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Mature full-curl Bighorn ram courts a ewe during the November breeding season, Western Montana. © Donald M. Jones
Volume 28
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Number 3
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Fall 2013
“Our future conservation science must focus on the relationship between the public, wildlife, its habitat and the hunter.”
TABLE OF CONTENTS 4
From the Editor | In this Issue...................................................................................Mark B. Steffen
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From the President | Land Ethics ........................................................... William A. Demmer Conservation, Science, and Ethics ....................................................................Michael P. Nelson Extending the Fair Chase Ethic to a Land Stewardship Ethic............................... Hal Salwasser
12 .375 Holland and Holland Magnum................................Craig Boddington P.12
14 up close and personal...........................................................................Chuck Adams 18 New Benchmarks Reflect Hunters’ Commitment Reviewing the 28th Big Game Awards Program.............................................................B&C Staff
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Generation Next Banquet |
28th Big Game Awards Program....... B&C Staff
26 hunt fair chase award | 28th Big Game Awards Program.................. B&C Staff 27 We got a stomper | Hunt Fair Chase Award Story................................ Rip Rippentrop
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34 results | 28th Big Game Awards Program .................................... B&C Records Department 50 World’s Record award | 28th Big Game Awards Program................... B&C Staff
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52 Trophy Talk | 28th Big Game Awards Program Field Generals Luncheon.............. Jack Reneau 54 Wild Gourmet.............................................................................................. Marc C. Mondavi 56 Recently Accepted Trophies | 29th Awards Program Entries.
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64 Trophy Photo Gallery.............................. Sponsored by Realtree Xtra Green 70 Capitol Comments | Time for Responsible Compromise ................................ Steven Williams
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72 Member Adventure | The Acorn Series - Hunting in Many Lands................ Theodore J. Holsten 74 Knowledge Base | Citizen Science, Revisited.............................................. Winifred B. Kessler
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76 B&C Professor’s Corner | The Value of Scientific Research................................ William Porter P.72
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80 Counting glacier’s mountain goats...................................... Jami Belt
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the Last word
The Ethics of Fair Chase | Mea Culpa My Hind Leg . . ......................... Daniel A. Pedrotti, Jr.
FROM THE EDITOR In this Issue It certainly was never my thing. Personally, I am a devout disciple of the Jack Ward Thomas school of “the stalk is everything, the shot is Mark B. Steffen nothing”. I guess it Editor-in-Chief became obvious to me Chairman B&C when my hunting Publications Committee buddies and acquaintances finally quit talking about those ridiculously long distances and went back to comparing notes on closing the distance. Even bragging as to whose shot was the shortest! Those stories invariably include the revelation of senses triggered from within never before experienced. There is something mystical in regards to the combination of the rut, dirt, urine, adrenaline, near-success, and near-failure flowing through both hunter and hunted separated by a few short paces. “My B&C stalk, an above-theArctic Circle moose at 33 yards. Just the two of us. Me and the moose nearly the same age; me, just smart enough to get myself killed, him, the monarch of the Sheenjeck relegated to a non-god by the two cows nearby and the waning days of autumn. Thirty-two years later, the whole crazy affair still seems like just last season.”
To celebrate this return to the basics, Mr. Chuck Adams, B&C Professional Member and bowhunter extraordinaire, returns to the pages of Fair Chase with “Up Close and Personal.” Designed to entertain and educate, Chuck’s recurring contribution will celebrate the thrill of the stalk. If you are unfamiliar with Chuck Adams, research is mandatory. As a second-generation career outdoor writer (Jack O’Connor was the first generation), Chuck has spent a lifetime defining successful hunting. Chuck is the consummate role model having forged his successes from hard work, sacrifice, commitment to excellence, and an entrepreneurial spirit. In many ways—as the first person to harvest all the North American species with bow and arrow—he has redefined hunting. His legend is built upon an unwavering commitment to fair chase hunting. If you fancy yourself an outdoor writer of the next generation, the crossbar is set way high. Successful hunting can accept failure. It does not accept behavior outside the definition of fair chase. Jack and Chuck have blazed the trail. Who is next? n
Fair Chase PRODUCTION STAFF Editor-in-Chief & Publications Chairman Mark B. Steffen Managing Editor Julie L. Tripp Conservation and History Editor Steven Williams Research and Education Editor Winifred B. Kessler Hunting and Ethics Editor Mark Streissguth Assistant Editors Keith Balfourd Jim Bequette CJ Buck Marc Mondavi Jack Reneau Tony A. Schoonen Graphic Designer Karlie Slayer Editorial Contributors Chuck Adams Jami Belt Craig Boddington William A. Demmer Theodore J. Holsten Winifred B. Kessler Michael Nelson Daniel A. Pedrotti, Jr. William Porter Jack Reneau Rip Rippentrop Hal Salwasser Steven Williams Photographic Contributors Steven C. Ashley Tony Bynum 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 1077-4627) 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 Graphic Designer – Karlie Slayer Customer Service – Amy Hutchison Records Dept. Assistant – Wendy Nickelson RWCC Facilities Manager – Luke Coccoli
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FROM THE PRESIDENT
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A critical pillar of the Boone and Crockett Club is the notion and promotion of fair chase and the associated ethical responsibilities of the hunterWilliam A. Demmer conservationist. The PRESIDENT idea of fair chase Boone and Crockett Club hunting connects the hunter with the moral choices that one has to make in connection with one’s prey, other hunters and society in general. With the leadership provided by former Boone and Crockett Member Aldo Leopold, the idea of ethics was incorporated into man’s relationship with the land. Aldo Leopold’s body of ideas evolved into what he titled the “Land Ethic.” The Land Ethic connects the hunter-conservationist with a set of moral choices relative to how our land and habitat are to be managed and used. The Boone and Crockett Club has been the North American leader in promoting ethical hunting and land-use ethics for years. Theodore Roosevelt proselytized in 1887 (the year he formed the Boone and Crockett Club) that for the hunterconservationist’s voice to be heard, it would require the moral underpinnings of ethics. That axiom is as true today as it has ever been. Our community still has much work to do if we are to guarantee the right to hunt for future generations. Our communications to the non-hunting public in particular needs to be replete with our respect for the prey and for the land. The hunter’s relationship with the land has been critical in reestablishing bountiful numbers of North American big game. With human populations expanding throughout this continent, greater demands for water and space will be placed on the land and the hunter’s needs will best be heard if they are framed in an argument that includes ethics. The ethical challenges and choices that we as hunter-conservationists face within
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our sporting passions provide a powerful training opportunity for our younger charges. The challenges of parenting are as tough today as they have ever been. I am now the father of five with the addition nine years ago of my wife Linda’s three children. Teaching, modeling, and inspiring proper thought and behavior is still a constant challenge. My relationship with hunting and the land that my family enjoys has been a wonderful tool to teach and guide ethical
We as hunters have that special opportunity to teach life’s lessons in regards to ethical behavior; for where else is the subject of ethics so up front and personal? thought. Beginning with early gun safety, safety lessons, and the associated discipline, I found the perfect carrot-and-stick combination that could inspire proper behavior. My sons (four plus a son-in-law) were eager to listen and learn about the skills and associated ethics required to maximize the enjoyment of shooting and hunting. We as hunters have that special opportunity to teach life’s lessons in regards to ethical behavior; for where else is the subject of ethics so up front and personal? Today’s business climate and political environment that capture much of our media’s attention provide little inspiration regarding ethics. From my personal experience in running a Michigan business, the auto industry in their fight for survival spent little attention to business ethics. Here again, fair chase ethics provide fertile grounds for societal behavior modeling. Our Boone and Crockett Club recently held its 28th Triennial Awards celebration in Reno, Nevada, honoring the cream of North American big game trophies submitted over
the past three years. What is unique about our awards is that each hunter’s trophy, in order to qualify for our records book, must be certified to have been taken “under fair chase hunting conditions.” Fair chase is defined as the ethical, sportsmanlike and lawful pursuit and taking of any free-ranging, wild, native North American big game animal in a manner that does not give the hunter an unfair advantage over such animals. To that end, the Boone and Crockett Club’s goal is to inspire the hunter to learn about his prey, its habitat, and embrace whole heartedly the ideals of fair chase. The four-day awards celebration, led by our Records Division Vice President Eldon L. “Buck” Buckner and his adjutant, Dr. Richard T. Hale, was the best ever. The Friday evening dinner honored the Generation Next. The Generation Next honorees were the young hunters whose animals qualified for entry in the Club’s big game records program. North American hunters age 16 and younger accounted for 155 of the trophies accepted into Boone and Crockett Club’s 28th Big Game Awards Book, and 22 of these young hunters were in attendance. All were celebrated by highlighting their stories along with pictures of their animals. It was duly noted that well over 40 percent of the age 16 and under hunters celebrated in Reno were young women. Our hunting community (in particular, hunting fathers) are doing their duty inspiring non-traditional hunters into our sport. When it was my turn to speak, I used the words of President Emeritus Lowell Baier challenging these youths to become ambassadors of our cause in promoting fair chase. Rarely is there an opportunity to attend an event for us hunters that so enraptures the attendees as our Club’s Triennial Awards Program celebration. We hunters are in the minority of the North American population, and it is critical for the long-term health and survival of our hunting passion that we all become ambassadors at some level. Our future conservation science must focus on the relationship between the public, wildlife, its
©University of Wisconsin-Madison Archives (photo by Robert McCabe)
habitat and the hunter. Educating the hunter, the landowner, and the public about our hunter-conservationist ethics is critical for hunting’s continued acceptance. Think about the impact of the expanding human populations in North America coupled with a warming climate; the resulting scenario will create more competition for nature’s sustaining resources than at any time in modern history. My scientist friends tell me that the human dimension side of wildlife management is the next evolving frontier demanding critical research. Values will be one of the driving forces in decision-making regarding the choices that our wildlife specialists will have to make. U.S. Fish and Game Chief Dan Ashe spoke at a recent AFWA (American Fish and Wildlife Association) conference and told the audience that our specialists may have to choose in this resource competition as to just what species will be saved. Our community must be in that debate, and we must be prepared with ethical arguments. We must build the ethical arguments that bring our policy makers and our legislators together for the benefit of our community. Our scientific arguments will be for the head, our ethical arguments will be for the heart. The Boone and Crockett Clubs thought leaders participating in this issue of Fair Chase with me will be Dr. Michael Nelson, chair of conservation ethics at Oregon State University, and Dr. Hal Salwasser, former dean of the Oregon State University School of Forestry and also the Boone and Crockett Club’s first endowed chair while teaching at the University of Montana. Dr. Nelson has read everything that Aldo Leopold has written and will discuss conservation, science and ethics, while Dr. Salwasser, who received his doctorate under Dr. Starker Leopold, will discuss extending the Fair Chase Ethic to a Land Stewardship Ethic. I want to thank them both personally for all that they have done for our community and for the inspiration that they have provided me. n
BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOUNDED IN 1887 BY THEODORE ROOSEVELT
Leopold in 1946 measuring the growth of the pines planted at the Shack. He once wrote: “The only conclusion I have ever reached about trees is that I love all trees, but I am in love with pines.”
Our future conservation science must focus on the relationship between the public, wildlife, its habitat and the hunter. Educating the hunter, the landowner and the public about our hunter-conservationist ethics is critical for hunting’s continued acceptance.
Club Club President William A. Demmer Secretary Robert H. Hanson Tom L. Lewis – Assistant Secretary Treasurer Marshall J. Collins, Jr. Executive Vice President – Administration Timothy C. Brady Executive Vice President – Conservation Morrison Stevens, Sr. Vice President of Administration James F. Arnold 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 2013 James J. Shinners Class of 2014 James Cummins Class of 2015 CJ Buck Foundation Foundation President B.B. Hollingsworth, Jr. Secretary Tom L. Lewis Treasurer C. Martin Wood III Vice President James J. Shinners Vice President John A. Tomke Class of 2013 John P. Evans Jeffrey A. Gronauer Steve J. Hageman Earl L. Sherron, Jr. C. Martin Wood III Class of 2014 Remo R. Pizzagalli Edward B. Rasmuson James J. Shinners John A. Tomke Leonard J. Vallender Class of 2015 Gary W. Dietrich B.B. Hollingsworth, Jr. Ned S. Holmes Tom L. Lewis Paul M. Zelisko
Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 7
Conservation, Science, and Ethics
©University of Wisconsin-Madison Archives (photo by Robert McCabe) X2 194N
By Michael P. Nelson Chair of Conservation Ethics, Oregon State University
The conservation community has a longstanding relationship with both science and ethics. But the relationship between conservation, science, and ethics might be more complicated than is at first apparent. For the most part, wildlife science informs us, with respect to conservation, about what is technically possible and about the ecological consequences of various management prescriptions. For example, Can does not wildlife science can determine recruitment rates for imply ought. given populations of animals, helping us understand the impacts on that population from over-harvest. Wildlife This kind of information is critical, because science is the conservation must be based on the best available science (“The best science available will be used as a purveyor of base for informed decision making in wildlife management,” as the Boone and Crockett Club puts information it). But those facts, important as they are, do not by about the themselves justify a certain conservation practice. The conservation of wildlife populations is as much ability of a a matter of values as of facts. Recent improvements in our thinking have affirmed this, and we often add population to values to our formula for sound conservation. endure being This commitment to discourse about values often comes in the form of an acknowledgement of hunted, but the importance of social science, which can describe whether, why, and how much we value the preservation it is not the of wildlife populations or other conservation goals. purveyor of Social science, as a systematic description of an important element of our world (namely, values), is ethics. also a critical element of science-based management. The role of social science in conservation is, however, often misunderstood. While social science can tell us what people believe or value and why, social science (or even social science and wildlife ecology together) are still not an adequate basis for conservation. Like wildlife For Leopold, hunting was ecology, social science both a scientific experience does not justify a certain and a recreational one. In the conservation approach. field, he usually recorded in That requires us to his hunting journal the sex, evaluate what we ought age and weight of his catch. to believe, or, in other words, to justif y conservation. This is the product of ethical discourse. An ethic is a belief. A belief about what is right or wrong, good or bad; a belief that inspires certain actions. A conservation ethic is a formal articulation of
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a belief about what is proper human conduct with regard to the land. A more specific example, a hunting ethic would articulate a system of proper thought and conduct between humans and certain kinds of nonhuman animals. A hunting ethic should explain both how we hunt, and why we ought to hunt. We currently seem better equipped to handle science than we do ethics. Sometimes the temptation is to try to move directly from the sciences (both ecological and social) to some action; to move from those descriptions about the world provided by the sciences to prescriptions for action. But any argument concluding that we ought to behave in a certain manner, any argument with a “should” or “ought” in its conclusion, must have, as a matter of logic, two kinds of premises, not just one. The first kind of premise will be empirical: this is the way the world is, this is the way the world will be. This is the realm of the sciences, and this is what it means to base conservation on the best available science. The second kind of premise will be about values: this is what is worthy, this is what is important, this is what must remain. This premise is not the realm of the sciences. Only with both premises, but by neither alone, will we arrive at a prescription for action. Arguably, conservation is at a crossroads. Successful navigation will require a renewed thoughtfulness. Going forward, conservation needs to be versed both in science and in ethics. This recognition has many implications; following are just a couple. First, the justification of conservation will depend ultimately upon a fusion of science and ethics. Some of our former ideas about justification will have to go, most notably the idea that science alone can deliver justified conservation practices. For example, the fact that biologists affirm that a given population of animals can, or cannot, be hunted, does not imply (all by itself) that it is right or ethical to hunt that population. Can does not imply ought. Wildlife science is the purveyor of information about the ability of a population to endure being hunted, but it is not the purveyor of ethics. We have more work to do if we want to justify actions. Second, this fusion of science and ethics will require us to become more adept at a new kind of discourse—ethical discourse. Conservation will, therefore, require some novel collaborations, articulations, and defenses. Few of us are an Aldo Leopold. Few of us can combine scientific rigor with ethical acumen and sufficiently powerful prose. We have the ability—historically unprecedented—to engage in conversation with our fellow citizens. But we need a wise and thoughtful conservation vision to communicate, a vision that can compete successfully and inspiringly in the current marketplace of ideas. Only together can we craft that vision. n
Extending the Fair Chase Ethic to a Land Stewardship Ethic By Hal Salwasser B&C Professional Member
An ethic is a principle concerning behavior to others. The Golden Rule, a version of which is present in many cultures, is an example of a person-toperson ethic about right behavior. Fair chase is an ethic about person-to-animal behavior when hunting. It is not present in all cultures and is not practiced by all in any particular culture. Ethics are personally adopted, voluntary guides for behavior and action. When such guides become mandated, as through government law or regulation, they are no longer an ethic; they are the law, where the only ethic involved is whether to follow the law. Fair chase is not the law, nor could it ever be. As a law it would be unenforceable and it would weaken its power to influence personal choice. Laws absolve the individual of moral choice and discernment of right behavior other than to follow the law; we must obey without choice or pay a consequence if caught in violation. That does not always deter violation. Professional member and founder of science-informed wildlife management, Aldo Leopold, said of hunter ethics, it is how you behave on the hunt when no one is watching you. That is, it is a voluntary, self-imposed code of conduct. We behave in ways that signify our moral choice and personal commitment, not because the law tells us to do so. Our American culture has ethics and laws about treatment of others, including animals, e.g., water and air quality and species at risk of extinction. It has no ethic about how one should treat land, the ecological systems which provide the resources necessary for survival and well-being. Aldo Leopold proposed such an ethic more than half a century ago. It is embraced by many, but it is not as widely embraced by a community as is fair chase by hunters, and certainly not by society as a whole. For example, our approach to energy development rarely respects land as a community in which we are a mere citizen with responsibilities to communal well-being. However, at a price, e.g., likely higher energy prices, more ecologically sensitive practices are available. Our history of forest practices and livestock grazing also shows that we are only lately— and sometimes reluctantly—changing those
relationships to more fully respect the land community. The community of hunters, led by Boone and Crockett Club members and other like-minded individuals, championed and instilled fair chase many decades ago as the prevailing ethic in our culture about behavior by human predators toward their prey. It was in response to a cultural lack of ethics about human predator-wild prey behavior. The prey in this case would not continue to exist at
understandings is reflected in current law. Federal and state land agencies are struggling with how to manage and protect resources in their responsibility under laws that are not suited to current times and understandings, often held in check by groups whose existence is tied to the old laws. Such is not the case with private lands, whose owners and managers can adapt to new scientific and experiential knowledge, new societal values and new market forces more readily. They do not need new laws to tell them to change or to constrain such change. Hence we are now seeing a surge in private lands managed for conservation as well as commercial enterprise. In some notable examples, such as the Western Landowners Alliance and similar groups across the nation, owners are forming alliances with other owners and working closely with state and federal conservation agencies and academia to advance their ideas and values. There have also been great advances in tribal natural resources management since the 1990s. Some of the strongest examples of a land ethic in practice are occurring on Native American reservations. There would be even more if tribes are relieved of historic federal regulatory laws and policies. It is now common for animals hunted on reservations to qualify for the Club’s Big Game Records Program. Private and tribal lands could be where the wildlife conservation action will take place in coming decades, and they are where application of a Leopoldian land ethic can most prominently show society a new way that doesn’t sacrifice human well-being for the environment or vice versa. There is great opportunity for the hunter-conservation community to encourage and reward these largely private and First Nations initiatives, not through regulatory law but through incentives and r el ie f from B&C regulatory law in proportion to accomplishments toward the care and long-term stewardship of O n at u r e a nd n li ne culture in their Learn more about fullest richness. n
Our American culture has no ethic about how one should treat land, the ecological systems which provide the resources necessary for survival and well-being. sustainable and harvestable numbers without productive and diverse land at scales ranging from habitat patches to continental landscapes. It is time for the descendants of those visionary leaders to take the ethic of fair chase to its next level and embrace land as something to be treated with respect, reverence and care for its long-term well-being. Leopold’s Land Ethic is the land extension of fair chase. With human population careening toward 9 to 10 billion by mid-century, we have no time to lose in righting our relationships to the places that sustain us. And every journey begins with one step in one’s home territory. Federal and state laws mandate how public lands and waters are to be managed to perpetuate their productivity and contributions to society. Those laws are largely based on science and societal values of the mid-1900s, essentially fixed in that era. But science and societal values change with time. In the mid-1900s, we still thought and talked as if we could regulate nature and control undesired events such as large fires. We cannot. Recent science has shown that ecosystems are immensely complex, dynamic and often unpredictable. It has shown that global climate is changing at a faster rate than occurred in past eras, that human activities have augmented natural forces of change, and that consequences will have significant impacts on wild places and wild flora and fauna. Neither of these new
the history of conservation.
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The Boone and Crockett “Hunters are taking more pride in the conservation system they created. They understand the growing importance of educating the public about its historic successes and importance for the future. And they’re doing everything they can to ensure that future, from participating in public exhibitions to digging into their wallets for supplemental conservation initiatives, to mentoring their kids on the principles of fair chase and instilling a hunter’s knowledge and passion for the great outdoors.”
© Tony bynum
William A. Demmer, President of the Boone and Crockett Club pg 18. 28th Big Game Awards
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B o d di n g t o n’s Ca r t r i d g e
Review
.375 Holland and Holland Magnum By Craig Boddington B&C Professional Member Photos courtesy of Author
.375 H&H cartridges In North America the lighter bullets are probably the most useful, but for sure, sharppointed bullets should be chosen for better ranging abilities.
One hundred and one years old and still going strong,
the .375 H&H was introduced in England in 1912 and first loaded in the United States by the old Western Cartridge Company in 1925. It remained the most powerful standard American cartridge until the introduction of the .458 Winchester Magnum in 1956, although Roy Weatherby surpassed it in velocity and energy with two proprietary .375s: The .375 Weatherby Magnum, his improved version of the H&H, in 1945; and his mighty .378 Weatherby Magnum, in 1953. Today there are quite a few cartridges that are more powerful, but I think it can be reasonably argued that the .375 H&H is the most powerful cartridge that has a legitimate place in North American hunting. Even then, its genuine application is limited; it is perfect for the biggest bears, a good choice for bison, and reasonably well-suited for walrus and muskox. Altogether these animals represent a tiny fraction of North American big game—and yet, the .375 H&H has maintained its popularity for generations. It is chambered to many bolt actions and most modern single shots, is loaded by all major (and minor) ammunition companies, with a wealth of factory loads and a rich selection of bullets available for handloaders. In part this is because the .375 H&H is also a worldwide favorite. It is the smallest cartridge that is street legal for dangerous game in all African jurisdictions. Although quite powerful, it is relatively mild in recoil. Most people who actually need a rifle of this power (and most who do not) can learn to shoot a .375 H&H. Add a couple hundred feet per second velocity for the faster .375s and the trajectory gets flatter—but recoil quickly becomes an issue for many shooters. Drop a bit of velocity but go up in bullet weight and caliber to a .400 or BELOW: My Montana Rifles .375 produces the kind of accuracy I expect in a good .375, clearly suitable for any and all sensible hunting purposes.
260-grain Nosler AccuBond
270-grain Hornady Spire Point
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300-grain Barnes TSX
300-grain Swift A-Frame
On the sticks with a CZ 550 .375 H&H. The .375 is fairly manageable, but still not pleasant to shoot from a benchrest. The bench must be used for sighting in, but practice should be done from other shooting positions.
Empire rifles .375: As with all cartridges, accuracy varies from load to load, but usually ranges from good to spectacular. The bottom right group from this Empire .375 measures about a quarter inch, pretty strong for a big bore with low-powered scope.
