Fair Chase Winter 2015 by Boone and Crockett Club

WINTER 2015 | $9.95

The journey begins with a few giant steps. Dallas Safari Club Annual Convention January 7-10, 2016 Dallas Convention Center

TABLE OF CONTENTS 6

FROM THE EDITOR

FROM THE PRESIDENT | Value of Science

CAPITOL COMMENTS | The Need and Plan for Sustainable

THE WHITETAIL RUT IN PENNSYLVANIA

CARTRIDGE REVIEW | .300 H&H Magnum

BEST RIFLESCOPES EVER

SUCCESSFUL RETURN TO THE CANE BRAKES | 1907

IN MEMORIAM | DR. RED DUKE

TRAILBLAZER SPOTLIGHT

MILESTONES IN CONSERVATION

POACH AND PAY

NEW GUNS AND GEAR

B&C ULTIMATE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

THE NATIONAL COLLECTION OF HEADS AND HORNS RECORD KEEPING OF NORTH AMERICAN BIG GAME | Part Three

THE OFFICI A L PUBLICATION OF THE BOONE A ND CROCK ETT CLUB

Volume 31 n Number 4 n Winter 2015

Doug Painter

Morrison Stevens, Sr. Gregory T.M. Schildwachter and Terry Bowyer

Steven Williams

47.

Conservation Funding

Duane R. Diefenbach, Bret D. Wallingford, and Christopher S. Rosenberry

Craig Boddington

Wayne van Zwoll

Excerpt from The Legendary Hunts of Theodore Roosevelt John Seerey-Lester

Past President of the Boone and Crockett Club

Zeiss

24. Best Riflescopes Ever

66. Educating the Next Generation of Conservation Leaders

B&C Staff

Boone and Crockett Club Press Release

Lowell E. Baier

64 SCIENCE BLASTS | Iowa’s Wildlife Science Legacy John F. Organ 66

EDUCATING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CONSERVATION LEADERS

B&C University Programs

70 WILD GOURMET | My Favorite Recipe For Success, Part Two Daniel Nelson 72

TANDEM HAUL

TROPHY TALK | Boone and Crockett Club’s 29th Awards Program

BEYOND THE SCORE | Montana Shiras’ Moose

GENERATION NEXT | 29th Awards Youth Trophy List

RECENTLY ACCEPTED TROPHIES AND TROPHY PHOTO GALLERY 29th Awards Program Entries | Sponsored by Realtree Xtra Green

72. Tandem Haul COVER . Barren ground caribou

in an early snow fall north of the Alaskan Range of central Alaska.

@BooneAndCrockettClub #BooneAndCrockettClub

Casey L. Dinkel

Jack Reneau

Justin Spring

102 THE ETHICS OF FAIR CHASE | Wild, Free Ranging Big Game Daniel A. Pedrotti, Jr. FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5

ABOUT THE BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB The Boone and Crockett Club was founded in 1887 by Theodore Roosevelt. Key members of the Club have included Theodore Roosevelt, George Bird Grinnell, Madison Grant, Charles Sheldon, Gifford Pinchot, Frederick Burnham, Charles Deering, John Lacey, J. N. “Ding” Darling, and Aldo Leopold. The Club, through Roosevelt and these early leaders of the American conservation movement, saw a crisis in humanity’s impact on wildlife and their habitat and called people to action to change America’s direction. They initially focused on protecting wild places and impeding the killing of game and fish for markets. The result of the Club’s efforts to establish a foundation and framework for conservation in America includes what has lately become known as the North American Model for Wildlife Conservation. The Club’s efforts were aimed at the development and passage of the Timberland Reserve Act, which reserved approximately 36 million acres for national forests. The Club worked to develop the

Yellowstone Park Protection Act, which expanded the size of the Park, established laws for its protection, and became the model piece of legislation for all future national parks. The Club played a major role in establishing many other areas for use by the public, including the Glacier National Park, Mount McKinley National Park, Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, National Key Deer Refuge, Holt Collier National Wildlife Refuge, and Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge, to name a few. The Club played a major role in impeding the massive killing of wild animals for meat, hide, and plume markets, which resulted in the Club developing and working for passage of the Lacey Act and other modern day game laws. Other significant pieces of legislation the Club was involved in included the Reclamation Act, National Wildlife Refuge System Act, Migratory Bird Conservation Act, Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, Healthy Forests Restoration Act, and what is commonly called the “Farm Bill.” The Club and its members were also active in establishing other conservation organizations such as the New York Zoological

FAIR CHASE PRODUCTION STAFF

Society, Camp Fire Club of America, National Audubon Society, American Wildlife Institute, Save the Redwoods League, Ducks Unlimited, North American Wildlife Foundation, National Wildlife Federation, and more recently, the highlyeffective American Wildlife Conservation Partners. In 1906, the Club established the National Collection of Heads and Horns as a repository for examples of the vanishing big game of the world and to enlist public support for their protection. In 1932, the Club published the first Records of North American Big Game. It has consistently published records books and has held Big Game Awards Programs since the 1940s. Boone and Crockett Club’s highly-popular scoring system was adopted in 1950 and is still the most popular scoring system in the world and one of the few based on science and fair-chase principles. The Club has long advocated for the need for science to be the backbone of professional wildlife research and management, including the establishment of Cooperative Wildlife Research Units at the nation’s land grant universities.

BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOUNDED IN 1887 BY THEODORE ROOSEVELT CLUB

Club President – Morrison Stevens, Sr. Secretary – Tom L. Lewis Treasurer – C. Martin Wood III Executive Vice President – Administration Timothy C. Brady Executive Vice President – Conservation James F. Arnold Vice President of Administration Marshall J. Collins, Jr. Vice President of Big Game Records Eldon L. “Buck” Buckner Vice President of Conservation Stephen P. Mealey Vice President of Communications Marc C. Mondavi Foundation President – B.B. Hollingsworth, Jr. Class of 2015 CJ Buck Class of 2016 Ned S. Holmes Class of 2017 Anthony J. Caligiuri

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FOUNDATION

Foundation President – B.B. Hollingsworth, Jr. Secretary – Tom L. Lewis Treasurer – C. Martin Wood III Vice President – R. Terrell McCombs Vice President – Paul M. Zelisko Class of 2015 Gary W. Dietrich B.B. Hollingsworth, Jr. Ned S. Holmes Tom L. Lewis Paul M. Zelisko Class of 2016 John P. Evans Steve J. Hageman R. Terrell McCombs John P. Schreiner C. Martin Wood III Class of 2017 Remo R. Pizzagalli Edward B. Rasmuson James J. Shinners John A. Tomke Leonard J. Vallender

Editor-in-Chief – Doug Painter Managing Editor – Karlie Slayer Conservation and History Editor Steven Williams Research and Education Editor John F. Organ Hunting and Ethics Editor Mark Streissguth Assistant Editors Keith Balfourd Jim Bequette CJ Buck Kendall Hoxsey Marc Mondavi Jack Reneau Tony A. Schoonen Julie L. Tripp Editorial Contributors Lowell E. Baier Craig Boddington Terry Bowyer Duane R. Diefenbach Casey L. Dinkel John Seerey-Lester John F. Organ Daniel A. Pedrotti, Jr. Jack Reneau Christopher S. Rosenberry Gregory Schildwachter Morrison Stevens, Sr. Bret D. Wallingford Steven Williams Wayne van Zwoll Photographic Contributors Tony Bynum Peter Eades Donald M. Jones

Fair Chase is published quarterly by the Boone and Crockett Club and distributed to its Members and Associates. Material in this magazine may be freely quoted and/or reprinted in other publications and media, so long as proper credit is given to Fair Chase. The only exception applies to articles that are reprinted in Fair Chase from other magazines, in which case, the Club does not hold the reprint rights. The opinions expressed by the contributors of articles are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Boone and Crockett Club. Fair Chase (ISSN 1077-3274) is published for $35 per year by the Boone and Crockett Club, 250 Station Drive, Missoula, MT 59801. Periodical postage is paid in Missoula, Montana, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Fair Chase, Boone and Crockett Club, 250 Station Drive, Missoula, MT 59801 Phone: (406) 542-1888 Fax: (406) 542-0784

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B&C STAFF

Chief of Staff – Tony A. Schoonen Director of Big Game Records – Jack Reneau Director of Publications – Julie L. Tripp Director of Marketing – Keith Balfourd Office Manager – Sandy Poston Controller – Jan Krueger TRM Ranch Manager – Mike Briggs Assistant Director of Big Game Records – Justin Spring Development Program Manager – Jodi Bishop Assistant Controller – Abra Loran Digital Strategies Manager – Mark Mesenko Creative Services Manager – Karlie Slayer Conservation Education Programs Manager – Luke Coccoli Customer Service – Amy Hutchison Records Dept. Assistant – Wendy Nickelson Records Dept. Data Specialist – Kyle M. Lehr

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www.Facebook.com/BuckKnives

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FROM THE EDITOR This summer I was showing some friends who had come to visit us on Nantucket the old Sankaty Head lighthouse that sits high on a bluff near Siasconsett, on the far eastern tip of the island. The Sankaty light, as well as scores of lighthouses up and down America’s coastlines were once critical aids to navigation, helping mariners to determine their location and warning them of impending hazards. Today even if their beacons still shine, lighthouses are mostly quaint tourist attractions. It’s not that they no longer work; it’s just that with electronic nav igation systems, they are simply no longer needed.

If you’ve hunted a few more seasons than you care to remember, I’m sure you can think of a few things you no longer need to take afield. As a kid I remember a can of waterproofing paste that I had to apply to the canvas exterior of our kapok filled decoys. Smelly stuff and thankfully, long a thing of the past. Some things in our sport however, even despite being more than a century old, have yet to go out of style. Indeed, they may be more important and more vital than ever before. At the top of that list, in my opinion, are good manners—the code of polite behavior that in many ways defines good sportsmanship. During a time when

more and more people are heading outdoors, those of us who do so with firearm in hand must always act thoughtfully and responsibly. It was dismaying to read in the New York Times this August about the problems being caused by recreational shooters on federal lands. In one area, the Times reported that, “Cleanup crews have hauled away 20 tons of trash a year – refrigerators and car parts, clay pigeons and sofas, even bowling pins.” Yes, you can blame it on the irresponsible few, but it still is a black eye for all of us. And we are all aware of a recent hunting incident that didn’t just make the national news but went viral, worldwide, in a heartbeat. The spotlight on

During a time when more and more people are heading outdoors, those of us who do so with firearm in hand must always act thoughtfully and responsibly.

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Doug Painter EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

us now beams brighter and, whether always justified or not, with a harsher light. How landowners perceive hunters is also of increasing importance. According to a recent poll conducted by Southwick Associates, 18 percent of hunters hunt on land they own, while only 11 percent belong to a hunt club or hunt on land they lease. Thirtyeight percent of hunters surveyed said that they hunted on land owned by a friend or family member. That underscores the significant percentage of hunters who depend on public land or who gain access through the good graces of farmers and other rural landowners who allow hunting on their property. To be sure, most all hunters are respectful guests when hunting on someone else’s land. Again, however, it takes only a few bad leaders to potentially close the farm gate to all. If you’re reading this you are, of course, not part of the problem. What I am suggesting is that more of us can be part of the solution by speaking out, by telling our story to our friends, neighbors, and co-workers, as well as to local groups and organizations. We have a great story to tell both in terms of conservation and fair chase. Let our beacon continue to shine brightly, casting a positive light on who we are and the values we hold dearly. Hope to see you down the trail. n

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VALUE OF SCIENCE This issue’s president’s column highlights the value of science and the importance of communicating sound science in wildlife management and conservation. Though I am not a trained scientist, I am an accountant and thus understand the importance of communication in my own profession. For example, as an accountant, I rely a lot on facts and data rather than feelings or emotion when I communicate about the decisions I make in the workplace. I think, for the most part, many scientists have the same preference. The challenge therefore, for me and for scientists, is communicating relevant wildlife, forestry, and conservation science to our nonhunting human population, the 70 percent that do not hunt, but directly control our right to hunt. When we go back in time to the early 1800s, most of rural America was made up of subsistence hunters. These people were pro-hunting because they required hunting for their meals. As this country grew, market hunting developed alongside rail construction, which opened up more markets for wild game and continued subsistence hunting. Over time, hunting evolved into more of a recreational pastime. However in the late 1800s, it was clear even without scientific evidence that buffalo and passenger pigeon populations were declining dramatically, in addition to elk and deer populations.

FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Thus in 1887, the Boone and Crockett Club was formed by hunting and conservation advocates to address the obvious decline in big game species. Around this time in 1892, the Sierra Club was formed by John Muir, which focused on conservation of our natural resources. This organization is considered one of our country’s earliest leaders in conservation efforts. The Boone and Crockett Club introduced legislation that changed hunting in the United States forever with the advent of seasons, bag limits, and the elimination of market hunting. The practice of hunting was refined and managed by various states based on the populations of the species that were relevant to their geography. This was further refined during the era of Gifford Pinchot, who is considered the father of forestry management in the United States. Then Aldo Leopold, who is considered the father of wildlife management, took scientific management to new levels, demonstrating the value and art of scientific communication. Until the development of computers, extensive databases, and the Google search engine, the Boone and Crockett Club relied on the publication of papers and books to get important scientific news and research out to resource users in government, other universities, and NGOs. In the current era that we live in, there is an insurmountable amount of data available to us. A lot of this data is generated as a result of

huge scientific efforts and billions of dollars spent each year by governments and universities. One of B&C’s big challenges is communicating this valid and relevant scientific knowledge in a way that educates our membership and galvanizes policy makers to utilize this information to promote the management and conservation of wildlife and our forests. The scientific community must improve their methods of communication science to the non-technical and often emotional audiences that knowingly or unknowingly have an interest in the health of our shared natural resources. Scientists should listen to and understand the arguments of the general public if they hope to relate to them. Scientists should also recall that their audience is not an empty vessel and that any audience requires a communication model or method that is able to interest and engage them. It is important to note that the natural resource and wildlife conservation community, including the Boone and

Morrison Stevens, Sr. PRESIDENT

Crockett Club and the Sierra Club, has consistently worked towards the development of science-based methodologies to preserve our resources for future generations. Until the advent of the anti-hunting community represented by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), which was organized in 1954, and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which was organized in 1980, science was geared for use by universities, governments, and NGOs, and not necessarily the general public. While the anti-hunters are a significant minority of the overall human population, so is the hunting community. It is important that our dedicated science professionals become better communicators in order to inform and change policy based on our scientific effort. Effective

One of our Club’s big challenges is communicating this valid and relevant scientific knowledge in a way that educates our membership and galvanizes policy makers to utilize this information to promote the management and conservation of wildlife and our forests.

Roosevelt traveled to Yosemite with several conservationists and naturalists in 1903, including John Muir.

communication does become more challenging when the issues are complex. However, it is critical that we learn how to share and communicate our scientific messages in credible, policy-neutral ways. Proper communication of the results of major, groundbreaking scientific work can impact policy and government decisions, which can then drive sound management of our resources with the consensus of the public. The Boone and Crockett Club encourages all university science and conservation departments to design programs to educate undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows in effective communication. With the rise of technology, the ability for these students and professionals to reach even bigger audiences increases. Our Club has taken on a responsibility to train bright students in effective communication through our university endowed professorships and research fellowships at major universities around the country. It is important that sound science is developed for the proper management of forests and wildlife. It is almost more important that this science be appropriately shared and communicated to the audiences that need it the most, which are the government, NGOs, and the 70 percent of Americans that are non-hunters. This last audience group is a particularly important one, since the hunting population in this country has

decl i ned subst a nt ia l ly throughout the years. Thus, the future of our hunting privilege is dependent upon our ability to educate and inform the non-hunting community and others through effective and thoughtful communication. n

It is important that sound science is developed for the proper management of forests and wildlife.

Read more about our University Endowed Professorships and Programs on page 66.

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VALUE OF SCIENCE GREGORY T. M. SCHILDWACHTER B&C PROFESSIONAL MEMBER TERRY BOWYER B&C PROFESSIONAL MEMBER

Science matters for the obvious reason that we need to know what we are doing to manage wildlife, and why we are doing it. But there is more to it than just that. We follow science past our questions to test our beliefs and to check our assumptions and biases— those blind spots we may not even realize color our thinking. Obtaining reliable knowledge to accept, modify, or reject long-held beliefs distinguishes wildlife management from professions guided by pure judgment, inclination, preferences, or craftsmanship. Sound and perfectly logical arguments are still incorrect if based on false premises. Science is a way to improve knowledge and uncover flaws in our understanding of biology using specialized knowledge to answer questions about the ecology of plants and animals.

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Some outcomes from scientific research are counterintuitive, which may make simple descriptions of biological processes difficult to understand and interpret. Without the scientif ic method, one argument is as good as another—there is no effective way to sort among differing opinions or test different hypotheses. The scientif ic method generally involves making observations; developing hypotheses to potentially explain the observations; designing research to test the hypotheses; gathering reliable data and refining, altering, and expanding or rejecting hypotheses which may result in the formation of more general theories. Science provides that mechanism, thereby aiding in the sound understanding of biology and wise management of wildlife. Science has been called the refinement of everyday thinking because common sense is less reliable. For instance, controlling wolves to increase elk will not work if elk are near ecological carrying capacity, or near the maximum population size for a particular environment that resources can support. But controlling wolves when elk

are below the level of what their preferred habitat can support will yield greater elk productivity. Similarly, for decades elk managers thought the availability of winter habitat was the key to elk getting enough to eat, but recent studies supported by the Boone and Crockett Club have revealed that summer habitat quality can be the limiting factor for elk survival during the winter in certain areas. There also may be nutritional “carryover” effects from one season to the next, whereby resources garnered in one season are essential for survival and reproduction in the next. Science matters because it is the plumb line between what we know and the decisions we make. Deciding what to do is the realm of policy. But how do we know the “right” amount of wolves or elk in a given space and time? There are sustainable options for elk below carrying capacity. For wolves, we know from science there is a minimum number of individuals that comprise a self-sustaining population. But how far we choose to set a population goal above the minimum is determined by other reasons, such as creating a margin of

certainty or reducing depredation on livestock. Leaders in conservation need to be involved in both the science and the policy. Leadership ensures we have the best science and the best decisions based on science. This is conservation science and policy at work together. The population dynamics of elk and wolves are good examples that illustrate how science sets up a realm of possibility and leaves a realm of questions on the policy side. We describe several other examples below. Boone and Crockett Club is actively involved in the following examples, and there is a place in them for you, too. Where you can, step up to participate in the questions of science, policy, or both. PREDATOR MANAGEMENT: THE WOLF AND THE GRIZZLY BEAR

The basic scientific questions for both wolves and grizzlies are: how many are there; how many are necessary to sustain populations; and how do we move that number up or down, or keep it stable? Wolves reproduce faster than bears, but we have less of an idea how to manage wolf populations than

Of all the issues we review here, the cases of the wolf and grizzly are the most local and therefore the easiest in which to get involved. The pros and cons for the people and wildlife most affected all play out in the northern Rocky Mountains area and in Alaska, and also, for wolves, in the Great Lakes region and areas of the desert Southwest. If you live or hunt in these areas, you can participate in public meetings held by the state wildlife commissions and the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee.

we do with grizzlies, which are more sensitive to changes in the numbers of males and females, and young and old in their populations. The policy questions are the “should” versions of the science questions: how many should we have and where should they be? Of all the issues we review here, the cases of the wolf and grizzly are the most local and therefore the easiest in which to get involved. The pros and cons for the people and wildlife most affected all play out in the northern Rocky Mountains area and in Alaska, and also, for wolves, in the Great Lakes region and areas of the desert Southwest. If you live or hunt in these areas, you can participate in public meetings held by the state wildlife commissions and the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. You also can garner scientific insights by reading the Trophy Points articles on the Boone and Crockett Club website. Depending on your interests, you could even make a career in science by studying these subjects in college, and after graduation applying to study in the Boone and Crockett Graduate University Programs at the University of Montana, Michigan State University, or Texas A&M University. FOREST MANAGEMENT

Managing forests has been an issue since the beginning of the conservation movement and has been a focus of the Boone and Crockett Club since then as well. The science questions are about how forests can complete their cycles of growth, fire, decay, and reseeding with people living in and around them. Letting nature take its course could turn your favorite camping or hiking spot into an impassible jackstraw of blow-down or a sooty mess; or it may change

your scenic vista, or it even may burn your home. If we suppress natural fire and prevent timber harvests, we run other risks such as losing habitat quality for the large mammals and forest birds we value and cherish. The policy questions are not only where and when we let a forest burn or set a controlled fire to preempt a disaster fire, but also how often to use timber harvest instead of, or in addition to fire as management tools. Because forest management is expensive, the policy questions include how to support an industry to do the work and how much of the economic value goes to the market and how much goes back to conservation work. Forestry affects more people in more places than do wolves and grizzlies. People living and working in and around the forests are closest to the issues, but the economics of forestry is now global, wrapping local timber towns in worldwide competition. Meanwhile what happens in forests affects the headwaters of streams and rivers and the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, so forest policy involves these regional and global factors, too. Aspiring conservation leaders can get involved in local forest management and science, and there are also opportunities at national and international levels. ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT (ESA)

