner of Baker City, Oregon, is a Regular Member and Vice President of the Boone and Crockett Club. An Official Measurer since 1968, Buck has served as a Judge, Consultant, or Judges Panel Chairman since 1989 and has chaired the Records of North American Big Game Committee since 2002.

Buck was formerly a U.S. Forest Service Range Conservationist in the Southwest, now ranches in Oregon and has hunted extensively in North America, Africa, and Europe.

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