.416, and recoil still goes up significantly, but the trajectory becomes a lot more curved. This last may be one of the most important attributes of the .375—it hits with marvelous authority, but shoots flat enough to remain extremely versatile and doesn’t kick the shooter into next week. The most standard bullet weights today are a 270-grain slug at 2,690 fps and a 300-grain bullet at 2,530. The lighter, faster bullet develops 4,340 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle; the slower 300-grain bullet, 4,265. Obviously this is significant power! In Africa the 300-grain bullet is generally the most popular, partly because it can be mated with a non-expanding solid of the same weight, thus with the same general point of impact. For North American hunting, we have almost no use for solids (maybe only for walrus), and we’re much better-served by choosing more aerodynamic sharp-pointed bullets. As to weight, because of higher ballistic coefficient (BC), the trajectory curve of the heavier 300-grain bullet isn’t much different from that of the faster 270-grain bullet: With spitzers or semispitzers, sight in 2 to 2-½ inches high at 100 yards to be dead-on at 200 yards. The drop at 300 yards will be 9 to 11 inches, clearly suitable for everything the .375 is ideal for and actually flat enough for an awful lot of North American hunting. While there isn’t much on this continent that the .375 is really necessary
for, a huge part of its charm is there isn’t much it can’t do. Over the years I have used it occasionally for elk, moose, and black bear—it hits with dramatic authority—and when I was a magnum-crazed kid, I used it for sheep, caribou, deer, and pronghorn. Overkill? You bet. But on smaller game, it hits hard without damaging a lot of meat (which is part of its utility in Africa as well). In Africa I generally prefer 300-grain bullets, mostly for compatibility with solids (which we use not only for elephant and hippo and backup on buffalo, but also for the very small antelope). In North America a well-constructed 270-grain bullet is plenty for even the biggest bears; despite greater velocity and initial energy, it has a bit less recoil than the 300grain load. If you happen to have a .375 and wish to use it on game lighter than it was really intended for, then there are some lighter bullets that reduce recoil, allow increased velocity, and flatten trajectories (at least at moderate ranges). Some of these are: 235-grain Speer Semi-Spitzer; 235-grain Barnes TSX; 250-grain Sierra GameKing; and 260-grain Nosler AccuBond. None of these are loaded by major manufacturers, but all are available to handloaders and can be loaded by smaller suppliers. I don’t personally recommend bullets lighter than 270-grains for big bears, but if you want to use
your .375 for elk or moose, these lighter bullets make the .375 even more versatile. Across the board, accuracy is generally good and can be astonishing. Its tapered case is indeed archaic— but it feeds well, and if you blow it out to modern styling you may not like the recoil that comes with the increased powder capacity. The .375 H&H’s one significant drawback is that its 2.850-inch case requires what we call a full-length action, meaning that it cannot be housed in standard bolt actions intended for .30-06-length (2.5-inch cases) cartridges. Since shorter cartridges have been the rage for many years, this means it is not compatible with a number of modern bolt actions. The fairly new .375 Ruger solves this dilemma with a slight bonus in velocity— but not enough to substantially alter performance or increase recoil. However, there are many actions that will house the .375 H&H, and it remains our most popular powerful cartridge. It is not only a standard chambering for most manufacturers, but throughout the world, it is the gold standard for utmost versatility. n
The .375 H&H remains the favorite among Alaska bear hunters for our biggest bruins. Boddington used a .375 with 300-grain bullets to take this whopper on the Alaska Peninsula back in 1981. Because of its long hair, the muskox isn’t as big as it looks, but it’s a tough animal that falls into .375 territory. Donna Boddington used the slightly less powerful .376 Steyr to take this fine bull in Greenland.
Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 13
NEW! U p c l o s e a n d p er s o n a l
UP CLOSE I s G R E AT !
By Chuck Adams B&C Professional Member Photos courtesy of Author
I have always been a close-range kind of guy.
When my dad gave me a choice of loaner varmint rifles at the tender age of 9, I immediately grabbed his old Remington .22 Long Rifle bolt gun. I had no interest in the .222 Remington, .22-250 Winchester, .220 Swift, and other relatively hot calibers Pop pulled out of his gun closet.
Soon, we were spending pleasant Saturdays hunting ground squirrels in the almond orchards near our northern California home. Pop would sit back with a steady rest and blast the nut-chomping pests from 150 to 300 yards. I would sneak along or sit silently in wait and pop critters at less than 50 yards. Pop and I both loved to hunt, but each of us did it our own special way. We both liked candy bars, too, but Pop preferred Mounds and I preferred Almond Joys. To each his own. I may be a bowhunter, but I am no stranger to gun hunting—past and present. Both my grandfathers were deer enthusiasts. Unlike my dad and my boyhood hero Jack O’Connor, who went after bucks with calibers ranging from .270 Winchester to .300 H&H Magnum, both my grandparents hunted with slow, open-sight rifles. One liked his .30-40 Krag, the other a Winchester Model 94 .30-30 lever gun. Like bowhunters, my granddads knew the limitations and exact trajectories of bullets traveling around 2,000 feet per second. Both were deadly on deer out to 150 yards, looping 180-grain .30-caliber slugs into bucks as they watched the animals twitch their ears and flick their tails at flies. 14 n Fair Chase Fall 2013
Getting really close to game is difficult. It is also a unique and rewarding experience.
Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 15
Being a gun nut, my dad was like many modern hunters I know. He loved to handload ammo and shoot minute-of-angle groups through a precisely adjusted crosshair scope. Compared to deer shooters today, Pop’s rifles were fairly simple and short-range. But he had the same passion for a pinpoint shot on a tiny dot of an animal in the distance. I know there is presently a raging controversy among hunters about short-range versus long-range weapons, and each style of shooting offers pluses and minuses worth considering. For me, it is all good. If you are legally having fun, I do not care if you drop a buck or bull at 750 yards or smash one with a bullet at 75. I do not care if you shoot a deer at 15 yards with an arrow from a longbow traveling 180 feet per second, or drop a buck at 60 yards with a shaft from a compound bow sizzling 320 feet per second. But I must tell you there is something extra-special about getting up-close and personal before you shoot. You learn more about the target animal and develop a closer bond with your quarry than you ever will at long distance. The knowledge derived and intimacy achieved at really close range must be experienced to be appreciated. Take my brother-in-law as an example. Grant is a modern, super-longrange rifleman with all the gear and gadgets for dropping elk and deer beyond 800 yards. He can dope the wind, shooting angle, and even humidity with an expensive laser rangefinder. Armed with such knowledge and his custom .300 Weatherby Magnum topped by an adjustable-reticule Swarovski scope, my wife’s brother can explode a milk jug almost every time at 1,000 yards if he has a steady rest and weather is calm. He routinely harvests elk in his home state of Montana at ranges beyond 600 or 700, and absolutely dotes on the high-tech challenge. I admire his hand/eye coordination and his ability to master complicated equipment. But consider this. Four years ago, Grant spotted a herd of elk with a bull he wanted to shoot. The animals were over one mile away, bedded beneath a bluff with no way to shoot from long rifle range. My brother-in-law circled to get the wind right, sneaked down on the elk, and crawled the final 20 yards to the edge. “I could actually hear those animals breathing,” Grant told me later. “I could have dropped a rock on the closest cow. The females were chirping 16 n Fair Chase Fall 2013
to their calves, and that bull was grunting softly from time to time. It was one of the coolest elk experiences I have ever had!” Grant shot the bull at 20 yards with his big rifle, but he went bowhunting the next year because he loved the close-range thrill. He still sometimes shoots elk at half a mile, but he’s learned that getting up close and personal is challenging and rewarding in its own special way. The average deer is taken by a bowhunter at slightly less than 20 yards. The average elk is shot at slightly over 30. Getting that close requires superlative stalking skills or extreme patience on stand. But some hightech archers can double such shooting distances with laser rangefinders, adjustable bow sights, flat-shooting compound cambows, and ultra-light carbon-fiber arrows. As a result, I sometimes hear short-range archers sneer at longer-range techies, and techies make fun of those who try to get really, really close. This same sort of baloney occurs within the muzzleloader and center-fire rifle fraternities. In the long run, all the snootiness and muscle-flexing does not matter. Wildlife officials in various states and provinces monitor Chuck took this impressive non-typical mule deer in 2012 with a close shot after a long stalk.
game populations, set seasons and bag limits, and make sure that animal resources continue to thrive. How you fill your freezer is up to you, as long as you obey the law. Why should I care if you use an in-line black powder rifle complete with scope that destroys the bull’seye at 250 yards, or a traditional flintlock with open sights that is hard pressed to hit a pie plate at 50 yards? Why should I care if you use a 30-inch, 70-pound compound bow with cams as big as dinner plates and arrow speeds 1/3 the speed of sound, or a handlaminated, 72-inch longbow with a trajectory that makes a rainbow look flat? Why should I care if you shoot a heavy, fluted-barrel supermagnum with a range-compensating scope, or a simple John Wayne rifle with iron sights and a bullet you can almost see as it leaves the barrel? I do not. But that being said, this new “Up Close and Personal” column is designed to celebrate the art of taking animals at eyelashbatting distance. Take it from me. There is nothing more challenging or satisfying than fooling a buck, bull, or bruin at point-blank range. As future columns appear, I am sure you will realize what I mean. n
Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 17
Boone and Crockett Club’s
28th Big Game Awards The Boone and Crockett Club’s recent 28th Big Game
Awards established several new benchmarks that are a reflection of today’s hunters’ commitment to conservation, fair chase, and the future of these traditions.
Above: Over 100 trophies like this give all hunters a reason to celebrate, as the conservation efforts of hunters are working. RIGHT: 60 Trophy owners were honored at the Big Game Awards Banquet Saturday night.
18 n Fair Chase Fall 2013
Record numbers of exhibited trophies, attending trophy owners, youth awardees, event registrants and sponsors were among the highlights at the triennial event that concluded July 20 in Reno, Nevada. “Boone and Crockett Club began hosting public exhibitions of big-game trophies in 1947. But I don’t think we’ve ever seen the hunting community more passionate about helping us deliver the message that hunting success follows conservation success—and vice versa,” said Club President Bill Demmer. The trophies honored in Reno are the latest to symbolize the success of modern wildlife conservation and management. Game herds that produce large, mature specimens reflect population health and habitat quality, coupled with beneficial selective-harvest and fair-chase ethics on the part of hunters. Entries in Boone and Crockett’s trophy annals have trended upward since recordskeeping began early in the 1900s as a way of detailing species once thought headed for extinction. Demmer said, “Hunters are taking more pride in the conservation system they created. They understand the growing importance of educating the public about its historic successes and importance for the future. And they’re doing everything they can to ensure that future, from participating in public exhibitions to digging into their wallets for supplemental conservation initiatives, to mentoring their kids on the principles of fair chase and instilling a hunter’s knowledge and passion for the great outdoors.” “Another record for us was the number of sponsors who stepped up to help the Club honor these trophies and sportsmen and sportswomen,” said Boone and Crockett Club’s Director of Marketing Keith Balfourd. “These companies and organizations demonstrated a strong commitment to ensuring a future for wildlife and wild places and to preserve our cherished hunting traditions. We are very pleased to have them as conservation partners.” Event sponsors included Cabela’s, Aimpoint, Federal Premium Ammunition, Buck Knives, Leica Sport Optics, Boyt Harness Co., Hornady, Leupold, Realtree, Schnee’s, MINOX, Wild Sheep Foundation, Dallas Safari Club, Redfield, Hunting GPS Maps, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Pope and Young Club, Mule Deer Foundation, Weatherby, Robert M. Lee Trust, and ITS Logistics. In October, the Club will release its corresponding records book, Boone and Crockett Club’s 28th Big Game Awards. The newest edition in this series will feature nearly 5,000 new Boone and Crockett qualifying trophies entered and accepted during the 28th Awards Program (2010-2012) in 38 different categories of North American big game, from whitetail to walrus. n
New Benchmarks Reflect Hunters’ Commitment Sponsored by
Highlights from Boone and Crockett Club’s 28th Big Game Awards event also included: n Exhibition with 129 top trophies including records-book
specimens taken by youth hunters ages 16 and under.
n Highest-ever participation rate among trophy owners in a
three-year awards period.
n Inaugural Hunt Fair Chase Award sponsored by Hunting GPS
Maps, emceed by Craig Boddington, presented to Matt “Rip” Rippentrop for his Montana bighorn sheep, 203-6/8. see page 30
n Record 22 youths in attendance for the Generation Next Banquet
sponsored by Leica Sport Optics and emceed by CJ Buck.
n Boone and Crockett Club board resolution re-naming the event’s
Generation Next Banquet after former Club president Jack Steele Parker. see page 22
n Seminars by Wayne van Zwoll, Craig Boddington, and Dieter Craig Boddington and Richard Hale catch up before Craig’s seminar on Hunting and Conservation.
Kaboth.
Above: Four youth hunters took in the display and exchange their hunting stories. Below: Attendees could try their aim in a shooting simulator on display.
Dieter Kaboth spoke on public land elk hunting and demonstrated a few elk calls.
Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 19
Notable new trophies and trophy owners in attendance:
Timothy R. Carpenter with his Roosevelt’s elk in the field.
n New World’s Record Rocky
Mountain goat (57-4/8 from British Columbia) and hunter Troy M. Sheldon see page 50
n Nebraska state record typical
whitetail deer (198-2/8) and hunter Kevin S. Petrzilka
n Nebraska state record non-
typical whitetail deer (284) taken by Wesley A. O’Brien
n No. 5 typical mule deer
for North Dakota (192-4/8) and hunter Tyson C. Schwab
on Ro bert J. Cond Yukon ask la A s took hi Brooks moose in the a in 2012. Rang e, Alask
n No. 1 hunter-taken black
bear (23-9/16 from Pennsylvania) and hunter Robert T. Christian
n No. 15 all-time typical
American elk (413-1/8 from Utah) and owner Jesse K. Richardson
n No. 1 all-time Roosevelt’s
elk (398-1/8 from California) and owner Timothy R. Carpenter
n No. 8 all-time woodland
Ro bert T. Chris tia n posed with his black bear skull in the Big Game Award s tro phy dis play.
caribou (tie, 369 from Newfoundland/Labrador) and hunters Shawn R. Andres and Peter Kraenzlin
n No. 2 archery Stone’s sheep
(179-4/8 from British Columbia) and hunter Jim Hens
n No. 6 all-time Alaska-Yukon
moose (250-6/8 from Alaska) and hunter Robert J. Condon
n No. 4 all-time muskox (128-2/8
from Nunavut) and hunter Larry A. Meyer
20 n Fair Chase Fall 2013
B&C Staff Wendy Nickelson and Abra Loran welcomed attendees as they entered the 28th Big Game Awards Trophy Display.
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Boone and Crockett Club’s
Generation next
A resolution passed by the Boone and Crockett Club’s
board of directors has renamed the Club’s triennial youth awards and event in honor of former Club president Jack Steele Parker. Parker, who
Sponsored By
passed away recently, was active in Boone and Crockett Club for 44 years. At its 27th Big Game Awards in 2010, the Club launched its Generation Next Awards to honor youths who recently entered a trophy into Boone and Crockett Club’s records. Over the next three years, young hunters age 16 and under entered 152 Boone and Crockettqualifying trophies. At the recent 28th Big Game Awards, the Generation Next Awards sponsored by Leica Sport Optics proved to be one of the event’s most popular and inspirational highlights. “We literally had tears in the room. Parents were proud, of course, but everyone was moved by the words and sentiments and foresight of these kids. It’s obvious to all who attended that we’re leaving conservation in very good hands,” said Boone and Crockett Club’s President Bill Demmer. “The power of that event is a fitting way to honor the memory and name of one of our most devoted, wise and inspirational leaders.” Per the board’s resolution, the Generation Next Awards and event will be forever named the Jack Steele Parker Generation Next Youth Event at each Triennial Awards Program. Parker, the retired Vice Chairman and Executive Officer of General Electric was a regular member of Boone and Crockett Club from 1969-2000 and an honorary life member since 2001, served in a great variety of leadership capacities and committee assignments. His presidential term was 1980-82. Parker was prominent on the Club’s Records Committee from 1971-2013. He played a significant role in many organizational achievements from computerizing historical records data, to securing the acquisition of the National Collection of Heads and Horns from the Bronx Zoo in 1978, to organizing funding for the Club’s Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch in Montana. He was honored with Boone and Crockett Club’s cherished Sagamore Hill Award in 2007. n Matthew C. Allen’s family was in attendance to support him and the Generation Next event.
ABOVE: Alex Howell and her dad Don traveled from Jackson, Wyoming, to receive her recognition for her trophy pronghorn.
Find out more about the 28th Big Game Awards Program
B&C
O
22 n Fair Chase Fall 2013
n li ne
Youth Event Renamed to Honor Jack Steele Parker Sponsored by
“That the Boone and Crockett Club and the world of wildlife conservation lost one of our most respected leaders and dedicated champions with the passing of Jack S. Parker. In his honor, this Generation Next Youth Event will be forever named the Jack Steele Parker Generation Next Youth Event at each Triennial Awards program.” B&C member Manuel Chee read the resolution approved by the Club’s board of directors honoring Jack Parker.
name
Kylie S. Sond ermann st ands with her nontypical mule de er. The G en eration N ex t trophy displa y nearly doub led in size sinc the 27th Big G e am e Awar ds Ba nq uet in 2010
.
Youth Hunters in attendance Category
Score
Andrea M. Fencl
black bear
20-3/16
Madison J. Nimmo
black bear
20
Benjamin A. Shantz
black bear
20-6/16
Morgan J. Weaver
black bear
21-5/16
L. Craig Fox
non-typical mule deer
228-6/8
Kylie S. Sondermann
non-typical mule deer
218-4/8
Connor A. McClymont
non-typical mule deer
215-4/8
Cameron M. Adovnik
typical Columbia blacktail
125-1/8
Zackery A. Green
typical Columbia blacktail
136-5/8
Tanner A. Elias
typical whitetail deer
169-6/8
Alex N. Haag
typical whitetail deer
176-5/8
Austin Newlon
typical whitetail deer
180
Matthew C. Allen
non-typical whitetail deer
202-1/8
Quintin P. Keith
non-typical whitetail deer
188-2/8
Michaella D. Monroe
non-typical whitetail deer
219-5/8
Alex E. Howell
pronghorn
81-4/8
Nicole L. Kennedy
pronghorn
80
William A. Mordell
pronghorn
80
Erika R. Lankford
bighorn sheep
188-3/8
Wyatt F. Gremaux
bighorn sheep
182-6/8
J. Colin Denneny
Canada moose
193-3/8
James F. DeBlasio
desert sheep
180-5/8
Marcus Deuling
Dall's sheep
171-5/8
Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 23
LEFT: Marcus Deuling received his Minox ZA 5 2-10x40 scope at the Generation Next Banquet. His story detailed a hunt with his grandfather, Paul T. Deuling, near Jo-Jo Lake, Yukon Territory, in 2012 where he took this Dall’s sheep.
Generation next Youth essay drawing: The Boone and Crockett Club was pleased to recognized the winners of our first-ever youth essay contest at the Generation Next Banquet. Our editors selected the top three stories to receive the prizes shown below. Judging was based on criteria such as involvement of youth hunter and mentor, story- telling ability, ethics demonstrated in the field, and understanding of our hunting heritage. Contributors of the remaining stories were drawn for CZ 455 Lux Varmint Rifles (.22 LR). The complete list of winners was announced in the Summer 2013 issue of Fair Chase.
GRAND PRIZE WINNER – Marcus Deuling Dall’s sheep featured in the Spring 2013 issue of Fair Chase. Mr. Deuling received a Minox ZA 5 2-10x40 scope along with a gift card for the value of the Remington Model 700 CDL in .30-06 rifle.
RIGHT: Connor A. McClymont and his family drove from Montana immediately following the end of his baseball tournament to make it to Reno to celebrate. Connor is pictured with his non-typical mule deer, still in uniform.
SECOND PRIZE – Savanna Koebisch Bighorn sheep featured in the Summer 2014 issue of Fair Chase. Ms. Koebisch received a Minox ZA 5 2-10x40 scope along with a gift card for the value of the CZ 455 Lux .22 rifle.
THIRD PRIZE – Kylie Sondermann Mule deer featured in the Spring 2012 issue of Fair Chase. Ms. Sondermann received a CZ 455 Lux .22 Rifle laser engraved with the Boone and Crockett Club logo topped with a Minox ZA 5 2-10x40 scope.
24 n Fair Chase Fall 2013
LEFT: William A. Mordell displays his certificate and hats. Leica sponsored the Generation Next Banquet and Deadeye Outfitters designed a custom hat for the youth.
THE TRUE ICON OF THE WEST! V
intage photos of giant mule deer with yardsticks nestled in their headgear. Historic score sheets boasting crazywide antler spreads—up to 43-4/8 inches for typicals; 49-2/8 inches for nontypicals. Classic accounts of legendary mule deer hunts. Such memorabilia and tons more are being released from the Boone and Crockett Club archives in a new book, A Mule Deer Retrospective.
The book also boasts chapters by some of today’s most respected mule-deer fanatics: Guy Eastman, Ryan Hatfield, Jim Heffelfinger, Miles Moretti and Wayne van Zwoll. A Mule Deer Retrospective is 304 colorful pages, hardcover, great for a gift, priced at $34.95, but discounted to $27.95 for Boone and Crockett Associates.
The Club’s newest book is a fascinating, comprehensive look at the iconic mule deer of the West. Order your copy from B&C today by calling toll-free 888-840-4868 or order on-line at www.boone-crockett.org. Deluxe Limited Edition of 20 hand-bound books also available for the true mule deer fanatic! Call 406-542-1888 to reserve your copy today. Quarter bound in leather with French marble paper , includes matching slipcase – $250
New Award Honors Extraordinary Fair-Chase Hunts The name Boone and Crockett is synonymous with trophy records, conservation and fair chase hunting. Trophies have long been honored with awards, books, exhibitions and events. Now, the Club’s new Hunt Fair Chase Award is helping bring equal weight to the other half of the B&C brand.
Boone and Crockett’s inaugural Hunt Fair Chase Award was sponsored by Hunting GPS Maps and presented as part of Club’s recent 28th Big Game Awards in Reno, Nevada. Matt “Rip” Rippentrop of Oelrichs, South Dakota, was honored for extraordinary ethics in a hunt that ultimately produced a massive bighorn ram scoring 203-6/8. Well-known outdoor writer and television personality Craig Boddington presented the Sponsored by award to Rippentrop before a banquet crowd of 450. Boddington told the audience: “Fair chase is just two words, but their meaning has deep significance to everyone who hunts and teaches young people about hunting. This was not an easy call to make, but of all the accounts of hunts from these 28th Awards, Rip’s story read ‘fair chase’ from beginning to end. A 38-day, out-of-state, do-it-yourself campaign was certainly the way to honor a once-ina-lifetime sheep tag.” The Hunt Fair Chase Award reads, “In recognition of a hunt that best represents the determination, self-reliance, and respect for the game that embodies the tenets of fair chase set forth by Boone and Crockett Club founder Theodore Roosevelt.” “We’re honored to sponsor the Hunt Fair Chase Award,” said Jason Ritthaler of Hunting GPS Maps. “All of us at Hunting GPS Maps are deeply grateful for the Club’s work in conservation and fair chase across North America. We are happy to participate in this tradition by sponsoring an award that represents the tenets of hunting with determination, self-reliance, and respect for the game. It is these ethics that Hunting GPS Maps works to pass on to the next generation of hunters.” Jason Ritthaler of Hunting GPS Hunting GPS Maps personnel joined the Boone and Crockett Club’s Records Maps presenting Rip with the Department and others in judging for the award from a number of written descriptions first Hunt Fair Chase award. of hunts that exemplify the term “fair chase.” n Rip’s bighorn sheep was on display in Reno.
Rip and Justin Spring, Assistant Director of Big Game Records, displays his Hunt Fair Chase plaque, as well as his trophy plaque, after the banquet.
26 n Fair Chase Fall 2013
“We Got a Stomper!” Matt “Rip” Rippentrop
Hunt Fair Chase Award recipient The last thing I said to my friend John Wildeboer after he harvested his great 2005 South Dakota Black Hills ram was, “Before I die I will go on my own bighorn sheep hunt.” Who knew that five years later I would draw the Holy Grail of all sheep hunts in the beautiful Missouri River Breaks of Montana. The research began immediately and lasted for the duration of the summer. I was determined to make the best of the opportunity I was given with the seven weeks of vacation I had available to use. There were many sleepless nights throughout the summer in anticipation of the hunt. In July, my dad and I took our first scouting trip from South Dakota to the Breaks. We did not see any sheep on the north side of the Missouri River, but we did see 20 rams on the south side, and one was a monster. In August, Tom Powell and I went for a threeday scouting trip to the areas we wanted to concentrate on for the upcoming hunt. Finally, the archery season arrived! Jared Bouman, Tate Bouman, and I arrived in the Breaks September 2 to do some scouting before the archery season opened on September 5. We saw about 10 rams, and two were in the 180s. Rattlesnakes were a constant concern, because they were seen and heard daily. Chance Wooden Knife— Game, Fish & Parks Director for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe—came up for the next six days. We packed in three miles through a couple
deep coulees and camped for three nights. We found another 10 rams and three 180s. My dad came up for the next six days, and we started hunting a new area— not one ram found for three days. For the opening day of rifle season, we decided to go back to where we started. On September 15, we spotted our first 190-inch ram. He was bedded down, but the following morning he went onto private land. With weather moving in and Dad having to head home, we pulled out at noon. The next day, I got a phone call from another hunter who said, “Rip, I wanted to make you feel good about leaving. It was a downpour that turned into snow by morning. You are lucky you got out of here.” When it rains in the Breaks, you usually can’t get around for a day or two. Regardless of the weather, some great rams were harvested during opening week of rifle season and I was second-guessing myself for leaving. I knew we would not be going back to the Breaks for nearly 45 days until the rut started in November. I called some of my sheep hunting friends from Wyoming, Brian “Hip” Moore, Larry Brandt, Buck Por ter, a nd C huck Woodman—I called them the Wyoming Sheep-Wrecking
The next thing I remember, I was standing over the top of my blondehaired ram with my eyes closed. Thanking the ram, the sheep gods, and the big guy in the sky. Hip walked up and said, “What do you think buddy?” I said, “I don’t know, I haven’t opened my eyes yet. Is he as big as we thought?