Lastly and most broadly, the Endangered Species Act raises the farthest-reaching questions that call for conservation leadership. The science question is twofold: Which species might be heading toward extinction and what might be done about it? The importance of the science questions is clear. Many of the species removed from

the Lists of Threatened and Endangered Species were removed because they were found later to not belong on the lists. Many listing decisions are supported by existing literature rather than field data. The results of listing species are unclear; most species protected under the Act have not recovered, but they have not become extinct, and some have not been listed for long enough to allow recovery. There have been some spectacular success stories, such as the recovery of the peregrine falcon and bald eagle, but problems with listing and de-listing remain. Many of the policy questions boil down to how much conservation we can afford, which raises excruciating ethical questions. The United States supports very few active recovery programs compared to the 1,300+ listed species in the nation. By relying more on protection for species, we are limiting development where listed species live, but the cost and tradeoffs of this are hard to measure. This is the tip of an icebergsize policy question: How much of the planet and its economy can we devote to species conservation if this devotion takes land, water, and money away from other people who wish to use these resources for other purposes? How can we conserve these valuable natural resources for future generations in the face of our existing constraints? The implications here clearly are enormous, but there are still openings for new conservation leaders to take them on. Most of these spots are in state or national jobs for government agencies, congressional staff, or advocacy groups including the Boone and Crockett Club. Building a career in conservation and management may take time, but the hunter-conservationists who

have gone before us have already identified some major keys to success. For example, most of the successful species recovery in American history was accomplished by sportsmen who organized both the recovery of bison and pronghorn in the early 1900s (the bison obviously is not recovered to much of its historic range at 1% of its original distribution, yet they are not listed under the ESA), and the restoration of the PittmanRobertson game species from the 1940s to present. Their experience and leadership show the need for economic incentives, policies focused more on results than precautions, and the knowledge to decide how big a recovery is enough. The ESA is struggling on all of these points. We cannot be sure today how much of the costs of ESA are producing results or precisely what directions should be taken in the future. We need to more clearly define criteria for listing and de-listing species, and provide yardsticks for success and failure of programs. The future of wildlife in North America rests with the next generation of biologists, managers, policy makers, and those interested in conservation. CONCLUSION

Leadership in science and policy is about personal responsibility. Hunter-conservationists must get involved personally in both the science and the policy questions for the effective conservation and management of wildlife. Employment opportunities in these realms are often available in government and many of the opportunities to participate are defined in law. Indeed, nothing gets done unless regular folks make the leadership move of getting involved, sharpening the questions, and helping find the answers. n FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 11

THE NEED AND PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION FUNDING Increased funding to support effective fish and wildlife conservation is the number one priority of state fish and wildlife agencies across the nation. It is also the critical element to ensure that conservation remains relevant to Americans. State agencies have experienced an expansion of their mission to include the conservation of all fish and wildlife species, not just those that are hunted, trapped, or fished. These agencies must reflect the desires of the American public and respond to the demands of federal protections, which are very different from when the agencies were first established. Habitat loss and degradation driven by human population growth, the need for increased energy production, climate change impacts, and invasive species are just a few of the challenges facing 21st century state fish and wildlife agencies. The current revenue stream derived from license and permit fees, excise taxes on hunting and fishing equipment, limited state general fund support, and contributions from conservation organizations are inadequate to meet the expanded responsibilities and challenges facing agencies today. Lacking a new source of dedicated funding, business and industry will become increasingly stymied by land use restrictions associated with hundreds of species that fall or will fall under protection of the federal Endangered Species Act, and similar state laws intended to maintain the 12 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

rich species diversity that occurs across the country. This is not just a fish and wildlife concern; it is a job-related and economic concern. Businesses are forced to address the needs of species that currently receive little or no attention. Increased funding could result in conservation efforts that provide the regulatory certainty that these companies need to deploy capital and resources to develop jobs and our economy. This is a natural investment that would provide tremendous returns to our nation and its resources. Recognizing the critical issues facing state agencies, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies formed the Blue Ribbon Panel on Sustaining America’s Diverse Fish and Wildlife Resources. The simplified objectives of the Blue Ribbon Panel are to identify dedicated and sustained funding for the thousands of species identified in State Wildlife Action Plans. The stakes are high for these species and the businesses and industries that impact their habitats. Many species are candidates for listing under the Endangered Species Act and are in desperate need of conservation efforts. Without conservation, the species may require stringent efforts to avoid harming individuals and land management actions that would curtail development activity taking place across our nation’s landscapes. Former Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal and Bass Pro Shop’s founder Johnny Morris co-chair the Blue Ribbon Panel. Both of

CAPITOL COMMENTS

these individuals have demonstrated a lifelong commitment to fish and wildlife conservation. Other members of the Blue Ribbon Panel include national leaders in fish and wildlife conservation, business, energy, manufacturing, and agriculture. A number of Boone and Crockett Club regular and professional members are members of the Panel. This collection of diverse stakeholders is not only unprecedented but also entirely necessary for finding a solution to the conservation funding challenges facing the nation. The discussion topics have included previous attempts to fund conservation using expanded excise taxes (the Teaming with Wildlife approach) and offshore energy royalties (the Conservation and Reinvestment Act approach). Although both of these approaches showed promise, neither could cross the legislative goal line. Based on needs and history, the Panel developed criteria necessary to achieve the goal of dedicated and sustained funding. Funds should be focused on species at risk and their habitats. The funds should emanate from a sustainable trust fund capable of providing $1.3 billion annually. Legislation needs to be passed that provides funding within the next five years. Funds should be derived from an expanded contributor base (more than hunters and anglers) and be supplemental to (rather than supplanting) existing funds available to state f ish and wildlife

Steven Williams, Ph.D. B&C PROFESSIONAL MEMBER PRESIDENT Wildlife Management Institute

agencies. Finally, the Panel recognized that existing administrative mechanisms provide administrative efficiency and equitable allocation of funds to all states. The Blue Ribbon Panel’s consensus is that redirecting existing energy royalties and fees coupled with private/ public partnerships provide the best means to achieve success. Immediate and longterm actions are being developed and will be discussed at an upcoming meeting in Houston in December. The Panel has identified legislative opportunities for increased funding within the current Congressional session. The Panel understands the importance of clear communications, messaging, and public outreach. All members of the Boone and Crockett Club should be ready to mobilize when the opportunity to confront and conquer the greatest challenge facing the nation’s species is in most need of our attention. The Blue Ribbon Panel has convened an unprecedented level of broadbased conservation leaders. Their work will provide a powerful blueprint; it is up to all of us to build the foundation and structure where the future of conservation will be housed. n

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FAIR CHASE is the

brightly lit torch we pass to the

NEXT GENERATION.

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Every American owes it to themselves and their families to visit a National Park, and as many as possible. The history of our National Parks is but one touchstone in the history of sportsmen-led conservation. People will not learn this on their own. We must teach them. PG 40. 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

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DUANE R. DIEFENBACH, PH.D.

THE WHITETAIL

BRET D. WALLINGFORD, PH.D.

RUT

CHRISTOPHER S. ROSENBERRY, PH.D.

IN PENNSYLVANIA INSET: This non-typical whitetail deer, scoring 196-7/8, was taken by Charles E. Main in 2000 while hunting in Allegheny County.

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In 2001 Craig Kirkman took this 163-1/8 typical whitetail deer in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. A legal antlered deer at that time had to have one antler longer than three inches, or had at least one antler with two or more points, and 80% of harvested antlered deer were only 1.5 years old. In 2002 the Pennsylvania Game Commission implemented new Antler Point Restrictions and since then the number of older bucks in the harvest has doubled.

If you are serious about hunting or managing whitetail deer, understanding when the rut occurs and how it may change from year to year is important.

If you are a hunter, you want to know when the rut occurs for your specific hunting areaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to miss all the action! And you would like to know how the timing of the rut might change from one year to the next, because you need to schedule time off from work! If you are a deer manager, you need to know when the rut occurs for setting hunting seasons. In a big deer hunting state like Pennsylvania, a large proportion of the antlered population can be harvested each year, so it is important that the bulk of the harvest occurs after the rut. In addition, changes in hunting regulations, such as those designed to increase the number of males in older age classes, could affect breeding behavior. THE PENNSYLVANIA EXPERIMENT

In 2002 the Pennsylvania Game Commission implemented new Antler Point Restrictions (APRs). Traditionally if a deer grew at least one antler longer than three inches, or had at least one antler with two or more points, it was defined as an antlered deer and legal for harvest. For decades, 80 percent of antlered deer harvested each year in Pennsylvania were 1.5 years old! New APRs changed everything. Depending on the management unit, a legal antlered deer had to have at least three FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 17

or four points on one antler. We correctly predicted these new APRs would reduce harvest rates from 80 percent to below 50 percent for yearling males. Harvest rates of older antlered deer should have been around 80 percent, but in reality, harvest rates dropped to around 60 percent. We suspect lower harvest rates on older bucks occurred because hunters not only had to identify the deer as antlered but also had to ensure it had enough points to be legal. The additional time required to count points likely led to some bucks getting away resulting in lower harvest rates of older deer. The effect of the new APRs was the median age of antlered deer was still 1.5 years old, but there were 30 percent more antlered deer in the population and almost 40 percent of the population was 2.5 years old or older. No longer was a 4.5-year-old or older buck a near impossible sighting in Pennsylvania (Figure 1). Finally, Pennsylvania hunters are experiencing harvest success rates similar to the 1980s and 1990s, but thanks to the new APRs, the number of older bucks in the harvest has doubled.

CAN OLDER BUCKS AFFECT THE RUT?

What effect did this change in the age structure have on the timing of breeding behavior? This is a question we posed before APRs were implemented. Because the rut is about breeding, we can determine when the rut occurs by determining when fawns are born. The way we did this was to check road-killed does for embryos in late winter and early spring. If does were pregnant we measured the length of each fetus and estimated the date the doe was bred. Assuming a 200-day gestation period, and knowing the relationship between embryo body length and age, one can estimate the date of birth or (by subtracting 200 days) the date of conception. During 1999-2006, the Pennsylvania Game Commission checked 3,507 road-killed does with fetuses. Our hypothesis was that having more, older bucks in the population would shorten the duration of the rut because more experienced males could improve breeding behaviors. That is, if our hypothesis was correct, we predicted less variation about the

FIGURE 1 New definitions of a legal, antlered deer (APRs) in Pennsylvania increased the number of older antlered deer in the population.

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median date after APRs were implemented (2003-2006) than before (1999-2002). The statistical analyses were quite complex, linear models with random effects, where we tested whether the variation about the mean date was smaller after APRs were implemented. But the figure of boxplots tells it all (Figure 2). We failed to detect any change in variation in breeding after APRs were implemented.

WHAT ABOUT THE MOON?

If APRs did not affect the breeding dates, what about other environmental factors? Does the moon phase affect breeding date? Specifically, how well did the rutting moonâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the second full moon after the autumn equinoxâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; predict the rut in Pennsylvania? We can use our data from 1999-2006 to answer this question as well. In the table below we list the date of the first full moon and the median

FIGURE 2 Boxplots of the breeding dates for adult female whitetail deer in Pennsylvania. Thick horizontal lines are the median date; boxes include the middle 50 percent of dates; and the open circles beyond the whiskers are the most extreme dates.

date of breeding for adult and fawn females. The median date of the rutting moon was November 15, during 1999-2006. The variation about the first full moon averaged +/- 9 days, which is substantial enough to make changes in timing of the rut detectable.Â (Figure 3). Across all years, the median date of conception for adult does was November 13, similar to the median date of the full moon, November 15, (based on 190-436 does checked/year). For fawns, the median date was November 25, but sample sizes were smaller (17-87 fawn does checked/year). Is there a connection between the full moon and the rut? To find out we correlated the date of the full moon with the median date of conception. (Figure 4). It turns out no matter the date of the full moon the median date of the rut simply bounced around November 13, for adults and November 25, for fawns. There is no relationship between the rut and the moon so you can plan your hunting vacation around the rut months ahead of time! FIGURE 3 The variation about the first full moon averaged +/- 9 days, which is substantial enough to make changes in timing of the rut detectable.

FIGURE 4 It turns out no matter the date of the full moon the median date of the rut simply bounced around November 13, for adults and November 25, for fawns.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Lower harvest rates on older bucks occurred because hunters not only had to identify the deer as antlered but also had to ensure it had enough points to be legal. Matthew T. Staggert didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have any trouble identifying this typical whitetail deer, scoring 166-7/8 points, while hunting in Lycoming County, in 2014.

FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 19

Why are fawns impregnated two weeks later? Primarily because they need to reach a minimum body size to become reproductively mature their first year of life, which few fawns attain and if they do it’s later in the year. In northern Pennsylvania, almost no fawns get pregnant. During 1999-2006 Pennsylvania Game Commission personnel checked over 3,500 road-killed females and a total of 50 pregnant fawns were d i s c over e d nor t h of Interstate-80. If we pool our 19992006 data to look at when breeding occurs we can see that it really picks up the last week in October and that most deer are bred by the end of November. But fawns are different. Their breeding doesn’t really begin until mid-November and by mid-December there are more fawns bred than adults. (Figure 5) CONCLUSION

Should we be surprised that timing of the rut was not influenced by changes in the age structure of the population or moon phase? We probably shouldn’t be surprised and for a couple of reasons. First and most importantly, for deer in more northern latitudes, birth date of fawns is timed to maximize ideal rearing conditions. The earlier in the year a fawn is born the larger it will be going into its first winter. However, if born too early, fawns have to contend with harsh weather and mothers may struggle to find sufficient food resources for lactation. That means the most reliable cue for breeding would be photoperiod. The whitetail deer has had eons to find the associated date (day length) for breeding in autumn that maximizes survival of offspring the following year. Second, recent genetic research has found that older, 20 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

dominant males do not necessarily dominate the breeding. Yes, they may account for slightly more of the breeding in proportion to their abundance in the population, but breeding in whitetail deer is what scientists call a “scramble competition.” And during that scramble, even 1.5-yearold m a les a re qu it e successful. At the beginning of this article we identified some characteristics of the rut that hunters and managers would like to understand. Our findings indicate that timing of the rut varies little due to environmental or biological factors. It is driven by photoperiod, and that makes some management and personal hunting decisions a lot easier. We wish the answers to more deer questions were so simple! n

Finally, Pennsylvania hunters are experiencing harvest success rates similar to the 1980s and 1990s, but thanks to the new APRs, the number of older bucks in the harvest has doubled. Philip E. Sever harvested this typical whitetail deer in Cambria County in 2010. The buck scores 175-3/8 points.

Duane Diefenbach is leader of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Bret Wallingford is a deer biologist with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, and Christopher Rosenberry is leader of the Deer and Elk Section for the Pennsylvania Game Commission. All three have collaborated for more than a decade conducting whitetail deer research.

FIGURE 5 If we pool our 1999-2006 data to look at when breeding occurs we can see that it really picks up the last week in October and that most deer are bred by the end of November.

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.300 H&H MAGNUM Introduced in 1925 by the staid British firm of

Holland & Holland, their .300 H&H was not the world’s first .30-caliber “magnum.” That honor probably goes to the .30 Newton, an unbelted American cartridge designed by Charles Newton in 1913. The .30 Newton propelled a 180-grain bullet at 2,860 feet per second, very fast for its day…but by 1925 several iterations of Newton’s rifle company had failed, and the cartridge was already languishing. Holland & Holland necked down their popular .375 H&H case to create their “Super .30” (as it was originally called), retaining the full 2.850-inch case length. Without question it was the first successful fast .30-caliber!

The first time I hunted with the .300 H&H was on a long-awaited desert sheep hunt in 2003. A 150-grain Sierra GameKing handloaded did a perfect job at about 340 yards.

The .300 Weatherby is an improved version of the H&H, with more powder capacity and much more velocity. Actual .300 H&H velocity with good loads is about the same as the .300 Winchester Magnum. 22 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

.300 H&H

.300 Weatherby Magnum

.300 Winchester Magnum

Setup for a longish shot with the Remington M700 in .300 H&H. Although not as flat-shooting (or as hard-kicking) as the fastest magnum .30s, with good loads the .300 H&H shoots noticeably flatter and hits harder than the .30-06.

It seems a bit odd that Holland chose the very American .308-inch bullet diameter. Throughout the Empire the .303 with its .311-inch bullet was still king…but the upstart American .30-06 had gained fame throughout the world. For unknown reasons the .3006’s .308-inch bullet diameter was used, and the .300 H&H quickly gained momentum. Although already gaining popularity, the .300 H&H got a lot of publicity when Ben Comfort used it to win the 1,000-yard Wimbledon Match in 1935. Two years later in 1937, it was one of the initial chamberings in Winchester’s new Model 70 bolt action. Roy Weatherby’s .300 Weatherby Magnum, developed in 1944, is nothing more (nor less) than one of several “improved” versions of the .300 H&H. Weatherby’s velocity greatly surpasses the .300 H&H, but the H&H remained the world’s most popular magnum and fast .30 until 1963, when Winchester replaced it with the shorter-cased (2.620-inch) .300 Winchester Magnum. It’s a little surprising to me that the .300 H&H’s star fell so quickly. Today it is no longer chambered in any standard factory rifles, although Ruger recently did a limited run of Number One singleshots in .300 H&H. Even so, there are many thousands of .300 H&H rifles still in use, and they remain just as

effective as they ever were. For those of us who have one, the ammunition situation is bleaker than the lack of new rifles so chambered. Factory ammo is still loaded by Federal, Hornady, and Winchester, but the selection is limited to 180grain bullets at about 2,880 feet per second. Considering the .300 H&H’s case capacity this is a very mild load; students of such things will quickly note that there are 180-grain .30-06 loads that exceed this velocity. Honestly, there are few if any animals in North America that can’t be taken with a 180-grain .30-caliber at that velocity; but to reach its potential this means that the .300 H&H is a handloader’s cartridge. In factory loads the .300 Winchester Magnum is clearly faster, and exponentially more available. In handloads it depends a whole lot on which manual you consult, but the .300 H&H and the .300 Winchester Magnum are very similar in their velocity and capabilities. In terms of accuracy it’s difficult to make a fair comparison because factory rifles on average are simply more accurate today than they used to be. Some older rifles are very accurate (Ben Comfort’s .300 H&H certainly was), but there’s a bit of luck involved if you find a vintage Browning, Model 70, or Remington Model 721 that groups as well as a

current .300 Winchester Magnum of the same make! Even so, I have found the .300 H&H—in a good barrel—to be extremely accurate and not particularly finicky. A Remington M700, re-barreled to .300 H&H with a Pac-Nor Match Grade barrel was a real tack driver, one of the most consistently accurate rifles I’ve ever owned. Over the years I’ve owned many Ruger Number Ones; with the exception of a couple of heavy-barreled varmint rif les, my Number One in .300 H&H is easily the most accurate of all. Aside from availability the biggest drawbacks to the great old .300 H&H are its fulllength case with significant body taper and a long, gentle shoulder, both of which reduce its case capacity. Case length means that it will not fit into “standard” .30-06length actions, but instead requires a long .375 H&Hlength action. This always limited its availability, as many common bolt actions are limited to .30-06-length cartridges. As for the taper, removing it and sharpening the shoulder (as in the .300 Weatherby Magnum) greatly increases powder capacity and resultant velocity. But there is a hidden advantage to that archaic tapered case: The .300 H&H feeds wonderfully. All the bolt needs to do is point it in the general direction of the chamber and it

slides right in! I have been a fast .30-caliber guy for much of my career; I’ve used just about all of them. I was a latecomer to the .300 H&H, and I tried it primarily because I hadn’t. That Remington M700 with a good barrel was amazingly accurate, and I was surprised at the velocity with good handloads. The first time I hunted with it was in 2003, in Sonora for my first desert sheep hunt, loaded with 150-grain Sierra Game kings at something over 3,300 feet per second (fast!). We found the ram bedded up on a shelf, and I lay over the rifle for several eternities waiting for it to get up. When he finally did the shot was at about 340 yards, quartering to me. After dreaming of this opportunity for decades I was probably as nervous as I was on my first buck—but the .300 H&H came through just fine. Since then, both with 180-grain factory loads and 200-grain handloads, I’ve used that Remington and the Ruger Number One in Africa and New Zealand, as well as for deer and elk hunting over here. It doesn’t kick nearly as hard as the faster .30s, but with good loads shoots flatter and hits harder than the .3006. Although today it’s a blast from the past, if you run across a good .300 H&H don’t overlook it—it’s still a fine hunting cartridge! n FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 23

BE ST Riflescopes EV ER

WAYNE C. VAN ZWOLL

B&C PROFESSIONAL MEMBER Photos Courtesy of Author

If you can’t see three percent difference, why pay for it? Same reason you fret over 3-inch groups.

Maine’s forest lay black

around my stand at dusk when the bear appeared. Trembling I lifted the headnet and my .303. Squinting over the sights I felt the trigger and the veil fell. The bear looked up. Lifting the mesh again, I found the bead. Down came the net. The bear turned. I tore the veil away, pasted the bead on hair and fired. The old SMLE blinked flame. It was my first bear, shot when iron sights were still common. I couldn’t afford a scope.

Wait. Wait. Then wait some more. Scope finishes matching thethink rifle matter Meantime, less than lens quality, and about lens why coatings, you mechanical integrity. decided to wait here, now.