Posse—to meet up at the Breaks. We all got there on November 1 and set our wall tent up at a local rancher’s place for our base camp. Hip told us all that first night, “We need to find a Stomper!” Over the next few days, the weather was great and everybody was in awe of how many book rams we spotted. You have to see it to believe the quality of the rams in the Breaks. Josh Keller also showed up for three days to help with the glassing efforts. Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 27
“We Got a Stomper!” The following days we saw three 195-inch rams that we called “Dino”, “Grand Daddy”, and “Lunch”. Wow, were the guys upset with me for deciding not to pursue any of these three rams! I kept telling them my goal was a 200-inch ram, and I had the whole month of November off for vacation. At camp that night, we discussed how we felt like we were chasing a ghost, and I said, “Our day will come, guys. Everything will click, the stars will align, and the Big Guy in the Sky will shine down on us.” On November 6, it was just Hip and me left to hunt, and we were prepared to stay until the season closed on November 28. The next day brought a heavy rain—the low point of the hunt. During the rain/sleet/snow storm, the temperatures dropped from 70 degrees to 10 degrees that day, and the sheep patterns completely changed. That night Hip and I went into Winifred, Montana, to get our first shower in eight days, eat a cheeseburger instead of a can of chili or MREs, and to make some phone calls. I called my wife Chidawn to let her know we hit rock bottom with the weather and felt we needed to try to find Dino again. Her reaction was, “What the heck!” I asked her what the problem was and she said, “There’s a problem with you! I’m mad! You are not going to shoot a 195-inch ram with all the effort you have put in all summer and the vacation you have left to use! I’m going to hang up on you after I tell you this, don’t come home unless you shoot a 200-inch ram!!” Hip said, “I guess we’re not shooting Dino and we do have 21 days left to hunt, bud. Back to work, Rip!” Man, was that the shot in the arm we needed. The next morning Dad was back in camp for four days, and we were back to the drawing board. The last day Dad was there, Larry came back to help for the next three days. That night, I had great news for everybody! After splitting up for the last few days, I had found a big ram in a new area, and we needed to take a closer look at him. I hated to see Dad leave and not be around for the big day, but he had pheasant hunting in South Dakota on his mind. We did find the big ram the next day—I named him Money— and thought he might reach the 200-mark, but there was one problem. He was on private land that we did not have permission to hunt. There we sat for three days, watching the Money ram d was grea t an er th ea w from a mile away, waiting for him to come to us. Larry had to e th we xt few days, y book rams an O ve r the ne m w leave and we still had 14 days of hunting left, but that evening ho of in awe it y of Rip had many friends and family help him along the way to finding his sheep.
as ve the qual ever ybody w se e it to be lie to ve ha u sp ot te d. Yo the Breaks. the rams in
“I kept telling them my goal was a 200-inch ram, and I had the whole month of November off for vacation. At camp that night, we discussed how we felt like we were chasing a ghost.”
28 n Fair Chase Fall 2013
Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 29
“We Got a Stomper!”
Rip Rippentrop’s Missouri Breaks bighorn sheep made the 200 mark, scoring 203-6/8 points. It was taken in Chouteau County, Montana in 2010.
we saw another ram come marching into the band of ewes with the Money ram. Hip immediately said, “Rip, you better take a look at this ram!” At first I was cautious to agree he was bigger, but once they were both standing side by side rubbing their horns on the same sagebrush, there was no comparison between the two of them. The next morning we went to Winifred to have Nick Econom look at the pictures we had taken of both rams. Nick said smiling, “Rip, this ram is going to surprise you and it’s going to be in a good way!” The phone call then went to Bill & Renita Brown with Chase Hill Outfitters who uses Jon Barker Trophy Hunts for bighorn sheep hunts. After talking with Bill, he gave us permission to go after the new ram on his land without being guided. Once there, we got out of the pickup and as I leaned down to take my spotting scope out of my pack, Hip whispered, “Rip, your last star just aligned, and he is walking over the hill!” I looked up, and sure enough it was the new ram walking towards us at 250 yards. I asked Hip, “Are you sure he is a 200-inch ram like we think?” He said, “He’s the biggest ram we’ve seen!” After our discussion, and with sheep fever setting in, I harvested my ram at 230 yards. As he ran down a deep coulee, I realized the hunt had come to an end. The next thing I remember, I was standing over the top of my blonde-haired ram with my eyes closed. Thanking the ram, the sheep gods, and the big guy in the sky. Hip walked up and said, “What do you think buddy?” I said, “I don’t know, I haven’t opened my eyes yet. Is he as big as we thought?” Hip said, “We got a Stomper! Open your eyes buddy!” We were both in awe of finding the 200-inch ghost. After celebrating and taking pictures, it took five hours to cape and pack the dark-horned ram out with our extra packer Brady Martin. That evening we rough-taped him at 205-6/8 B&C, concluding 38 unbelievable days in the Breaks. We then checked the ram in with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) and were off to Cody, Wyoming, to Dewey’s Wildlife Studio. After 60 days of drying, the ram was officially B&C scored by Fred King at 203-6/8 inches, with bases of 17-4/8 inches and 17-2/8 inches, and curls measuring 43-3/8 inches and 40-5/8 inches. I would like to thank the big guy in the sky, my hunting partners, all the ranchers that allowed me to hunt, the 150 people who took a phone call from me, the town of Winifred for treating us like one of their own, Montana FWP, and my company, Banner Associates, for allowing me time off to chase bighorn sheep. This hunt took a lot of teamwork, but I could not have done it without 100 percent support from my wife, our five kids, and my parents. Thanks for letting me live the dream! n
Rip Rippentrop’s story, along with many others, will be available to read in Boone and Crockett Club’s 28th Big Game Awards, 2010-2012
30 n Fair Chase Fall 2013
THE Boone and Crockett Club’s
28th Big Game Awards Book 2010 – 2012
The most up-to-date big game records book available — includes over 5,000 trophies accepted in the last three years and dozens of stories about the top trophies. Every three years the Boone and Crockett Club publishes a new Awards book. The newest edition in this series – Boone and Crockett Club’s 28th Big Game Awards, 2010-2012 – definitely raises the bar for hunting enthusiasts. This volume features a complete listing of trophies accepted in the 28th Awards Period including the B&C Gross Score, along with the Final Score, selected measurements, location and date of kill, hunter and owner, as well as the rank in the 28th Awards Program. What sets this publication apart from other books are the tales of the hunts for the top North American big game trophies in the 28th Awards Program. Read about the hunts for some of the greatest trophies ever taken by modernday hunters.
Who’s Listed?
All trophies accepted by the Boone and Crockett Club’s Big Game Records Program between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2012, that meet or exceed the Club’s entry requirements.
AVAILABLE IN OCTOBER 2013!
Hardcover with dust jacket 7 x 9 inches n 704 pages n 60 color field photos n Nearly 350 B&W portrait and field photos, 47 Maps BR28 | $49.95 Associates pay only $39.95 n n
LIMITED PRESS RUN!
Only 3,000 available. Once these are gone, no more will be printed! Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 31
Traveling to Reno Nevada The 28th Awards Banquet and trophy display had one of the best attendance of any B&C Awards Event. This map shows how far people traveled to take part in the 28th Big Game Awards. These numbers are taken from registered attendants only.
1 TO 2 3 TO 5 6 TO 10 11 TO 20 21 TO 30 30+
Thank you to everyone who made the Boone and Crockett Club’s 28th Big Game Awards such a memorable event. It is your passion and commitment to hunting and conservation that allows us to continue to grow and succeed. 32 n Fair Chase Fall 2013
attendees attendees attendees attendees attendees attendees
WE ARE THE FASTEST GUN IN TOWN. JESSIE DUFF – World Champion Shooter with her Weatherby® Mark V® Accumark.®
NOTHING
SHOOTS FLAT
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ACCURATE
Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 33
Boone and Crockett Club’s
Results from the 28th Big Game Awards program Black bear
Cougar
1st Award
1st Award
2nd Award
2nd Award
3rd Award
Honorable Mention
Certificate of Merit
Honorable Mention
SCORE: 23-9/16 SKULL LENGTH: 14-7/16 SKULL WIDTH: 9-2/16 LOCATION: Monroe Co., Pennsylvania – 2011 HUNTER: Robert T. Christian 1
SCORE: 23-3/16 SKULL LENGTH: 14-11/16 SKULL WIDTH: 8-8/16 LOCATION: Clark Co., Wisconsin – 2011 HUNTER: Kurk A. Mackrill 2
Kurk A. Mackrill
SCORE: 22-11/16 SKULL LENGTH: 14-1/16 SKULL WIDTH: 8-10/16 LOCATION: Armstrong Co., Pennsylvania – 2011 HUNTER: Timothy R. Kiser 3
SCORE: 23-5/16 SKULL LENGTH: 14-8/16 SKULL WIDTH: 8-13/16 LOCATION: Monroe Co., Wisconsin – 2010 HUNTER: Picked Up OWNER: Wade W. Brockman 4
Grizzly bear 1st Award
SCORE: 15-11/16 SKULL LENGTH: 9-3/16 SKULL WIDTH: 6-8/16 LOCATION: Clinton, British Columbia – 2010 HUNTER: Rocco Verelli 9
SCORE: 15-9/16 SKULL LENGTH: 9-3/16 SKULL WIDTH: 6-6/16 LOCATION: Likely, British Columbia – 2010 HUNTER: Marty C. Loring 10
SCORE: 15-8/16 SKULL LENGTH: 9-2/16 SKULL WIDTH: 6-6/16 LOCATION: Uintah Co., Utah – 2011 HUNTER: Michael K. Sorensen 11
SCORE: 15 SKULL LENGTH: 8-12/16 SKULL WIDTH: 6-4/16 LOCATION: James River, Alberta – 2011 HUNTER: Christopher R. Durando 12
PACIFIC WALRUS Certificate of Merit
SCORE: 26-5/16 SKULL LENGTH: 16-4/16 SKULL WIDTH: 10-1/16 LOCATION: Big River, Alaska – 2011 HUNTER: Guy J. Turner 5
SCORE: 141-6/8 LENGTH: (R) 41-3/8 (L) 39-6/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 8 (L) 8-1/8 LOCATION: Alaska Pen., Alaska – 2011 HUNTER: Picked Up OWNER: Jeremy S. Davis 13
2nd Award
Certificate of Merit
SCORE: 26-3/16 SKULL LENGTH: 16-2/16 SKULL WIDTH: 10-1/16 LOCATION: Noatak River, Alaska – 2012 HUNTER: Johnathon R. Hackett, Jr. 6
3rd award
SCORE: 140-4/8 LENGTH: (R) 37-1/8 (L) 37-5/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 9-2/8 (L) 8-6/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 15-6/8 LOCATION: Port Moller, Alaska – 2009 HUNTER: Picked Up OWNER: Joe T. Hinton 14
SCORE: 26-2/16 SKULL LENGTH: 16-6/16 SKULL WIDTH: 9-12/16 LOCATION: Tatlawiksuk River, Alaska – 2009 HUNTER: Ed A. Zernia 7
Alaska Brown Bear Ed A. Zernia
Numbers indicate location of trophy portraits in the fold out section.
34 n Fair Chase Fall 2013
1st Award
SCORE: 30-4/16 SKULL LENGTH: 18-5/16 SKULL WIDTH: 11-15/16 LOCATION: Uyak Bay, Alaska – 2012 HUNTER: Thomas A. Stago 8
Rocco Verelli
Logan D. Anderson
TYPICAL AMERICAN ELK
Roosevelt’s Elk
Tule Elk
1st Award
1st Award
1st Award
2nd Award
2nd Award
2nd Award
Certificate of Merit
3rd Award
3rd Award
Honorable Mention
4th Award
Honorable Mention
TYPICAL MULE DEER
SCORE: 407 LENGTH: (R) 56-2/8 (L) 54-2/8 CIRC: (R) 9-5/8 (L) 9 POINTS: (R) 8 (L) 7 INSIDE SPREAD: 31-6/8 LOCATION: Gila Co., Arizona – 2010 HUNTER: Dan J. Agnew 15
SCORE: 400-3/8 LENGTH: (R) 54-7/8 (L) 57 CIRC: (R) 9-6/8 (L) 9-5/8 POINTS: (R) 6 (L) 7 INSIDE SPREAD: 43-1/8 LOCATION: Mohave Co., Arizona – 2010 HUNTER: Logan D. Anderson 16
SCORE: 413-1/8 LENGTH: (R) 54-1/8 (L) 54 CIRC: (R) 10-1/8 (L) 11 POINTS: (R) 6 (L) 6 INSIDE SPREAD: 41-1/8 LOCATION: Sanpete Co., Utah – 2012 HUNTER: Picked Up OWNER: Jesse K. Richardson 17
Honorable Mention
SCORE: 392-7/8 LENGTH: (R) 59-4/8 (L) 59-7/8 CIRC: (R) 9 (L) 9-2/8 POINTS: (R) 6 (L) 6 INSIDE SPREAD: 48-5/8 LOCATION: Iron Co., Utah – 2011 HUNTER: Ryan Q. Chamberlain 18
NON-TYPICAL AMERICAN ELK Honorable Mention
SCORE: 413-3/8 LENGTH: (R) 51 (L) 53-2/8 CIRC: (R) 8 (L) 8 POINTS: (R) 8 (L) 7 INSIDE SPREAD: 52-1/8 LOCATION: Coconino Co., Arizona – 2011 HUNTER: Allan J. Jacobson 19
SCORE: 398-1/8 LENGTH: (R) 54-1/8 (L) 54-1/8 CIRC: (R) 9-3/8 (L) 8-6/8 POINTS: (R) 9 (L) 8 INSIDE SPREAD: 38 LOCATION: Humboldt Co., California – 2011 HUNTER: Timothy R. Carpenter 20
SCORE: 372-1/8 LENGTH: (R) 48-5/8 (L) 50-3/8 CIRC: (R) 9-1/8 (L) 9-5/8 POINTS: (R) 7 (L) 8 INSIDE SPREAD: 38-5/8 LOCATION: Jervis Inlet, British Columbia – 2010 HUNTER: Thomas M. Shearer 21
SCORE: 356-4/8 LENGTH: (R) 50-6/8 (L) 52-1/8 CIRC: (R) 9-6/8 (L) 9-2/8 POINTS: (R) 7 (L) 6 INSIDE SPREAD: 41-7/8 LOCATION: Trinity Co., California – 2010 HUNTER: David F. Law 22
SCORE: 351-3/8 LENGTH: (R) 48-4/8 (L) 49 CIRC: (R) 9 (L) 10-1/8 POINTS: (R) 6 (L) 6 INSIDE SPREAD: 39-1/8 LOCATION: Sayward, British Columbia – 2010 HUNTER: Kevin T. Klumper 23
SCORE: 345 LENGTH: (R) 47-1/8 (L) 44-5/8 CIRC: (R) 9-3/8 (L) 9-3/8 POINTS: (R) 8 (L) 7 INSIDE SPREAD: 37-3/8 LOCATION: Vancouver Island, British Columbia –
2010
HUNTER: Steven S. Bruggeman 24
SCORE: 353-5/8 LENGTH: (R) 47-2/8 (L) 50-2/8 CIRC: (R) 8-2/8 (L) 8-3/8 POINTS: (R) 8 (L) 9 INSIDE SPREAD: 46 LOCATION: Colusa Co., California – 2004 HUNTER: David E. Leport 25
SCORE: 321 LENGTH: (R) 49-7/8 (L) 47-3/8 CIRC: (R) 7-6/8 (L) 7-4/8 POINTS: (R) 8 (L) 8 INSIDE SPREAD: 42-2/8 LOCATION: Solano Co., California – 2010 HUNTER: Patrick E. Butler 26
SCORE: 320-5/8 LENGTH: (R) 46-6/8 (L) 44-3/8 CIRC: (R) 7-1/8 (L) 7-2/8 POINTS: (R) 9 (L) 8 INSIDE SPREAD: 45-4/8 LOCATION: Solano Co., California – 2010 HUNTER: Kevin T. Klumper 27
SCORE: 318 LENGTH: (R) 43-7/8 (L) 43-1/8 CIRC: (R) 8-3/8 (L) 8-7/8 POINTS: (R) 7 (L) 7 INSIDE SPREAD: 38-5/8 LOCATION: Colusa Co., California – 2011 HUNTER: Thomas L. Mello 28
1st Award
SCORE: 202-4/8 LENGTH: (R) 26-3/8 (L) 28 CIRC: (R) 5-4/8 (L) 5-4/8 POINTS: (R) 5 (L) 5 INSIDE SPREAD: 26 LOCATION: Lincoln Co., Nevada – 2011 HUNTER: Lorin J. Wilkin 29
Honorable Mention
Max Rasmussen
SCORE: 192-4/8 LENGTH: (R) 26-1/8 (L) 25-5/8 CIRC: (R) 5-3/8 (L) 5-3/8 POINTS: (R) 5 (L) 7 INSIDE SPREAD: 22-5/8 LOCATION: Mercer Co., North Dakota – 2010 HUNTER: Tyson C. Schwab 30
Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 35
non-TYPICAL MULE DEER
TYPICAL SITKA BLACKTAIL
NON-TYPICAL SITKA BLACKTAIL
1st Award
1st Award
1st Award
TYPICAL COLUMBIA BLACKTAIL
2nd Award
SCORE: 260-3/8 LENGTH: (R) 28-3/8 (L) 30-4/8 CIRC: (R) 5-4/8 (L) 5-3/8 POINTS: (R) 12 (L) 10 INSIDE SPREAD: 28 LOCATION: Uintah Co., Utah – 1950 HUNTER: Max Rasmussen 31
1st Award
SCORE: 164-7/8 LENGTH: (R) 25-4/8 (L) 24-7/8 CIRC: (R) 4-6/8 (L) 4-6/8 POINTS: (R) 5 (L) 5 INSIDE SPREAD: 22-7/8 LOCATION: Trinity Co., California – 2010 HUNTER: Kevin E. Brett 32
NON-TYPICAL COLUMBIA BLACKTAIL 1st Award
SCORE: 181-4/8 LENGTH: (R) 23 (L) 23 CIRC: (R) 5 (L) 4-6/8 POINTS: (R) 7 (L) 8 INSIDE SPREAD: 18-7/8 LOCATION: Powell River, British Columbia – 1966 HUNTER: J. Nyle Stierna 33
2nd Award
SCORE: 167-6/8 LENGTH: (R) 22-3/8 (L) 23-4/8 CIRC: (R) 4-5/8 (L) 4-7/8 POINTS: (R) 7 (L) 7 INSIDE SPREAD: 20-6/8 LOCATION: Humboldt Co., California – 2010 HUNTER: Morgan Randall 34
Katherine J.D. O’Hagan
36 n Fair Chase Fall 2013
SCORE: 124 LENGTH: (R) 17-1/8 (L) 17 CIRC: (R) 3-7/8 (L) 4-2/8 POINTS: (R) 5 (L) 5 INSIDE SPREAD: 15 LOCATION: Alaska – 1947 HUNTER: Doyle E. Cisney OWNER: Joe A. Cisney 35
SCORE: 118-3/8 LENGTH: (R) 17 (L) 17-4/8 CIRC: (R) 4-5/8 (L) 4-5/8 POINTS: (R) 5 (L) 5 INSIDE SPREAD: 13-3/8 LOCATION: Zarembo Island, Alaska – 1998 HUNTER: Richard K. Burrell 36
3rd Award
SCORE: 117-4/8 LENGTH: (R) 18-5/8 (L) 18-1/8 CIRC: (R) 4-1/8 (L) 4-5/8 POINTS: (R) 5 (L) 5 INSIDE SPREAD: 15-2/8 LOCATION: Prince of Wales Island, Alaska – 2010 HUNTER: Wilbur J. Willis 37
4th Award
SCORE: 114 LENGTH: (R) 17-3/8 (L) 17 CIRC: (R) 3-5/8 (L) 3-6/8 POINTS: (R) 4 (L) 5 INSIDE SPREAD: 15-6/8 LOCATION: Prince of Wales Island, Alaska – 2012 HUNTER: Katherine J.D. O’Hagan 38
Honorable Mention
SCORE: 103-1/8 LENGTH: (R) 18 (L) 18 CIRC: (R) 3-7/8 (L) 4-1/8 POINTS: (R) 6 (L) 6 INSIDE SPREAD: 14-2/8 LOCATION: Brown Cove Lake, Alaska – 2011 HUNTER: Picked Up OWNER: Rocky Littleton 39
SCORE: 125-5/8 LENGTH: (R) 17-4/8 (L) 16-1/8 CIRC: (R) 3-5/8 (L) 3-5/8 POINTS: (R) 6 (L) 5 INSIDE SPREAD: 14 LOCATION: Kadin Island, Alaska – 1965 HUNTER: Felix Villarma 40
2nd Award
SCORE: 125 LENGTH: (R) 17-5/8 (L) 18 CIRC: (R) 4-2/8 (L) 4-3/8 POINTS: (R) 6 (L) 7 INSIDE SPREAD: 14-6/8 LOCATION: Zarembo Island, Alaska – 1985 HUNTER: Daniel D. McMahon 41
3rd Award
SCORE: 118-2/8 LENGTH: (R) 18-6/8 (L) 16-7/8 CIRC: (R) 4-1/8 (L) 4-4/8 POINTS: (R) 9 (L) 5 INSIDE SPREAD: 15-2/8 LOCATION: Prince of Wales Island, Alaska – 1986 HUNTER: Don Huse 42
TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER 1st Award
SCORE: 198-2/8 LENGTH: (R) 26-7/8 (L) 24-6/8 CIRC: (R) 4-7/8 (L) 5 POINTS: (R) 9 (L) 8 INSIDE SPREAD: 21-1/8 LOCATION: Saunders Co., Nebraska – 2010 HUNTER: Kevin S. Petrzilka 43
2nd Award
SCORE: 190-1/8 LENGTH: (R) 29-2/8 (L) 29 CIRC: (R) 5 (L) 5-1/8 POINTS: (R) 7 (L) 5 INSIDE SPREAD: 23 LOCATION: Otter Tail Co., Minnesota – 2010 HUNTER: Chad L. Widness 44
NON-TYPICAL COUES’ WHITETAIL 1st Award
SCORE: 142-5/8 LENGTH: (R) 21 (L) 21-6/8 CIRC: (R) 4-3/8 (L) 4-3/8 POINTS: (R) 6 (L) 7 INSIDE SPREAD: 15-7/8 LOCATION: Grant Co., New Mexico – 2010 HUNTER: Augustin F. Ruiz 50
AJ J. Downs
NON-TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER 1st Award
SCORE: 256-4/8 LENGTH: (R) 17-3/8 (L) 19-4/8 CIRC: (R) 5-1/8 (L) 4-6/8 POINTS: (R) 15 (L) 13 INSIDE SPREAD: 19-7/8 LOCATION: San Jacinto Co., Texas – 2012 HUNTER: AJ J. Downs 45
Certificate of Merit
SCORE: 284 LENGTH: (R) 22-2/8 (L) 24-2/8 CIRC: (R) 7-4/8 (L) 7-1/8 POINTS: (R) 14 (L) 24 INSIDE SPREAD: 16-1/8 LOCATION: Richardson Co., Nebraska – 2009 HUNTER: Wesley A. O’Brien OWNER: Bass Pro Shops 46
2nd Award
SCORE: 135-2/8 LENGTH: (R) 19-7/8 (L) 19-4/8 CIRC: (R) 4-6/8 (L) 4-7/8 POINTS: (R) 7 (L) 7 INSIDE SPREAD: 19-1/8 LOCATION: Gila Co., Arizona – 2011 HUNTER: Ryan D. Eustice 51
3rd Award
SCORE: 127-6/8 LENGTH: (R) 19-5/8 (L) 19 CIRC: (R) 3-7/8 (L) 4-2/8 POINTS: (R) 9 (L) 6 INSIDE SPREAD: 14-3/8 LOCATION: Sonora, Mexico – 2011 HUNTER: James A. Reynolds 52
Honorable Mention
SCORE: 123-4/8 LENGTH: (R) 18-2/8 (L) 17-6/8 CIRC: (R) 4-6/8 (L) 4-4/8 POINTS: (R) 6 (L) 6 INSIDE SPREAD: 14 LOCATION: Yavapai Co., Arizona – 2010 HUNTER: Joshua M. White 53
Certificate of Merit
SCORE: 279-3/8 LENGTH: (R) 26-1/8 (L) 24-3/8 CIRC: (R) 5 (L) 5-1/8 POINTS: (R) 15 (L) 17 INSIDE SPREAD: 26-2/8 LOCATION: Ta Ta Creek, British Columbia – 1951 HUNTER: Harold Smith OWNER: Bass Pro Shops 47
TYPICAL COUES’ WHITETAIL 1st Award
SCORE: 123-5/8 LENGTH: (R) 19-6/8 (L) 19-6/8 CIRC: (R) 4-1/8 (L) 4-1/8 POINTS: (R) 4 (L) 5 INSIDE SPREAD: 14-7/8 LOCATION: Pima Co., Arizona – 2012 HUNTER: Devin U. Beck 48
2nd Award
SCORE: 120-7/8 LENGTH: (R) 18-3/8 (L) 17-7/8 CIRC: (R) 3-7/8 (L) 3-6/8 POINTS: (R) 6 (L) 4 INSIDE SPREAD: 16-1/8 LOCATION: Gila Co., Arizona – 2012 HUNTER: Marshall J. Collins, Jr. 49
Robert J. Condon
CANADA MOOSE Honorable Mention
SCORE: 218-2/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 63-4/8 LENGTH: (R) 49 (L) 42-4/8 WIDTH: (R) 20-7/8 (L) 18 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 14 (L) 11 LOCATION: Cassiar Dist., British Columbia – 2008 HUNTER: Ray Olson 54
ALASKA-YUKON MOOSE 1st Award
SCORE: 250-6/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 72-6/8 LENGTH: (R) 51-3/8 (L) 50-7/8 WIDTH: (R) 17-1/8 (L) 21-1/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 14 (L) 13 LOCATION: Brooks Range, Alaska – 2012 HUNTER: Robert J. Condon 55
2nd Award
SCORE: 234-7/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 71-7/8 LENGTH: (R) 45-6/8 (L) 47-7/8 WIDTH: (R) 14-7/8 (L) 16-7/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 12 (L) 12 LOCATION: Sheep Mt., Yukon Territory – 2010 HUNTER: Larry A. Meyer 56
SHIRAS’ MOOSE 1st Award
SCORE: 184 GREATEST SPREAD: 54-2/8 LENGTH: (R) 36-1/8 (L) 36-1/8 WIDTH: (R) 10-6/8 (L) 9-7/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 12 (L) 12 LOCATION: Summit Co., Utah – 2011 HUNTER: John K. Koster 57
2nd Award
SCORE: 181-6/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 43-4/8 LENGTH: (R) 39-6/8 (L) 42-1/8 WIDTH: (R) 12-1/8 (L) 13-3/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 12 (L) 11 LOCATION: Sublette Co., Wyoming – 2012 HUNTER: James M. Frauendienst 58
3rd Award
SCORE: 180-3/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 54-5/8 LENGTH: (R) 40-6/8 (L) 38 WIDTH: (R) 10-3/8 (L) 10 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 8 (L) 11 LOCATION: Eagle Co., Colorado – 2012 HUNTER: Michael R. Dziekan 59
MOUNTAIN CARIBOU 1st Award
SCORE: 419-1/8 INSIDE SPREAD: 36-7/8 LENGTH: (R) 44 (L) 43-3/8 WIDTH: (R) 7-6/8 (L) 7-6/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 19 (L) 21 LOCATION: Dease Lake, British Columbia – 2012 HUNTER: Lyle R. Ferguson 60
WOODLAND CARIBOU 1st Award (Tie)
SCORE: 369 INSIDE SPREAD: 40-5/8 LENGTH: (R) 42-5/8 (L) 43-4/8 WIDTH: (R) 11-2/8 (L) 15-5/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 19 (L) 18 LOCATION: Sam’s Pond, Newfoundland – 2012 HUNTER: Shawn R. Andres 61