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Approach ready to fire again, from behind the animal, rifle up front. Save congratulations for later.

You don’t need big front glass at dawn and dusk, if you keep magnification at a reasonable 4x to 6x.

150 YEARS AT A GLANCE

Scopes appeared on rifles many moons after Galileo and Lippershay developed telescopes to help them see stars. Still, New England gun-maker Morgan James equipped his match rifles with optical sights before snipers used scopes in the Civil War. Nearly a yard long, these heavy tubes delivered dim images in the best light. Delicate reticles and adjustments failed often. Around 1901 the J. Stevens Tool Co. began manufacturing riflescopes. Celebrated barrel maker H.M. Pope favored a 16-inch 5x that sold for $24. In Europe, Zeiss pioneered short scopes with a “prism” model in 1904. It looked like one barrel of a Porro-prism binocular. By the 1920s, as Winchester trotted out its A-5 scope (to become in 1929 the Lyman 5-A), Zeiss acquired Hensoldt and fashioned a line of scopes from the 1x Zeileins to 2-1/2x, 4x, 6x, and 8x models, and even 1-4x and 1-6x variables! Oddly enough, scope makers proliferated in the U.S. during our Depression. Litschert, Souther, and Wollensak competed with firms that also made rifles: Mossberg, Marlin, and Savage. Among the best-selling scopes was Lyman’s Alaskan. It outlived the similar Noske. For many hunters though, scopes cost too much. Bill Weaver tackled that problem in 1930 with his $19 Model 330. Just 24 when he built the prototype by

hand, Weaver included a “grasshopper” mount that resembled a giant paperclip. The 330’s steel 3/4-inch tube had internal adjustments: One-minute clicks for windage, two-minute clicks for elevation. During the 1930s, a Zeiss engineer found a layer of magnesium fluoride dramatically improved light transmission through lenses, which can lose four percent of incident light at each air-glass surface. A riflescope has several lenses, so Mr. Smakula’s discovery was a hit with optics firms after WWII pried it from the Nazis. Multiple wave length-specific coatings would follow, for ever-brighter images. The war finished many U.S. scope companies. Weaver and Lyman, Redfield and Bausch & Lomb survived. Leupold & Stevens (L&S), established by German immigrant Frederick Leupold in 1907, was yet to make a riflescope. Son Marcus gave L&S new direction in 1947 with the Plainsman scope. As did other scopes of the day, it fogged in wet weather. Using a technique applied by the Merchant Marine, Marcus replaced air in the tube with nitrogen. In 1949, Leupold became the first American company with a fogproof scope. The 1950s brought constantly centered reticles. One-inch (25.4 cm) alloy tubes supplanted 3/4-inch and 7/8-inch tubes stateside, though 26mm steel tubes remained on Lyman’s Challenger and others.

WHAT MATTERS MOST

Europe’s reputation for carriage-class optics dates to early cameras and binoculars. Riflescopes have piggybacked on their improvements. Image quality hinges mainly on glass type and lens polishing and coatings. Swarovski uses 100 types of glass in its optics, which transmits up to 97 percent of incident light, though the human eye can’t distinguish a three percent difference! Objective (front) lenses have grown to match demand for more power, to ensure a big exit pupil (EP: the diameter of the shaft of light reaching your eye). EP is one measure of brightness, and is equal to lens diameter in mm/magnification. A healthy eye dilates to about 7mm at night. Figure

Guiding hunters, I’ve seen chances lost because scopes were cranked up, limiting field and making the poor fellow’s tremors so visible he didn’t fire, or in frustration yanked the trigger. FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 25

Best Reticle Options

EUROPEAN #4

PLEX

Plex-style reticles offer the most versatility to hunters. You will find numerous variations of the plex reticle in the marketplace.

DOT

Some prefer dot reticles, but make sure to take into account the dot size and what works best for you.

MIL DOT

The space between each dot is milliradian apart, which is equivalent to 3.6 inches at 100 yards. A quick math equation will give you range.

You carry a rifle many hours to fire it once. A cumbersome scope is a burden, impairs rifle balance.

26 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

5mm at dim shooting light. A 3-9x40 scope has an EP of 5mm at 8x. No need for bigger glass. A 4-16x scope benefits from a 50mm lens at 10x or higher in poor light. In bright light your pupil shrinks; a big objective delivers more light than it can accept. Front lens size has no effect on field of view, which depends on power, internal design, and ocular lens diameter. Most variable-power scopes for the U.S. market have the reticle in the second (rear) focal plane, so it appears one size across the power range. First-plane reticles, popular in Europe, expand and shrink when you change power. They’re hard to see at the low magnification you want for quick shots in cover. At high power, they can hide small, distant targets. Advantages of the first-plane reticle are that it stays the same size relative to the target—a rangefinder at all power settings; and there’s no possibility of reticle shift, low power to high. To be fair, secondplane reticle shift has been all but eliminated. Parallax remains present in all riflescopes. It’s the apparent movement of the target as you move your eye off the scope’s optical axis, when the target is not at the scope’s “zero parallax” distance. The reticle meets a focused image only at one distance. Scopes for hunting rifles are commonly set for zero parallax at 150 yards. Even if your eye is off-axis, the bullet will follow your aim at that range. Change the distance however, and you must keep your eye centered in the scope to eliminate parallax error. With your eye on-axis, you needn’t fret about parallax, no matter the distance. Though an adjustable objective (AO) sleeve corrects for parallax as it brings the target into sharp focus, a turret-side AO dial is handier and

increasingly common. AO is most useful on scopes for shooting far. In my view, “far” is beyond point-blank range. Given a 200-yard zero, deadon hold with most modern loads will land bullets inside coffee-saucer targets up to 270 yards or so. Well inside big game vitals. For such shooting, many hunters dial up too much power. What’s enough? If you can see the ribcage, 1x for each 100 yards is plenty. Guiding hunters, I’ve seen chances lost because scopes were cranked up, limiting field and making the poor fellow’s tremors so visible he didn’t fire, or in frustration yanked the trigger. High power also reduces light transmission. A big objective boosts brightness but adds weight and bulk. Among my favorite scopes are Leupold’s 2-1/2-8x36 and Swarovski’s 3-9x36. Trim and lightweight, they sit low and don’t impair rifle balance. RETICLES, MINUTES, AND MILS

Parallax correction on high-power scopes can share the turret with the control for an illuminated reticle. Such reticles are cute, but I’m no battery fan. Tritium/fiber optic lighting in Trijicon’s AccuPoint line eliminates batteries. I used an AccuPoint to kill an elk with fast shots in timber, the reticle a beacon. Among traditional reticles, the plex reticle is perhaps the most versatile, with thick outer bars leading your eye to a fine center wire for precise aim. By the way, it’s not a Duplex unless it’s from Leupold! The European #4 is of similar design, with a thin wire only above the intersection. I like dot reticles, but they must be big enough for quick aim. The dot in my Lyman Alaskan wasn’t, when long ago an elk appeared during dusk. Unable to see it

Early scopes fogged. Backup: Auxiliary sights like this bolt peep on a Springfield by Nate Heineke.

In Wayne’s view, a low-mounted 3-9x or 4-12x scope, 40mm up front, is hard to beat for big game.

Wayne hunted in open country for this buck but the shooting came offhand, up close with the scope at 3x.

FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 27

Parts that move Positive, repeatable click adjustments are a blessing. But if you’ve endured several presidential elections since you zeroed, and Old Betsy is still spot on, those dials are no more useful than idle screws on a carburetor that doesn’t need adjustment. If at long range you add elevation by dialing up, leave the windage dial alone. Unlike gravity, wind is not constant. Don’t chase it with the dial. “Shade” windward. To check click values and repeatability, shoot paper “around the square.” Fire a three-shot group, dial 20 clicks left and then fire another group. Add 20 of elevation and fire again; then move 20 right and fire yet again; then come 20 down and fire final shots. Final shots should land with the first shots. Measure between groups (five inches = ¼-minute clicks).

Adjustable objective (AO) sleeves up front are acceding to dials that tune focus, correcting for parallax.

Given a 200-yard zero, dead-on hold with most modern loads will land bullets inside coffee-saucer targets up to 270 yards or so. Well inside big game vitals. For such shooting, many hunters dial up too much power. What’s enough?

Prairie needn’t mean long shots. Leslie crept inside 150 yards, killed this buck with her scope at 4x.

Recipient of the 2016 Knife of the Year

Programs For:

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on the bull, I frantically shifted my aim to bleached grass at the animal’s feet. Fixing my gaze on the ghost of the dot, I raised the muzzle and fired. Mercifully, my first-ever bull fell. That dot subtended three minutes of angle. A minute is commonly rounded to a value of one-inch at 100 yards, two inches at 200 and so on. Picture a slim wedge, the point at your rifle’s muzzle. In truth, a minute is 1.047 inches at 100 yards. At 1,000 yards, it spans not ten inches but 10-1/2. “Clicks” on windage and elevation dials are in fractions of minutes, typically ¼-minute per graduation. European scope makers have favored the metric system and click value of one centimeter (cm) at 100 meters (109 yards). A cm is about .36-inch, or 1/3-minute. Another useful angular measurement in scopes is the mil, an abbreviation

for milliradian. A mil spans 3.6 inches at 100 yards and three feet at l,000 yards. Mil windage and elevation adjustments are .36-inch per click. On mil dot reticles, a mil is the measure of each space between dots strung on a crosswire. Using mils to find range, divide target height in mils at 100 yards by the number of spaces subtending it. The result is range in hundreds of yards. Example: A buck three feet at the shoulder (ten mils at 100 yards) appears in your scope to stand two dots high. Divide two into ten and you get five; the deer is 500 yards away. You can also divide target size in yards by the number of reticle mils subtended and multiply by 1,000 to get range in yards. For the deer in our example, that’s one divided by two multiplied by 1,000. In variable scopes with rear-plane reticles, mil dots accurately range the

BE ST

Riflescopes EV ER

target at only one power setting—usually the highest. First-plane mil dot reticles can be used at any magnification. Beyond the math, and no matter the power or pedigree of your scope, accurate shooting depends mostly on your ability to aim in the right place and keep your rifle there as you fire. Verily, no optic can trump the hunter who can hold inside three minutes of angle afield. n

Click to the distance

Wayne likes the GreyBull trajectorymatched dial on this Leupold scope. “Dial to distance and fire!”

I got my introduction to trajectorymatched dials at GreyBull Precision, with a modified Leupold VX III 4.514x scope. Don Ward fitted an elevation dial cut and marked to match the path of a 140-grain 6.5 Creedmoor load. “Spin to the distance and hold center,” he said. Prone behind a GreyBull-built M700 Remington, I dialed a click shy of 800 for the 780yard gong and fired. The dot in the distance shivered. Seconds later, the “whup!” of a hit floated back. Now Leupold, Nikon, Vortex, and other brands list such dials. I like GreyBull’s. Don replaces 1/4-minute This GreyBull clicks with 1/3- elevation dial minute detents, permits deadso you get more on hold at long distance per dial range—with this .308 ME load only. revolution. To ensure accuracy you must provide actual muzzle velocity and ballistic coefficient.

FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 29

30 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

An excerpt from the upcoming book, The Legendary Hunts of Theodore Roosevelt by John Seerey-Lester. Due out this winter in a special Boone and Crockett Edition.

Successful

Return to the

CANE

BRAKES 19 0 7

n his second term as president, Theodore Roosevelt made a

return visit to hunt black bear in the canebrakes of the Mississippi Delta. On this outing in the fall of 1907, TR was determined to hunt in the traditional way of the Delta, using horse, hound, and horn. On his previous bear hunt in Mississippi, he had come away disappointed after the entire hunt had turned into a circus and publicity spectacle. FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 31

Upon his arrival in Louisiana, the president made it clear he did not want a repeat of the previous misadventure. He arrived in the company of Dr. Presley M. Rixey, surgeon-general of the US Navy, and his hunting companion and friend, Dr. Alexander Lambert. They were the guests of Louisiana’s future governor, John M. Parker, and John A. McIlhenny, founder of the Tabasco Sauce empire, who had arranged the hunt. TR was fascinated with the sporting traditions of the region and was looking forward to hunting in the almost virgin wilderness. He was also pleased to be in the company of so many expert bear hunters. In particular, he was delighted that the party would include Ben Lilly, the famous bear hunter, along with Holt Collier, a former slave who had guided TR on his first visit to the region in 1902. With Collier were two young Mississippians, Clive and Harley Metcalfe. TR had done a lot of reading on the exploits of such legendary bear hunters as Davy Crockett, John (Grizzly) Adams, and Wade Hampton III. He had also gained something of a reputation for bear hunting in his own right. Collier and the Metcalfes brought a pack of 22 bear hounds, bringing the total number of dogs to 34. The Metcalfes and Collier, along with the loquacious Lilly, soon took control of the hunt. On the first night at camp, there had been a great deal of discussion about the number of hunters and dogs for so few bears. TR was particularly disappointed that he had been assigned to hunt from a stand. He wanted to be out on horseback with the 32 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

dogs riding the bear to bay. Their first camp was at Tensas Bayou, and during the initial few days one bear was shot, though no one was able to drive a bruin to TR. The Metcalfes claimed there were plenty of bears, but that they had probably been scared off when the scouts searched for sign and cut numerous trails prior to the hunt. Ben Lilly, who had killed over 120 bears during his lifetime, suggested they relocate to another hunting area, and Collier and the Metcalfes concurred. The change was somewhat disconcerting to the hunt organizers who had spent several weeks cutting trails and clearing campsites. Nonetheless, the president’s camp was moved about 20 miles south to Tallulah at Bear Lake. It was here that Louisiana farmer Ichabod Osborn and his son Tom joined the hunt. It was the same set-up as before: the hunters at one campfire, the local black handlers and dogs at a separate fire. True to form, TR spent most of his time at the locals’ fire, sharing stories. This eventually led to both camps coming together. TR enjoyed seeing and hearing all the wildlife around the camp. As a keen birder and conservationist, he was interested in everything around him, from mockingbirds, brightly colored finches, cardinals, and warblers to the many owls and woodpeckers, the most notable being the ivory-bill (now extinct). TR spotted three of the ivorybills, which he described as being nosy but very wary. Initially, the trip organizers intended that TR should sit in a stand at the new camp. But Collier, who had hunted with the president

before, instructed Clive Metcalfe to take the president and stalk on foot and horseback. “He ain’t no baby,” Collier said to Clive, “and don’t put him in no more stands.” This must have pleased TR immensely as he headed out of the camp with the hounds, riding through the canebrakes and palmettos. After a while Clive Metcalfe, who had been riding with the president and the Osborns, galloped off between two thick stands of canebrakes. TR and the Osborns rode a different route at a gentler pace for about an hour until they heard the distant yelping of a hound. Hearing this, the three tore through the dense undergrowth, navigating deadfalls and tangled vines, which could jerk a man out of his saddle. They soon caught up to the hounds and dismounted so they could follow the handlers and dogs on foot. They tried to walk as quietly as possible through the densely packed stalks of cane but making some noise was unavoidable. The yelping of the dogs told the hunters that the bear was on the move, making a “walking bay.” Metcalfe was able to determine the bear’s direction and herded the hunters through the cane. Suddenly he pointed to a dark shape beyond the cane and motioned TR to crouch down so he could see the bear more easily. Not far ahead, TR saw the bear treading ever so softly, actually moving toward the men. Every now and then it would stop and glance back, perhaps hoping to attack an unwary hound, like a pitcher trying to catch a player stealing a base. But the dogs were too well trained and stayed back. TR’s heart was pounding as the bear closed to within 20 yards of him. Although the bear was

difficult to see in the thick patch of cane, TR fired his rifle, hitting the animal just behind the shoulder and causing it to slump forward. Immediately the dogs raced in, followed by TR and the other men, trying to prevent the hounds from getting injured. Though mortally wounded, the bear still had a lot of fight in him and could do some serious damage to the dogs. Approaching to within six paces of the bruin, TR fired again, killing the bear instantly. The tumultuous sounds of the worrying hounds echoed through the canebrakes, heralding a successful hunt. The bear was a lean sow that weighed 202 pounds. They dragged the beast out to the edge of the cane and a horn was sounded to summon the other hunters. The president was pleased with his visit to Louisiana and later credited Collier and the Metcalfes for making the hunt successful. COMING THIS WINTER

This story, along with three others will be a part of the special Boone and Crockett Edition of John Seerey-Lester’s newest release, The Legendary Hunts of Theodore Roosevelt. This large-format, 200-page book will feature more than 100 paintings and drawings that illustrate stories about the numerous hunts that Theodore Roosevelt was a part of in his lifetime. The Boone and Crockett Edition includes several pages of exclusive content about Theodore Roosevelt and B&C not found in the regular edition and is only available from the Boone and Crockett Club. Readers can choose from two very special editions—the B&C Limited Edition or the highly-collectible B&C Deluxe Edition, which includes an original painting by John Seerey-Lester.

cclaimed wildlife artist John Seerey-Lester takes you on a historic journey in words and paintings that will make you feel as though you were there, sharing the exciting adventures with the former president in the new book, The Legendary Hunts of Theodore Roosevelt.

Available from B&C in a Limited Edition of 500 books for $250 ($200 for Associates) or a Deluxe Edition of just 25 books that include an original painting by John Seerey-Lester for $2,500!

This much anticipated new book features over 50 true stories devoted to Roosevelt’s most spectacular hunts on three continents. Complementing Seerey-Lester’s fascinating text will be some 120 of his paintings and sketches, which altogether provide a fascinating glimpse into the life of the former president and his passion for wildlife and adventure.

“While there ar e numerous photog raphs of T R in hunting camps an d the like, I know of on ly one photog raph of hi m shooting a rifle while on th e hunt. John Seerey-Les ter... has filled this gap by creating more than 60 pa intings of TR for this book . SeereyLester as you will see is more than an ar tist; he is a historian who embraces his subjects, and especially TR , both accura tely and dramatically.” —Tw eed Roo sevelt

See page 49 for details.

AVA I L A B L E T H I S W I N T E R

V I S I T W W W. B O O N E - C R O C K E T T. O R G / T R H U N T S O R C A L L 8 8 8 - 8 4 0 - 4 8 6 8

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IN MEMORIAM

DR. RED DUKE Past President of the Boone and Crockett Club

Dr. James H. “Red” Duke Jr., physician, television personality, conservationist, hunter and past president of Boone and Crockett Club (1986-87), died Tuesday, August 25. He was 86. Duke, of Houston, Texas, was a medical and conservation visionary, who spent a lifetime he said that was devoted to “caring for people and critters.” He also founded the Texas Bighorn Society, which lead to successful desert sheep restoration in Texas, and served as president of the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep (now the Wild Sheep Foundation) in 1986. As a hunter, Duke’s fondness for mountain sheep and remote alpine highlands helped to inspire what is now his conservation legacy. For his vast contributions to conservation and accomplishments as a sportsman, Duke received numerous awards, including the highest honors bestowed by the Boone and Crockett Club, The Sportsman’s Club of Texas, Shikar Safari Foundation and Dallas Safari Club, which recently awarded him the Peter Hathaway Capstick Hunting Heritage Award at the 2015 convention for exemplary leadership in 34 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

conservation, education, hunting, humanitarian causes, research, permanent endowments and charitable giving. “God created this unbelievably wonderful world in which we find ourselves and all the other creatures on it,” Duke said in accepting the Capstick Hunting Heritage Award earlier this year. “We must learn to take care of it. It has a finite capacity to support reckless use. The land needs it and especially the wildlife, and if we don’t take care of them, we’re gonna run out of gas.” In addition to his conservation work and accomplishments in the field, Duke was a veteran of the Korean War and a ground-breaking trauma surgeon who developed Life Flight, Texas’ first air ambulance service, in 1976. His globally syndicated TV segments, “Dr. Duke’s Health Reports,” aired for more than 15 years and made him a household name as he explained complicated medical issues in understandable terms. He also hosted the PBS series “Bodywatch,” which debuted in 1986. As a surgical resident at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Duke is credited with saving the life of former

Texas Governor John Connally, who was wounded in the November 22, 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Duke was the first surgeon to receive the president at the hospital before he assumed the treatment of the governor. “Sadly, there will never be another Red Duke. Red was a true pioneer, a visionary who always sought to give the same unrelenting care and attention to the natural world as he did his patients,” Boone and Crockett Club President Morrie Stevens said. “He was brilliant, giving and embodied the spirit of a true conservationist. We grieve the loss of this extraordinary man,

extend our sympathy to his family and give our sincerest thanks to him for his lifetime of tireless work in support of conservation and the preservation of our natural heritage.” Red Duke touched the lives of so many and did so much for hunting and conservation. His credits cannot be listed. n

“God created this unbelievably wonderful world in which we find ourselves and all the other creatures on it.” - Red Duke

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FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 35

TrailblAzer BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB

CONSERVATION

PARTNER

JACK WARD THOMAS

Trailblazer Spotlight

B&C EMERITUS MEMBER

TrailblAzer

Trailblazers in Conservation represents a level of commitment from from industry An excerpt his new partners and others that support the mutual interests of book, science-informed Forks in the Trail wildlife management and conservation, and hunter ethics and advocacy.

BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB

CONSERVATION

PARTNER

ZEISS A Tr adition of Innovation

36 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

Founded over 165 years ago as a small

workshop for optics and precision engineering, the company and name Carl Zeiss, have an international reputation for innovation and cutting edge technology in all fields of optics. The products combine equal parts technical precision and functional design.

For passionate hunters, enthusiastic observers of animals and birds, and all others involved in outdoor activities, Carl Zeiss Sports Optics acts as a partner for experiencing nature. Alongside scientific research, Zeiss’ close contact with all those who use their products is what constantly leads to groundbreaking developments. Countless innovations, cutting-edge technologies, and constantly striving for perfection have brought Carl Zeiss its international reputation as a brand that captures fascination and enhances the moment. No other manufacturer has demonstrated greater technological and scientific competence over a longer period than Carl Zeiss—a success story that continues to this day. We go to the limits of the imagination with our passion for performance; we inspire the world to see things with new eyes. INNOVATION

Research and development is the key to the enduring success of Carl Zeiss. Some ten percent of the company revenue is invested in this field and leads to a multitude of new patents each year. Another key factor is the interdisciplinary technology transfer, which is constantly heading in new directions. Medical technology, sports optics, semi-conductor technology, spectacle optics, microscopes, etc. All of these different divisions take part, exchange their expertise, and benefit from each other. The invention of the anti-reflective T* coating by Prof. A. Smakula in the Carl Zeiss workshops is just one historical example, but also the beginning of a whole new era in the areas of optics. Image brightness at twilight and brilliance were newly defined through the T* MultilayerCoating, and still stand as outstanding features of the Carl Zeiss Sports Optics products. The Abbe-König prism systems are consistently used in all binoculars for critical light conditions as their internal light distribution (pure total reflections; no light-absorbing mirror surfaces) is the brightest erecting system in the field of binocular construction. Alongside this high level of light transmission, the current Victory FL product range also scores points for its unparalleled sharpness. This sharpness is due to the use of complex fluoride glass (FL) and the perfect coordination of all image-relevant materials and parameters. This FL concept acts as a reference point and industry standard for what is possible today. Another ZEISS technology of recent times is the LotuTec® coating for external lenses. The coating allows water to simply roll off and prevents the accumulation of dirt and fingerprints. The

ABOVE: Late in 1866 Zeiss (bottom) and Ernst Abbe (top) formed a partnership where Abbe became the director of research of the Zeiss Optical Works. Abbe laid the framework of what would become the modern computational optics development approach. BELOW: In 1894 ZEISS developed the first binoculars with increased distance between the objective lenses for enhanced three-dimensional vision at long range.

FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 37

process—already used a million times over for ZEISS spectacles—is the perfect example of hydrophobic layers and is used for a great many different products. Special requirements for which Carl Zeiss has developed impressive product solutions include image stabilization, imaging (integration of a digital camera in a spotting scope), and rangefinders with ballistic analysis. TRADITION

Carl Zeiss Sports Optics GmbH is a young company that can look back on a long history and a wealth of experience in which the knowledge of two outstanding optical businesses come together: Carl Zeiss and Moritz Hensoldt. Moritz Hensoldt had an optical workshop in Wetzlar from the year 1865, though he initially set up his business in Sonneberg/Thüringen in 1852. Carl Zeiss had been based in Jena since 1846. Both operations competed with each other on similar developments, initially with binoculars in the last decade of the 19th century. Jena produced the “double telescope with increased objective distance,” as the Porro glasses were

described in the ZEISS patent of 1893. The Wetzlar-based company, on the other hand, was a pioneer of the more compact roof prism systems, which are still a benchmark today in a similar form. A few years later in the first decade of the 20th century, both companies started to manufactu r e r i f le s c op e s for hunting—again virtually at the same time. These two strong brands were therefore worthy rivals. Carl Zeiss in Jena was larger and more multifaceted than Hensoldt. Gradually circumstances led to what would nowadays be termed a “hostile takeover.” A few years after the Moritz Hensoldt family business became a publicly limited company due to the economic crisis and the resulting financial situation of 1922, the Carl Zeiss foundation enterprise became a majority shareholder in 1928. The tried and tested Hensoldt name was initially kept on as a company and brand name. Later, civilian binoculars and riflescopes were also sold under the ZEISS name, while military products continued to carry the Hensoldt logo. So Zeiss, or Hensoldt? For outsiders this

Our products are optical devices which enable our customers to pursue their profession and passion with highest emotional quality and precision. This is why we support organizations like the Boone and Crockett Club, who put game management and conservation at the top of their priority list.

38 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

was highly confusing! Clarity was finally achieved on October 1, 2006 when Carl Zeiss Sports Optics GmbH was officially formed. Today Carl Zeiss Sports Optics GmbH is a high-tech company and part of a leading global optics corporation that is currently maintaining its illustrious position as the world’s leader in high performance optics.

many years been complemented by the plant in Hungary. Wetzlar, known as the “City of Optics,” is home to numerous well-known companies. Sales and marketing is managed by subsidiary companies in the USA, UK, and Switzerland and partners in many other countries, which in turn provide support for a global network of qualified ZEISS dealers.

PRODUCTION

ZEISS understands hunting in a sustainable, ethical, and conservational way. We see hunting as part of human culture, active protection of nature and species, and in this way as part of our today’s society. To support the positive impact on nature conservation we actively support nature conservation organizations. Our products are optical devices which enable our customers to pursue their profession and passion with highest emotional quality and precision. This is why we support organizations like the Boone and Crockett Club, who put game management and conservation at the top of their priority list. This is the moment it becomes crystal clear what hunting is really about. n

Carl Zeiss Sports Optics GmbH has around 700 employees worldwide, of which 400 are based in Germany. Alongside modern machinery, dustfree rooms for final assembly, optimized process flows, and elaborate quality-control it is primarily the motivation and knowledge of these employees that are the hallmark of the high standards of Carl Zeiss Sports Optics products. One important factor in all this is the issue of training young people, either through apprenticeships or further education. The Wetzlar plant where premium products such as the Victory observation optics and all riflescopes for the European market (Victory, Classic and Duralyt) are made has for

CONSERVATION

FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 39

Milestones in Conservation

The history of the Boone and Crockett Club is a tale of over 127 years of measured and thoughtful commitment to conservation. It is a commitment that balances human needs with wildlife needs. We will be celebrating the anniversaries of the passage of laws, the establishment of institutions, and the designation of wildlands, which exist today in large part because of the extensive efforts of the Club and its dedicated membership.

Boone and Crockett Club 2015

100th Anniversary of the National Park Service

In 2016 the country will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. Unfortunately, the millions of international visitors and Americans that will visit a National Park this year will have no idea who had the foresight and commitment to remove these lands from development, and keep them and the wildlife there in wild perpetuity for all the people. We need to ask ourselves why there is not a sign or a plaque to be found anywhere within these sanctuaries acknowledging sportsmen for their efforts? Why is our history unknown? The history of our national forests and national parks are intertwined. President Ulysses Grant designated the first national park in 1872 as, “a public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” Yellowstone was born out of a motivation to preserve

at least one special, wild place in its natural state removed from the path of human development and destruction. The problem was, Yellowstone was weeks away by horse and wagon from the population centers of the East. Few had seen it and fewer yet knew what a national park was or how to care for it. With few laws or enforcement of these laws in place, Yellowstone was being plundered by mining, timber, and commercial and sport hunting interests. To exploit the park even further the Northern Pacific Railroad was planning on a rail line through a portion of the park to take people in and resources out. The protection of Yellowstone was the first major initiative of the newly formed Boone and Crockett Club. Although the Club initially came together over concerns of losing big game species and the opportunity to hunt them, this emphasis

Timberland Reserve Bill of 1891

quickly took a jump back. What was needed was presidential authority to set aside more lands. Habitat became the first focal point of the Club’s agenda. With protecting land seen as a top priority to wildlife security and recovery, Club members drafted, rallied support for, and helped pass the Timberland Reserve Bill of 1891. This law made it possible for the President to claim land under federal authority for all the people. Using this piece of legislation Club members persuaded President Harrison to begin setting aside forest reserves, the first of which was the Yellowstone Reserve in Montana and Wyoming, which added 1 million acres to the borders of the park. Not only did this act birth the national forest system it also paved the way for future national parks and the national park system. The Club next drafted and got

National Park Service Established in 1916

Civil Service Appropriations Act of 1897

The National Park Service was established, with Club member Stephen T. Mather appointed as its first director.

Glacier National Park Established in 1910

Yellowstone Park Protection Act Legislation Passed in 1894

President William Howard Taft signed legislation for establishing Glacier National Park—first surveyed and proposed by Club member George Bird Grinnell, along with the help of other Club members and U.S. Senator Thomas B. Carter. Also instrumental in initiating this included Club members Professor Raphael Pumpelly, Henry S. Graves, and Chief of the U.S. Forest Service Gifford Pinchot.

Legislation pushed through Congress by U.S. Congressman and Club member John F. Lacey increased the size of Yellowstone by 3,344 square miles and served as the model legislation for the protection of future national parks. Key club members also included U.S. Senator George Vest, George Bird Grinnell, and General Philip Sheridan.

1850

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1875

1891 1894 1897 1900

1910

1916 /17

1925

To help engage and create our next generation of park visitors, supporters and advocates, the White House, in partnership with the Federal Land Management agencies, launched the Every Kid in a Park initiative. The immediate goal is to provide an opportunity for each and every 4th grade student across the country to experience their federal public lands and waters in person throughout the 2015-2016 school year. Beginning September 1st all kids in the fourth grade have access to their own Every Kid in a Park pass at www.everykidinapark.gov. This pass provides free access to national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges, and more!

passed in Congress the Yellowstone Park Protection Act of 1894, essentially shutting out the commercial interests and putting enforcement in place to keep them out. Now that lands could be set aside, they needed to be managed for both use and sustainability. The next piece of legislation proposed by the sportsmen of the Boone and Crockett Club was the Civil Service Appropriations Act of 1897. Later known as the Organic Act, this federal law provided the management system for the newly formed forest reserves. Boone and Crockett Club members fought hard to push back the power of western timber barons who vehemently opposed both acts as attacks on their previously unchecked commercial timber cutting interests. Harrison, President Cleveland claimed another 20 millions acres of

forest. In the meantime, Club members George Bird Grinnell proposed the Flathead Forest Reserve in Montana, which would then become Glacier National Park in 1910. In 1917, over concerns to protect the natural beauty surrounding Mt. McKinley in Alaska, the Club’s executive committee organized a team of members led by Charles Sheldon to steer through the Washington bureaucracy and draft a law that would create a 2,000 square-mile Mt. McKinley National Park. The legislation was drafted by the Boone and Crockett Club, the park’s boundaries defined by B&C, and the act promoted publicly by B&C to secure its passage. Sheldon insisted that it be named after what the native people called the mountain, Denali. But, it wasn’t until this year that President Obama officially changed the name of the park to Denali National Park.

Every American owes it to themselves and their families to visit a National Park, and as many as possible. The history of our National Parks is but one touchstone in the history of sportsmen-led conservation. People will not learn this history on their own. We must teach them. Mt. Mckinley Park’s name changed to Denali National Park 2015

Mount McKinley National Park Act Legislation Passed in 1917 With the help of Club member Charles Sheldon’s campaigning and surveying of the area for the protection of Dall’s sheep, and legislation written by the Club that designated the park’s boundaries, the Club helped secure passage of the Mount McKinley National Park Act, now Denali National Park. In addition to Sheldon, this was initiated by Club members Chief of the U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey Dr. Ed. W. Nelson, Stephen T. Mather, and Belmore Browne.

1950

1975

Roosevelt’s Elkhorn Ranch became protected in 2007 Club member Lowell E. Baier spearheaded a fundraising campaign and orchestrated the federal government’s acquisition of Theodore Roosevelt’s 23,550-acre Elkhorn Ranch from a private landowner. Considered the “Cradle of Conservation,” the ranch, which is adjacent to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, will be protected in perpetuity.

2000

2007

2015

2025

FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 41

POACH AND PAY Poaching, the illegal killing of game animals and other wildlife is a serious problem and a crime. The targeting of trophy, big game animals is a growing concern. Protecting, conserving and regulating wildlife is becoming increasingly challenging, especially with the value of trophy animals on the rise and advancements in technology giving poachers an advantage over wildlife resources and enforcement actions. However, a new research program looks to examine the possibility of higher fines as a deterrent to poaching in an effort to curb wildlife crime and more severely punish those who steal valuable conservation resources. Funded through a partnership between the Boone and Crockett Club and American sporting optics maker Leupold & Stevens, the research program “Poach and Pay” is led by Vickie Edwards, a Boone and Crockett Official Measurer and former wildlife biologist with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks who has extensive experience working with enforcement officers that prosecute poachers. Edwards will spearhead the research by conducting in-depth interviews with every state wildlife agency and their enforcement divisions. “Our hunting heritage is at risk every time an animal

BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB PRESS RELEASE

is poached and it is time to get serious about dealing with this on-going problem,” said Leupold’s president and CEO, Bruce Pettet. “The Boone and Crockett Club’s important research is the first step towards developing new tools to deter poaching.” Ultimately, the data gathered will identify what is and is not working in the fight against poachers, as well as which state agencies are already utilizing the Boone and Crockett Club’s official scoring system to assess higher fines for the poaching of a trophy animal. The program was launched at the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Annual Conference in Tucson last week. “All wildlife is a public trust resource and poaching strikes at the heart of this important conservation principle,” observes Dave Chanda, President of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. He goes on to note that state fish and wildlife agencies stand for the sciencebased regulated harvest of wildlife resources.” T he B o one a nd Crockett Club’s big-game scoring system is the recognized

standard for evaluating the size of North American biggame trophies, making it a valuable enforcement tool for determining more appropriate penalties for the illegal killing of a mature animal. A handful of states already employ elements of the B&C scoring system to determine a restitution scale for poaching. However, in other states, fines for poaching big-game animals are the same regardless of antler/horn size or trophy score. It is also likely fines themselves have not kept pace with the rising cost of law enforcement and conservation efforts. Hunters are talking and the Club is listening. A recent survey of hunters, conducted by “Poach and Pay” researchers, found 92.6 percent of respondents in support of higher fines for poaching big game. The same survey identified 88 percent also in favor of even higher fines for poaching trophy big game. “Hunters and poachers are not brothers. Hunters support conservation and work to protect wildlife. Poaching is a crime and was established as such at the earliest stages of

HUNTER SURVEY 92.8%

Support Higher Fines for Poaching Big Game

88.2%

Support Higher Fines for Poaching Trophy Big Game 1,164 responses as of 10-21-2015

–––––––––––––– https://www.surveymonkey.com/ results/SM-F6Q85K82/

42 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

the conservation movement,” Boone and Crockett Club president Morrie Stevens said. “For far too long, being convicted of poaching a deer or another big game animal has been akin to getting a speeding ticket in terms of the severity of punishment. Hunters tell us they want to see punishments equal to the crimes.” “ The Boone a nd Crockett Club’s scoring system provides a respected, definitive, well-known criteria for defining a trophy animal and is not subject to the legal clouding employed by those desperate to avoid criminal conviction.” “Poach and Pay” researchers will survey enforcement officers from every state wildlife agency and publish their findings and recommendations in a report to be distributed to state agency directors. Interviews will take place outside of each state’s general big-game hunting season with the report to be published by summer 2017. State wildlife agency personnel with questions regarding the “Poach and Pay” research program may call (406) 542-1888. n

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3. SILVER STAG KNIVES The SILVER STAG manufacturing facility is something you might have seen in America 100 years ago. A small group of guys, hand making high quality tools in a dusty old pole building, in small town USA. Every knife produced (under their rusty old roof), is ground, shaped, assembled, polished, and sharpened free-hand. These skilled craftsmen exclusively use domestically produced High Carbon Tool steels to manufacture their blades, and then incorporate antler or hard woods into their finished designs. Since each knife is handmade using natural materials, no two SILVER STAG knives will ever look exactly the same. But you can be assured; these knives are exceptionally practical, durable, and gorgeous to behold. The team at SILVER STAG will even manufacture a knife using their customers own cherished antler. Over the years, SILVER STAG has received many industry awards; including NRA NWTF, RMEF, and KING Ranch Knife of the year programs. SILVER STAG has also teamed up with RUGER, and Cabela’s to build exclusive designs. SILVERSTAG.COM 888-233-STAG (7824)

Tip of the Cap It’s a well-known fact that conservation has a price.

It’s also well known that sportsmen have been paying into this system in various ways on an exponential basis since the 1920s. Often lost in the conversation, however, is the commitment hunting industry manufacturers make. Product makers, firearms companies in particular, began financially contributing to the conservation movement over the same concerns that formed the Boone and Crockett Club —dwindling wildlife populations. These are resource dependent stakeholders, no different from sportsmen themselves. Manufacturers put their money where their passion is through product and cash donations, sponsorships, the collection of taxes on equipment purchases, and their executives contributing their leadership and insights on the boards of many local and national conservation organizations. Today it’s not just the gun companies. More have jumped in with their commitments. The Boone and Crockett Club is blessed to have such a diversity of corporate partners that help fund the mission critical work of the Club. And its not just Boone and Crockett. You will see these same names aligned with other conservation groups supporting their specific works. While we have exact figures on the moneys for conservation that have come from other sources like licenses, tag and stamp fees, and taxes it is difficult to calculate the contributions manufacturers have made over time. Millions would be a safe bet, if not more. These companies are special. All they ask in return is we keep wildlife conservation moving forward in the right direction for everyone’s benefit.

The Boone andCrockett Club asks that you please thank our Trailblazers with your patronage.

SAVE THE DATE!

Springfield, Missouri | July 13-16, 2016

BASS PRO SHOPS

Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wildlife Museum and Aquarium Public Display of Trophies | May 4-July 16, 2016

46 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

Gift Ideas | New B&C Hats and Shirts | New Books

BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB

GIFT CATALOG WINTER 2015

Visit us on-line at www.boone-crockett.org Cover image of Theodore Roosevelt Montage by Underwood and Underwood (1908). For more on TR, check out the new book “The Legendary Hunts of Theodore Roosevelt” on Page 51. FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 47

FORKS IN THE TRAIL A CONSERVATIONIST’S TREK TO THE PINNACLES OF NATURAL RESOURCE LEADERSHIP When Jack Ward Thomas was named chief of the U.S. Forest Service in 1993, only twelve men had ever known the staggering responsibility, political pressure—and extraordinary opportunities to influence the future of America’s natural resources—that came with the job. Forks in the Trail is a collection of memoirs that shaped the values, knowledge, skills, and decisions of a field biologist who came from a hardscrabble Texas farm to the pinnacles of natural resource leadership in Washington, D.C. Thomas’s formal education and decades of forest, range, and wildlife research had prepared him academically. His rural upbringing and passion for nature, hunting, and sustainable use of natural resources had prepared him pragmatically. But it was basic moxie that ultimately equipped Thomas to confront the most controversial conservation topics of the day, from managing old-growth timber and spotted owl habitat to the deaths of fourteen wildland firefighters in 1994. Forks in the Trail offers intensely personal reflections of life lessons—of the “foibles, fears, mistakes, adventures, misadventures, successes, failures, and comedies of errors and ego”—learned along the way to a full, remarkable career. ALSO AVAILABLE AS PART OF THE JACK WARD THOMAS TRILOGY...

FORKS IN THE TRAIL n 25 n 6

B&W photographs

x 9 inches

n 342

pages

BPJWTF | $24.95 ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $19.95

PAPERBACK SET n Custom

slipcase, signed by author

n Available

while supplies last

BPJWTPBS | $89.95 ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $71.95

SLIPCASE SOLD SEPARATELY

BPJWTW | $24.95

BPJWTH | $24.95

BPJWTSC | $20

ASSOCIATES | $19.95

ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $16

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B oo k Febr s won’ t sh u ar quan tity y. With ip until a lim avai labl it y o ur e , pr e - ed c op y orde toda r y.

THE LEGENDARY HUNTS OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT BY JOHN SEEREY-LESTER Acclaimed wildlife artist John Seerey-Lester takes you on a historic journey in words and paintings that will make you feel as though you were there, sharing the exciting adventures with the former president in the new book, The Legendary Hunts of Theodore Roosevelt. This much anticipated new book features over 50 true stories devoted to Roosevelt’s most spectacular hunts on three continents. Complementing Seerey-Lester’s fascinating text will be some 120 of his paintings and sketches, which altogether provide a fascinating glimpse into the life of the former president and his passion for wildlife and adventure. The book covers TR’s most active years as an outdoorsman from the 1870s until his death in 1919. It begins with TR’s first hunt as a 5 year old, and then tells of his brother Elliot and a thrilling story involving a massive herd of bison on the Western plains. You will share in TR’s excitement and frustration as a rancher in the Badlands of the Dakotas; of hunting grizzlies in buckskin and moccasins; of several harrowing incidents that set the stage for TR’s illustrious life as one of the world’s foremost adventurers. Boone and Crockett Club has partnered with John Seerey-Lester and Sporting Classics to release this special Boone and Crockett Edition of The Legendary Hunts of Theodore Roosevelt. This special edition includes several pages of exclusive content about Theodore Roosevelt and B&C not found in the regular edition and is only available from the Boone and Crockett Club. Readers can choose from two very special editions—the B&C Limited Edition or the highly-collectible B&C Deluxe Edition, which includes an original painting by John Seerey-Lester.