1st Award (Tie)
SCORE: 369 INSIDE SPREAD: 28-3/8 LENGTH: (R) 42-7/8 (L) 41-2/8 WIDTH: (R) 14 (L) 12-5/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 18 (L) 17 LOCATION: Sam’s Pond, Newfoundland – 2011 HUNTER: Peter Kraenzlin 62
2nd Award
SCORE: 354-5/8 INSIDE SPREAD: 32-1/8 LENGTH: (R) 43-3/8 (L) 46-3/8 WIDTH: (R) 0-1/8 (L) 2-2/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 25 (L) 18 LOCATION: Middle Ridge, Newfoundland – 1967 HUNTER: Albert R. Zelin 63
3rd Award
SCORE: 337 INSIDE SPREAD: 34-1/8 LENGTH: (R) 45-1/8 (L) 47-5/8 WIDTH: (R) 12 (L) 9-4/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 12 (L) 15 LOCATION: Buchans, Newfoundland – 2012 HUNTER: Paul F. Sando 64
Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 37
BARREN GROUND CARIBOU 1st Award
SCORE: 434-4/8 INSIDE SPREAD: 39-5/8 LENGTH: (R) 57-1/8 (L) 58 WIDTH: (R) 11-6/8 (L) 13-7/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 18 (L) 17 LOCATION: Scotty Lake, Alaska – 2010 HUNTER: Devin J. Hubble 65
2nd Award
SCORE: 407-5/8 INSIDE SPREAD: 35-6/8 LENGTH: (R) 48-2/8 (L) 50 WIDTH: (R) 14-5/8 (L) 3-2/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 21 (L) 17 LOCATION: Charley River, Alaska – 2010 HUNTER: Dennis Zuleger 66
CENTRAL CANADA BARREN GROUND CARIBOU 1st Award
SCORE: 389-4/8 INSIDE SPREAD: 35-2/8 LENGTH: (R) 57-1/8 (L) 56-1/8 WIDTH: (R) 14-2/8 (L) 7-4/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 20 (L) 15 LOCATION: Obstruction Rapids, Northwest
Territories – 2006
HUNTER: Todd G. Schoepke 67
2nd Award
SCORE: 374-6/8 INSIDE SPREAD: 33-4/8 LENGTH: (R) 46-2/8 (L) 46-5/8 WIDTH: (R) 12-2/8 (L) 0-1/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 21 (L) 16 LOCATION: Arviat, Nunavut – 2007 HUNTER: Terry Voskuil 68
3rd Award
SCORE: 372-1/8 INSIDE SPREAD: 37-5/8 LENGTH: (R) 49-4/8 (L) 52-3/8 WIDTH: (R) 13-5/8 (L) 4-7/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 16 (L) 14 LOCATION: Noname Lake, Manitoba – 2010 HUNTER: Mark E. Beaudin 69
QUEBEC-LABRADOR CARIBOU 1st Award
SCORE: 433-4/8 INSIDE SPREAD: 48-2/8 LENGTH: (R) 50-6/8 (L) 53-1/8 WIDTH: (R) 15-4/8 (L) 14-5/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 37 (L) 28 LOCATION: Schefferville, Quebec – 1988 HUNTER: Edward A. Grzesik, Sr. 70
2nd Award
SCORE: 398-1/8 INSIDE SPREAD: 45-6/8 LENGTH: (R) 50-3/8 (L) 51 WIDTH: (R) 15-7/8 (L) 3-1/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 26 (L) 20 LOCATION: Lac Amande, Quebec – 2008 HUNTER: Richard A. Mann 71
38 n Fair Chase Fall 2013
PRONGHORN
MUSK OX
1st Award
1st Award
2ND Award
2nd Award
SCORE: 92-4/8 LENGTH: (R) 16-7/8 (L) 16-4/8 BASE CIRC.: (R) 7-3/8 (L) 7-2/8 PRONG LENGTH: (R) 6-3/8 (L) 6-3/8 LOCATION: Coconino Co., Arizona – 2012 HUNTER: Steven K. Bright 72
SCORE: 91-4/8 LENGTH: (R) 16-6/8 (L) 16-4/8 BASE CIRC.: (R) 7-1/8 (L) 7-1/8 PRONG LENGTH: (R) 6 (L) 5-6/8 LOCATION: Carbon Co., Wyoming – 2012 HUNTER: Howard R. French 73
SCORE: 128-2/8 LENGTH: (R) 29-3/8 (L) 29-6/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 10-7/8 (L) 11-2/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 33-2/8 LOCATION: Kugluktuk, Nunavut – 2010 HUNTER: Larry A. Meyer 81
SCORE: 125-6/8 LENGTH: (R) 29-4/8 (L) 29-3/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 10-3/8 (L) 10-4/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 28-1/8 LOCATION: Norman Wells, Northwest Territories
– 2012
HUNTER: Carla A. de Kock 82
Honorable Mention
SCORE: 88-4/8 LENGTH: (R) 16-2/8 (L) 16-2/8 BASE CIRC.: (R) 8 (L) 8-1/8 PRONG LENGTH: (R) 6-4/8 (L) 6 LOCATION: Sweetwater Co., Wyoming – 2010 HUNTER: Calvin C. Taylor 74
BISON 1st Award (Tie)
SCORE: 128-4/8 LENGTH: (R) 19 (L) 18-7/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 16-7/8 (L) 16-2/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 31-5/8 LOCATION: Zama Lake, Alberta – 2011 HUNTER: Corey L. Skiftun 75
1st Award (Tie)
SCORE: 128-4/8 LENGTH: (R) 19-6/8 (L) 19-6/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 14 (L) 14 GREATEST SPREAD: 30 LOCATION: Teton Co., Wyoming – 2009 HUNTER: Stephen F. Bennett, Sr. 76
2nd Award
SCORE: 128-2/8 LENGTH: (R) 17-7/8 (L) 17-2/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 15-3/8 (L) 15-4/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 29-4/8 LOCATION: Teton Co., Wyoming – 2010 HUNTER: Eugene D. Royer 77
ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT 1st Award*
SCORE: 57-4/8 LENGTH: (R) 11-3/8 (L) 11-3/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 6-4/8 (L) 6-5/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 7-1/8 LOCATION: Stikine River, British Columbia – 2011 HUNTER: Troy M. Sheldon 78
2nd Award
SCORE: 54 LENGTH: (R) 10-7/8 (L) 11 BASE CIRC: (R) 6-1/8 (L) 6-1/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 8-5/8 LOCATION: Wallowa Co., Oregon – 2012 HUNTER: William L. Garroutte 79
3rd award
SCORE: 52-4/8 LENGTH: (R) 10-3/8 (L) 10-4/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 5-5/8 (L) 5-5/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 7-5/8 LOCATION: Piute Co., Utah – 2011 HUNTER: Rose Rackman 80
BIGHORN SHEEP 1st Award
SCORE: 203-6/8 LENGTH: (R) 43-3/8 (L) 40-5/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 17-4/8 (L) 17-2/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 22-6/8 LOCATION: Chouteau Co., Montana – 2010 HUNTER: Rip Rippentrop 83
2nd Award
SCORE: 202-7/8 LENGTH: (R) 43-1/8 (L) 42-2/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 16-4/8 (L) 16-4/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 25 LOCATION: Blaine Co., Montana – 2011 HUNTER: James L. Brogan 84
3rd Award
SCORE: 202-3/8 LENGTH: (R) 43 (L) 43-5/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 16-5/8 (L) 16-6/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 23-5/8 LOCATION: Fergus Co., Montana – 2010 HUNTER: Kristopher L. Lookhart 85
4th Award
SCORE: 200-2/8 LENGTH: (R) 47-1/8 (L) 46-5/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 15-4/8 (L) 15-7/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 28-3/8 LOCATION: Fergus Co., Montana – 2011 HUNTER: Greg R. White 86
5th Award
SCORE: 200-1/8 LENGTH: (R) 44-6/8 (L) 43-1/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 16-3/8 (L) 16-3/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 30-6/8 LOCATION: Fergus Co., Montana – 2012 HUNTER: Jim Hens 87
Rose Rackman
DESERT SHEEP
DALL’S SHEEP
1st Award
1st Award
2nd Award
2nd Award
SCORE: 188-1/8 LENGTH: (R) 41 (L) 39-7/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 15-2/8 (L) 15-1/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 21-6/8 LOCATION: Baja Calif., Mexico – 1973 HUNTER: Alberto Tapia Landeros 88
SCORE: 176-1/8 LENGTH: (R) 42 (L) 43-1/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 14-4/8 (L) 14-4/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 31-2/8 LOCATION: Chugach Mts., Alaska – 2011 HUNTER: Steen C. Henriksen 90
Charles A. Larsen SCORE: 186-3/8 LENGTH: (R) 37-3/8 (L) 37-4/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 16-2/8 (L) 16-3/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 23-5/8 LOCATION: Sonora, Mexico – 2011 HUNTER: James B. Warner 89
SCORE: 174 LENGTH: (R) 43 (L) 43-4/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 14-2/8 (L) 14-2/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 28-5/8 LOCATION: Ogilvie Mts., Yukon Territory – 2012 HUNTER: Daniel Reynolds 91
3rd Award
SCORE: 172 LENGTH: (R) 40-5/8 (L) 41-7/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 14-1/8 (L) 14 GREATEST SPREAD: 19-4/8 LOCATION: Chandalar River, Alaska – 2011 HUNTER: Charles A. Larsen 92
STONE’S SHEEP 1st Award
SCORE: 179-4/8 LENGTH: (R) 41-2/8 (L) 36-2/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 15-1/8 (L) 15-2/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 23-6/8 LOCATION: Gable Mt., British Columbia – 2011 HUNTER: Jim Hens 93
2nd Award
SCORE: 175-4/8 LENGTH: (R) 41 (L) 41 BASE CIRC: (R) 15 (L) 15 GREATEST SPREAD: 23-3/8 LOCATION: Prairie River, British Columbia – 2010 HUNTER: Steven D. Mulvihill 94
3rd Award
SCORE: 174-6/8 LENGTH: (R) 40-4/8 (L) 41-2/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 14-6/8 (L) 14-6/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 23-6/8 LOCATION: Muskwa River, British Columbia – 2012 HUNTER: Rick Warren 95
Jim Hens - Stone’s sheep
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Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 39
Lifetime associates luncheon Thank you to all the Lifetime Associates that attended the Boone and Crockett Club’s 28th Big Game Awards, as well as our Luncheon!
For those of you that were able to attend our Lifetime Associate Luncheon at the 28th Awards celebration in Reno, thank you very much. The event was a most successful and enjoyable time, allowing members and friends of the Boone and Crockett Club to mingle, share stories, and learn more about our activities, accomplishments and mission to ensure the future of our nation’s wildlife and natural resources. Congratulations to the winners of the Mexico mule deer hunt and the beautiful pair of Buck Knives. A big thank you to Armando Naranjo Rivera and CJ Buck for the donations. Please Welcome the B&C LIFETIME ASSOCIATES That Joined While in Reno
For those of you that weren’t able to attend we wish you could have been there and we will be sure to give everyone advanced notice for any events in the future. Thanks again for attending and if you have any questions, please let us know.
863. Farley D. Hicks - Cardwell, MT 864. Michael G. Adams - Marrero, LA 865. Shelley K. Nasby - North Bend, OR 866. Bill Wetherbee - Colchester, VT 867. Jose Vallina - Chihuahua, Mexico 868. Nick J. Loran - Clinton, MT
B.B. Hollingsworth Jr. Boone and Crockett Club Foundation President
CJ Buck Communications Chair
869. Ralph I. Sibley - Colusa,CA 870. Cody Scott - Houston, TX 871. Steve M. Scott - Spring, TX 872. Richard K. Spring - North Bend, OR
B&C Member, Remo Pizzagalli poses with friend and winner of the mule deer hunt, Maurice Harvey, along with the guides.
873. David Dibben - Colleyville, TX 874. Al Sheaffer - Altoona, PA 875. John M. Bedlion - Henderson, NV
The 28 Lifetime Associates in attendance at the Luncheon CJ Buck from Buck Knives donated these knives to the luncheon.
40 n Fair Chase Fall 2013
If any of your conservation-minded friends are interested in learning more about the Boone and Crockett Club, please call the headquarters at 406-542-1888. To apply to become a Lifetime Associate please fill out the application in the center of this magazine.
Special section
Marcus Deuling
Madison J. Nimmo
July 17-20, 2013 Silver Legacy Hotel and Convention Center Reno, Nevada
Kylie S. Sondermann
All the youth hunters in attendance at the 28th Big Game Awards were recognized on stage at the Generation Next Banquet. From left to right, back row: Marcus Deuling, Austin Newlon, Connor A. McClymont, Wyatt F. Gremaux, Morgan J. Weaver, Alex E. Howell, Alex N. Haag, Andrea M. Fencl, Quintin P. Keith, Cameron M. Adovnik, William A. Mordell. From left to right, front row: Benjamin A. Shantz, Kylie S. Sondermann, Madison J. Nimmo, Erika R. Lankford, J. Collin Denneny, Tanner A. Elias, Nicole L. Kennedy, L. Craig Fox, James F. DeBlasio, Matthew C. Allen, Zackery A. Green.
Fair Chase is pleased to present this special section featuring the youth hunters that were recognized at the Generation Next Youth Awards Recognition Banquet, as well as portraits of all 96 trophies that were on display in Reno. Each event gets bigger and better, mark your calendars for July 2016. You won’t want to miss it!
Boone and Crockett Club’s
Benjamin A. Shantz
Open to see portraits of all trophies on Display in Reno
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Celebrating 125 years
We would like to thank all of our sponsors for their continued support of the Boone and Crockett Club and the 28th Big Game Awards Program Banquet activities and related events.
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footwear, clothing, gear
25 th ANNIVERSARY Since 1988
Morgan J. Weaver
ORDER YOUR COPY OF GREAT RAMS III TODAY!
Erika R. Lankford
Stories of legendary sheep hunts and hunters, plus photographs of yesterday’s—and today’s—sheep hunters, plus features on historic hunting areas, and more. Richard Hale, Cra ig Bod dington , Buc k Buckner, and aut Anderson at the Clu hor Bob b’s 28th Big Game Award s Banquet. Photo by B& C Mea surer Ton
Generation next
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Tim Logemann’s Stone’s sheepd Neal Berar
Bret C. Dolph’s 2011 Yukon Fannin sheep.
Bret C. Dolph
Quintin P. Keith
Alex E. Howell
ction
Boyt Shirts
28th big game awards merchandise
28th Big Game Awards photo brochure This booklet includes important statistical data (who, where, when, score, measurements, etc.) for each trophy featured in the 28th Awards trophy display. Also included is the award each trophy received at the banquet, and a quality, portrait photograph of the top trophy in each category.
56 pages. 28PB | $7.50
Provided by 28th Hunting Shirt
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Trophy Display Guide This booklet features a completed score chart for each trophy in the display and enables viewers to gain a better appreciation of the quality of each trophy and how they were scored.
100 pages. 28TDG | $7.50 Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 49
New World’s record Rocky mountain goat
Read the complete story of Troy’s hunt in the Summer 2012 issue of Fair Chase.
RIGHT: Sheldon received his plaques and medallion from Buck at the Awards Banquet. Below: Sheldon and Jack Reneau showcasing Sheldon’s award plaque, as well as his new World’s Record plaque.
Troy Sheldon’s Rocky Mountain goat, taken in 2011 in British Columbia is the largest of its species ever recorded, according to the Boone and Crockett Club. The new World’s Record goat scores 57-4/8 points. More than a thousand Rocky Mountain goats from Alaska to Nevada have met the minimum Boone and Crockett score of 47. But by far the most entries (541) have come from British Columbia. “British Columbia continues to set the standard for Rocky Mountain goats,” said Eldon Buckner, chairman of Boone and Crockett Club’s Records of North American Big Game Committee. “The province remains home to more than half of the world’s population and trophy-class specimens have been trending upward each decade since the 1970s. That testifies to the professionalism of the British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.” The new World’s Record goat surpassed the old mark by a substantial 6/8 of an inch. The previous record was actually a tie between two British Columbia goats, one taken in 1949 and the other in 1999, scoring 56-6/8. Troy M. Sheldon of Alexandria, Kentucky, bagged the new record goat on the seventh day of a hunt in the Stikine River area. Sheldon’s friend Carey Renner and guide Heidi Gutfrucht of Northwest Ranching and Outfitting accompanied him on the hunt. He used a Tikka T3 .270 WSM to make a perfect 319-yard shot across a ravine. Following a required drying period and initial scoring, a special Boone and Crockett judge’s panel verified the goat’s official entry score as a new World’s Record. Sheldon shipped his trophy to Reno to be included in the trophy display, where hundreds of people were able to witness this new World’s Record Rocky Mountain goat.
B&C ABOVE: Sheldon, along with his family, pose in front of his World’s Record mountain goat. The goat was on display, along with the second and third award winners’ trophies.
50 n Fair Chase Fall 2013
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See photos of all the current World’s Record trophies.
Best of 2013 The Boone and Crockett Club has a tradition of honoring trophies and the fair chase hunts that produce them, including photographs from the field. In keeping with this tradition, the Club, and Swarovski Optik want to celebrate some of the best examples of
Sponsored by
field photography, and share them with you in each issue of Fair Chase. For the fifth year, our editors will be sifting through hundreds of field photos looking for exemplary trophy field photography.
The most outstanding examples will be featured in the Spring 2014 issue with the top three being awarded prizes provided by Swarovski Optik.
NOTE: All field photographs from accepted trophies entered in 2013 are eligible
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w e ll . Br oa d er M ik e E e D le u lM T y p ic a a do /8 -1 181 ., C o lo r im a s C o Las A n 2 012 O c t ob er
Ja m e s H . E lw e ll Ba r r en Gr o u n d C a r ib o u C h apm a | 4 4 4 -7 n /8 Yu k o n T L a k e , e r r it o r y O c to b e r 2 012
Winners Receive First Prize STM 65 HD Spotting Scope Second Prize EL 10x42 WB Binoculars Third Prize Z3 3-9x36 Rifle Scope Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 51
TROPHY TALK Field Generals Luncheon The 28th Awards Program Banquet and related activities is the 12th such program I have participated in since 1976, and it was by far the best. One hundred and seventeen of the finest trophies ever taken by modern-day hunters and assembled under one roof were on Jack Reneau display in the Reno Ballroom at the Silver Director Legacy Hotel and Resort in Reno, Nevada, Big Game Records July 17-20. Twenty-two were taken by hunters 16 and younger, and these youths were recognized at the Generation Next Banquet on Friday evening. The other 95 trophies were recognized on Saturday evening with the highly-prized B&C medallions and certificate plaques presented to the trophy owners. Since all of these trophies are recognized elsewhere in this issue of Fair Chase, I will concentrate my attention on the Field Generals Luncheon. This is the second time B&C has hosted the Field Generals Luncheon in connection with an Awards Program to recognize the significant contributions and dedication of its Official Measurers. Forty–five Official Measurers from all over North America were in attendance. This is a significant increase over the number that attended the first such banquet at the 27th Awards Program three years ago. Measurers came from as far north as Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, to as far south as Tijuana, Mexico, and from coast to coast, California to Vermont. Wayne van Zwoll, the keynote speaker, reminisced about his experiences as an Official Measurer and the people he befriended over the years. Each Measurer was recognized for his/her years of service with a personally inscribed, stainless steel scoring card to use in place of credit cards when measuring length of horn to a point in line with the tip. Bill Hepworth and James Straley, both from Wyoming, were recognized for 51 years of truly dedicated service. I thoroughly enjoyed renewing acquaintances with the measurers, as I had trained many of them since we held the first modern-day workshop in 1977 in South Carolina. Everyone gathered for a group photo after the presentation. If you missed this awards program, please plan on coming to the next one. You’ll have a great time! On behalf of the Boone and Crockett Club, Richard T. Hale, chair of the Big Game Records Committee, and Justin Spring, Assistant Director of the Big Game Records Program, I would like to thank all Official Measurers who score trophies for B&C. Their dedication and work are the heart and soul of B&C’s records-keeping activities. We hope to see more measurers at the next Field Generals Luncheon at the 29th Awards Program in 2016. n
B&C
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Find an Official Measurer in your area
52 n Fair Chase Fall 2013
Official measurers in attendance Name
Location
Om Since
William G. Hepworth
Laramie, Wyoming
1962
James Straley
Pinedale, Wyoming
1962
Eldon L. Buckner
Baker City, Oregon
1968
Richard A. Bishop
Indianola, Iowa
1970
Jack Reneau
Missoula, Montana
1976
Larry R. Carey
Spokane, Washington
1981
Frederick J. King
Gallatin Gateway, Montana
1984
Wayne C. van Zwoll
Bridgeport, Washington
1984
Ernie Davis
Cotulla, Texas
1987
Don Poole
Salem, Oregon
1987
Robert Allemand
Shaunavon, Saskatchewan
1990
Robert D. Jones
Kettle Falls, Washington
1990
Bernard Sippin
Monroe, Connecticut
1990
Paul D. Webster
Wayzata, Minnesota
1990
Richard C. Berreth
Prince George, British Columbia
1991
Robert H. Hanson
Wapiti, Wyoming
1991
Kevin Hisey
Chatfield, Minnesota
1994
H. Hudson DeCray
Bishop, California
1994
Richard T. Hale
Ottawa, Kansas
1995
Stanley G. Zirbel
Greenleaf, Wisconsin
1996
Sylvester Baier
Camrose, Alberta
1998
A. C. Smid
Moose, Wyoming
1999
Bud Abele
Arbuckle, California
2002
William F. Crigler
Raton, New Mexico
2002
Michael Demick
Boise, Idaho
2002
Keith R. Balfourd
Florence, Montana
2002
Vernon D. Holleman
Temple, Texas
2003
Hanspeter Giger
Charlotte, North Carolina
2005
Jay A. Lesser
Glenrock, Wyoming
2005
Curtis P. Smiley
Fairfax, Vermont
2006
James F. Arnold
Austin, Texas
2006
Rickey D. Addison
Emmett, Idaho
2008
Paul T. Dueling
Yukon Territory
2008
Tony J. Grabowski
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory
2008
David P. Rippeto
Cody, Wyoming
2008
Justin E. Spring
Alberton, Montana
2008
Eduardo Barrett Mena
Tijuana, Mexico
2009
Ben F. Carter III
Dallas, Texas
2009
Shelley K. Nasby
North Bend, Oregon
2009
Tony A. Schoonen
Missoula, Montana
2009
Rebecca A. Spring
Alberton, Montana
2009
J. Michael Goodart
Alamosa, Colorado
2009
Mark W. Streissguth
Mercer Island, Washington
2011
Rip Rippentrop
Oelrichs, South Dakota
2011
Earl K. Wahl Jr.