B&C LIMITED EDITION

B&C DELUXE EDITION

n Includes

n Limited

exclusive Boone and Crockett Club content, not found in the regular edition. to 500 numbered copies.

n Special

tipped-in signature page autographed by John Seerey-Lester.

n Comes

with a signed giclée print, “TR and Skip Headin’ Home” by John Seerey-Lester.

n Gilt

edges, and a gold foil stamped cover in a matching slipcase.

exclusive Boone and Crockett Club content, not found in the regular edition. to just 25 numbered copies.

n Special

tipped-in signature page autographed by John Seerey-Lester, Tweed Roosevelt, and B&C member Jeff Watkins.

n Quarter

bound in premium goat leather and French marble paper, inserted into a Japanese book cloth slipcase.

n SPECIAL

BONUS! Each edition comes with an original John Seerey-Lester painting, created exclusively for each buyer.

BPLHTR | $250 ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $200

BDLHTR | $2,500 CALL 406-542-1888 TO RESERVE YOUR DELUXE EDITION TODAY.

ORDERING AS A GIFT?

‹

Since the books are not scheduled to ship until February, let us know if you’re buying the book as a gift. We’ll include this exclusive postcard signed by John Seerey-Lester. You can wrap it up and give it to your friends so they know what they are getting and when to expect the book.

Toll-Free 888/840-4868 | www.boone-crockett.org | Become a B&C Associate and Save 20%

WILD GOURMET NATURALLY HEALTHY GAME, FISH AND FOWL RECIPES FOR EVERYDAY CHEFS Looking for new ways to prepare the wild game you harvested this season? Do you want recipes that produce unique and delicious results? Do you need tips for processing your venison that will all but guarantee top-notch flavor? In Wild Gourmet, America’s most respected chefs share their favorite recipes covering a menagerie of wild meats and a world of flavors. This scrumptiously illustrated cookbook features over 60 easy, step-by-step recipes that will please the most discriminating eaters. Recipes are presented with accompanying photographs, as well as wine pairings suggested by third generation Napa wine maker Marc Mondavi.

Gold Award Cooking

Silver Award Cookbooks

IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award

Foreword Reviews Indie FabAwards

New to hunting and fishing? Locavores and health-conscious cooks are turning to wild game, and they’re discovering what sportsmen have known all along: The tastiest, healthiest meat is wild meat. Wild Gourmet will demystify processing and preparing your harvest.

BONUS MEAT POSTER! Learn the unique characteristics and best uses of each cut of venison with this 24x36-inch color poster, included with every copy of Wild Gourmet!

Wild Gourmet is much more than just a cookbook—improve the flavor of your game with real-world processing tips. Learn to butcher your own harvest with step-by-step, illustrated instructions covering: rabbit, duck, squirrel, turkey, elk, and salmon. Wild Gourmet makes it easy for anyone to tame wild meat in the kitchen! n Hardcover n Over n 8

300 color photographs

x 10 inches

n 272

pages

BPWG | $34.95 ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $27.95

Gift Ideas | New B&C Hats and Shirts | Winter Reading

B&C CLASSICS – MUST READS FOR ANY SPORTSMEN ! RANCH LIFE AND THE HUNTINGTRAIL – ROOSEVELT n 6x9

Paperback

n 272

pages

BCRLH | $24.95

Follow B&C founder Theodore Roosevelt during his time in the Dakotas and Montana. Upon his return from this particular sojourn out west he promptly organized a formal dinner with his friends and colleagues in December 1887 and formed the Boone and Crockett Club. In Ranch Life and the Hunting-Trail, Roosevelt records his experiences from his hunting adventures, the people and animals that he encounters, the excitement of the round up, to the everyday life on the ranch. TR's delightful prose provides a straightforward and very entertaining read. The book is handsomely illustrated with 95 pen and ink drawings by the premier western artist of the time, Frederic Remington.

ASSOCIATES | $19.95

AFRICAN GAME TRAILS – ROOSEVELT n 6x9

Paperback

n 576

pages

BCAGT | $24.95 ASSOCIATES | $19.95

WILDERNESS OF THE UPPER YUKON – SHELDON n 6x9

Paperback

n 576

pages

In Roosevelt’s all-time classic, African Game Trails you can relive the account of his African wanderings as an American hunter-naturalist. This edition includes over 100 refined photographs, drawings, and maps from the original publication as well as bonus images not found in other editions. Roosevelt and his son Kermit left New York in March 1909 and traversed Africa for nearly a year. Roosevelt’s object was not that of a mere sportsman to accumulate personal souvenirs of his hunting skill. This was a serious scientific expedition to collect specimens of large and small game of Africa for the Smithsonian Institution—many of which can be found at the Smithsonian still to this day.

Join Sheldon on his two years of field experiences while engaged in studying wild sheep of Yukon Territory from 1904 to 1905. This detailed account is strictly from the point of view of a hunter interested in natural history. Sheldon traveled by steamboat, canoe, pack horses and on foot as he was accompanied by other well known explorers of his generation such as Frederick C. Selous, William H. Osgood, and Carl Rungius. Along with mountain sheep, Sheldon also encounters moose, grizzly bears, and caribou. The Wilderness of the Upper Yukon is profusely illustrated with nearly 100 photographs and paintings from the trip including four detailed maps of his travels.

BCWUY | $24.95 ASSOCIATES | $19.95

CAMP-FIRES IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES – HORNADAY n 6x9

Paperback

n 368

pages

BCCCR | $24.95

Readers will join early B&C members William T. Hornaday and John M. Phillips as they travel through the mountains in British Columbia by horseback on an expedition to collect museum specimens and to hunt for the region’s various big game animals. Readers will be delighted with the 70 high-quality photographs taken more than a hundred years ago... mostly in risky and daring situations. The images complement Hornaday’s prose, which is highly entertaining. The authors’ adventures take them among mountain goats, grizzly bears, and bighorn sheep. Hornaday also provides detailed natural history on the various species—big and small—they encounter along the way.

ASSOCIATES | $19.95

A HUNTER’S WANDERINGS IN AFRICA – SELOUS n 6x9

Paperback

n 488

pages

BCHWA | $24.95 ASSOCIATES | $19.95

Follow noted adventurer Frederick Courteney Selous as he spends nine years amongst the game of the far interior of South Africa as a professional hunter beginning in 1871 at the young age of 20. In his preface he notes, “...my pages are naturally chiefly devoted to the ferae naturae amongst which I have been constantly living. Some of my conclusions with regard to lions, rhinoceroses, or other animal, may differ from those arrived at by other men equally competent to give an opinion; but, at all events, they are the result of a long personal experience of the beasts themselves, and have not been influenced in any way by the often unreliable stories of ‘old hunters.’” Selous delivers with a very entertaining and informative manuscript that will delight hunters, adventurers, and sportsmen of today.

Toll-Free 888/840-4868 | www.boone-crockett.org | Become a B&C Associate and Save 20%

NEW BOONE AND CROCKETT SHIRTS! Show your support for the Boone and Crockett Club and Fair Chase Hunting by wearing our newest shirts.

ELK BADGE HOODIE

B&C ELK SKULL T-SHIRT

SINCE 1887 T-SHIRT

n Dark

n Charcoal

n Black

n 100%

Gray Smoke Poly

n 100%

Cotton

n 100%

Cotton

n Adult

Sizing (S, M, L, XL, XXL)

n Adult

Sizing (M, L, XL, XXL)

n Adult

Sizing (M, L, XL, XXL)

ASMGOB | $59.95

ATMCEST | $24.95

ATMB87 | $24.95

ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $47.95

ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $19.95

FAIR CHASE ELK HOODIE

WHITETAIL JUMPER T-SHIRT

B&C MULE DEER TOPO T-SHIRT

n Black

n Charcoal

n White

n 100%

Cotton

n 100%

Cotton

n 100%

Cotton

n Adult

Sizing (M, L, XL, XXL)

n Adult

Sizing (M, L, XL, XXL)

n Adult

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ASBHFC | $59.95

ATMGOFC | $24.95

ATMWBCG | $24.95

ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $47.95

ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $19.95

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B&C GEAR FOR THE LADIES! HUNT FAIR CHASE T-SHIRT

n Black n 100%

Cotton

n Adult

Sizing (M, L, XL, XXL)

ATMBHFC | $24.95

FAIR CHASE MULE DEER

LUCKY T-SHIRT

n Eggplant

n Grey

n 100%

n 50/38/12

Cotton

sizing, runs small, order accordingly (S, M, L, XL, XXL)

Heather Poly/Cotton/Rayon

n Junior

sizing, runs small, order accordingly (S, M, L, XL, XXL)

ATWPFC | $29.95

ATWHBCL | $29.95

ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $23.95

B&C ELK HOODIE

100% WILD T-SHIRT

n Marled

n Warm

ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $19.95

BUGLING ELK HOODIE

n Brown n 80/20

Cotton/Poly

n Adult

Sizing (M, L, XL, XXL)

ASBOBC | $59.95

n 60/40

Evergreen

Cotton/Poly

sizing, runs small, order accordingly (S, M, L, XL, XXL)

n 100%

Gray

Cotton

n Junior

sizing, runs small, order accordingly (S, M, L, XL, XXL)

ASWGWBC | $54.95

ATWG100 | $29.95

ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $43.95

ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $23.95

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Toll-Free 888/840-4868 | www.boone-crockett.org | Become a B&C Associate and Save 20%

NEW BOONE AND CROCKETT CAPS

HUNT FAIR CHASE DECALS

Buy one for you... and one for your hunting partner. They make a great gift!

Show off these B&C window decals on your car, gun case, or wherever people will see it. These custom-cut transparent vinyl stickers are available for whitetail deer, mule deer, elk or sheep and extremely durable for all weather conditions. They measure 3-3/4 inches wide. SOLD INDIVIDUALLY FOR $5 EACH OR A SET OF FOUR | DECALL | $15

HUNT FAIR CHASE CAP n Heather n Flex

Grey

Fit

n Sizes

BOONE AND CROCKETT CAP

available S/M or L/XL

AHOHFC | $29.95

n Grey

ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $23.95

n Flex

DECWT | $5

Pattern

Fit

n Sizes

available S/M or L/XL

AHPBC | $29.95 ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $23.95

DECMD | $5

FAIR CHASE RAM CAP n Realtree

Camo

n Adjustable

Strap

MULEY SKULL CAP

AHCOFC | $29.95

n Grey

ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $23.95

n Flex

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n Sizes

available S/M or L/XL

AHGSK | $29.95

DECSH | $5

ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $23.95

ARE YOU A FAIR CHASE HUNTER? FAIR CHASE HUNTER DECAL Define yourself with this high-quality diecut decal. These are custom die-cut vinyl stickers that are extremely durable for all weather conditions. This decal will look great on your truck, laptop, gun safe, or wherever people will see it! n 6

inches in diameter

n White

die-cut vinyl

B&C SINCE 1887 LAPEL PIN n .75

inches in diameter

n Solid

black cloisonnĂŠ enamel with silver metal

n Dual

FCHD | $10 NO DISCOUNT AVAILABLE

DECEK | $5

clutch back

ALP1887 | $12.50 ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $10

Gift Ideas | New B&C Hats and Shirts | Winter Reading

JOIN THE B&C ASSOCIATES ADVISORY GROUP We have created a closed discussion group on Facebook called the B&C Associate Advisory Group. The purpose of this group is to discuss issues related to hunting and conservation, and to create a community where we can help answer questions and solicit feedback. We want to hear about what is important to YOU, our dedicated Associates. We look forward to continuing the conversation, helping out our fellow hunters and sharing our fair chase stories!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook to stay up to date on the latest promotions and updates on what the Boone and Crockett Club is working on to promote fair chase and conserve our hunting heritage.

THE VIEWS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS FORUM ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHORS AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE OFFICIAL POLICY OR POSITION OF THE BOONE AND CROCKET T CLUB OR ANY MEMBER OF THE BOONE AND CROCKET T CLUB. PLEASE KEEP IT CIVIL. PERSONAL AT TACKS AND OVER-THE-TOP VULGARIT Y WILL NOT BE TOLERATED, AND WILL RESULT IN THE BANNING OF OFFENDERS FROM THE GROUP. YOU MUST BE A BOONE AND CROCKET T ASSOCIATE IN GOODSTANDING TO PARTICIPATE.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION. TELL US WHY YOU ARE A FAIR CHASE HUNTER! FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 55

LOWELL E. BAIER B&C REGULAR MEMBER B&C PRESIDENT EMERITUS

T H E N AT I O N A L C O L L E C T I O N

OF HEADS AND HORNS Record Keeping of North American Big Game

PART 3

This four part series will narrate the history and legacy of Boone and Crockett Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Collection of Heads and Horns. From its inception in 1906 to the big move next spring to Springfield, Missouri.

It is a story that begins with an undertaking to memorialize through museum displays big game species whose futures, at the time, looked bleak. It is, however, a story that ends on a far more positive note: the dramatic restoration of these same species to healthy and abundant numbers throughout much of their native range. This historical recap was originally published in the 8th edition of Boone and Crockett Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Records of North American Big Game. 56 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

The new home of the National Collection of Heads and Horns.

In 1916 Hornaday raised $100,000 from 10

contributors for a new building to be built along Baird Court, thus completing the grand concourse of the park. By the time Hornaday had raised the money, the first World War had come along and construction prices were rising so rapidly that the Executive Committee of the Zoological Society advised delay. Even worse, it changed Hornadayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design. In a lifetime of affronts to Hornadayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wisdom, this was the worst. The ensuing debate heated and escalated as construction costs accelerated rapidly during the War, and the $100,000 proved inadequate. Even after the war ended, the Society had to wait for prices to come down, and then raise more money before the building could be erected. The Executive Committee backed off from its insistence on two entrances, Hornaday made some slight concessions and all was harmony when the building was finally dedicated at 4:00 p.m. May 25, 1922. Hornaday described the event in the Zoological Bulletin as follows: With the dedication and opening on May 25 of the Museum of the National Collection of Heads and Horns, another dream comes true. . . . It owes its existence to the generosity and good-will-to-man of the persons whose names are as follows: Mrs. Frederick Ferris Thompson, Mrs. Russell Sage, John D. Archbold, Jacob H. Schiff, George F. Baker, Mrs. Andrew Carnegie, Andrew Carnegie, Edmund C. Converse, Samuel Thorne (In Memoriam) and George D. Pratt.... The National Collection of Heads and Horns was founded and formed as a duty owed to the American people and to the vanishing big game of the world. . . . It seemed necessary to get while the getting was good, and before further exterminations of species rendered it too late. ... As wild animal extermination now is proceeding all over the world, it is saddening to think that 100 years hence many of the species now shown in our collection will have become totally extinct.

The building design was of classic, Romanesque architectural style, built of brick and Indiana limestone. It is two stories high and includes 10,842 square feet. The inscription carved over the entrance reads: NATIONAL COLLECTION OF HEADS AND HORNS. The flanking exterior tablet at the left was inscribed: ERECTED BY THE NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 1922; the tablet at the right reads: IN MEMORY OF THE VANISHING BIG GAME OF THE WORLD.

FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 57

T H E N AT I O N A L C O L L E C T I O N

OF HEADS AND HORNS

Hornaday valued the collection at $450,000 in 1922. It contained approximately 800 specimens and included 11 World’s Record trophies and 14 seconds, plus other irreplaceable specimens of extreme rarity and value. The building design was of classic, Romanesque architectural style, built of brick and Indiana limestone. It is two stories high and includes 10,842 square feet. Two main public exhibition halls were on the upper level and carried out to the letter the original plan of two distinct but equally complete series of heads and horns, arranged zoologically and geographically. The lower level was reserved for zoologists, educators and sportsmen, with a spacious exhibition hall and areas for duplicate specimens, reference and study. The inscription carved over the entrance reads: NATIONAL COLLECTION OF HEADS AND HORNS. The flanking exterior tablet at the left was inscribed: ERECTED BY THE NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 1922; the tablet at the right reads: IN MEMORY OF THE VANISHING BIG GAME OF THE WORLD. The building was built by the Miller-Reed Company of New York for a contract price of $114,782. The National Collection entered the second period of its history with the completion of the Heads and Horns Building and the appointment of Martin S. Garretson as Attendant (and subsequently curator) of the Collection in May 1924. Until then, Hornaday had maintained the tedious position of curator along with his many vigorous 58 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

responsibilities as Director of the Zoological Park. Hornaday and Garretson had been friends for many years since both were instrumental in founding the American Bison Society in 1905. Hornaday was 70 when he appointed Garretson. He had been Director of the Zoological Park for 28 years and he retired in June 1926 at the age of 72 after 30 years of service. Exhibition merely for the sake of exhibition was the purpose of the Zoological Park in Hornaday’s opinion (and the Society’s), and he had accomplished this with his capstone being the Heads and Horns Museum. The Zoological Society had two other goals, conservation of wildlife and promotion of zoological science for research and education. Garretson continued Hornaday’s drive to complete all the gaps in the National Collection’s family orders and zoologic classif ications throughout his 17-year curatorship that lasted until 1940. But a parallel development introduced definite confusion in the focus and interpretation of what the National Collection stood for and eventually led to its discredit and demise under the increasingly scientifically oriented leadership of the New York Zoological Society. That development was the big game records keeping system of the early 1930s. In 1930, the Society’s President, Madison Grant, appointed a Committee on Record Heads. That Committee issued a report in 1931 titled “Records of North American Big Game” which was signed by Prentiss N. Gray, Chairman, Kermit Roosevelt, E. Hubert Litchfield and W. Redmond Cross, Madison Grant and George Harrison. This report begins, The committee appointed by President Grant in 1930 to compile a record of North

American Big Game trophies, is approaching the completion of its task. The idea of this record originated not through a desire to inspire hunters to indiscriminate killing in an effort to acquire a record head, nor to promote a market for heads of extraordinary size, but rather to preserve an official record of vanishing game of North America. Subsequently in 1932 the Boone and Crockett Club’s first records book, Records of North American Big Game, was issued under the auspices of the National Collection of Heads and Horns of the New York Zoological Society. Its foreword outlines the impetus behind the book: Some of the best trophies which were recorded even a generation ago have entirely disappeared, relegated perhaps to attics, or the waste heap through the death of the owner who prized them for sentimental reasons. Therefore this record seems timely as preserving an authentic history of the many splendid trophies taken before some of our big game animals have been brought practically to the point of extinction . . . no museum can contain even a small percentage of the largest trophies and therefore this volume was conceived to record the finest specimens of North American Big Game in this country and abroad of which, after three years diligent search, we were able to obtain authenticated measurements.

Martin S. Garretson continued Hornaday’s drive to complete all the gaps in the National Collection’s family orders and zoologic classifications throughout his 17-year curatorship that lasted until 1940.

In 1939, the Boone and Crockett Club’s second records book, North American Big Game, was published in cooperation with the National Collection of Heads and Horns of the New York Zoological Society and the American Museum of Natural History. The foreward contains the following appeal: With the decimation of our game herds, we have arrived at a time when it is of utmost importance to preserve the best trophies now in existence. The National Collection of Heads and Horns of the New York Zoological Society was founded for this purpose. There, in the Bronx Zoological Park, is the finest and most comprehensive collection of heads and horns of the big game of the world, including by far the best collection of

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FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 59

T H E N AT I O N A L C O L L E C T I O N

OF HEADS AND HORNS

North American Big Game in existence, among which are many records. All owners of record heads are urged to make this collection the ultimate repository of their trophies in order that they may be preserved beyond peradventure from the ignominious oblivion that has been the lot of the magnificent specimens of the past and that this collection may be further established as a lasting tribute to these wonderful animals. Throughout this decade, Hornaday’s old friend and handpicked successor as curator of the National Collection, M.S. Garretson, consistently affirmed Hornaday’s primary theme behind the National Collection, the necessity of zoological completeness and educational relevance against the historical backdrop of the world’s vanishing species. In December 1936, the Heads & Horns Committee of the New York Zoological Society

issued a Special Report that exhaustively classified every specimen in the National Collection by zoological family and order and meticulously detailed specimens required to complete the Collection. In describing the scope of the Collection and threshold qualifications for entry of any specimen at the beginning of the Report, the Committee stated: The Collection is one of trophies of big game of the world. Manifestly and properly so, this necessarily excludes educational or scientific phases which are the functions of natural history museums and like institutions, where complete specimens including skeletons, skins and so forth are preserved for study and research. While there may be differences of opinion as to whether certain species fall within the term “Big Game”, generally speaking what is “Big Game” is pretty definitely established today, as manifested by such publications as Records of Big Game by Rowland Ward (now in its 9th edition) and Records of North American Big Game edited by Prentiss N. Gray. n

WORLD’S RECORD STONE’S SHEEP

SCORE: 196 6/8 LOCATION: Muskwa River, BC HUNTER: L.S. Chadwick OWNER: B&C National Collection DATE: 1936 KEY MEASUREMENTS: Length of horn: Right 50 1/8 - Left 51 5/8 Circumference of base: Right 14 6/8 - Left 14 6/8 Circumference of 3rd quarter: Right 6 6/8 - Left 7 Greatest spread: 31 Tip to tip spread: 31

60 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

SPOTLIGHT TROPHY WORLD’S RECORD DALL’S SHEEP DONATED BY L.S. CHADWICK

Lee Sherman Chadwick was enterprising enough to hunt Stone’s sheep (Ovis dalli stonei) in the upper Muskwa River country of British Columbia in 1936, long before the Alcan Highway made a formerly virgin game range more accessible. He was accompanied by Roy Hargreaves, with whom he had hunted several times in that region, as well as local guides Walter (Curly) Cochrane and Frank Golata. On the evening the campsite was reached, Hargreaves looked the country over with a 20x spotting scope and saw a few sheep on a distant mountain. The next morning, the whole party rode in that direction. In the early afternoon, they saw three rams on the skyline of a ridge, about a mile and a half away. The horses were left with the guides, while Chadwick started off with Hargreaves for the final approach. “We went up pretty fast for a man close to 62 years of age, but when my hatband, which was tight, banked up a large pool of perspiration, I would remove the hat and scoop off several handfuls of water, take a short rest, then plod on toward the top, with dry mouth and my shoes slowly filling with perspiration. “When we arrived at the top, the sheep were gone, as was to be expected, but we sighted them down in the Muskwa Valley, two thousand feet or more below. Then down over the rock slide, with sore feet and trembling knees, we went, until we got to within about 200 yards of them. We stopped and took movies of the three, and I undertook to shoot the big one. “My first shot was low, through his brisket. I used the scope for the first time. He started off at a terrible speed, and I started to pour lead into him. I shot four times, one of these hitting him lightly in the hip. Roy followed him on the run and, when he started up the mountain, he could not keep up with the other rams and this gave Roy a chance to get in the finishing shot. “He fell down a sharp ravine into a little brook. I was about all in and, of course, could not keep up with Roy. It was a very bad place to get to, but we both got down to the sheep without a fall, and when we got to him, we saw that he was well worth the hard work. “He had the most magnificent head I had ever seen, but not an overly large body. He had two almost perfect horns. The right horn was slightly broken on the end and only measured 50-4/8 inches. The left horn was pointed clear to the end and measured 52-1/8 inches. They were both a little over 15-3/8 inches at the base and the spread was 31-2/8 inches. All told, he was the finest head I had ever seen. If he is not a record head, he is close to it.” While Chadwick’s field measurements were unofficial, his hunch was absolutely correct. Scored at a World’s Record 196-6/8 points, this is the only recorded ram ever taken in North America with both horns over 50 inches long, and it is widely regarded as the best big game trophy this continent has produced.