Somerset, Pennsylvania
2012
Left: Eldon ‘Buck’ Buckner welcomed the crowd to the Field Generals Luncheon. Right: Richard T. Hale handed out the personalized stainless steel scoring card to Bernard Sippin. Below: All the Official Measurers in attendance posed for a group photo.
Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 53
New Column Featuring Recipes from the Club’s First-Ever Cookbook!
Wild Game, Fish, and Fowl Recipes for Everyday Chefs – Prepare Savory Dishes with Locavore Tendencies! Welcome to Fair Chase magazine and our inaugural column, Wild Gourmet. Hi, I am Marc Mondavi, Vice President of Communications for the Boone and Crockett Club. My family has been in the wine industry for 70 years. We own and operate Charles Krug, Napa Valley’s oldest winery, established in 1861. Since I work with restaurants around the country, the Club asked me to take the lead on a new publishing venture called Wild Gourmet, a cookbook based on fish, fowl, and game recipes from noted chefs around the country. The best way to show respect and admiration for the fish, fowl, and game we catch or hunt is by consuming our harvest. Wild Gourmet will have recipes that everyday chefs will be able to prepare with detailed instructions and field notes about the recipes and their ingredients. Along with dozens of delicious recipes, Wild Gourmet
will also have chapters of interest to hunters and non-hunters alike, including the health benefits of consuming wild game and how to get into locavore eating, plus techniques for preparing wild versus domestic game. Going forward, each issue of Fair Chase will include a recipe that will be featured in this new book. Our first chef to be introduced is Bob Hurley of Hurley’s Restaurant in Yountville, California. Bob has been in Napa Valley for more than 10 years and his specialty is wild game. His first recipe features wild boar. The Boone and Crockett Club hopes this cookbook will grace all of your kitchens next fall and help us further our conservation efforts throughout North America. Bon Appetit!
Marc Mondavi, VP of Communications for the Boone and Crockett Club and his wife Janice
Braised Wild Boar in red wine served with roasted vegetables and polenta, by Chef Bob Hurley
54 2 nnnFair 54 Fair FairChase Chase ChaseFall Fall Fall2013 2013 2013
Braised Wild Boar in Red Wine Ingredients 3 Pounds wild boar shoulder (substitute pork shoulder) 1 Large carrot, peeled and thick sliced 2 Ribs of celery, diced 1 Onion, peeled and diced 7 Cloves of garlic 2 Quarts veal stock, have extra on hand (substitute fortified chicken stock) 10 Juniper berries, crushed 3 Bay leaves, broken up Several sprigs of fresh thyme 5 Cups of red wine (syrah, zinfandel, or Cabernet sauvignon) 5 Tablespoons of olive oil
Combine all ingredients except olive oil and marinate boar overnight. Remove boar from marinade and set aside. Strain all solids from wine marinade and set aside reserved vegetables. In saucepan, heat the strained wine marinade to a simmer and skim all the impurities from top while reducing by half. Meanwhile, pat meat dry with towel, season and brown in a heavy skillet with about 5 tablespoons of olive oil. When browned, add the reserved vegetables to the mix to lightly caramelize them. Add reduced wine marinade and additional stock, if necessary, to cover meat. It is important that the meat is covered with liquid during the braising. B&C Field Notes Bring to a simmer, cover and place in a 300 JUNIPER BERRIES: Bittersweet, degree oven for approximately 3 hours or tart and fragrant. Used by hunters until very tender (after two hours, check on their game such as rabbit, every 30 minutes or so.) venison, wild boar, pork and fowl. Also good in more common
When meat is tender, remove from braising liquid. Strain all solids from liquid and discard. Place braising liquid in saucepan and reduce slowly while skimming off fat and impurities. Reduce until it reaches desired volume and flavor, generally by at least half. While sauce is in progress, take partially cooled meat and trim major fat and sinew.
recipes such as stews and lamb dishes. Available at most major supermarkets, or order on-line. If you absolutely must substitute, consider rosemary or good ol’ fashioned gin.
Thirty minutes before serving, combine meat and sauce. Re-heat gently and serve with your choice of roasted vegetables and polenta.
Meet the Chef Bob Hurley
Executive Chef Hurley’s Restaurant & Bar In the summer of 1988 Chef Bob Hurley planted his roots firmly in the California Wine Country, first as a chef at Domaine Chandon, then later as Executive Chef at the Napa Valley Grille. In November 2002 he opened his own restaurant, Hurley’s Restaurant, in Yountville, California. Chef Hurley describes his menu as local California cuisine high in flavor and influenced by the Mediterranean so that it fits very well with wine. Since Chef Hurley began cooking professionally more than 30 years ago, he has always had a strong belief that the use of regional, seasonal ingredients is important on many different levels. It promotes sustainability, showcases local producers and provides the finest dining experience to the customer. Chef Hurley has brought his Napa Valley cuisine to the famous James Beard House in New York City several times and was also named a Shining Star Chef by Cooking Light Magazine. He has been a regular on San Francisco’s Bay TV and has appeared several times on the award-winning California food show, Bringing it Home with Laura McIntosh. Chef Hurley is a featured chef on the nationally syndicated PBS special The Great Chefs of Napa Valley. Fair FairChase ChaseFall Fall2013 2013n n55 3
The following pages list the most recent big game trophies accepted into the Boone and Crockett Club’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.
This listing represents only those trophies accepted since the Summer issue of Fair Chase was published.
ABOVE Michael D. Marchese took this black bear, scoring 21-1/16 points, near Douglas County, Nevada, in 2012.
Below While on a hunt in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, in 2011, Ken W. Kastely, harvested this non-typical American elk scoring 390-3/8 points.
BEAR & COUGAR FINAL SCORE
LOCATION
HUNTER
DATE MEASURER
Black bear - world’s record score 23-10/16 22 9/16 22 7/16 21 15/16 21 15/16 21 13/16 21 8/16 21 7/16 21 5/16 21 1/16 21 21 21 20 13/16 20 11/16 20 10/16 20 7/16 20 6/16 20 5/16 20 5/16 20 5/16 20 3/16 20 3/16 20 3/16 20 3/16 20 1/16 20 1/16 20 20
Warren Co., NJ Rusk Co., WI Clearfield Co., PA Tioga Co., PA Garfield Co., CO Paddockwood, SK Langlade Co., WI Langlade Co., WI Douglas Co., NV Lincoln Co., WI Lincoln Co., WY Ulster Co., NY Iron Co., WI Dauphin, MB Gaff Topsail, NL Langlade Co., WI Grand Co., UT Oconto Co., WI Siskiyou Co., CA Tyrrell Co., NC Aroostook Co., ME Marathon Co., WI Nagagamisis Lake, ON Sussex Co., NJ Aroostook Co., ME Price Co., WI Rio Blanco Co., CO Tehama Co., CA
Timothy P. Justnes 2012 Dustin W. Kron 2012 John J. Hennick 2011 Ronald H. Slonaker 2011 Eric J. Schmela 2012 Sam K. Landers 2012 Jeffrey J. Wunrow, Jr. 2009 Ryan M. Fett 2012 Michael D. Marchese 2012 Dean P. Havel 2012 Tom A. Daughetee 2012 Christopher L. Kuehne 2012 Kurt G. Duxbury 2011 Dave M. Westrum 2011 Kim M. Demers 2011 Ronald J. Kettner 2012 Darren L. Beratto 2012 Allen R. Luedtke 2012 Glenn A. Demuth 2012 Jeffrey C. Madden 2012 Benjamin C. Cottrell 2012 Dennis J. Ostrowski 2011 Richard M. Van Horn 2008
D. Chanda S. Ashley M. Blazosky T. Smail D. Waechtler A. Hill G. Villnow P. Barwick T. Humes B. Ihlenfeldt E. Boley B. Risley S. Zirbel C. Pierce R. Poulin P. Gauthier D. Shirley P. Gauthier S. Hooper H. Giger A. Wentworth G. Villnow M. Heeg
Jacob O. Hanuschik 2010 Brian R. Parlin 2012 Daniel J. Gartner 2012 Todd J. Aussem 2012 Kenneth V. Schroeder 2001
C. Kuenstner W. Robertson J. Ramsey L. Guldman R. Tupen
Grizzly bear - world’s record score 27-13/16 26 10/16 25 8/16 24 14/16 24 4/16 24 3/16 23 7/16
Kluane River, YT Terrace, BC Beaver Creek, AK Sikanni Chief River, BC Toad River, BC Anderson, AK
Donnie B. Seay Richard J. Beamish Michael H. Clardy Keven L. Blize
2012 2012 2000 2012
J. Williams M. Heeg H. Giger P. Bruhs
Todd R. Downer Kevin M. Fraley
2012 P. Bruhs 2012 A. Jubenville
Alaska brown bear - world’s record score 30 12/16 28 2/16
Unimak Island, AK Gerald L. Willard
2007 C. Brent
Cougar - world’s record score 16-4/16 15 9/16 15 1/16 14 14/16 14 14/16 14 11/16 14 10/16 14 9/16 14 8/16 14 8/16
Lewis & Clark Jay W. Deaton Co., MT Caroline, AB Kate M. Gossling Colfax Co., NM M. Blake Patton Castle Mt., AB Blair G. Verge Sweetwater Co., WY Cherette O. Mastny Weber Co., UT Layne M. Eddy Gray Creek, BC Gerald J. Ferguson Grand Forks, BC Scott E. Guskind Wasco Co., OR Gregory J. Seamster
2012 J. Pallister 2011 2013 2011 2009 2004 2012 2012 2012
W. Paplawski R. Skinner R. Macdonald V. Dana R. Hall J. Mraz V. Zarnock T. Brown
Pacific walrus - world’s record score 147-4/8 116 6/8 117 7/8 Port Heiden, AK
Picked Up
2008 J. Baichtal
Share your field photos with us! Follow: @BooneandCrockettClub Tag: #booneandcrockettclub 56 nn Fair 56 FairChase ChaseFall Fall2013 2013
Recently accepted trophies
ELK & MULE DEER
FINAL GROSS SCORE SCORE LOCATION
HUNTER
DATE MEASURER
Typical American elk - world’s record score 442-5/8 395 2/8 404 384 1/8 404 4/8 381 7/8 400 2/8 378 383 377 3/8 387 7/8 372 407 7/8 369 6/8 383 3/8 368 7/8 374 7/8 368 6/8 378 368 1/8 373 4/8 366 6/8 380 363 7/8 368 6/8
Park Co., WY John B. Updike 2012 Lewis & Clark Dean C. Bomgardner 2012 Co., MT Saddle Hills, AB James A. Sadlier 2012 White Pine Co., NV Bernard B. Metcalf 2012 Natrona Co., WY James F. Swart 2012 Cameron Co., PA Daniel L. Barto 2012 Coconino Co., AZ Edwin Partridge 2012 Lake Diefenbaker, SK Calvin B. King 2012 Moffat Co., CO Tony J. Beckett 2012 Ravalli Co., MT Darrell P. Cook 2012 Lemhi Co., ID Michael D. Parsons 2012 Phillips Co., MT Montgomery L. Bruski 2012
D. Lees R. Rauscher P. Bruhs S. Sanborn J. Morey A. Brunst W. Rodd A. Long J. Ramsey T. Heil D. Merritt B. Zundel
Non-typical American elk - world’s record score 478-5/8 412 434 3/8 Garfield Co., WA Clay J. Shelton 390 2/8 407 4/8 Clearfield Co., PA Ken W. Kastely 387 1/8 401 White Pine Co., NV Frank E. Martin
2012 S. Wilkins 2011 W. Culbertson 2012 S. Sanborn
Roosevelt’s elk - world’s record score 404-4/8 377 5/8 402 5/8 Siskiyou Co., CA 336 6/8 349 7/8 Bonanza Lake, BC
William H. Birch Tommy A. Ford
2012 K. Evanow 2012 J. Barrow
Tule elk - world’s record score 379 302 4/8 312 3/8 Monterey Co., CA
William J. Smith
2012 C. Lacey
Mule deer - world’s record score 226-4/8 207 197 2/8 196 1/8 195 194 7/8 194 2/8 193 5/8 192 7/8 191 5/8 191 1/8 190 7/8 188 4/8 188 3/8 187 4/8 187 2/8 186 3/8 185 3/8 184 4/8 182 6/8 181 3/8 181 1/8 181 180 7/8 180 6/8 180 2/8
214 1/8 203 1/8 211 3/8 197 7/8 224 7/8 203 4/8 208 1/8 198 7/8 199 6/8 201 5/8 203 2/8 196 7/8 192 2/8 193 3/8 190 204 6/8 193 1/8 191 1/8 200 5/8 187 6/8 194 2/8 185 6/8 184 7/8 189 183 6/8
Grand Co., CO Christopher B. Snell Douglas Co., CO Chad D. Hall Box Elder Co., UT Ryan P. Bankhead Rio Arriba Co., NM William J. Dunbar Jefferson Co., CO Robert Tamburlin Michelle Lake, AB William H. Janot Rio Arriba Co., NM Dave M. Westrum Summit Co., CO Mike Duplan Unknown Unknown Czar, AB Spencer D. Secord Wilkie, SK Kayla Kuttai Washington Co., UT Todd P. Brown Jefferson Co., CO Matthew C. Reetz Summit Co., UT Peter J. Carlson Toole Co., MT Tyler F. Swant Lincoln Co., NV Lorin J. Wilkin Sublette Co., WY Clinton A. Neer White Pine Co., NV Gerald L. Thompson Sublette Co., WY Randell H. Murray Douglas Co., WA Chay H. Tiller Las Animas Co., CO Michael E. Broadwell Chauvin, AB Colin J. Saker Owyhee Co., ID Warren F. Johns Montrose Co., CO James E. Creech, Jr. Kane Co., UT Mark A. Maag
2012 2012 2012 2011 2012 2012 2012 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012
R. Hall R. Rockwell R. Hall D. Widby S. Grebe R. Macdonald C. Pierce C. Lacey R. Selner W. Paplawski B. Seidle C. Farnsworth R. Rockwell T. Rogers B. Sterling S. Sanborn T. Humes S. Sanborn W. Phifer J. Weise D. Waechtler A. England B. Penske R. Mayer I. Mcarthur
ABOVE James F. Swart was on a 2012 archery hunt in Natrona County, Wyoming, when he harvested this typical American elk, scoring 377-3/8 points. Below While hunting in Lincoln County, Nevada, in 2012, Lorin J. Wilkin harvested this typical mule deer scoring 186-3/8 points.
Non-typical mule deer - world’s record score 355-2/8 248 3/8 234 4/8 234 1/8 227 217 216 216
253 5/8 240 241 7/8 230 3/8 223 4/8 217 6/8 218 3/8
Great Sand Hills, SK Marshall J. Murch Harney Co., OR Toby L. Elliott Pennask Lake, BC Ryan S. Thompson Eagle Co., CO Kevin W. Klein Fremont Co., CO Unknown Douglas Co., CO Lloyd J. DeMoss Grand Co., CO Dustin K. Hall
2012 1972 2012 2012 1992 1957 2012
J. Clary D. Waldbillig D. Milton S. Grebe L. Gatlin R. Rockwell R. Hall
Typical Columbia blacktail - world’s record score 182-2/8 141 144 4/8 Tehama Co., CA 127 7/8 132 1/8 Linn Co., OR
Patrick A. Cerro Phillip J. Stewart
2012 R. Tupen 2012 T. Rozewski
Typical Sitka blacktail deer - world’s record score 134 106 6/8 109 4/8 Thomas Bay, AK
Everett Kissinger
2012 M. Nilsen
Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 57
Recently accepted trophies
WHITETAIL DEER
FINAL GROSS SCORE SCORE LOCATION
HUNTER
DATE MEASURER
Typical whitetail deer - world’s record score 213-5/8
ABOVE Lisa A. Brunner was on a 2012 archery hunt in Buffalo County, Wisconsin, when she arrowed this typical whitetail deer scoring 162-6/8 points. Below David R. Dirkmann anchored this typical whitetail deer with his 12-guage shotgun in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, in 2012. The buck scores 162-1/8 points.
58 nn Fair 58 FairChase ChaseFall Fall2013 2013
193 1/8 208 4/8 Winona Co., MN Michael L. Burgdorf 2012 190 3/8 194 5/8 Fulton Co., IL William J. Stickelmaier 2012 190 2/8 199 1/8 Oldham Co., KY Patrick M. Williams 2012 189 7/8 200 1/8 Fond du Lac Co., WI William D. Gerrits 2012 188 6/8 196 6/8 Shelby Co., IL Brian K. Beck 2012 187 6/8 190 Ottawa Co., MI William C. Finkler 2012 187 193 1/8 McHenry Co., IL Michael Brockob 2012 185 6/8 189 4/8 Holmes Co., OH Michael D. Miller 2012 185 1/8 196 5/8 Oswego Co., NY Raymond W. Swope 2012 184 4/8 188 6/8 Trego Co., KS Ben C. Knowles 2012 184 2/8 203 7/8 Walworth Co., WI Timothy J. Held 2012 183 4/8 201 5/8 Juneau Co., WI Robert L. Gramoll 2012 183 193 6/8 Edgar Co., IL Adam M. Breneman 2012 182 2/8 189 Adams Co., WI Kevin L. Barber 2012 182 189 1/8 Langlade Co., WI Chad J. Racine 2012 180 2/8 196 6/8 Ripley Co., IN Christopher J. 2012 Weisenbach 180 2/8 194 3/8 Wayne Co., KY Danny G. Smith 2012 179 1/8 190 1/8 Montgomery Co., IA Kevin P. Rippentrop 2012 178 7/8 191 3/8 Mille Lacs Co., MN Helen J. Feick 2012 178 7/8 183 Webb Co., TX Sue S. Killam 2012 178 6/8 187 Rockcastle Co., KY Joshua D. Prewitt 2012 178 6/8 186 5/8 Zavala Co., TX Alberto Bailleres 2012 178 2/8 189 7/8 Allamakee Co., IA Chad A. Burroughs 2012 178 182 1/8 Marion Co., IA Michael P. Grossman 2012 178 191 5/8 Beaver River, SK Lorne J. Newcombe 2012 177 7/8 182 3/8 Linn Co., IA Terry L. Sautter 2012 177 6/8 179 6/8 Maverick Co., TX Russell W. Vaughn 2012 177 3/8 191 7/8 Sawyer Co., WI Steven A. Loker 2012 177 189 6/8 Peace River, AB Michael P. Marshall 2012 176 7/8 181 Delisle, SK Wayne L. Wiebe 2012 176 2/8 189 4/8 Polk Co., WI Michael J. Vold 2012 176 2/8 195 1/8 Russell Co., KY Aaron Flanagan 2012 176 1/8 180 5/8 Delburne, AB Ryan J. Mayhew 2012 175 6/8 182 7/8 Avoyelles Co., LA Travis L. Lucas 2012 175 6/8 180 3/8 Scott Co., IA Jeffrey R. Coonts 2012 175 5/8 179 4/8 Shawano Co., WI Patrick M. Stone 2012 175 2/8 192 2/8 Pike Co., IL Jimmy M. Moore 2012 175 1/8 209 Lincoln Co., MO Jason E. Hill 2012 175 1/8 187 4/8 St. Clair Co., MI Michael A. Hopkins 2012 175 187 5/8 Maverick Co., TX Jimmy A. Bayer 2012 174 7/8 184 3/8 Columbia Co., WI Adam B. Fuss 2012 174 7/8 190 5/8 Crawford Co., WI Steven V. Andrysczyk 2012 174 7/8 196 4/8 Vernon Co., WI Allan J. Baumler 2012 174 5/8 190 5/8 Keg Lake, SK Adam L. Gerow 2012 174 4/8 183 7/8 Lee Co., AR Brian D. Hill 2012 174 4/8 177 7/8 Sturgeon River, SK Bruce Ratcliffe 2012 174 3/8 189 3/8 Menominee Co., WI Timothy J. Dobbs 2012 174 3/8 184 Williams Co., OH Jesse R. Ferree 2012 174 3/8 190 7/8 Wood Co., WI Alexa J. Armagost 2012 174 1/8 180 4/8 Coahoma Co., MS James H. Luckett 2012 174 1/8 178 5/8 Fulton Co., IL Jason D. Endres 2011 174 1/8 187 4/8 Sawyer Co., WI Brian W. Kelsey 2012 173 7/8 202 2/8 Decatur Co., IA Michael C. Noel 2012 173 4/8 178 3/8 Houston Co., MN Steven H. Olson 2012 173 4/8 178 4/8 Marion Co., KY Ben Burd 2012 173 4/8 181 6/8 Mercer Co., IL Patrick D. Partlow 2012 173 4/8 177 5/8 Athabasca River, AB Brett A. Cooper 2012 173 3/8 179 3/8 Pope Co., MN Melisa D. Canady 2012 173 3/8 194 4/8 Shawano Co., WI David R. Van Grinsven 2012 173 2/8 192 De Soto Co., MS John K. Medlin 2012 173 2/8 181 2/8 Manitowoc Co., WI Paul A. Becker 2012 172 7/8 176 3/8 Buffalo Co., WI Clyde E. Gumbert 2010 172 7/8 188 2/8 Will Co., IL Chris L. Marshall 2012 172 6/8 184 6/8 Kaposvar Creek, SK Phillip O. Duchek 2012 172 3/8 183 3/8 Harrison Co., KY Thomas F. Schilling 2012 172 3/8 189 2/8 Marquette Co., WI Cary J. Rickmeyer 2012 172 3/8 180 5/8 Grandora, SK Cory M. Kallis 2012 172 181 Bear Lake, AK Ryan G. Pearson 2012 172 175 4/8 Sangamon Co., IL Jerad C. Woosley 2011 171 7/8 176 6/8 Fulton Co., IN Larry J. Marshall 2012 171 4/8 179 2/8 Wells Co., IN McKenna N. Liby 2012
D. Boland T. Walmsley W. Cooper M. Miller T. Walmsley R. Novosad T. Walmsley W. Goodland D. Le Vasseur E. Earls S. Godfrey J. Ramsey D. Good M. Miller A. Loomans J. Bogucki W. Cooper G. Salow K. Fredrickson J. Stein W. Cooper J. Stein L. Miller K. Freymiller A. England P. Farni J. Stein W. Resch R. Macdonald D. Pezderic J. Lunde W. Cooper D. Coupland R. Dillard P. Farni T. Heil R. Cannon J. Detjen J. Ohmer B. Carroll M. Miller S. Zirbel D. Boland A. England R. Cannon B. Seidle P. Gauthier W. Novy T. Heil W. Walters T. Walmsley P. Barwick G. Salow R. Berggren W. Cooper T. Walmsley B. Daudelin S. Grabow P. Gauthier R. Dillard B. Ihlenfeldt K. Fredrickson D. Belwood R. Soyka J. Phillips M. Miller D. Pezderic L. Verbaas T. Walmsley R. Karczewski J. Bronnenberg
Recently accepted trophies Whitetail deer continued 171 3/8 184 Jackson Co., MI Gary A. Reed 2012 M. Heeg 171 3/8 182 5/8 Miami Co., IN David S. Shallenberger 2012 T. Wright 171 3/8 173 5/8 Washington Co., NE Chad A. Nielsen 2012 R. Krueger 171 2/8 189 5/8 Delaware Co., OK Donald W. Wood 2012 S. Cox 171 186 3/8 Houston Co., MN Darrel L. Corey 2012 D. Boland 170 7/8 183 5/8 Clark Co., SD Ray S. Hanson 2011 S. Rauch 170 6/8 179 5/8 Blaine Co., OK Mike W. Beiland 2012 M. Walker 170 6/8 175 5/8 Warren Co., PA Steven E. Wardian 2012 D. Bastow 170 6/8 182 6/8 Washington Co., WI Ellen M. Stapleton 2012 P. Barwick 170 6/8 181 2/8 White Co., IL Thomas R. Schneider 2012 D. Belwood 170 5/8 186 5/8 Jasper Co., IN Don W. Pritchard 2012 M. Verble 170 4/8 175 5/8 Perry Co., OH Troy D. Matz 2010 R. Pepper 170 3/8 175 5/8 Maverick Co., TX David J. Zapalac 2012 B. Carroll 170 3/8 176 Driedmeat Lake, AB Mark H. Baker 2012 S. Baier 170 3/8 173 4/8 Otter Tail Co., MN Steven C. Andrie 2012 M. Harrison 170 3/8 176 7/8 Shelby Co., IL Timothy P. Sheehan 2012 D. Good 170 2/8 175 7/8 Greene Co., IN Jake J. Feltner 2011 J. Bronnenberg 170 2/8 175 Ross Co., OH Timothy J. Nussbaum 2012 S. Werstler 170 2/8 184 2/8 St. Croix Co., WI Scott J. Dulon 2012 S. Ashley 170 1/8 185 6/8 Buffalo Co., WI Keith J. Greshik 2012 S. Godfrey 170 1/8 189 7/8 Clark Co., WI Chad A. Schmitz 2012 T. Heil 170 174 4/8 Aberdeen, SK Dion C. Fogen 2012 D. Pezderic 170 177 Taylor Co., WI Clifford S. Roberts 2012 B. Richards 169 6/8 179 3/8 Guernsey Co., OH Buck D. Morgan 2012 M. DeAngury 169 6/8 204 5/8 Jefferson Co., WI Glenn A. Fleming 2012 B. Tessmann 169 5/8 174 Outagamie Co., WI Chad L. Parker 2012 S. Zirbel 169 3/8 183 7/8 Crawford Co., PA Gary M. Pizzuto 2012 D. Bastow 169 1/8 175 6/8 Day Co., SD Ricky R. Hanson 2012 S. Rauch 169 1/8 172 4/8 Warren Co., IA Cory A. Clark 2008 S. Grabow 168 7/8 173 6/8 Oconto Co., WI Travis R. Schindel 2011 P. Gauthier 168 6/8 176 5/8 Anson Co., NC Jeremy E. McSwain 2012 H. Atkinson 168 6/8 183 4/8 Lee Co., GA Michael K. Spurlin 2012 S. Ruckel 168 6/8 172 6/8 Krydor, SK Darren R. Nelson 2012 D. Milton 168 5/8 182 1/8 Fayette Co., IN James C. Pugh 2012 T. Wright 168 3/8 171 6/8 Jefferson Co., IL Derek Hood 2012 M. Kistler 168 1/8 172 6/8 Kingsbury Co., SD Todd A. Jensen 2011 S. Rauch 168 1/8 173 4/8 Medicine Lake, AB Craig G. Williamson 2012 W. Paplawski 168 1/8 176 4/8 Shawano Co., WI Timothy J. Pluger 2012 P. Gauthier 167 7/8 173 4/8 Clark Co., WI Robert E. Barforth 2012 T. Heil 167 7/8 181 6/8 Licking Co., OH N. Dale Radcliff, Jr. 2012 S. Boham 167 6/8 177 4/8 Crawford Co., IN Preston E. Beeler 2012 T. Wright 167 6/8 180 3/8 Barrhead, AB Bernard A. Loitz 2012 B. Daudelin 167 5/8 186 2/8 Dearborn Co., IN Donald D. Black 2012 S. Smith 167 2/8 176 5/8 Knox Co., OH Lewis M. Holdren III 2012 E. Robinson 166 5/8 169 1/8 Kenton Co., KY Robert S. Rison, Jr. 2012 J. Lacefield 166 4/8 186 Auglaize Co., OH Craig A. Long 2012 M. Wendel 166 4/8 182 1/8 Iron Co., WI Neal J. Beining 2012 S. Zirbel 166 169 2/8 Clarke Co., VA Terry W. Moore 2012 B. Trumbo 166 173 6/8 Logan Co., OH Christian L. Shafer 2012 M. Wendel 165 7/8 169 6/8 Trempealeau Co., WI Raymond N. Andersen 2012 C. Rotering 165 6/8 178 4/8 Lucas Co., OH Harley O. Laws IV 2012 B. Nash 165 6/8 171 5/8 St. Louis Co., MN Alfred Christianson 1960 J. Lunde 165 4/8 180 1/8 Allamakee Co., IA David P. McGrew 2012 K. Freymiller 165 4/8 184 1/8 Elliott Co., KY Michelle R. Oney 2012 D. Weddle 165 4/8 172 6/8 Kenton Co., KY Ryan D. Boyers 2012 J. Phillips 165 2/8 175 6/8 Lesser Slave Milton D. Metzger 2012 B. Daudelin Lake, AB 165 2/8 170 4/8 Mount Kitchener, BC Stuart B. Goldsbury 2012 B. Churchill 165 2/8 175 5/8 Sawyer Co., WI Robert D. Salentine 2012 B. Ihlenfeldt 165 1/8 180 3/8 Hancock Co., IL Gary S. Mencl 2012 J. Bogucki 165 1/8 175 6/8 Manitowoc Co., WI Anthony P. Reich 2012 S. Zirbel 165 1/8 166 7/8 Manitowoc Co., WI Paul A. Becker 2011 B. Ihlenfeldt 165 168 4/8 Boone Co., KY Gregory J. Schmidt 2012 J. Phillips 165 168 Gallatin Co., KY Steven P. Otten 2012 J. Phillips 165 176 6/8 Scott Co., KY Dan F. Cooley 2012 K. Ison 164 7/8 170 3/8 Foam Lake, SK Darren Danyluk 2012 J. Lorenz 164 6/8 198 4/8 Perry Co., IL Gary W. Hallock 2012 D. Coker 164 6/8 175 Washington Co., MN Jeffrey A. Johnson 2012 R. Berggren 164 4/8 177 4/8 Ohio Co., IN Lenny Miller 2012 J. Hooten 164 3/8 167 7/8 Coahoma Co., MS Kirk L. Kincade 2012 W. Walters 164 2/8 167 2/8 Genesee Co., MI Timothy G. Johnson 2012 L. Buck 164 2/8 194 4/8 Battle River, AB Patrick J. Tomkins 2012 A. England 164 1/8 172 5/8 Noble Co., OH Chad E. Patrick 2012 S. Swihart 164 171 6/8 Adams Co., WI Roger W. Gates 2012 B. Scarnegie 164 173 3/8 Henry Co., IN Robert D. Moore 2012 R. Graber 164 179 4/8 Prowers Co., CO Eugene T. Hynes 2012 R. Madsen 163 7/8 190 Penobscot Co., ME Lance A. Farrar 2012 T. Montgomery
ABOVE This typical whitetail deer, scoring 160-2/8 points, was taken by Gregory S. Elrod while on his 2012 archery hunt in Sullivan County, Indiana.
Sponsored by
Field Photography
Tip No. 15
A FAMILY AFFAIR Of course it is not always possible, but when it is, snapping a few photos with your family and your trophy makes for extra special memories. Our field photos lock in a place and time, and our kids grow up. “Look at how little I was back then,” will ultimately replace “look at how big that buck is.” Ryan H. Woller took this non-typical whitetail deer, scoring 189-1/8 points, while hunting in Marathon County, Wisconsin, in 2012.
Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 59
Recently accepted trophies Typical whitetail deer continued
ABOVE Victor L. Lyberg was on a 2012 hunt in Oxford County, Maine, when he took this Canada moose scoring 189-2/8 points. He was shooting a 7mm Remington Mag. Below Aaron A. Salanski harvested this mountain caribou, scoring 394-4/8 points, with his .300 Winchster Short Mag in the Cassiar Mountains of British Columbia, in 2012.
163 6/8 187 6/8 Cass Co., ND John A. Tesch 2012 J. Zins 163 6/8 167 2/8 Mingo Co., WV Gregory L. Surber 2012 B. Galligan 163 5/8 174 6/8 Buffalo Co., WI Paul C. Murray 2012 W. Cooper 163 5/8 172 1/8 Henry Co., KY Christopher H. Redmon 2012 N. Minch 163 3/8 184 5/8 Iowa Co., WI Michael J. Malcheski 2012 B. Ihlenfeldt 163 3/8 176 7/8 Jackson Co., IA David M. Hansen 2012 L. Briney 163 3/8 164 4/8 Pasatchaw Shawn A. Nault 2012 A. England Lakes, AB 163 2/8 172 4/8 Colquitt Co., GA Keith A. Luke 2012 W. Cooper 163 2/8 175 3/8 Norton Co., KS Jason E. Sachariason 2011 J. Lunde 163 1/8 169 3/8 Buffalo Co., WI Elliot J. Smith 2012 M. Miller 163 1/8 167 4/8 Hazelwood Lake, ON Phil N. Patterson 2012 D. Nuttall 163 1/8 166 7/8 Trimble Co., KY Eli Brock 2012 K. Stockdale 162 7/8 185 2/8 Meath Park, SK Michael R. Labbe 2012 A. Wentworth 162 6/8 172 1/8 Buffalo Co., WI Lisa A. Brunner 2012 C. Pierce 162 6/8 172 2/8 Dearborn Co., IN Everett W. Miller 2010 J. Hooten 162 4/8 170 3/8 Clay Co., MN Jacob W. Haraldson 2012 J. Zins 162 3/8 165 4/8 Chisago Co., MN Daniel J. Miron, Jr. 2012 R. Dehart 162 3/8 182 7/8 Franklin Co., OH Joshua A. Barker 2012 R. Deis 162 3/8 177 6/8 Halifax Co., VA James F. Bailey, Jr. 2012 B. Trumbo 162 3/8 165 3/8 Iowa Co., WI Richard M. Perrin 2012 S. Zirbel 162 3/8 175 Juneau Co., WI Chase E. Seebecker 2012 R. Krueger 162 2/8 165 7/8 Dakota Co., NE John A. Estochen 2012 G. Hempey 162 2/8 164 4/8 Franklin Co., NE Scott R. Rippen 2012 S. Woitaszewski 162 1/8 167 6/8 Guthrie Co., IA Michael M. Stark 2012 K. Herring 162 1/8 165 7/8 Manitowoc Co., WI David R. Dirkmann 2012 B. Ihlenfeldt 161 6/8 189 3/8 Beltrami Co., MN Tyler K. Peterson 2012 S. Grabow 161 5/8 169 Richland Co., WI Dillon R. Gaudette 2012 J. Ramsey 161 4/8 169 Davis Co., IA Gary L. Biles 2012 L. Briney 161 4/8 169 1/8 Oklahoma Co., OK Matthew M. Moore 2008 G. Moore 161 3/8 174 4/8 Cross Co., AR Brian K. Taylor 2012 C. Latham 161 2/8 168 2/8 Scott Co., KY Kevin E. Williams 2012 J. Lacefield 161 1/8 175 2/8 Caldwell Co., KY Jennifer R. Young 2012 R. Flynn 161 1/8 164 3/8 Miami Co., OH Ian J. Stutz 2012 M. Wendel 161 165 Henderson Co., KY Timothy D. Pike 2012 R. Morton 160 7/8 166 3/8 Franklin Co., IN David A. Moore 2012 T. Wright 160 6/8 168 6/8 Fulton Co., OH Jeffrey A. Herr 2012 M. Wendel 160 6/8 173 3/8 Jefferson Co., WI Dean J. Kassube 2012 D. Meger 160 6/8 166 7/8 160 6/8 172 160 5/8 169 7/8 160 4/8 188 7/8 160 3/8 178 3/8 160 3/8 168 160 3/8 169 7/8 160 2/8 167 7/8 160 2/8 163 1/8 160 2/8 165 160 177
Linn Co., KS Robert G. Skinner 2012 Otukamamoan Robert H. Meier II 2012 Lake, ON Chippewa Co., MI Gilbert A. Todd 2012 Dunn Co., WI Steven C. Weinzirl 2012 Calhoun Co., WV Randall S. Arnold 2012 Elk Co., KS Rene M. Desmarais 2012 Strawberry Erik L. Jehn 2012 Creek, AB Dodge Co., WI Kevin M. Schuett 2012 Sullivan Co., IN Gregory S. Elrod 2012 Trempealeau Co., WI Raymond N. Andersen 2012 Marquette Co., WI Arthur J. Gruner 2012
R. Browning R. Berggren M. LaRose C. Fish D. Dowler C. Smiley B. Daudelin M. Miller F. Allen C. Rotering M. Miller
Non-typical whitetail deer - world’s record score 333-7/8 254 3/8 258 5/8 Decatur Co., IA Picked Up 2012 R. Bishop 244 1/8 260 4/8 Lincoln Co., OK Mauricio 2012 G. Moore DeLoerahernandez 243 250 6/8 Otter Tail Co., MN Dylan R. 2012 M. Harrison Beach-Bittner 240 1/8 243 5/8 Todd Co., MN A. E. Gould & 2012 M. Harrison J. M. Hetland 233 255 3/8 Wapello Co., IA Jason D. Chase 2012 K. Freymiller 231 4/8 246 5/8 Des Moines Co., IA Bo W. Russell 2012 G. Salow 229 6/8 237 4/8 Ripley Co., IN Picked Up 2012 T. Wright 225 5/8 241 7/8 Vermilion River, AB Glenn E. Moir 2012 A. England 225 5/8 230 4/8 Otter Tail Co., MN Brian M. Otto 2012 M. Harrison 224 7/8 233 6/8 Madison Co., IA Richard G. Oberembt 2012 K. Freymiller 223 7/8 230 Houston Co., MN Jeffrey R. Iverson 2012 D. Boland 222 227 Ralls Co., MO Terry W. Hoyt 2012 D. Hollingsworth 221 3/8 241 2/8 Coahoma Co., MS Bradley S. Paton, Jr. 2012 W. Walters 218 3/8 220 2/8 McLean Co., ND Robert Sandrol 2012 S. Bayless 215 5/8 222 5/8 Audubon Co., IA Drew A. Baier 2012 S. Grabow 214 1/8 216 4/8 Burnett Co., WI Jacob T. Lambert 2012 K. Zimmerman 214 1/8 218 1/8 Manitowoc Co., WI Kurt A. Schaus 2012 B. Ihlenfeldt 214 222 1/8 Morrison Co., MN Scott A. Johnson 2012 K. Fredrickson
60 nn Fair FairChase ChaseFall Fall2013 2013
Recently accepted trophies Non-typical whitetail deer continued
212 5/8 218 5/8 Pontotoc Co., OK Brad A. Gaddis 2012 T. Cartwright 211 5/8 219 6/8 Chariton Co., MO Nealie R. Niemeier 2012 L. Lueckenhoff 211 2/8 219 3/8 Otter Tail Co., MN Taylor A. Haggstrom 2012 C. Kozitka 209 5/8 225 7/8 Pottawatomie Brooks Malone 2012 G. Moore Co., OK 209 3/8 216 3/8 Clinton Co., IL Travis G. Kalmer 2012 T. Walmsley 209 3/8 215 2/8 Marshall Co., MN William A. Franks 2012 R. Dufault 209 212 2/8 Lyon Co., KS Dana L. Lupkes 2012 L. Fox 208 5/8 219 1/8 Carroll Co., KY George D. Morrison 2012 D. Weddle 208 4/8 212 3/8 Becker Co., MN 2012 C. Kozitka 207 7/8 214 6/8 Shawnee Co., KS Gunnar G. Murray 2012 D. Hollingsworth 207 1/8 218 3/8 Highland Co., OH Joseph F. Godar 2012 M. Serio 207 210 3/8 Christian Co., KY Wayne T. Jordan 2012 S. Johns 206 7/8 213 5/8 Richland Co., WI Dale R. Ripp 2012 A. Crum 205 3/8 211 2/8 La Crosse Co., WI Floyd A. Johnson, Jr. 2012 S. Godfrey 204 7/8 211 3/8 Monroe Co., IA Gary L. Charipar 2012 L. Briney 204 1/8 208 Houston Co., MN Douglas A. Woodard 2012 C. Pierce 203 2/8 209 6/8 Brown Co., IL Thomas J. Hartline 2012 J. Bogucki 202 6/8 210 3/8 Winona Co., MN Brian J. Knutson 2012 C. Pierce 202 5/8 207 4/8 Breathitt Co., KY Ambruse Neace 2012 G. Ison 202 4/8 210 2/8 Richland Co., OH David C. Pamer 2012 E. Robinson 200 5/8 205 1/8 Henderson Co., KY Ashley M. Bugg 2012 D. Belwood 200 5/8 204 7/8 Wood Co., WI Lee D. McDonald 2012 J. Hjort 200 4/8 206 7/8 Lincoln Co., OK Larry C. Barnett 2012 T. Daniel 200 1/8 204 5/8 Saline Co., MO Thomas J. Huesgen 2012 B. Harriman 200 204 Door Co., WI Nathan D. Anschutz 2012 S. Zirbel 199 2/8 202 3/8 Parke Co., IN Tony K. Self 2012 R. White 199 1/8 202 5/8 St. Louis Co., MN John J. Allen 2012 K. Fredrickson 197 4/8 219 5/8 Tuscarawas Co., OH Robert L. Bailey 2012 R. Deis 197 1/8 201 3/8 Marshall Co., KS Robert G. Blanke 2012 S. Le Var 196 6/8 202 Marathon Co., WI Cory J. Esker 2012 T. Heil 196 205 5/8 Polk Co., IA Glen E. Salow 2012 D. Boland 195 3/8 202 3/8 Greene Co., IL Clyde V. Hutchinson 2012 M. Staser 195 2/8 198 1/8 Edwards Co., IL Larry W. Perkins 2012 D. Belwood 195 1/8 199 2/8 Allamakee Co., IA Theodore L. Benda 2012 L. Miller 195 205 Fayette Co., WV Daniel R. Light 2012 T. Dowdy
195 202 Monroe Co., IA 195 200 6/8 Wood Co., OH 194 3/8 205 1/8 Atchison Co., KS
081913
Non-typical whitetail deer continued
194 1/8 194 193 7/8 193 6/8 193 4/8 193 4/8 193 2/8 192 4/8 191 7/8 190 4/8 189 5/8 189 2/8 189 1/8 189 1/8 189 1/8 188 3/8 188 187 3/8 187 1/8 186 7/8 186 185 7/8 185 6/8 185 6/8 185 5/8 185 3/8 185 1/8
119 4/8 123 5/8 Hidalgo Co., NM 110 2/8 114 Sonora, MX 105 7/8 109 6/8 Sonora, MX
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Starke Co., IN Matthew G. Lomas Desha Co., AR Rhett W. Butler Lake Co., IN Jack R. Belt Warren Co., IA David L. Mongar Putnam Co., IN Kivan R. Hutcheson Steuben Co., IN William H. Jacquay Mahoning Co., OH Brett T. McGuire Beltrami Co., MN David A. Kampa Otter Tail Co., MN Matthew S. Grant Clark Co., IL William J. Johnson Harrison Co., IA Matthew R. Haden Greene Co., IL Eric R Bentz Henry Co., KY Michael D. Gregory Marathon Co., WI Ryan H. Woller East Pine River, BC Chet A. Jans Bond Co., IL Clinton Elam Trempealeau Co., WI Matt R. Andersen Door Co., WI Robert J. Tenor, Jr. St. Mary’s Co., MD Jason R. Long Spruce View, AB Byron M. Campbell Clark Co., IL Robert E. Frederick Sauk Co., WI Lowell H. Boettcher Dryden, ON Jason M. Buchinger Page Co., IA Michael K. Dixon Jo Daviess Co., IL Ryan P. Sheehan Marathon Co., WI Jordan C. Reynolds Hancock Co., IN Ty G. McKerlie
2012 T. Heil 2012 B. Nash 2012 R. Novosad 2012 2012 2012 2013 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012
J. Bogucki D. Doughty J. Bogucki K. Freymiller J. Bogucki R. Graber R. Pepper R. Dehart C. Kozitka G. Wilford G. Hempey J. Dowd K. Ison T. Heil P. Bruhs M. Kistler C. Rotering B. Ihlenfeldt S. Keithley B. Daudelin S. Homyack J. Ramsey M. LaRose F. Fanizzi R. Novosad T. Heil T. Wright
Typical Coues’ whitetail - world’s record score 144-1/8
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197 1/8 203 1/8 198 6/8 206 1/8 195 3/8 205 5/8 196 4/8 196 7/8 199 194 205 5/8 195 3/8 195 4/8 192 6/8 195 197 3/8 195 6/8 198 1/8 190 5/8 191 3/8 191 7/8 193 6/8 190 1/8 194 5/8 191 3/8 189 4/8 198 4/8
Thomas J. Krutzik Brian J. Ruetz Ryan K. Welch
John K. Terry Jerold R. Hall Peter W. Spear
2012 R. Madsen 2000 K. Kelso 2013 R. Blaisdell
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Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 61
Recently accepted trophies Barren ground caribou - world’s record score 477 444 7/8 461 3/8 Chapman Lake, YT James H. Elwell 395 4/8 417 1/8 Big Ram Lake, AK Domenico Orzi 393 6/8 408 1/8 Brooks Range, AK Samuel S. Inukai
2012 J. Fischer 2011 C. Fritz 2012 C. Brent
HORNED GAME
FINAL GROSS SCORE SCORE LOCATION
HUNTER
DATE MEASURER
Pronghorn - world’s record score 95 84 84 83 6/8 83 4/8 83 2/8 83 2/8 83 82 2/8 82 81 80 6/8 80
85 4/8 84 5/8 84 1/8 84 2/8 83 6/8 84 7/8 84 82 7/8 83 6/8 81 5/8 81 80 5/8
Elko Co., NV Washakie Co., WY Baker Co., OR Natrona Co., WY Colfax Co., NM Washoe Co., NV Park Co., WY Natrona Co., WY Yavapai Co., AZ Pueblo Co., CO Fremont Co., WY Harney Co., OR
Mark A. Sage Brody J. Bonnett Kevin L. McNerney Embry C. Rucker, Jr. James B. Linson Fawna L. Gregory Matthew G. Huff Paul C. Poulsen, Sr. Bruno J. Parzych Michael T. Iguchi Brian G. Cardoza Walter A. Gray
2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2011 2012 2012
G. Hernandez R. Stayner J. Wiggs R. Stayner R. Selner J. Capurro D. Hart W. Paplawski R. Rae T. Watts M. Demick T. Brown
Bison - world’s record score 136-4/8 131 6/8 132 4/8 Teton Co., WY
Charles J. Williams, pictured with ‘Mr. Snuggles’, took this bighorn sheep in 2012 in Blaine County, Montana. The ram scores 183-6/8 points.