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FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 61

“ETHICAL BEHAVIOR IS DOING THE RIGHT THING WHEN NO ONE ELSE IS WATCHING

— even when doing the

wrong thing is legal.”

— ALDO LEOPOLD

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On an ethical plane, we have to do whatever we can to dissuade and coach bad players within our ranks and we have to defend ourselves aggressively against those that pretend to be our brethren when they clearly are not. The most current and egregious of those deer breeders driven solely by ego and profit, operating with blatant disregard for the well-being of the wild herds across this great land. PG 102. THE ETHICS OF FAIR CHASE by Daniel A. Pedrotti, Jr. FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 63

IOWA’S WILDLIFE SCIENCE LEGACY The state of Iowa has had a pivotal role in the origins and evolution of wildlife conservation in North America. Not surprisingly, key Iowans who have had major influence in this heritage were Boone and Crockett Club members. Aldo Leopold, the father of wildlife management was born in Iowa. Congressman John Lacey from Iowa sponsored the Yellowstone Park Protection Act of 1894 and the Game and Wild Birds Preservation and Disposition Act of 1900, also known as the Lacey Act. The Yellowstone Act was the first act to halt the market hunting of big game in Yellowstone, and the Lacey Act would later become the most important federal anti–poaching law in the United States. J.N. “Ding” Darling led Iowa’s Conservation Commission and became the director of the now U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, where he established the Federal Duck Stamp and the Cooperative Wildlife Research Units. Iowa State University (ISU) was the first college in the nation to apply for status as Land Grant academic institution, under the Morrill Act in 1862. ISU has been front and center during the evolution of wildlife conservation. Home to the first Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, it is also the first university to establish a Cooperative Agricultural Extension program. It is to my knowledge the only university whose current president, Dr. Steven Leath, is a regular member of the Boone and Crockett Club. Not surprisingly, ISU is conducting 64 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

science today that has important applications to wildlife management. I will highlight a small portion of the ongoing research that is of particular interest to Club members. The Iowa Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit with faculty at ISU and Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have a long and diverse history of studying whitetail deer. Students have studied whitetail deer in relation to state parks and a proposed impoundment of the Des Moines River. Craig Huegel completed a pioneering study of fawn behavior, movement, and survival in 1985 that is still commonly cited. Other students have investigated techniques to monitor deer populations through tracking stations and spotlight surveys. Iowa State University in collaboration with the Iowa DNR has begun two new research projects on whitetail deer. The goal of the first project is to identify factors associated with the abundance and spatial distribution of high antler scoring whitetail deer in Iowa. The initial focus of this project will be an analysis of spatial and temporal trends in the harvest of trophy male deer in Iowa reported in Iowa’s trophy record book. The next step will be to identify relationships between antler characteristics of contemporarily harvested deer and habitat features at a finer-scale. Identifying factors associated with the abundance and spatial distribution of deer in Iowa with high antler scores could help managers and landowners to promote these characteristics. The goal of the

SCIENCE BLASTS

second project is to estimate fawn survival rates in central Iowa using radio collared fawns. These estimates will be used to validate the deer population models currently used by the DNR and to see if there are habitats that managers and landowners can create to help improve fawn survival. Students are also using genetics to look at dispersal and population structure of deer at local and regional scales. Additionally, they are evaluating how wildlife agencies can best communicate the risk of chronic wasting disease to multiple stakeholders. Conducting research to reduce uncertainty and improve management—what we term “actionable science”— has distinguished wildlife conservation in North America from conservation in many other parts of the world. The close working relationship between universities and

JOHN F. ORGAN B&C PROFESSIONAL MEMBER Director of the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units

management agencies is something we take for granted, but it is novel in other nations. In recent years, wildlife managers have sensed a drift from this core base of academia towards less applied research, and a growing gap between science and management. Iowa State University, the Iowa DNR, and the Iowa Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit have remained true to the ideals of our conservation pioneers, and promise to continue to advance wildlife conservation in this great state in the heartland of America. n

As president of Iowa State University and a Boone and Crockett Club member, I recognize and appreciate the critical importance of fish and wildlife research. Iowa State’s Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management has a history of innovation and excellence and has been partnering with the first-ever Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit for more than 80 years. The dedicated work of our faculty and students is having a substantive impact on efforts to improve fish and wildlife management through basic and applied research and extension to managers and decisionmakers. I’ve elevated the priority of this issue at ISU by providing presidential discretionary funds to launch nine new research projects in this area, and I would urge that wildlife management and conservation research also be elevated as a national priority. — Steven Leath President, Iowa State University

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EDUCATING THE

NEXT GENERATION OF

B&C UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS

CONSERVATION LEADERS Among the Boone and Crockett Club’s most forward-looking initiatives is its University Programs. This initiative is designed with a bold vision: attract the brightest young people to the strongest universities to work with the foremost wildlife faculty in the country. The Club now has programs at seven universities (three Professor programs and four Fellowship programs), with two more coming online in the next year. Here, we profile the full suite of our University Programs. Through the next issues, we intend to showcase what these programs are doing to educate the next generation of conservation leaders.

UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA

Long known for its exceptional big game research, the University of Montana hosted the original Boone and Crockett Professor, beginning in 1987. The Boone and Crockett program is focused primarily on the integration of wildlife conservation and private land management. This program includes research, extension of information, teaching, and documentation. A key component of the research-extension-documentation effort is centered on Boone and Crockett Club’s Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch and the Elmer E. Rasmuson Wildlife Conservation Center near Dupuyer, Montana. The 6,000-acre working cattle ranch and the Center are adjacent to the Lewis and Clark National Forest, along the Rocky Mountain Front.

Michigan State University

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TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

Texas A&M University hosts one of the three Boone and Crockett Professor programs. Through the Boone and Crockett endowment, Texas A&M has supported a decade of research on public policy. Last summer, Texas A&M proposed to expand their program with the Club to integrate policy with the study of private lands for conservation of wildlife. The expanded program will support research and instruction for Boone and Crockett Fellows, on issues of wildlife ecology and management on private lands. Full implementation of the program is expected to require two to three years.

Texas A&M University – Kingsville

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

Among the nation’s top wildlife programs, Michigan State hosts a Boone and Crockett Professor, the Club’s only Wildlife Extension Specialist, and the Boone and Crockett Quantitative Wildlife Center (QWC). The strong, studentfocused research program is specifically designed to address game-changing issues challenging wildlife conservation. The QWC emphasizes the application of advanced statistics and computer modeling as a common language to draw in the diverse sciences critical to conservation. In addition, Michigan State’s highly innovative outreach programs are introducing young professionals to hunting. Associated with these efforts is the Demmer Scholars program, which places students into conservation-related intern positions in Washington, D. C. each summer.

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN – STEVENS POINT COLLEGE OF NATURAL RESOURCES

UW-Stevens Point is one of the largest education programs in wildlife science in the nation and hosts one of Boone and Crockett’s Fellowship programs. Established in 2012, the Stephens Boone and Crockett Fellowship engages undergraduate students in mentored research on black bear, pheasant, sandhill crane, bobcat, and bobwhite quail. Boone and Crockett Fellows have won regional awards for their research. The Boone and Crockett Fellowships bring honor and prestige to student recipients and encourage active, mentored, scientific research that prepares graduates to manage and protect the future of America’s precious wildlife resources. TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY – KINGSVILLE

Kingsville hosts one of Boone and Crockett’s Fellowship programs. The first graduate student funded under the Boone and Crockett Fellowship in Ungulate Research at Texas A&M University-Kingsville will begin in January 2016. The fellowship is being used to support a 5-year research project, in conjunction with other funders, to study the effect of agriculture on mule deer in the Texas Panhandle. The student funded by the Boone and Crockett Fellowship in Ungulate Research will use this project for their graduate degree and will develop a variety of skills necessary to effectively manage large mammal game species.

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY

Mississippi State is home to the most recent Boone and Crockett Fellowship program. The National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses has partnered with the MSU Extension Service and Wildlife Mississippi® to plan and host a four-state regional meeting of legislators, including respective Governor’s offices, to discuss national policy on wild hogs and work toward consensus on the question, “What is effective legislation and policy to address hog control/eradication?” This regional summit will serve as a national template to discuss and form new policy. STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK COLLEGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND FORESTRY

SUNY–ESF will soon be home to a Boone and Crockett Professorship Program. The university hosts undergraduate and graduate education programs in wildlife science as well as the Roosevelt Wild Life Station. A select group of graduate students will have the opportunity to concurrently earn degrees in wildlife science at ESF and public administration at the Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs—the highest ranked public affairs school in the nation. In December 2014, the Boone and Crockett Club, ESF, Syracuse University’s Maxwell School, and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation collectively signed an agreement committing resources to the prospective endowed university program at ESF.

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA WARNELL SCHOOL OF FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

As one of the nation’s premier programs in wildlife and forestry, UGA will host a Boone and Crockett Professor. UGA President Jere Morehead has offered to match up to $250,000 of funding from Boone and Crockett to endow a Boone and Crockett Club Distinguished Professorship in Wildlife Management. The focus of this professorship and related program will be on issues of using sport hunting to sustainably manage big game species in the privately owned and commercially managed forest landscape of the southern United States. OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

Oregon State University hosts one of four Boone and Crockett Fellowship programs. Since its inception, this program has brought a strong emphasis to public policy as a centerpiece to wildlife conservation.

University of Montana

Texas A&M University

Michigan State University

University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point

Texas A&M University – Kingsville

Mississippi State University

University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources

Oregon State University

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MEMBERS OF THE WILDERNESS WARRIOR SOCIETY The Wilderness Warrior Society is the Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier major gifts society. It was launched in 2011 to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Boone and Crockett Club. With your gift of $125,000 or more, you will be honored by being named a founding member of the Wilderness Warrior Society. You will be presented with your own numbered limited edition bronze of Theodore Roosevelt on horseback, a custom Hickey Freeman Blazer, as well as other custom gifts to recognize and honor you for your contribution. Funds raised from Wilderness Warrior contributions are placed in the Boone and Crockett Club Foundation endowment where the principal remains intact, and the annual interest income generated provides permanent funding for vital conservation programs. We added four new members in 2014, bringing our total to twenty-four members of the Society. This translates to more than $3 million for the endowment. It has been a huge success by any measure but we will continue to grow the Society with a goal of 25 members or more. Please join us in this grand effort on such a significant occasion. Contact the Boone and Crockett Club today to find out how you can become a founding member of the Wilderness Warrior Society.

Trevor L. Ahlberg James F. Arnold Rene R. Barrientos Marshall J. Collins Jr. William A. Demmer Gary W. Dietrich John P. Evans Steve J. Hageman B.B. Hollingsworth Jr. Ned S. Holmes Tom L. Lewis Jimmy John Liautaud R. Terrell McCombs Jack S. Parker* Paul V. Phillips Remo R. Pizzagalli Thomas D. Price Edward B. Rasmuson Morrison Stevens Sr. Ben B. Wallace Mary L. Webster C. Martin Wood III Leonard H. Wurman M.D. Paul M. Zelisko * Deceased

2014 Annual Meeting, St. Petersburg, Florida Contact Ben Hollingsworth at 713/840-1508 for more details. Boone and Crockett Club | www.boone-crockett.org 250 Station Drive, Missoula, MT 59801 | 406/542-1888 68 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

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FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 69

MY FAVORITE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

MORE FROM WILD GOURMET

PA RT T WO

In the previous issue we discussed the first two “ingredients” to proper care after you harvest your game: m ic r o or g a n i s m s a nd exposure. This installment will cover fat, an often overlooked component of wild game meat. Wild game fat is not something that I used to give much thought, but as I began to delve deeper into the components of quality tasting wild game, I found that not all fat is created equal. Fat quality is a major contributor to the resulting “gameyness” of wild meat. The best wild fats come from non-diving ducks and geese; some of the worst fats are in cervids (venison) and mammalian males. Adipose tissue or fat stores many of the

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minerals and hormones in the body, and in nature, these flavors can be quite overwhelming. It is important to know the quality of fat specific to the game you are harvesting. If you are dealing with the high quality fat of ducks and geese—even squirrel, rabbit, bear, or wild boar—then it will be in your interest to keep the fat on the animal (as long as it is kept cold) until you process it. If you are dealing with poor quality fats like venison and elk, or the high hormone-laden fat of mammalian males, it is important that you remove as much of the fat as possible as quickly as possible. I am not suggesting that you throw this fat away; keep it. It still has useful and delicious capabilities, and splitting the fat and flesh will give you more control over the flavor of your dishes. I always skin my venison and mammalian males. The skin of all game is covered in a thin layer of adipose and until that fat completely hardens (40°F) the flavor profile is constantly seeping into the flesh. Even the energy from sunlight is sufficient to thaw dermal fat enough that flavor transfer quickens. The strong glands of male animals is particularly pungent and this scent can be off-putting enough to make some unwilling to eat the meat. It is best to leave the hide on while in the field as the damage from microorganisms is worse than the detriments of fat. But once you are in a clean and manageable environment, remove the hide

from these animals as quickly as possible. Keep the flesh from drying out by covering the muscle with plastic wrap or plastic bags. If I am deep in the heart of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, far from the clean sanctuary of my processing room, I will break the carcass into manageable sections, usually consisting of the neck, chuck/grinding meat, plates/ flanks, rib meat, loins, rounds, shanks/bones. I place each group into large black plastic bags (remove all the air) and seal, then layer in a large cooler with hard frozen ice packs. No buck-pole sunlight is going to taint the quality of the flesh this animal worked so hard to produce; my delicious dinner will age just beautifully tucked away in the cold, dark cooler. Wild game does not often suit traditional consumer butchering, cutting whole muscle groups into the individual steaks and roasts

Daniel Nelson CO-AUTHOR Wild Gourmet

we see in grocery isles. Domestic meats are better suited for whole roasts or large crosscuts of complete muscle groups or individual steaks because they have a much higher and more palatable fat content. This added fat helps negate the toughness of intramuscular sinew and keeps the mouth moist while chewing. It also makes for a much more forgiving meat, which can be cooked well-done and still be reasonably tasty. Without this fat, the connective tissue can easily become a rubber band and if the meat is overcooked; it becomes stuck in an arid and burdensome oral desert. Fat, temperature, connective tissue, and muscle grain must always be under constant care when cooking

RENDERING FAT Collect all fat from the carcass, especially that near the backbone and ribs of the animal. It is okay if the fat has small amounts of meat still attached. (1) Place the fat in a large sauté pan and add just enough water to cover the bottom of the fat. This will protect the fat from sticking and burning to the bottom. (2) Over medium-low heat, warm the fat and liquefy its delicious contents. Be careful not to use too much heat as this will scald and potentially burn the fat. (3) The large pieces of fat will shrink as they liquefy. (4) Stop once the pieces have turned crisp and golden brown. To finish, filter the hot fat through a cheesecloth (opposite top)

and serving wild game, so it is necessary to understand them before processing your game. Using this information, we can better cut and package meat in a manner that will produce the best quality cuts that you are confident in using. The high quality fat with which our culinary world is so familiar only exists because centuries of domestication have selected for it. We have fats and oils uniquely favored for every sumptuous quality this delicious ingredient has to offer. Because all fats are not created equal, each has its own particular qualities which will dictate its best use. The first quality of fat 1

Filter the hot fat through a cheesecloth and store in an airtight container and freeze untilÂ needed.

I look for is its melting point. The higher the melting point, the higher the amount of heat the fat is capable of withstanding. However, these high melting-point fats, particularly with wild game, will remain thick and solid at

room temperature. When these fats are served in your game dishes, the liquid fat will congeal in the mouth and leave a heavy, gamey, fatty taste which can ruin the whole meal. Lower meltingpoint fats cannot withstand high heat, but are 2 generally light and soft on the palate at room temperature. High-temperature cooking fats, like venison, are best suited for frying and searing. Using these fats at the right time and temperature can add an incredibly 4 de ep s avor y flavor to your favorite dish. I love to use two parts vegetable oil and one part venison fat for frying French fries. I also keep a solid block of venison or bear fat in the freezer and use it

to slick the grates on a searing hot grill. Lower-temperature fats, like those from the nondiving duck, goose, squirrel, rabbit, young female bear, and wild boar are perfect for adding the wet, juicy qualities back into any game dish. The best fats from duck and goose can even be used for cold cooking applications like salad dressings. Fat, regardless if it is high or low temperature, is extremely useful in the kitchen and should never be discarded. I am always amazed by the number of duck hunters who simply remove the breasts and discard the rest of their hard-fought harvest. Not only is there a tremendous abundance of delicious meat being wasted, it is also a great deal of the best cooking fat you can find. Fat can be rendered very easily and can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. Small amounts can be broken off the frozen block of rendered fat for use in recipes. Next issue we will discuss the best cooking temperatures for wild game. n FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 71

Casey (left) shared his Alaska adventure with one of his closest friends and his regular hunting partner, John Whipple (right). SEE JOHN AND CASEYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CARIBOU LISTED ON PAGE 98.

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CASEY L. DINKEL 60TH PARALLEL ADVENTURES CO-OWNER Photos Courtesy of Micah Ness and John Whipple

As the oversized balloon tires

of the Piper Super Cub touched down my mind started to race with excitement. The pilot quickly handed me my gear and readied himself for takeoff. “I’ll be back in a few with your buddy,” he yelled, and with a quick burst of the throttle the wheels of the plane were off the ground heading back toward civilization. Within seconds the drone of the engine shrank to nothing, and I was alone surrounded only by the sounds of Mother Nature. I impatiently pulled my binoculars out to scan the surrounding mountains. As I explored the steep slopes it wasn’t long before I was able to pick out some antler from amongst the rocks and tundra. A closer look revealed several young bulls. “On the ground less than five minutes and already seeing caribou,” I murmured under my breath as I peered intently through the binoculars. Collecting my pack and rifle, I moved away from the tiny rock airstrip and up to a little meadow where I had camped the last time I had been here. This was my third hunting trip in this valley, and although to most people it was just another rugged Alaskan landscape, to me it was much more.

FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 73

Somehow in three of the last four years I have been fortunate enough to pull a particular draw tag for barren ground caribou. After drawing the tag the first time, I did some research and settled on a little hanging valley nestled high in the mountains and accessible only by Super Cub. The bull I took on that trip was my first big game animal in Alaska, and a great way to cut my teeth on hunting in the 49th state. The second time I went back to that valley I took another nice bull, this one falling just shy of the book. I went this time with a guy named John Whipple who has since become one of my closest friends and my regular hunting partner. In the three years we have known each other we have already been on many hunts and spent countless days in the field together. After our first hunt together we started applying for the same hunt unit as a party tag, in the hopes that we would draw and both have an opportunity to harvest a trophy caribou. With the draw odds being so low neither John nor I dreamed that we would draw the tag just two years later, putting me back in the valley that was quickly starting to feel like home, for the third time. Even though John and I felt blessed to have drawn a trophy area for barren ground caribou, we knew drawing the tag was going to be the easiest part. Our first obstacle would be pursuing these monarchs in steep mountain country; we had often observed mature caribou bulls sharing the same cliffs with Dall’s sheep. We knew we would have to be in good physical and mental condition in order to pursue and pack out a caribou in terrain this rugged. The weather would be our second hurdle; the weather in Alaska can change on a dime, particularly high mountain valleys such as 74 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

the one we were to be hunting in. We planned our hunt for the first part of September, which meant the weather would be turning and we were risking spending a lot of time getting snowed on, and the caribou had time to shed most or all of their velvet and transition into their winter colors. In the early season, barren ground caribou are mostly gray with dark gray velvet on their growing antlers. Once the end of August rolls around and September nears, the larger bulls shed their velvet and become hard horned, while exchanging their grey brisket for solid white. To my way of thinking, there are very few animals in North America that are as beautiful and majestic as a mature caribou bull with his winter coat. Now as I sat for a third time in this little valley, watching yet another small group of caribou graze across a hillside, I heard the faint buzz of an airplane in the distance. The plane flew up the

helped him move his gear away from the plane. Still completely overwhelmed with excitement I just smiled and nodded my head. We spoke to the pilot briefly and confirmed our tentative pick up date; weather providing of course. “Well we’ll see you guys in a couple weeks, good luck!” the pilot yelled, and in seconds he was airborne and out of sight. Since it was early evening we decided to set up camp as quickly as possible and hike up a nearby ridge to glass. In Alaska you cannot hunt the same day you are airborne, however we wanted to survey as much of the valley and adjacent drainages for any potential trophies before nightfall. Once we made it most of the way up the ridgeline we spotted several small groups of caribou across the valley— mostly comprised of cows and calves. However, looking closer we were able to confirm one small group of respectable bulls that we decided might need a closer look in the morn-

Moving across the ridgeline John reminded me to stop often and glass each drainage as our perspectives changed. It can be easy in the mountains to just put your head down and focus on trying to get from point A to point B, but then only to stumble across animals that would have been seen earlier if one had taken the time to glass a little more.

valley hovering just below the clouds that consumed the mountaintops and touched down at the airstrip, bouncing to a stop. “It’s good to be back,” John said with a big smile as I

ing. With the days still fairly long in early September, we glassed every nook and cranny we could until roughly 10 p.m. With no more daylight left and stomachs growling we headed

down the mountain toward base camp. Once back at camp John and I discussed our morning game plan over a meal of Mountain House, concluding that we should head back up the ridge for more glassing at daybreak. Even though I was fairly tired from all the packing, travel, and excitement, I found it difficult to sleep. All I could think about was giant caribou and how the morning could not come fast enough! Shortly after daybreak we loaded up our packs for a day hike and set out. The ridgeline we had glassed from the previous evening ran several miles to the south and allowed us to scope out a series of drainages that flowed into the main stem of the valley where we camped. An added bonus was that this particular ridgeline presented a somewhat easier trek when compared to the rest of the surrounding area. Moving across the ridgeline John reminded me to stop often and glass each drainage as our perspectives changed. It can be easy in the mountains to just put your head down and focus on trying to get from point A to point B, but then only to stumble across animals that would have been seen earlier if one had taken the time to glass a little more. It was nearly 3 p.m. as John and I sat on the mountainside eating a protein bar as we scoured the countryside for any sign of caribou. Since the morning we had seen only one cow with a calf. The other small groups we saw the evening prior had seemingly disappeared from the area. I had been glassing the head of a steep, rocky drainage directly across the valley from us for over an hour and was fairly convinced that it was time to move on. Popping the last chunk of protein bar in my mouth while looking through the spotting scope, I

Even though I was fairly tired from all the packing, travel, and excitement, I found it difficult to sleep. All I could think about was giant caribou and how the morning could not come fast enough!

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The first obstacle would be pursuing these monarchs in steep mountain country; we had often observed mature caribou bulls sharing the same cliffs with Dall’s sheep. We knew we would have to be in good physical and mental condition in order to pursue and pack out a caribou in terrain this rugged.

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was just getting ready to ask John if we should continue down the ridge when I caught movement. I instantly froze in position to be sure I had actually seen movement and not just the vibration of my chewing as I looked through the scope. As I focused, a caribou bull slowly emerged from the shadows into the sunlight and began grazing. In a few seconds another bull came into focus, then another; it seemed like they were appearing out of nowhere. Five bulls in total fed out into a small boulder field interspersed with lichen. “You better take a look at this John,” I said as I pointed out the area with my finger. The bulls grazed for only a few minutes and like ghosts dissolved back into the flat light of shadows. John and I decided that two of the five bulls looked to be potential trophies, and that we should definitely take a closer look. “That looks like work,” John said with a grin as we started our way down the mountain toward the rocky drainage—a good 3.5 miles from where our camp lay. It took us all of three hours to cover roughly 2.5 miles. We had traveled down the mountainside losing 2,000 feet in elevation, crossed a small river in the valley floor, and started our ascent up the drainage where we hoped the caribou would still be bedded. As we neared the head of the drainage, John and I circled high and wide trying to get a visual of our quarry. Of course, the terrain looked considerably different up close than it did through the spotting scope. It was riddled with tiny pockets and gullies, any of which could be hiding caribou. We moved cautiously in single-file, keeping as quiet as possible on the noisy rocks. Suddenly John turned around and signaled me to get down. The bulls lay about 200 yards in front of us, nestled

in the bottom of a steep, narrow gully. We decided to belly crawl 20 yards or so and take cover behind a small bolder, just big enough to hide both John and me as we kneeled. Peeking over the boulder we noticed the bulls must have sensed something was afoot; they started to move up the opposite side of the gully, looking back in our direction. Slowly all five bulls moved into sight with the two largest of the group being the last to step into view. It didn’t take us long to realize that these were exceptional bulls of trophy caliber. As they continued to move up the gully, John and I took a shooting position and readied ourselves for a shot. John was first to shoot, hitting the bull cleanly through the lungs. The group ran 30 yards or so to the top of the gully, stopping again to look back in our direction. A second shot rang out from John’s .300 Remington SAUM, sealing the deal on the massive bull. After John’s caribou fell to his final resting place, the four remaining bulls ran down the ridgeline, giving me enough time to reposition and acquire the remaining bull in my sights. “He is 287 yards,” John calmly called out. On a side note, I have always admired John’s ability to keep calm in stressful situations. With the bull cleanly in my sights, I waited for one of the smaller bulls to move out from behind my target. Taking a deep breath, I slowly squeezed the trigger of my .270 WSM. The shot stuck the bull slightly high in the shoulder, bringing him to the ground where he stood. Not taking the bull from my sights I racked another round for a follow-up shot. Thankfully, there was no need and I watched as the bull expired in seconds. Still kneeling and weak in the legs from all the excitement, John and I celebrated, exchanging the

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handshakes, back slaps, and congratulations that follow a successful shot. As we approached the bulls, they only seemed to grow in size. Arriving at John’s caribou first we both stood speechless for the moment. The sheer size of his antlers and body was simply impressive! The bull easily weighed 400 pounds and was dressed for the ball with a steel gray coat that transitioned into a beautiful white brisket. His antlers tinted red with blood from the recent shedding of velvet. He was truly a site to behold! John knelt for several minutes completely silent, admiring his magnificent trophy. Next we closed the final yards to claim my bull. Still wearing most of his velvet and summer coat, he lay like a dark gray statue upon the ground. Taking one knee behind him I grasped his antlers and moved his head to reveal a set of enormous bezes and a single massive shovel. Velvet hung from portions of his rack, soaked with blood; his neck and shoulders were lightly dusted, displaying a hint of his winter coat. He was a stunning, absolute giant. I could not have been more happy. It was a moment I didn’t want to leave, but I knew that we had a lot of work still ahead. It took us several hours to completely dress out our trophies and by the time we had finished a storm had moved in, snow was falling heavily, and darkness had fallen as well. Both John and I were a bit tired from such a long day and decided to make a meat stash near a large boulder that we could use as a landmark, and then start our long trek back to base camp. We traversed slowly over the

boulder fields and slick tundra rolled over and climbed to our haul back to camp, my aching slopes taking care not to fall. feet. Bearing the 120-pound shoulders and burning legs By the time we made it to the packs, we felt like we were get- reminded me of the price of valley bottom and started our ting a small taste of what Atlas success! It was a feeling that ascent toward camp the snow must have felt as he strained brought a smile to my face and had lessened. We made it back under the weight of the world. one that I would hope every to camp around 1:00 a.m., com- As we started our first meat hunter gets to know. n pletely soaked from sweat and snow. As I dropped my pack next to the tent and removed my headlamp, I noticed a shimmer in the horizon. The aurora borealis or “northern lights” had started to dance their way across the sky with a spectacle of green and blue that was almost hypnotic. All I could do was smile as I lie in my tent and let the colors dance me to a much needed slumber. In the morning John and I awoke to a sunlit valley. About six inches of snow had blanketed the valley and mountains. In one night our hunting ground had transformed from vibrant fall colors to a winter wonderland. He was a stunning, absolute giant. I could not have been more happy; We made a quick bite to eat, gathered it was a moment I didn’t want to leave. our packs, and started our way toward the meat stash some three miles away. With more meat than we could carry in one load we knew that it would take us several trips to haul our spoils back to the airstrip. One at a time we shimmied into our fully loaded packs from a sitting position and then

Both the hunters with their record-book barren ground caribou. TOP: Casey L. Dinkel with his caribou, scoring 375-6/8 points, was still in velvet when taken. BOTTOM: John C. Whipple with his 383-1/8-point bull 78 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

Do What You Can “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing ... Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” — Theodore Roosevelt,

26th President of the United States of America and founder of the Boone and Crockett Club.

You can do the right thing by making a year-end charitable gift to the Boone and Crockett Club Foundation. Your generous gift of cash, appreciated securities, mutual funds, real estate, a unitrust or a gift annuity will help insure the vitality of important programs for years to come. Plus, your gift will bypass the increased income tax rates and avoid an unintended “gift” to the government.

For more information, please contact: Winton C. Smith, J.D. 1-800-727-1040 wsmith@wintonsmith.com

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BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB’S 29TH AWARDS PROGRAM

TROPHY TALK

JACK RENEAU B&C PROFESSIONAL MEMBER Director of Big Game Records

I would like to announce that the 29th Big Game Awards Program Banquet and related activities will be held in Springfield, Missouri, during July 13-16, 2016. A brief preliminary schedule of this premier international sporting event for hunters and conservationists is listed to the right. The 29th Awards Program trophy display will once again feature over 100 of the finest big game trophies ever taken by modern-day hunters and recorded by B&C. The public display of trophies will be in America’s Wildlife Museum and Aquarium, a world-class museum facility scheduled to open in Springfield, Missouri, next spring. The museum, which will be ranked among the top ten museum and aquarium operations in the nation, is an excellent location for hosting such a prestigious event. The museum is dedicated to the American hunter and angler and to the history and successes of conservation. Nothing is a better expression of the successes of conservation than a B&C Awards Program. An awards program is a unique opportunity for hunters such as you and me to view under one roof a goodly number of exceptional trophies from most of the 38 categories of native North American big game recognized by the Club (excluding jaguar), and to personally visit with the hunters who harvested them. They can share their hunting stories with you on where and how they got the big one that didn’t get away, and perhaps you can pick up some tips that will enable you to take a B&C trophy of your own in the future. Who knows, you may even meet someone like you who may become a lifetime friend and hunting companion. Star attractions scheduled to be in the trophy display are three new World’s Records. The first is a tremendous pronghorn taken by Mike Gallo in Socorro County, New Mexico, in 2014. Mike’s great buck scores 96-4/8 points, which is 1-4/8 points greater than the two pronghorns that previously tied for World’s Record status at 95 points. As if a new World’s Record pronghorn isn’t enough, we’ll be inviting another World’s Record breaker taken by Dale Hislop in Mohave County, Arizona, in 2014, that scores 95-4/8 points. It also exceeds the previous two World’s Records. The second World’s Record that will be on display is the new first place bighorn ram, which was announced earlier this year. It was picked up near Longview, Alberta, in 2010, and scores 209-4/8 points, topping the previous World’s Record by a whopping 1-1/8 inches. Although it may not have been taken by a hunter, it is still an incredible 80 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB’S 29TH NORTH AMERICAN BIG GAME AWARDS SCHEDULE OF EVENTS DECEMBER 21, 2015

Early notices sent to owners of accepted World’s Records and trophies falling in B&C’s All-time top-10 for each category, and/or the top two or three trophies accepted in each category in the 29th Awards Program inviting them to send their trophy to the 29th Awards Program, Springfield, Missouri, for judging, display, awards banquet, and related activities.

DECEMBER. 31, 2015

Official close of the 29th Awards Program Entry Period (2013-2015).

JANUARY 22, 2016

Notices sent to remaining trophy owners with trophies accepted after the close of the 29th Awards Program on December 31, 2015, inviting them to send their trophy to the 29th Awards Program location for judging, display, awards banquet, and related activities.

MARCH 9-28, 2016

Receipt period at Bass Pro Shop’s stores for invited trophies being shipped free-of-charge via Bass Pro Shop’s to Springfield, Missouri.

APRIL 1-25, 2016

Receipt period for invited trophies at B&C’s warehouse in Springfield, Missouri. Trophies not being shipped via Bass Pro Shop’s must arrive at B&C’s warehouse in Springfield, Missouri, during this time period in order to be eligible for the 29th Awards Program Final Judging.

APRIL 26-30, 2016

29th Awards Program Final Judging: re-measurement and certification of invited trophies for possible award at the 29th Awards Program Banquet on July 16th.

JULY 13-16, 2016

29th Awards Program, auction, Jack Steele Parker Generation Next Banquet, Field General’s Luncheon, Awards Banquet, auction, and related activities at the University Plaza Hotel in Springfield, Missouri.

The 28th Awards Program trophy display held in Reno in 2013 is just an example of the quality of trophies that you can expect to see in Springfield this coming summer.

be invited to be recognized for their accomplishment of a lifetime. Official Measurers will once again be recognized for their contributions to B&C’s records program activities at the Field General’s Luncheon. Mark your calendar and plan to attend B&C’s 29th Big Game Awards Program. I’ve attended 12 such events and can assure you that you won’t regret that decision. Each Awards Program is a “Highlight of a Lifetime” for those who attend. I look forward to seeing you there!

29TH AWARDS PROGRAM DEADLINE

I want to take this one last opportunity to remind everyone, especially Official Measurers and trophy owners, that December 31, 2015, is the deadline for entering trophies in B&C’s 29th Awards Program (2013-2015). Perhaps more importantly, it is also the deadline for getting a trophy listed in Boone and Crockett Club’s 29th Big Game Awards book, that will be published in the

TOP: The World’s Record bighorn sheep scoring 209-4/8 points, was picked up near Longview, Alberta, in 2010. MIDDLE LEFT: Mike Gallo’s pronghorn beat the World’s Record score by 1-4/8 inches with a score of 96-4/8 points. MIDDLE RIGHT: Dale Hislop’s pronghorn exceeded the previous two World’s Records at 95-4/8 points. BOTTOM: Heinz Naef’s AlaskaYukon moose is another World’s Record scoring 263-5/8 points.

example of the successes of hunter-supported wildlife management, and deserves to be recognized for what it represents. The third World’s Record to be displayed is Heinz Naef’s Alaska-Yukon moose, scoring 263-5/8 points, that was featured in a previous issue of Fair Chase. Heinz took his incredible bull along the Yukon River in Yukon Territory in 2013. We don’t know all of the trophies that will be there at this time, but we will be inviting a number of trophies that rank in the All-time top ten for their category, including grizzly bear, woodland caribou, and typical Coues’ deer to mention only a few. I can assure you that there will be a number of other topranking trophies. In addition to an incredible trophy display, there are a number of truly exciting events to attend. The first and most obvious is the 29th Awards Program Banquet, where the trophy owners who took the top-ranking trophies will be presented with B&C medallions and plaques recognizing their unique accomplishment. Perhaps one will be awarded the coveted Sagamore Hill Award. Another exciting activity is an event that has become known as the Jack Steele Parker Generation Next Banquet. All youth hunters, 16 years old and younger who have taken a B&C trophy will

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TROPHY TALK fall of 2016, as well as the 14th edition of the All-time records book, Records of North American Big Game that will be released in the fall of 2017. Trophy owners who miss this deadline will not be listed in an awards book until 2019, and/or the next All-time records book until 2023. In my opinion that’s a really long time to wait to see your name in print, so please don’t miss the deadline. Because of the 60-day drying period, the last day a hunter can harvest a B&C trophy in 2015 and still enter it in the 29th Awards Program was November 1, 2015. A hunter in this situation would have had to clean his/her trophy the day they harvested it and immediately started the drying process the same day. They would also have to make arrangements in advance with a B&C Official Measurer to have his/her trophy scored on

All the Official Measurers in attendance at the 28th Big Game Awards in Reno, 2013. We will honor the hard work of all our Official Measurers at the Field Generals Luncheon in Springfield.

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December 31, 2015, and drop the entry materials in the mail that same day to get it postmarked by the deadline. Entry materials received for trophies postmarked after the deadline will be entries in the 30th Awards Program that closes December 31, 2018, and will be featured in future records books.

are taken within B&C’s fair chase guidelines and rules.

a case-by-case basis.

CUSTER STATE PARK ELIGIBILITY

NEW B&C POLICIES ANNOUNCED

FIRST NATION AND MÉTIS PEOPLES

Trophy owners who wish to remove their trophy from B&C’s records program and records books for any reason can only do so in writing. A telephone call is not acceptable. They must submit either a letter or email to the records office expressing their wishes. The entry fee in such cases will be forfeited.

In the spring 2015 issue of Fair Chase, I listed six new policies in “Trophy Talk” affecting trophy entry in B&C’s records program, on subjects such as drones/unmanned aerial vehicles, and multiantlered cervids. Since that issue, B&C’s Records Committee has announced seven new policies that I would like to list in this column. This may sound like we are creating a lot of new policies recently, but this isn’t the case. A few of these have already been a part of the Entry Affidavit that every hunter submitting a trophy must sign. Some of these new policies were created to address new situations that have recently come up. B&C’s policies ensure that all trophies accepted in its records program

Bison, bighorn sheep, deer, elk, and pronghorn trophies taken from within the boundaries of Custer State Park, South Dakota, are eligible for entry in B&C.

Trophies taken in Canada by First Nation and Métis peoples must be taken in accordance with all provincial/territorial hunting regulations (possession of a current provincial hunting license) and in compliance with B&C’s rules of Fair Chase to be eligible for entry in B&C. FREAK TROPHIES

Every once in a while a hunter takes a trophy that can only be identified as a “freak.” That is, one or both antlers may not have a discernable main beam or any normal points on one or both antlers, and cannot be scored using B&C’s scoring system. Such trophies are not eligible for entry in B&C’s records program, but will be reviewed by B&C’s Records Committee on

REMOVE TROPHY FROM RECORDS PROGRAM

SILENCERS/SOUND SUPPRESSORS

Trophies taken with the use of sound suppressors in states and provinces where they are legal are eligible for entry in B&C. TRACKING DOGS TO RECOVER WOUNDED GAME

Wounded trophies recovered with trained tracking dogs in states and provinces where the use of tracking dogs is legal for recovering wounded game are eligible for listing in B&C. TROPHIES TAKEN WITH AIR GUNS

Trophies taken with the use of air guns in states and provinces where they are legal are eligible for entry in B&C. n

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MONTANA SHIRAS’ MOOSE There really isn’t a North American big game species that doesn’t intrigue me. Of all these magnificent creatures alive today, the moose has always been among the most common to frequent my thoughts of hunts I long to experience. Having two opportunities previously that didn’t work out in Alaska and Maine, to say I was excited when my wife Rebecca texted that I had drawn a Montana Shiras’ moose tag would be an understatement. The only problem was my wife, my normal hunting partner, was currently on maternity leave with our first child and this would take nearly all her vacation time for the year. July and August were filled with scouting as we adjusted to taking a third along on our trips to the mountains. Not a lot of hiking could be done, so much of the scouting was through glass instead of our normal boot leather. Adjusting to feeding schedules, unexpected poop incidents, and a wife whose nerves were a bit frazzled was a new twist, but we made it work. As the summer wore on, I continued to scout and roped a few friends into hikes however much of my time in the unit was alone. I was inventorying sign and analyzing the few moose sightings I managed but as the season approached I still didn’t have much to go on. The three bulls I had located did not meet my criteria for shooters. Season opened on Tuesday, September 15, 2015. My wife was returning to 84 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

work so she had no time to go along. Fortunately my boss Jack Reneau agreed to take opening day off with me and head to the mountains to look for a bull. At daylight we hiked into some meadows where I had earlier located a cow and calf. The morning was cool and damp and the dew was just heavy enough I should have worn my rain pants. I scoured the meadow looking for trails left in the moisture or signs that would indicate the presence of a bull but nothing was there. After an hour or so we returned to the truck and spent the remainder of the day

BEYOND THE SCORE

glassing from ridgetops and covering ground trying to cut a bull. As the day wore on, the temperature rose and the moose stayed hidden in the timbered ridges high in the unit. Wednesday, a neighbor took me into the areas he had found success in years past but only one mature track was found and it appeared he was only passing through. On Thursday I drove nearly to the opposite side of the unit to investigate a very promising wide creek bed I had spotted on Google Earth. When I arrived it was one of those places that just looked perfect. Giant willows choked

The Spring family with their moose.