MOOSE & CARIBOU FINAL GROSS SCORE SCORE LOCATION
Patrick J. Mowrey
2009 B. Helms
Rocky Mountain goat - world’s record score 57-4/8 52 52 51 51 1/8 50 2/8 50 5/8 49 49 1/8 49 49 1/8 48 4/8 48 5/8 48 2/8 48 3/8 47 4/8 47 5/8 47 2/8 47 2/8
Slocan Valley, BC Revillagigedo Island, AK St. Mary River, BC Chouteau Co., MT Revillagigedo Island, AK Beaver Co., UT Skeena Mts., BC McBride, BC Elko Co., NV
Nina J. Schuelle Edward E. Toribio
2012 R. Pawluski 2012 J. Baichtal
Shane D. Fabro Donald E. Perrien James D. Whitmire
2012 E. Swanson 2012 H. Tonkin 2012 J. Baichtal
C. Danny Butler Lee R. Biles Kirt M. Hoffmann Joseph E. Pintar
2012 2012 2010 2012
K. Fullenkamp S. Wilkins S. Zirbel S. Sanborn
Musk ox - world’s record score 129 HUNTER
DATE MEASURER
Canada moose - world’s record score 242 201 6/8 219 3/8 St. Quentin, NB Denis Couturier 197 201 Weese Lake, ON Scott R. Ellarson 193 5/8 202 3/8 Wild Goose Francois Rompre Lake, NB 192 1/8 201 6/8 Driftpile River, AB Daniel L. Mixon 190 1/8 193 6/8 Egg Lake, AB Billy J. Kuryliw 189 2/8 195 5/8 Oxford Co., ME Victor L. Lyberg 186 7/8 195 2/8 Chinchaga River, AB Brayden R. Fibke 185 5/8 188 6/8 Heffley Lake, BC Terry J. Hogg
2012 L. Soucy 2012 B. Richards 2012 A. Beaudry
124 6/8 128 5/8 Norman Wells, NT Michael G. Van Der Giessen 106 2/8 107 4/8 Teller, AK Justin B. Wick
2010 M. Wood 2011 D. Larsen
Bighorn sheep - world’s record score 208-3/8
Alaska-Yukon moose - world’s record score 261-5/8
189 7/8 190 4/8 189 5/8 190 2/8 187 5/8 188 185 4/8 186 1/8 183 7/8 184 1/8 183 6/8 184 3/8 182 182 3/8 179 1/8 179 1/8
238 3/8 244 Ogilvie Mts., YT 219 7/8 223 5/8 Koyukuk, AK
Desert sheep - world’s record score 205-1/8
Robert G. Spencer Norman L. Bradley
1988 2012 2012 2012 2012
S. Wilkins B. Daudelin J. Hammill B. Daudelin R. Petrie
2012 G. Moore 2012 D. Pawlicki
Shiras’ moose - world’s record score 205-4/8 164 6/8 161 6/8 153 5/8 145 2/8
171 2/8 163 159 2/8 147
Albany Co., WY Robert A. Brocchini Jackson Co., CO Edwin R. Dezso, Jr. Jefferson Co., ID Perry A. Shackelford Broadwater Co., MT Mark R. Copenhaver
2012 2012 2012 2012
R. Hall S. Grebe R. Atwood L. Coccoli
Mountain caribou - world’s record score 459-3/8 398 396 2/8 394 4/8 369 7/8
406 4/8 402 7/8 403 381 3/8
Kawdy Mt., BC Aishihik Lake, YT Cassiar Mts., BC Watson Lake, YT
Rick L. Braskamp Calvin A. Speckman Aaron A. Salanski Richard H. Olewiler
2012 2012 2012 2012
S. Rauch J. Stone E. Swanson J. Mock
Woodland caribou - world’s record score 419-5/8 329 3/8 318 6/8 296 2/8 290 3/8 283 4/8
337 2/8 342 3/8 303 301 1/8 294 3/8
Parson’s Pond, NL Cormack, NL LaPoile, NL Sam’s Pond, NL Parson’s Pond, NL
62 n Fair Chase Fall 2013
H. Louis Roehrig Terry R. Smith Jeffrey K. Poikey James L. Cummins Larry G. Shuey
2011 2012 2012 2012 2012
J. Ohmer A. Brunst D. Wellman L. Wilf C. Graybill
191 182 4/8 182 3/8 179 2/8 178 6/8 176 7/8 176 6/8 172 1/8 168 3/8 168 2/8 166 5/8
192 1/8 182 4/8 183 2/8 179 5/8 180 3/8 177 7/8 177 1/8 172 5/8 169 2/8 168 5/8 168
Teton Co., MT Luscar Mt., AB Powell Co., MT Elk River, BC Blaine Co., MT Blaine Co., MT Granite Co., MT Burnt Timber Creek, AB
Socorro Co., NM Clark Co., NV Pinal Co., AZ Sonora, MX Nye Co., NV Clark Co., NV Hidalgo Co., NM Nye Co., NV Nye Co., NV Washington Co., UT Yuma Co., AZ
Andrew C. McLain W. Mark Handel Nick Roche Andrew J. Storey Danny L. Moore Charles J. Williams Zeb R. Pearson Gordon Hill
Chase A. Willis Justin E. Anderson Ronald W. Crowe Brian P. Benyo Timothy W. Mills, Sr. Michael L. Nechkash Aaron R. Hulett Justin J. Rozich Kevin J. Kjer Rory F. Potter Richard F. Youngker
2012 2012 2011 2012 2008 2012 2012 1984
2012 2012 2012 2013 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012
R. Rauscher L. Verbaas R. Spring G. Markoski J. Williams J. Vore J. Bradford L. Gatlin
L. Rominger J. Tiberti C. Goldman R. Pepper L. Clark J. Ramsey D. Waldbillig S. Sanborn C. Lacey I. Mcarthur M. Golightly
Dall’s sheep - world’s record score 189-6/8 166 5/8 167 Robertson River, AK Stephen C. Fink 2011 A. Jubenville
A look back...
Mu le de e r William H. Geare took this mule deer in the fall of 1949, in Coconino County, Arizona. It wasn’t until 2006 that he had his buck officially measured, scoring 192-3/8 points. This trophy is one of the many unique mule deer stories featured in A Mule Deer Retrospective.
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Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 63
The trophies in the field photos on the following pages have all been accepted in Boone and Crockett Club’s 29th Big Game Awards Program.
64 n Fair Chase Fall 2013 2011
Top ROW
Jeffrey R. Iverson was bowhunting in Houston County, Minnesota, in 2012, when he harvested this nontypical whitetail deer, scoring 223-7/8 points. James E. Creech, Jr. took this typical mule deer, scoring 180-6/8 points, in 2012 while hunting in Montrose County, Colorado. This Rocky Mountain goat, scoring 51 points, was taken by Edward E. Toribio, while hunting on Revillagigedo Island, Alaska, in 2012.
Middle ROW
In 2012, Matthew C. Reetz harvested this 188-3/8 point typical mule deer while on an archery hunt in Jefferson County, Colorado. Embry C. Rucker, Jr. harvested this pronghorn scoring 83-4/8 points with his .300 Winchester Short Mag., in 2012, while hunting in Natrona County, Wyoming. Timothy W. Mills, Sr. took this desert sheep scoring 178-6/8 points while hunting in Nye County, Nevada, during the 2012 season. He was shooting a .257 Weatherby.
BOTTOM ROW
This grizzly bear, scoring 26-10/16 points, was taken by Donnie B. Seay near the Kluane River in Yukon Territory, during the 2012 season.
FEATURE PHOTO
Michael D. Parsons was on a hunt in Lemhi County, Idaho, during the 2012 season when he took this typical American elk scoring 3666/8 points. He was shooting a .300 Winchester Short Mag.
Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 65
FEATURE PHOTO
B&C Official Measurer Mike Duplan was hunting in Summit County, Colorado, in 2011, when he took this typical mule deer, scoring 192-7/8 points.
66 n Fair Chase Fall 2013
Top row
Calvin A. Speckman was hunting near Aishihik Lake, Yukon Territory, in 2012, when he took this mountain caribou scoring 396-2/8 points. Kim M. Demers was on a hunt near Gaff Topsail, Newfoundland, in 2011, when he harvested this black bear, scoring 20-10/16 points. He was shooting his 7mm Remington Mag. B&C Official Measurer Peter J. Carlson took this typical mule deer, scoring 187-4/8 points, in 2012 while hunting in Summit County, Utah. This bison, scoring 131-6/8 points, was taken by Patrick J. Mowrey. He was hunting in Teton County, Wyoming, during the 2009 season.
MIDDLE ROW
This desert sheep was taken by 13-year-old Chase Willis, while hunting in Socorro County, New Mexico, during the 2012 season. This ram scores 191 points and is the new state record. In 2012, Elliot J. Smith harvested this 163-1/8 point typical whitetail deer while bowhunting with his hunting partner, Carbon. This buck was taken in Buffalo County, Wisconsin. Brian G. Cardoza took this pronghorn, scoring 80-6/8 points, with his .270 Winchester while on a 2012 hunt in Fremont County, Wyoming. Mark R. Copenhaver was hunting in Broadwater County, Montana, when he harvested this Shiras’ moose, scoring 145-2/8 points. This bull was taken in 2012.
BOTTOM ROW
B&C Regular Member James L. Cummins was hunting near Sam’s Pond, Newfoundland, in 2012 when he harvested this woodland caribou scoring 290-3/8 points. While on a 2012 archery hunt in Highland County, Ohio, Joseph F. Godar took this 207-1/8 point non-typical whitetail deer.
Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 67
L
Š Donald M. Jones
The Boone and Crockett
68 nn Fair FairChase ChaseFall Fall2013 2013
Leadership You would think that a stark white animal should be hard to miss. But finding the cryptic goats against the backdrops of shiny scree fields, dirty spring snowfields, and shadowy rock walls is like a treasure hunt without a map. pg 80. Counting Glacier’s Mountain Goats by Jami Belt
Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 69
CAPITOL COMMENTS Time for Responsible Compromise The mood in Washington at the end of July was contentious at best. The partisan and within-party Steven Williams, Ph.D. rancor was extreme, Professional member and there is little Boone and Crockett Club evidence it will improve any time in President the near future. Wildlife Management Institute Members of Congress left for their five-week summer recess without completing their work on Interior or Agriculture appropriation bills, the Farm Bill, or a plan to avoid a government shutdown after October 1. When Congress returns in September, they must wrestle with these—and other—responsibilities, as well as the impending issue of the federal debt limit that is predicted to be reached sometime this fall. Once again, crisis management will dictate how we move forward as a nation. Last issue I wrote about my perception of a Congress that was snarled and did little to move legislation or important national issues forward. Unfortunately my perception was confirmed. Appropriation bills (arguably the most important Congressional action) languish in committees with little sign of compromise or resolution. Immigration reform and the Farm Bill remain unresolved. However, the conservation community should acknowledge some notable legislative actions. The Senate subcommittee passed appropriations for the Department of Interior that would provide $1 billion more than the $9.7 billion the House version recommended, but still $66 million less than requested. The House version eliminated funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund; if this stands, it will be the first time in its 50-year history. In recognition of the continued threat of catastrophic wildfires, both the House and Senate significantly increased funding for prevention and fighting wildfires within the Department of Interior and the U.S. Forest Service. This positive development was accomplished by offsetting reductions in other agency programs.
The House version eliminated funding for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program ($58.1 million enacted in FY13), North American Wetlands Conservation Fund ($33.6 million enacted in FY13), and Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Fund ($3.6 million enacted in FY13). It also reduced funding for the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund. If enacted, these reductions would hamper efforts to conserve the imperiled prairie pothole region of this continent and state and federal efforts to keep species in need of conservation off the Threatened and
2011 issue of Fair Chase). At that time they fared better than originally expected, but conservation funding still took a major hit. This time around however, there were some positive bills submitted for legislative action. The current Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council (WHHCC) was established by executive order. Numerous Boone and Crockett Club members are members of the council. H.R. 2799, the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act, would establish the WHHCC by law (a key recommendation in the Facilitation of Hunting Heritage and Wildlife Conservation, Ten-Year Plan for Implementation). If H.R. 2799 passes, sportsmen and women will have a direct line of communication to the departments of Interior and Agriculture. H.R. 2208, the North American Wetlands Conservation Extension Act of 2013, would reauthorize this critical wetland conservation funding source until 2017. H.R. 1825, the Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act, would help keep National Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands open to public hunting and recreational shooting. The task facing Congress when it returns to Washington is daunting. Our lackluster economy, federal debt, mandatory spending obligations, and discretionary spending reductions demand that our nation confront fiscal realities and prioritize government responsibilities in a measured and objective manner. Ideologues on both sides of the aisle must take a backseat or learn to embrace cooperation and compromise. Statesmen and stateswomen must act on behalf of the nation and all their constituents rather than the primary voters of their often gerrymandered districts. I am optimistic that before we reach a tipping point, Congress will act decisively and in the best interest of the nation as a whole. The issue of natural resource conservation is neither a Republican nor a Democrat issue; it is a national issue that will direct the future of our economy and our quality of life. n
The task facing Congress when it returns to Washington is daunting. Our lackluster economy, federal debt, mandatory spending obligations, and discretionary spending reductions demand that our nation confront fiscal realities and prioritize government responsibilities in a measured and objective manner.
70 n Fair Chase Fall 2013
Endangered Species lists. The House bill would reduce funding for the Fish and Wildlife Service by 27 percent. As a former director of that agency and aware of previous budget cuts, I can assure you that the nation’s largest fish and wildlife conservation agency, in spite of its best efforts, will be unable to meet its mission of “working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.” Discussions will continue and hopefully some compromise will occur to avoid these draconian cuts. However, as Yogi Berra once commented, “It seems like déjà vu all over again.” Federal resource agencies were faced with similar reductions during the FY11 appropriations’ process (see the Summer
Enduring Memories B&C Supporters Are Vital to Our Growth and Character. By supporting the Boone and Crockett Club today, you will help us create lasting memories for future generations of big game hunters and conservationists. An excellent channel for this act of generosity is your estate plan. Please call to discuss gift options that might be right for you. Help us build the future.
“Some of my fondest memories involve sitting around campfires and fireplaces with family and friends either planning future hunts or reliving memorable past hunts. My wife and I have made a legacy gift to the Boone and Crockett Club to help insure that future generations of North Americans will enjoy similar outdoor opportunities. The Club is focused on healthy wildlife populations, adequate conservation funding, and strong support of ethical hunting. Their track record is excellent, and I am pleased to be a member.” —John A. Tomke, Regular Member Since 2008
For more information, please contact: Winton C. Smith, J.D. 1-800-727-1040
Member Adventures The Acorn Series - hunting in many lands Early in the history of the Boone and Crockett Club, Theodore Roosevelt and George Bird Theodore J. Holsten Grinnell solicited stories from Club Emeritus member Boone and Crockett Club members. These were published in a series of volumes over a number of years in what we today call the Acorn Series. Hunting in Many Lands, the second book in the series, was published in 1895, and it included an article, “Hunting in East Africa,” by William Astor Chanler. His safari lasted six months. Independently wealthy, he was only 21 years old at the time. Here is an excerpt from what he wrote:
“I left camp at dawn and it was not till noon that I saw game. Then I discovered three rhinos, two together lying down, and one solitary, nearly 500 yards away from the others. The two lying down were nearest me, but were apparently unapproachable, owing to absolute lack of cover. The little plain they had chosen for their nap was as flat as a billiard table and quite bare of grass. The wind blew steadily from them and whispered to me to try my luck, so I crawled cautiously toward them. When I got to within 150 yards, one of the beasts rose and sniffed anxiously about and then lay down again. The rhinoceros is nearly blind when in the bright sun—at night it can see like an owl. I kept on, and when within 100 yards rose to my knees and fired one barrel of my .577. The rhinos leapt to their feet and charged straight at me. “Shall I load the other barrel or trust to only one?” This thought ran through my mind but the speed of the animals approach gave me no time to reply to it. My gun-bearer was making excellent time across the plain toward a group of trees, so I could make no use of the 8-bore. The beasts came on side by side, increasing their speed and snorting like steam engines as they ran. They were disagreeably close when I fired my second barrel and rose to my feet to bolt to one side. As I rose they swerved to the left and passed not twenty feet from me, apparently blind to my whereabouts. I must have hit one with my second shot, for they were too close to permit a miss. Perhaps the shot turned them. Be that as it may, I felt that I had a narrow escape. When these rhinos had quite disappeared, my faithful gun-bearer returned, and smilingly congratulated me on what he considered my good fortune. He then called my attentions to the fact that rhinoceros number three was still in sight, and apparently undisturbed by what had happened to his friends. Between the beast and me, stretched an open plain for some 350 yards, then came three or four small trees, and then from these trees rose a semi-circle hill or rather ridge, on the crest of which stood the rhino. I made for the trees, and distrusting my gun-bearer, took from him the .577 and placed it near one of them. Then, telling him to retire to a comfortable spot, I advanced with my 8-bore up the hill toward my game. The soil was soft as powder, so my footsteps made no noise. Cover, with the exception of a small skeleton bush, but fifty yards below the
The Crown of Chief Mountain from the Southeast.
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72 n Fair Chase Fall 2013
rhino, there was none. I reached the bush and knelt down behind it. The rhino was standing broadside on, motionless and apparently asleep. I rose and fired, and saw that I had aimed true, when the animal wheeled round and round in his track. I fired again, and he then stood still facing me. I had one cartridge in my pocket and slipped it in the gun. As I raised the weapon to my shoulder, down the hill came my enemy. His pace was slow and I could see that he limped. The impetus given him by the descent kept him going and his speed seemed to increase. I fired straight at him and then dropped behind the bush. He still came on and in my direction, so I leapt to my feet, and losing my head, ran straight away in front of him. I should have run to one side and then up the hill. What was my horror, when pounding away at a good gait, not more than fifty feet in front of the snorting rhino, to find myself hurled to the ground, having twisted my ankle. I thought all was over, when I had the instinct to roll to one side and then scramble to my feet. The beast passed on. When he reached the bottom of the hill his pace slackened to a walk, and I returned to where I had left my .577 and killed him at my leisure. I found the 8-bore bullet had shattered his off hind leg, and that my second shot had penetrated his lungs. I had left the few men I had brought with me on a neighboring hill when I had first caught sight of the rhinos, and now sent for them. Not liking to waste the meat, I sent to camp for twenty porters to carry it back. I reached camp that night at 12:30 A.M., feeling quite worn out.” n The Member Adventures series will continue to feature highlight and excerpts from Boone and Crockett publications written by our adventurous members.
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Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 73
KNOWLEDGE BASE
©www.stockphoto.com/KirsanovV
Citizen Science, Revisited Six years have passed since I first wrote about the growing roles of citizen science in the wildlife field (Fair Fall 2007), and Winifred B. Kessler Chase, during that time, the Professional member pace has accelerated. Boone and Crockett Club Quite simply, citizen science is the engagement of volunteers to collect data needed by scientists. While today’s rate of growth is unprecedented, citizen science projects have been amassing important data sets for over a century. One of the earliest examples was launched in 1900 by Frank Chapman, a B&C Professional Member and officer of the Audubon Club. What he proposed was a replacement for the traditional Christmas Side Hunt, in which people chose sides and went afield to compete in shooting the most birds and mammals. Chapman’s idea was that instead of shooting, teams would compete to count the most species of birds in a designated area. Voilà – the Audubon Christmas Bird Count was born! Today it is the longest-running citizen science survey in the world, providing vitally important data on bird population trends. What accounts for the increased use of citizen science in the wildlife field? Technology is one factor, creating possibilities that did not exist in decades past. Today nearly everybody owns one or more computers and various mobile gadgets, all linked in vast networks via the Internet. This enables more people than ever before to feed in data that has been collected according to strict protocols, or to make their computers available for the distributed crunching of huge data sets. A great example is Mark Boyce’s moose app (Fair Chase, Winter 2012), which enables any willing Alberta hunter with a smartphone to contribute to the important work of monitoring moose populations. Limited budgets and staff is another factor spurring growth. Most agencies are strapped for funding, and the conventional methods of monitoring wildlife by helicopter and fixed-wing flights are becoming costprohibitive. Jami Belt’s article on mountain goat monitoring in this issue identifies tight budgets as one reason Glacier National Park has turned to citizen science, as well as the
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need to minimize aircraft activity in backcountry settings. Commencing a citizen science project involves a great deal more than enlisting volunteers and turning them loose to collect data. For starters, it is essential for the volunteer component of any citizen science project to be embedded in a research framework designed and overseen by scientists. Volunteers must be well-trained in data collection procedures, which must be kept simple and repeatable. Volunteer skill levels and data quality should be assessed on
Citizen science provides a direct way for members of society to contribute their time and effort to wildlife research and conservation. a continuing basis. And, because data quality has a positive relationship to experience, volunteer retention is very important. Volunteers tend to stay with a project when the work is interesting, meaningful, and enjoyable, and when they feel like valued members of the research team. Motivation and positive feedback are very important; these people are volunteers, after all. Citizen science provides a direct way for members of society to contribute their time and effort to wildlife research and conservation. And for projects involving fieldwork, it provides meaningful engagement in the natural world. This got me thinking, could the growth of citizen science be a beneficial trend for the future of wildlife funding?
From the earliest days of the conservation movement, hunters have done the heavy lifting in funding wildlife management. They support it through license fees and surcharges on purchases of sporting gear and ammunition. They join conservation organizations such as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, and many others to step up to organize and participate in fundraising events that support the important work of these organizations. Hunters pull out their checkbooks and roll up their sleeves to support habitat restoration projects of all kinds. My life-partner and No. 1 hunting buddy insists that “hunting is not an expense, it is an investment,” and I suspect that many hunters share that philosophy when purchasing hunting tags and stamps they may not actually use. Where does this commitment come from? I’m certain that much of it stems from their personal engagement with wildlife, including priceless memories of days spent afield. A holy grail in wildlife conservation is figuring out how to expand the funding base by including other users besides hunters. While ideas have been floated, such as surcharges on binoculars, field guides, and other gear, none have materialized. Many non-hunters regard the $40 or so that they spend every year for membership in a favorite wildlife organization as their contribution to conservation. The magazine received as a member benefit may be the closest view that many have of wild places and creatures. Citizen science opens a new avenue of engagement for some wildlife enthusiasts, on a level more akin to what hunters have long enjoyed. At the least, it is a significant way for greater numbers of people to invest their time and sweat equity in support of science-based conservation. Won’t it be grand if their engagement also motivates them to pull out their checkbooks and propose new ways to grow the funding base for wildlife? n
BECOME A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB WILDERNESS WARRIOR SOCIETY It has been nearly 125 years since Theodore Roosevelt formed a coalition of gentlemen hunters to establish the foundation for the world’s greatest conservation system. Knowing that he could not accomplish this daunting task alone, he invited men of science, business, industry, politics, and public service to join him in forming the Boone and Crockett Club.
MEMBERS INCLUDE: 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 R. Terrell McCombs Jack S. Parker* Remo R. Pizzagalli Thomas D. Price Edward B. Rasmuson Morrison Stevens Sr. Ben B. Wallace C. Martin Wood III Paul M. Zelisko
We still cannot do it without you. We need your help. 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 as well as other custom gifts to recognize and honor you for your contribution. Please join us in this grand effort. Contact the Boone and Crockett Club today to find out how you can be one of the first to become a founding member of the Wilderness Warrior Society.
BELOW: The first members of the Wilderness Warrior Society were recognized at the Club’s 2011 Annual Meeting in Charleston, South Carolina. *
Deceased
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
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B&C PROFESSORS’ CORNER The Value of Scientific Research We sometimes hear concern expressed about the value of scientific research. Some research can appear to have little William Porter application for solving Professional member today’s problems. Yet, I Boone and Crockett Club am frequently struck Professor by how often wildlife Michigan State research has University unforeseen and farreaching impacts on contemporary issues. A case in point is research on wolves and the controversy over decisions about management of wolves through regulated harvest. While the debates swirled over the past two decades about the status of wolves as an endangered species, wildlife biologists were busy studying the wolves. Each year, Dr. William Porter is the first Boone and Crockett Chair of Wildlife Conservation in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University. His research explores population dynamics and the behavior of wildlife in relation to habitat, emphasizing the application to management and policy. Most of the work he and his students do focuses on larger vertebrates, including moose, wild turkeys, elk and whitetailed deer, but recent studies examine songbird communities. Current studies emphasize the fundamental forces now reshaping wildlife conservation: climate change, land-use change due to energy development and urban sprawl, disease eruptions in wildlife and the stewardship of wildlife populations.