Justin E. Spring B&C PROFESSIONAL MEMBER Assistant Director of Big Game Records

the creek bed and beaver dams were prevalent, creating pools and swamps for a few miles. The areas of dried mud revealed tracks of deer, elk, bear, and even a few older and smaller moose. As I picked apart the creek bottom a very large black bear interrupted my evening. I had a bear tag in my pocket too, but his hasty retreat was quick enough that it prevented me from getting a shot. I knew the area held promise. I took Friday off work that week as well. Rebecca was only back 3/4-time and also had Fridays off, so she would hunt mornings with me the next three days and our son would stay with Grandma. It was very hard for her but a welcome change that just she and I could spend a few mornings together in the woods. Friday and Saturday were warm and other than a few grouse, we saw little game. We would hike for a few hours, then I would take her back home and spend a couple hours with our son, and then we’d head out again for the afternoon. Saturday night I began to feel a tinge of fatigue setting in. I wasn’t quitting, but it seemed all this effort had been for naught. I really wanted a mature bull and only one large track had been located. Unfortunately, it was in an area I felt was getting

This column is dedicated to the system that supports the public hunting of public wildlife for all fair chase sportsmen, and the stories and trophies that are the result. Theodore Roosevelt strongly believed that selfreliance and pursuing the strenuous activities of hunting and wilderness exploration was the best way to keep man connected to nature. We score trophies, but every hunt is to some extent a way of measuring ourselves.

extensive pressure from elk and grouse hunters. I considered taking Sunday off but decided to keep hammering. With this second mental wind I decided we would return to the swampy area I had found and call and hike around a bit more to see if a bull was in the area. After spending the morning down low and finding nothing any fresher than my first trip in there, we took an old Forest Service road that would take us higher up in the basin to the headwaters. After six or seven miles the road’s grade began to lessen and we ended up high on a ridge overlooking two drainages. As we worked our way further out we found fresh elk sign and I could see the alders had been heavily grazed by a moose the winter before. Eventually we came to an old, overgrown logging unit and I decided to take a break for some lunch and do a little calling. I made my way over to the edge of the road, let out my best attempt at a lonely cow call, and let it echo down the canyon. Within a few seconds, from far below, I heard the distinct grunt of a bull. I quickly called Rebecca over and told her I had a bull respond. We listened for a couple minutes and again I let out my cow call. As soon as I finished, I was answered with the distinctive bugle of a bull elk. Rebecca looked at me and stated, “Hun, that’s an elk.” Then asked, “Are you sure it wasn’t just an elk chuckle?” Still pretty excited about hearing a moose bull and slightly frustrated that my wife would insinuate that I

had mistaken an elk for a moose I replied, “I know that’s an elk, and no, there is a damn moose down there too!” She was giving me the classic wife look—alright, you’re wrong but I won’t say anything—when significantly closer the distinctive “mwah, mwah, mwah” of the moose drifted up the hill. I asked her to get a branch and beat the hell out of the alders when I signaled her. Apparently the second cow call really fired up the bull because not only could we constantly hear the grunt but also his paddles raking vegetation and breaking trees. He had covered about 150 yards already when I began working up and down the old road trying to find any opening below where I could get off the road for a shot. He was getting closer by the minute and now we could see trees swaying and brush moving. I still I could never see the bull. At about 100 yards out he held up as I felt the wind swirling from my face to my neck. A moment of panic set in—had he winded me? I turned to Rebecca and waved her to start making noise. She began smashing up alders and I hit the bull with another cow call followed by a grunting sequence and the hook was set. He covered that last hundred yards in less than five minutes but I still couldn’t see him. All of the sudden he stepped from the brush with his eyes rolled back in his head and steam coming from his mouth with every grunt. His right side was all I could see and it looked pretty small. I

As the summer wore on, I continued to scout and roped a few friends into hikes but much of my time in the unit was alone.

The areas of dried mud revealed tracks of deer, elk, bear, and even a few older and smaller moose. As I picked apart the creek bottom a very large black bear interrupted my evening. I had a bear tag in my pocket too, but his hasty retreat was quick enough that it prevented me from getting a shot. I knew the area held promise. FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 85

BEYOND THE SCORE

said, “Not a shooter.” Rebecca made a comment roughly translated to, “Not a shooter, I will politely disagree!” At this point he was standing in the road not 40 yards away looking for a fight and I could see he both of his antlers. I glassed his rack and

saw a definitive big split brow on the left and two, possibly three brow points on the right, and re-evaluated my first analysis. This bull was an old mature Shiras’ moose that I had called from 300-400 yards out. I decided if he would get off the road to a place where I could get a clear shot I would take it. The next 20 minutes were awesome. He would rake alders, sway backand-forth, and constantly grunt. Finally convinced I was not the bull and cow he had heard he turned to leave. I began following and he instantly whirled around in the road, laid his ears flat on his head, and lowered his antlers.

I slowly took a few steps back as he approached. He being satisfied with my retreat resumed his walk away. He acted as if he wanted to continue uphill, which was exactly what I needed for a chance at a possible shooting lane. When he turned and began to go up, I stepped up into the brush as well and had about a moose-length window at ten yards. He stepped into the open about 40 yards above the road. The .375 H&H roared and the bull lurched forward and disappeared. The first shot had been directly into the bottom half of the heart, but a follow up in the shoulders put him down for good. n

This bull was an old mature Shiras’ moose that I had called from 300-400 yards out. I decided if he would get off the road to a place where I could get a clear shot I would take it.

86 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

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JACK STEELE PARKER

GENERATION

NEXT FINAL GROSS SCORE SCORE

LOCATION

HUNTER

DATE MEASURER

BLACK BEAR 20 1/16

Petersburg, AK

Jack M. Opitz

2014 M. Opitz

COUGAR 14 9/16

Bonneville Co., ID Yosune Fitzhugh

TYPICAL AMERICAN ELK 364 4/8 376 2/8

Lewis and Clark Co., MT

2014 K. Hatch

Quinton E. Grantier 2012 L. Lack

TYPICAL COLUMBIA BLACKTAIL 138 1/8 145 7/8

Humboldt Co., CA Cole S. Davis

2013 G. Hooper

TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER 176 180 4/8 176 182 4/8 173 4/8 179 6/8 165 6/8 179 2/8 164 2/8 189 2/8 163 2/8 171

Coahoma Co., MS Ontario Co., NY Coahuila, MX Kennedy, SK Jefferson Co., IA Washington Co., WI

David B. Carr, Jr. 2014 Austin C. Avanzato 2014 Taite B. Read 2015 Kyle C. Hungle 2012 Blake C. Vice 2013 Callahan P. McCreary 2012

W. Walters R. Songin J. Barrow P. McKenzie D. Ream D. Bathke

The Boone and Crockett Club would like to celebrate young hunters who have embraced the outdoor way of life and embody the spirit of fair chase hunting. The following is a list of the most recent big game trophies accepted into Boone and Crockett Club’s 29th Big Game Awards Program, 20132015, that have been taken by a youth hunter (16 years or younger). All of the field photos in this section are from entries that are listed in this issue and are shown in bold orange text. This listing represents only those trophies accepted since the Fall 2015 issue of Fair Chase was published.

Taite B. Read

NON-TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER 228 1/8 236 7/8

Decatur Co., IA

Chance A. Lecy

2014 D. Ream

ALASKA-YUKON MOOSE 225 233 1/8

Saint Johns Hill, AK

Jacob A. Goetz

2014 S. Kleinsmith

SHIRAS’ MOOSE 142 1/8 158 6/8

Gallatin Co., MT

Nathan M. Hope

2014 F. King

PRONGHORN 80

80 3/8

Custer Co., ID

Hunter J. Stunja

2014 M. Demick

DESERT SHEEP 171 3/8 172 Pinal Co., AZ Zachary J. Rush 2014 M. Zieser 165 6/8 166 7/8 Clark Co., NV Zachery J. 2014 H. Grounds Christensen

88 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

Zachery J. Christensen

Jack M. Opitz

Robert MacMillan Hunter J. Stunja

Blake C. Vice

Callahan P. McCreary

Cole S. Davis

Nathan M. Hope

FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 89

RECENTLY ACCEPTED TROPHIES The following pages list the most recent big game trophies accepted into Boone and Crockett Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 29th Big Game Awards Program, 2013-2015, which includes entries received between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2015. All of the field photos in this section are from entries that are listed in this issue and are shown in bold green text.

BIG GAME TROPHIES LISTING AND PHOTO GALLERY Chase Fulcher was on an archery hunt in Coconino County, Arizona, in 2013, when he harvested this bison scoring 124-6/8 points.

This listing represents only those trophies accepted since the Fall 2015 issue of Fair Chase was published. SPONSORED BY

Share your field photos with us! Follow: @BooneandCrockettClub Tag: #booneandcrockettclub 90 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

TOP TO BOTTOM

BEAR & COUGAR FINAL SCORE

LOCATION

HUNTER

DATE MEASURER

BLACK BEAR - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 23-10/16 22 9/16 Jackson Co., WI Dave H. Sutton 2014 T. Heil 22 5/16 Trempealeau Co., WI Alysha F. Huseboe 2014 S. Godfrey 22 4/16 Hubbard Co., MN Keith A. Erhardt 2014 D. Eider 22 3/16 Etomami River, SK Jeremey A. Edwards 2014 B. Mitchell 22 2/16 Jefferson Co., PA John F. Rowles 2014 M. Blazosky 22 2/16 Lackawanna Co., PA Joseph P. Rulis III 2013 R. Kingsley 21 15/16 Sullivan Co., NY Ken W. Peters 2013 J. Dowd 21 14/16 Assiniboine Scott R.F. Suschinsky 2010 R. Macdonald River, SK 21 12/16 Chippewa Co., WI Brett R. Seidlitz 2014 J. Spring 21 9/16 Rio Blanco Co., CO Bryce R. Ducey 2014 G. Glasgow 21 8/16 Greene Co., NY Timothy R. 2014 J. Spring Meservey, Jr. 21 8/16 Sullivan Co., PA Jeffrey C. Kratz 2013 D. Lynch 21 7/16 Usherville, SK John M. Casler 2007 C. Pierce 21 5/16 Elk Co., PA Joseph E. Thurby, Jr. 2014 G. Block 21 5/16 Somerset Co., PA Derek J. Wheeler 2014 G. Block 21 1/16 Montgomery Jared H. Martin 2014 C. Newcomb Co., AR 21 1/16 Oneida Co., WI Kristine L. Busche 2013 L. Zimmerman 21 1/16 Duck Mountain, MB Owen S. Tibbett 2014 A. Safiniuk 21 1/16 Rio Blanco Co., CO Dean Nash 2014 J. Harmon 21 1/16 Wood Co., WI Dominic L. Pernsteiner 2014 T. Heil 21 Isanti Co., MN Shawn R. LaMoreaux 2014 D. Meger 21 Warren Co., PA James M. Hultberg 2014 D. Bastow 20 15/16 Pony Creek, AB Cody C. Westphal 2015 J. Reneau 20 13/16 Ashland Co., WI Stephen J. Volz 2011 M. Miller 20 13/16 Douglas Co., WI Adam E. Slaminski 2014 K. Zimmerman 20 13/16 Duck Mountain, MB Tracey L. Diehl 2015 L. Hansen 20 10/16 Aitkin Co., MN Bernard E. Marketon 2014 T. Rogers 20 10/16 Grandview, MB Marcia Kay Chapman 2014 J. Knevel 20 10/16 Ile-a-La-Crosse, SK Juston K. Northcott 2014 B. Rudyk 20 10/16 Kamloops, BC Anthony A. Jacobs 2014 R. Petrie 20 10/16 St. Louis Co., MN Gene A. Holman 2014 D. Meger 20 9/16 Clarion Co., PA Shane P. Haines 2014 E. Defibaugh 20 9/16 Oneida Co., WI Donald A. Berger 2012 A. Loomans 20 9/16 Saint Philip Bradley D. Miller 2015 R. Graber Island, AK 20 8/16 Becker Co., MN Christopher E. 2013 M. Wendel Leuthold 20 8/16 Bladen Co., NC Bobby G. Trott 2010 C. Kreh 20 8/16 Lewis and Clark Ryan J. Crawford 2005 J. Pallister Co., MT 20 5/16 Greene Co., NY Chris C. Lascarides 2009 D. Lynch 20 5/16 Lake Manitoba, MB Michael J. Killoran 2014 J. Zins 20 4/16 Arran, SK Howard S. Moore 2014 G. Vail 20 4/16 Blackwater River, BC Nick Milic 2014 R. Berreth 20 4/16 Buffalo Lake, MB Sean M. Newman 2015 J. Sweaney 20 4/16 Candle Lake, SK Jeffrey D. Haigh 2015 P. Barwick 20 4/16 Mameigwess Elliot D. Heath 2014 S. Zirbel Lake, ON 20 4/16 Timmins, ON Ron L. DeMeester 2013 J. Ohmer 20 4/16 Pierce Co., WA Chris Fontana 2014 R. Spaulding 20 3/16 Briggs Spur, MB Charles G. DeMakis 2014 J. Plesuk 20 3/16 Reserve faunique Joseph J. Leo 2014 B. Sippin de Portneuf, QC 20 2/16 Grandview, MB Alexander H. Reese 2014 R. Banaszak 20 2/16 Whiteshell Prov. Gus A. Congemi 2013 S. Cook Park, MB 20 1/16 Franklin Co., AR Christopher D. Hillard 2014 C. Newcomb 20 1/16 La Plata Co., CO Lawrence D. Burcz 2014 J. Ohmer 20 1/16 Latimer Co., OK Michael G. Musgrove 2013 J. Ford 20 1/16 Peace River, AB Gus A. Congemi 2014 S. Cook 20 1/16 Petersburg, AK Jack M. Opitz 2014 M. Opitz 20 1/16 Wabasca River, AB Greg Duncan 1992 C. Neill 20 Barron Co., WI Mitchell W. Cutsforth 2013 L. Zimmerman 20 Pope Co., AR Jeffrey M. Johnson 2014 C. Newcomb 20 Rusk Co., WI Renee D. Jones 2010 B. Ihlenfeldt 20 Tioga Co., PA Richard E. Bowman, Jr. 2014 R. D’Angelo 20 Venango Co., PA Hurd H. Wise 2013 D. Lynch

Jared H. Martin took this black bear, scoring 21-1/16 points, in 2014 while bowhunting in Montgomery County, Arkansas. This Alaska brown bear, scoring 27-3/16 points, was taken by Jerry Skeens near Kodiak Island’s Deadman Bay, Alaska, in 2014. In 2014, Jerry C. Schroeder harvested this 14-13/16-point cougar while on a hunt in Custer County, South Dakota.

FAIR CHASE | WI N T E R 2 0 1 5 91

RECENTLY ACCEPTED TROPHIES

GRIZZLY BEAR - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 27-13/16 27 6/16 26 12/16 26 11/16 26 1/16 25 9/16 25 8/16 25 5/16 24 8/16 24 2/16 24 1/16

Nageethluk Shane C. Swiderski 2013 River, AK Bella Coola, BC Unknown 1970 Beaver Creek, AK Aaron D. Molchak 2015 Squirrel River, AK Carlos Lagomasino 2014 Williston Lake, BC Richard D. Edwards 2015 Kotzebue, AK Terrence M. McCall 2012 Bell-Irving River, BC Peter C. Savarie 2014 Nimiuktuk River, AK Tim D. Hiner 2015 Ungalik River, AK M. Blake Patton 2015 Worry Creek, BC Joseph A. Macchiaroli 2014

S. Sirianni R. Berreth A. Jubenville D. Nickel J. Kolbe E. Buckner E. Swanson C. Brent R. Skinner D. Razza

ALASKA BROWN BEAR - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 30-12/16 29 28 5/16 28 1/16 28 27 12/16 27 11/16 27 8/16 27 7/16 27 6/16 27 3/16 27 26 12/16 26 4/16 26 1/16 26

Kaiugnak Bay, AK Nikkia Atkins Kodiak Island, AK Gregg D. Walker Cold Bay, AK Larry E. Wehr Aliulik Pen., AK Charles H. Rush Ugak Bay, AK Joseph R. Conard Halibut Bay, AK Matthew T. Barber Afognak Island, AK Jeremy R. Gibson Cinder River, AK Bryan K. Martin Afognak Island, AK Jerald W. Bergman Kodiak Island Jerry Skeens Co., AK Canoe Bay, AK Albert A. Amator Izembek Lagoon, AK Greg D. Illerbrun Uyak Bay, AK Kevin T. Oshman Karluk Lagoon, AK Sam K. Landers Olga Bay, AK Michael J. Carpinito

2014 2014 2014 2015 2014 2015 2015 2014 2014 2014

J. Pallister G. Villnow C. Brent H. Giger D. Eider D. Sherpy M. Opitz F. King B. Milliron R. Poulin

2014 2014 2006 2015 2011

C. Brent A. Hill M. Walker R. Novosad D. Waldbillig

2014 2014 2014 1986 2014 2015

D. Waldbillig C. Goldman S. Hill M. Barrett R. Atwood J. Pallister

2012 2014 2015 2014 2014 2014

E. Robinson N. Lawson T. Watts J. Pallister C. Wenger K. Hatch

COUGAR - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 16-4/16 15 7/16 15 7/16 15 5/16 15 1/16 15 15 14 14/16 14 13/16 14 12/16 14 10/16 14 10/16 14 9/16

Benewah Co., ID Brit J. Balant Graham Co., AZ Thomas B. Gallo Rio Arriba Co., NM Steve A. Muniz Carbon Co., WY Picked Up Custer Co., ID Shelly D. Sayer Lewis and Clark Ryan W. Butler Co., MT Sundre, AB Adam J. Cramer Custer Co., SD Jerry C. Schroeder Grant Co., NM Bill J. Lewellen Broadwater Co., MT Renton C. Liedle Lemhi Co., ID Amanda R. Fahnholz Bonneville Co., ID Yosune Fitzhugh

ELK & MULE DEER FINAL GROSS SCORE SCORE LOCATION

HUNTER

DATE MEASURER

TYPICAL AMERICAN ELK - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 442-5/8 408 421 1/8 Fremont Co., WY Albert W. Henderson 2014 R. Hatfield 405 1/8 417 2/8 Mohave Co., AZ Mike L. Ronning 2014 R. Stayner 402 6/8 419 Duck Mountain, MB Martino A. Vergata 2013 J. Hayduk 385 6/8 416 5/8 Mesa Co., CO Roger D. Bell 2014 T. Archibeque 384 396 1/8 Apache Co., AZ John W. Hoffman, Jr. 2014 R. Stayner 379 7/8 388 White Pine Co., NV Ryan M. Newmarker 2014 S. Sanborn 378 3/8 386 3/8 Elko Co., NV Mikel D. Ryan 2014 T. Cavin 366 388 3/8 Clearfield Co., PA Michael B. Weaver 2014 L. Myers 364 4/8 371 2/8 Larimer Co., CO James C. Steadman 2014 R. Little 364 4/8 376 2/8 Lewis and Clark Quinton E. Grantier 2012 L. Lack Co., MT 363 6/8 378 3/8 Lincoln Co., NM Daniel L. Mudd 2014 S. Corley 363 2/8 374 1/8 Park Co., MT Justin W. Sulak 2014 C. Mason 362 3/8 370 2/8 Box Elder Co., UT Matt H. Barker 2014 R. Hall 362 3/8 375 2/8 Uintah Co., UT Gerald R. Chapoose 2014 R. Hall 360 3/8 375 7/8 San Juan Co., UT Shaun K. Hirst 2014 D. Nielsen

NON-TYPICAL AMERICAN ELK - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 478-5/8 429 2/8 405 400 2/8 398 7/8 397 1/8

92 FA I R CH A S E | WI N T E R 20 1 5

439 4/8 415 6/8 412 4/8 417 2/8 418 1/8

West Kootenay, BC Coconino Co., AZ Las Animas Co., CO Apache Co., AZ White Pine Co., NV

Unknown Duane S. Hart Michael T. Heard K. Kirk Bailey James E. Monroe

1972 2014 2014 2014 2014

R. Berreth M. Cupell J. Mangrum D. Nielsen S. Sanborn

OPPOSITE PAGE: TOP TO BOTTOM

While on a 2014 hunt in San Juan County, Utah, Shaun K. Hirst took this 360-3/8-point typical American elk. Jelindo A. Tiberti II was hunting near Gold River, British Columbia, during the 2014 season, when he harvested this Roosevelt’s elk scoring 350 points.

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Rick Behrends took this typical mule deer, scoring 190-3/8 points, in 2014 while hunting in Delta County, Colorado. He was shooting a .300 SAUM. This non-typical whitetail deer, scoring 207-3/8 points, was taken by Christopher J. Lindner, in Iowa County, Wisconsin, in 2014. In 2012, Mike S. Brownlee harvested this 124-6/8-point typical Coues’ whitetail while on a hunt in Sonora, Mexico. Michael T. Kinney was on a hunt in Grand County, Colorado, when he harvested this non-typical mule deer scoring 242-2/8 points. He was shooting his .300 Weatherby. The velvet on this buck has to be removed to be officially scored for &C.