Learn more about Michigan State University and our other B&C University Programs
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when budgets were scrutinized, there were questions about the need for such research. Each year, the justification was compelling and research continued. In hindsight, what that research added to our knowledge about wolves and predator-prey systems is stunning. That new knowledge is likely to prove remarkably valuable as we enter deeper into the debates over wolf management. The restoration of wolves to Yellowstone National Park provided wildlife biologists with the opportunity to test some of the assertions commonly made about wolves. Perhaps no assertion has garnered more attention than the idea that the presence of wolves would restore balance in the ecosystem. The balance of nature is an age-old notion that has been prominent in ecology. The central idea is that when a predator is restored to the ecosystem, it will cause an initial reduction in the abundance of its prey. When the prey population declines, the predators must eventually decline as well. Through time, predator and prey numbers will fluctuate, but theory predicts that the degree of fluctuation will become less and less. Eventually, predators and prey will achieve constancy in their abundance, a balance, or in the parlance of wildlife biologists, a stable equilibrium. We can always argue about whether wolves should have been restored, but the policy question we face today is, now that they are here, should we actively manage their populations? Those who oppose active hunting and trapping of wolves often draw on the idea of balance. They argue that restoration of wolves allows natural ecosystems to once again achieve a balance of nature and therefore we should strive to leave them alone. Is that true? When wolves were restored to Yellowstone, they found a super-abundant food resource in the form of the elk population. Wolves produced large litters and multiple females within a pack were observed
reproducing. Wolf abundance climbed rapidly, and elk abundance declined sharply. However, the question was whether this was just the initial adjustment. Would the balance be achieved through time? After nearly two decades of research, the answer is clear: fluctuations in wolf and elk numbers are not going to reach a constant balance. The balance-of-nature theory did not account for additional factors influencing the predatorprey dynamics. In Yellowstone, two additional factors frequently disrupted wolf and elk populations: winter weather and disease. Winter weather, and specifically snow depth, varies from one year to the next. Elk are adapted to migrating to lower elevations when snow is deep, but wolves tend to be fixed geographically to their territory. In those years when snow was deep and elk moved farther, wolves whose territories were devoid of elk faced a dilemma. They could try to survive the winter on other prey, or invade the territories of other wolves where elk were present. Wolves defend their territories to the death and when wolves began invading the territories of adjacent packs, the resulting strife caused extensive mortality in the wolf population. Disease also upset the predictions about interactions of wolf and elk populations, specifically parvovirus and mange. As wolf populations built to high densities, parvovirus became active in the population and caused heavy mortality. Both diseases are widespread and their impacts wax and wane. Of course the question is, do we just need to wait a little longer? Will the Yellowstone ecosystem reach stable equilibrium, even in the face of periodic deepsnow winters and disease outbreaks? The wolf-moose interaction on Isle Royale, an island in Lake Superior, gives us some clues. Severe winters occur periodically and when they do, they favor wolves; moose cannot migrate off the island, and deeper snow makes them more vulnerable to predation. Moose and wolf abundances have gone up and down
After nearly two decades of research, the answer is clear: fluctuations in wolf and elk numbers are not going to reach a constant balance.
©www.stockphoto.com/Pi-Lens
over the decades but never achieved a degree of constancy. These findings suggest the answer to our question is, no. We are not likely to see a stable equilibrium in Yellowstone, even if we wait 50 years. The conclusion that a restoration is not likely to lead to a stable equilibrium or a constant balance is especially important to at least two pending questions. First, are we managing national parks effectively? The idea of balance has been in ecology textbooks for nearly a century. Some have argued that it’s a cornerstone to national park policy for managing wildlife in larger parks. We may be about to witness a rewrite of some longheld ideas. Indeed, a recent report commissioned by The Wildlife Society suggests active management of elk on national parks should be considered as a way of stabilizing populations—with hunting as one of the options. Second, now that the wolf is restored, how should we manage it? Some advocacy groups or policy makers invoke the balanceof-nature argument to justify hands-off management. Other advocates use the booms in wolf increases to justify immediate intervention. Based on what wildlife science has learned about wolves and elk in Yellowstone and wolves and moose on Isle Royale, wildlife managers are well-advised to set policy that is adjustable over time to the inevitable dynamics. Finally, we should remember Yellowstone and Isle Royale when we reflect on the value of research. Without these longterm commitments to wolf research, we would not have the insight we do today about an old notion–the balance of nature. Of course, drawing on scientific research in shaping wildlife policy is at the core of the Boone and Crockett mission. n
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T h e B o o n e a n d C r o c k e tt C l u b
hunt wildlife | integrity | education | ethics character | heritage | habitat | belief | strength passion |
The Boone and Crockett Club’s Associates Program was created as a place were the collective voice of likeminded individuals could be heard behind the Club’s ongoing efforts to make conservation of wildlife and their habitats a priority everywhere. These efforts are based on the historical fact that wildlife conservation happens when sportsmen and sportswomen hunt, fish, trap, and shoot. Hunter-conservationists are the only group that has consistently stepped up to the plate for wildlife. The results speak for themselves.
Please consider these new associate levels when you renew your commitment to our mission.
$35 B&C Associate
$100 Sponsor Associate
$250 Sportsman Associate
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Four issues of Fair Chase (print and digital)
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Four issues of Fair Chase (print and digital)
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Four issues of Fair Chase (print and digital)
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Associates card
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Boone and Crockett window decal
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Access to the online Associates community: Searchable field photos from the B&C Records database. Individual scoring database where you can score your trophies online. Electronic archives of past Fair Chase feature articles.
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Access to the online Associates community: Searchable field photos from the B&C Records database. Individual scoring database where you can score your trophies online. Electronic archives of past Fair Chase feature articles.
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Access to the online Associates community: Searchable field photos from the B&C Records database. Individual scoring database where you can score your trophies online. Electronic archives of past Fair Chase feature articles.
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A 20% discount on select Club publications and B&C branded merchandise.
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A 20% discount on select Club publications and B&C branded merchandise.
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A 20% discount on select Club publications and B&C branded merchandise.
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Access to Trophy Database Search
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888-840-HUNT | www.Boone-Crockett.org 78 n Fair Chase Fall 2013
Honor, Code, Tradition
Custom Associates Gear
As a Boone and Crockett Club Associate, I pledge:
n To respect the privilege of hunting, private
property, my fellow sportsmen, and all wildlife
n To accept my role as a hunter-conservationist
by supporting and promoting wildlife conservation and hunting issues
n To take pride in making positive
contributions to wildlife and habitat conservation
n To abide by all game laws, encourage others
to do so, and make every reasonable effort to cooperate with law enforcement officials
n To take responsibility for refining my skills
in woodsmanship and marksmanship
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n To respect the legal hunting methods used
by others and refrain from divisive behavior that can separate the hunting community
n To do my part in upholding a positive public
image of hunters and hunting
n To share these responsibilities and beliefs
Make MonTana hoMe
with those whom I hunt with, especially young hunters I will be mentoring
n To make every attempt within legal limits to
recover game and waste no animal taken
To hunt fair chase
“I hunt fair chase whitetails because it is a tradition passed from my great grandfather to my grandfather to my father to myself and one day to my grandkids. It is more than a tradition. It is a way of life and a bonding experience that can’t be duplicated. We hunt for the food but in our age and wisdom we are also able to hunt smart by managing the deer herd. Good management will leave my kids and their kids with a better deer herd. Because of our management techniques, luck and the grace of God I have harvested one of the largest free ranging deer in the world.” - Joshua Bruce Tell us why you hunt Fair Chase #FairChaseFriday
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Counting Glacier’s Mountain Goats with help from a small army of volunteers
By Jami Belt Citizen Science coordinator for Glacier National Park’s Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center Photos courtesy of NPS
“What should we do with that when the lightning makes it over Gunsight Pass?” asked Brian, the volunteer
helping me survey mountain goats in Glacier National Park. He was staring at the spotting scope tripod sticking out of my backpack. We were four miles up the trail, well above tree line, and the storm clouds were moving in fast. Less than five minutes into our survey, the wind was tearing the data sheets from our hands, and sheets of rain and graupel were blotting out many of the cliff faces. What were we doing up there? And why would somebody volunteer for such arduous work? It is all for the purpose of understanding and conserving Glacier’s mountain goats in a changing world.
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Getting to Know Goats
Mountain goats are one of Glacier’s most iconic species, but little is known about their status and distribution throughout the park. The last count, conducted over a small section of the park, wrapped up in the late 1970s. Since then, many regions with native mountain goat herds in Montana, Alberta, Washington, and Idaho have seen declines in their annual aerial counts. Because of these declines and the relatively slow reproductive rates of mountain goats, some management areas have responded by lowering harvest quotas. Other regions are looking into winter motorized recreation as a possible source of population stress. How are goats doing in Glacier National Park? A snapshot count at a wellused mineral lick was down from 10 years earlier, prompting questions about the population as a whole. However, since Glacier’s goats are not exposed to hunting and motorized winter recreation, it’s possible that stressors relating to changes in their alpine environment may be at work. The mountain goat is a species of winter, welladapted to blend into the white background of its rugged snowy mountaintops. Questions abound. How might populations fare in response to diminished snow pack? Can goats continue to evade predators if upwardcreeping tree lines begin to surround their rocky outcrops? Will nannies be able to adjust the timing of birthing to take advantage of an earlier peak in seasonal forage? If Glacier National Park wants to assess whether habitat changes are having effects at the population level, it must start with a population estimate. This is a challenging prospect. Aside from funding
issues, helicopter surveys over Glacier’s extensive goat range do not have public support. Surveys would have to be done from the ground. But that would require a small army, numbering well beyond the park’s small staff. Glacier’s biologists decided to build their army the modern way, by recruiting volunteers. They set their sights on the seemingly endless supply of park visitors who choose to hike the back-country world where mountain goats roam. In 2008 Glacier National Park launched the High Country Citizen Science Program, recruiting and training volunteers to help park managers gather baseline information about selected alpine species that may be vulnerable to climate change impacts. More than 150 local residents, visitors, and students volunteer each year, providing the boots-on-the-ground needed to monitor wildlife in the million acres of Glacier National Park. Traversing the highelevation trails, these volunteers count mountain goats at 36 survey sites across the park. The purpose is to develop annual population estimates that help scientists detect long-term changes in goat numbers. Braving the harsh conditions in mountain goat country, these volunteers have conducted more than 1,000 goat surveys thus far. Enlisting these citizens in a mountain goat science project undoubtedly fosters stewardship and an awareness of the issues facing the park’s wildlife. But would it provide a reliable population estimate? That is the question I set out to answer for my master’s research at the University of Montana, under the supervision of Boone and Crockett Professor Paul Krausman. As the project biologist, I commenced a series of
“double-observer” surveys using a random selection of our volunteers to measure the detection probability of our mountain goat counts. Detection probability, the percentage of goats detected compared to the actual number present on the mountainsides, is needed to develop a reliable population estimate. It was also the reason Brian and I had ventured up to Gunsight Pass on such a stormy day. Ups and Downs of Goat Surveys
Heading into the mountains, we watched the menacing cumulus clouds building to the west of us. I pressed on anyway, determined not to let this become the fourth day in a row of being chased off the mountain by a thunderstorm. Brian and I set up our spotting scopes and started the clock on our hour-long sampling period. I came to my senses when three billies, moving faster than I have ever seen, ran from the open meadows to the narrow overhanging cliff bands on the opposite side of Gunsight Basin. Goats fleeing from the oncoming weather is a good sign that we should do the same, so down the trail we went at a human pace, descending the four miles to get below tree line and a safe location to face the deluge. Wringing out our soaked socks, we watched the clouds rise and dissipate, revealing a bluebird sky. Then back up we climbed, not without a bit of grumbling, to regain the 2,000-foot elevation of the survey site. Brian and I pulled out new, dry data sheets and started again, our two scopes sideby-side but no words passing between us. For the double-observer method to correctly estimate the number of mountain goats that we were missing during our counts, the two
Enlisting citizens in a mountain goat science project undoubtedly fosters stewardship and an awareness of the issues facing the park’s wildlife. but would it provide a reliable
population estimate?
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© Kenichi Negai
surveyors have to count goats simultaneously without influencing each other’s results. So I stifled the urge to exclaim “Brian, there are those billies that had run for cover!” as I watched them slowly meandering their way back to the lush green forage, now eight of them in a widely spread cluster. You would think that a stark white animal should be hard to miss. But finding the cryptic goats against the backdrops of shiny scree fields, dirty spring snowfields, and shadowy rock walls is like a treasure hunt without a map. Besides the eight males, I counted 14 goats in nursery groups of nannies with their clean white young of the year and some scruffy yearlings, and five more scattered adults. Brian detected 18 of the 27 goats, a result in keeping with our findings that trained volunteers detect on average 65 percent of the mountain goats present compared to an average 80 percent detection rate by biologists. Not too bad for volunteers with highly varied skill levels.
Making Sense of Goat Numbers
Our estimate of detection rates by volunteers is a critical piece of the puzzle. Knowing how many goats are missed during each survey allows us to correct our density estimate of goats within the visible areas of our ground surveys. Interestingly, the percentage of goats seen by volunteers on the ground are a bit higher than rates reported for helicopter surveyors. This is encouraging because aerial surveys are the most commonlyused approach and considered the gold standard for goat monitoring. But it is not really surprising. Volunteers have more time to study the terrain than a helicopter cruising by a goat at over 50 miles per hour. On the other hand, aerial surveys can see almost all of the terrain in an area, while ground surveys can only see goats in terrain that is not blocked from view. We need to visit each survey site many times to account for those goats not present in the viewshed. Gunsight Mountain was named in 1891 by George Bird Grinnell, a co-founder of the Boone and Crockett Club, to commemorate a hunting trip in search of mountain goats and bighorn sheep. This mountain is a stronghold for the bearded climbers. Yet during other surveys at this site, we have seen a huge variation in the number of goats counted, from a high of 36 to a low of zero. In fact we record a lot of zeros, during surveys where we know the goats are out there but may be just on the other side of the ridge. It turns out that in spite of having relatively small home ranges, goats move
around a lot within their home turf and getting a good count is often a matter of being in the right place at the right time. It is not as exciting for volunteers when no goats are spotted. But each time a zero count is reported, we get a better understanding of how many goats we might be missing because they are not available to be counted during our one-hour survey. We use this insight about the percentage of surveys during which goats are visible, combined with counts of the largest number ever seen during a survey, to get an overall detection probability. The Power of Citizen Science
Herein lies the power of citizen science. While volunteers may miss some of the goats, they can visit the survey sites far more frequently than biologists, often more than 12 times each year. Frequent surveys are a huge boon for a species like goats, which are relatively abundant but not always present to be counted on the days that you made the arduous trek into their habitat. By being there more often, volunteers can better capture the variability of counts at each site, and are more likely to be there on a day when the largest number of goats from each home range is visible at the survey site. Often it is the impressive volume of data that makes citizen science work, and that makes the concept so attractive to researchers. Citizen science programs have emerged nationwide, monitoring species from whale sharks to ladybugs. The sky is the limit, as in the case of citizen science programs that
we are learning more than we anticipated about mountain goat distribution and predation and are building up a strong constituency of
informed wildlife stewards.
Most importantly, we are giving hundreds of people a reason to sit still, slow down, and just observe wildlife, a task that, in the words of one of our volunteers, “is one of the most powerful forms of therapy around.” 82 n Fair Chase Fall 2013
perform the time-consuming work of searching telescope images for new celestial bodies. These programs often use social media and crowd-sourcing to solicit observations from a huge number of people, giving participants from many different backgrounds a chance to contribute to research and to learn about the important and often tedious work of science. Many National Parks and other agencies have started engaging volunteers to help monitor wildlife and plants on their lands. Glacier National Park’s program also monitors common loons, American pikas, invasive plants, and migrating raptors. Since the program was established, we have trained over 700 participants and more than 300 high school and university students, who have contributed more than 25,000 hours of survey effort. Like much of the research conducted in national parks today, our program is funded by a partner organization, the Glacier National Park Conservancy. The relatively low cost of managing a large team of volunteers means that our program, like many citizen science efforts, can be conducted over a longer term than many traditional research projects that are limited to two or three years of funding. Monitoring species for many years enables us to begin looking for trends in wildlife populations that may
be linked to climate-related habitat changes, or shifts in species distributions that occur over decades. Citizen science is not a panacea, however, and cannot fully replace research conducted by biologists. The research questions that can be tackled using citizen science programs are often driven by what data collection methods volunteers can be expected to perform reliably. This inversion of the scientific method may not work for many programs with highly specific research objectives. But for programs with broader goals, citizen science can provide an ideal partnership. Participants are volunteers after all. While we would love it if all of our mountain goat surveys were done when the goats are most active, it is hard to convince volunteers that they should hike the 12 miles in grizzly country in the wee hours so as to reach the survey site before first light. We have also discovered that many volunteers are not comfortable using topographical maps, thus limiting our ability to get precise locations of where goats are seen that could be used to inform us about habitat use. But the baseline population data we have obtained provides a vital jumping-off point for future research. Encouragingly, our estimate of 1.1 to 1.4 mountain goats per square kilometer
matched the estimate obtained during helicopter surveys conducted over a portion of Glacier National Park. If the population dips by 30 percent over a decade (based on International Union of Conservation and Nature criteria for re-classifying mountain goats as vulnerable), we could detect it with the help of our small army of volunteers. In the meantime, we are learning more than we anticipated about mountain goat distribution and predation and are building up a strong constituency of informed wildlife stewards. Most importantly, we are giving hundreds of people a reason to sit still, slow down, and just observe wildlife, a task that, in the words of one of our volunteers, “is one of the most powerful forms of therapy around.” n Jami Belt is the Citizen Science coordinator for Glacier National Park’s Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center, leading monitoring programs for common loons, mountain goats, pikas, and invasive plants. She is also the author of Invasive Plants of the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem. She treks around the mountains surrounding Columbia Falls, Montana, with her family.
2014
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A RECORD FOR CONSERVATION The Boone and Crockett Club maintains the records of native North American big game as a vital conservation record in assessing the success of wildlife management programs. In response to public interest generated by the Club’s National Collection of Heads and Horns in the 1920s, and increased hunting by the general public, the Club established an official
1895
FIRST ANNUAL SPORTSMEN’S EXPOSITION, MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK Club members Theodore Roosevelt, George Bird Grinnell, and Archibald Rogers served as competition judges.
1902
COMMITTEE FOR MEASUREMENT OF TROPHIES APPOINTED JULY 16, 1902, BY THE CLUB’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS Theodore Roosevelt, Archibald Rogers, and Caspar Whitney assigned the task of creating a “standard” scoring procedure for native North American Big Game.
1906
BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB’S FIRST SCORING MANUAL PUBLISHED. Big Game Measurements: Game Book of the Boone and Crockett Club 1906 published by Boone and Crockett Club Professional Member James H. Kidder, chairman of the Committee on Big Game Measurements. It was a leatherbound book that detailed a “standard” procedure for measuring 18 categories of North American big game.
1906 The National Collection of Heads and Horns founded at the Bronx Zoo, in New York, New York, by club members Madison Grant and William T. Hornaday.
1922
NATIONAL COLLECTION OF HEADS AND HORNS DEDICATED AT THE BRONX ZOO Club members Madison Grant and William T. Hornaday, of the New York Zoological Society opened to the public this taxidermy collection of big game specimens from around the world. The Club’s intention was to awaken the public to the plight of vanishing wildlife and harness their support for future legislation proposed by the Club aimed at the conservation of these natural resources. The inscription over the hall’s entrance reads, “In Memory of the Vanishing Big Game of the World.” n Fair n Fair 84 84 Chase Chase FallFall 2013 2013
measurement and scoring system for trophy big game. The National Collection and the measurement system were initially conceived to record species of North American big game thought to be vanishing. Club Members and others in the scientific community soon recognized that the system was an effective means of tracking the success of new conservation policies.
1928
AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY HALL OF NORTH AMERICAN MAMMALS – NEW YORK CITY Club initiates the enlargement and renovation of the Hall of North American mammals. Key Club members involved were Childs Frick, Dr. Harold E. Anthony, James L. Cark, Bayard Dominick, Alfred Ely, Prentiss Gray, E. Hubert Litchfield, Madison Grant, and Kermit Roosevelt.
1932
PUBLISHED RECORDS OF NORTH AMERICAN BIG GAME, 1ST EDITION Club published its first edition of the records book, Records of North American Big Game, under the auspices of the National Collection of Heads and Horns at the New York Zoological Society after scouring museums of the world and sport hunters’ trophy collections for specimens. Trophies were ranked by simple measurements such as length of longer antler or horn.
1947
BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB HELD IT FIRST ANNUAL BIG GAME TROPHY COMPTETITION The Club held its first five national big game competitions on an annual basis at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, New York, with the intent of recognizing trophy quality, encouraging selective hunting, promoting the concept of “Fair Chase” and ensuring that their records books were as accurate and up-to-date as possible.
1949
COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO DEVISE AN EQUITABLE, OBJECTIVE MEASUREMENT SYSTEM FOR NATIVE NORTH AMERICAN BIG GAME TROPHIES Members of the committee included Samuel B. Webb (chairman), Dr. James L. Clark, Grancel Fitz, Dr. Harold E. Anthony, Milford Baker, and Frederick K. Barbour.
1950
BOONE AND CROCKETT ADOPTED ITS UNIVERSALLY RECOGNIZED SCORING SYSTEM This system, which is considered “The Gold Standard” has withstood the test of time and is still in use today – virtually unchanged. Instead of being a method for recording animals in peril of extinction, it is now used to record the successes of conservation.
1952
PUBLISHED RECORDS OF NORTH AMERICAN BIG GAME, 3RD EDITION B&C published the third edition of its popular records book, Records of North American Big Game. This is the first edition that lists and ranks trophies according to the scoring system B&C adopted in 1950 and is still used today, virtually unchanged. This scoring system recognizes trophies for both massiveness and symmetry.
1952 - 1953
B&C SPONSORS FIRST BIENNIaL COMPETITION This competition and the next eight competitions were held biennially at either the American Museum of Natural History, New York City, New York, or the Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
1963
FIRST FAIR CHASE STATEMENT REQUIRED FOR TROPHY ENTRIES. Spotting of herding land game from the air, followed by landing in its vicinity for pursuit, was deemed Unfair Chase and unsportsmanlike. Trophies taken under these conditions were not eligible for entry in B&C.
1968 - 1970
NORTH AMERICAN BIG GAME COMPETITION The Club changed thebiennial big game competitions to triennial big game competitions. It was the last competition held at the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
1971-1973
The Boone and Crockett Club has published 13 editions of Records of North American Big Game since 1932 and 10 editions of Big Game Awards books since 1983, beginning with the 18th Awards Program.
THE NAME OF BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB’S NORTH AMERICAN BIG GAME COMPETITIONS WAS CHANGED TO BIG GAME AWARDS PROGRAM The purpose of this move was to better define the purpose of the Club’s records-keeping activities.
1973 – 1981
NORTH AMERICAN BIG GAME AWARDS PROGRAM Boone and Crockett Club and National Rifle Association entered into a formal agreement to cosponsor the records Program. B&C remained the governing body of the records program and NRA provided the day-to-day manpower to run it.
1976 Developed formal Official Measurer training workshops that continue to the present day.
1978 B&C took over formal ownership of the National Collection of Heads and Horns. The 34 remaining North American specimens were retained by the Club and temporarily displayed in the National Rifle Association’s Museum in Washington, DC, through late 1981. The remaining 204 foreign specimens went to Safari Club International for relocation into SCI’s Wildlife Museum in Tucson, Arizona.
1985
1992
Published the first edition of the Official Scoring Manual titled, Measuring and Scoring North American Big Game Trophies.
Boone and Crockett Club purchased The Old Milwaukee Depot and moved its national headquarters to Missoula, Montana, in September.
1983
2009
Published the Club’s first Awards book, Boone and Crockett Club’s 18th Big Game Awards (1980-1982). The Awards books differ from the All-time records books because they include only the trophies accepted during a three year Awards Program, at reduced minimum scores. The Awards books include hundreds of portrait and field photos, along with the hunting stories.
Published the 3rd Edition of Measuring and Scoring North American Big Game Trophies.
2013 Boone and Crockett Club hosted its 28th Big Game Awards Program, at the Silver Legacy Casino and Resort, Reno, Nevada, where 95 trophies were awarded coveted B&C medallions and/or certificates.
1980 The Club raised funds and used them to begin the refurbishment of the American Museum of Natural History Hall of North American Mammals dioramas. The project was completed in 1987.
1981 Boone and Crockett Club and the National Rifle Association dissolved their formal agreement to cosponsor the North American Big Game Awards Program, and Boone and Crockett Club reassumed full and complete responsibility for all aspects of the records keeping and records books. B&C established its first formal office at 205 South Patrick Street, Alexandria, Virginia, and hired a staff to do the Club’s day-to-day activities including running the records program, book publication, membership support, accounting, etc.
1981 Boone and Crockett Club’s National Collection of Heads and Horns was moved to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming, where it has been on display ever since. Fair Chase Fall 2013 n 85
Chair Hunter Ethics Sub-Committee
Mea Culpa my hind leg . . . Apparently to one or two of you, exposing my exceptional broadmindedness in the last issue sounded like crawfishing or apologizing. For that, I am sorry. I assure you it was neither. You see, I was raised to be accountable for my words and deeds. I did not grow up in the apology/excuse culture that is so prevalent these days. I was not allowed to explain or apologize away the consequences, and I would not try to do so with you. I stand by what I said before, in my previous columns, and I promise to continue on the same path. What I hadn’t adequately addressed was proper context for our discussion. The proper perspective is best illustrated with the simple idea that “it is better that we hunt, in whatever form our circumstance dictates, than that we don’t.” Here’s the big broad line between that idea and what is wrong these days: money and influence are being used to diminish the hunt equation. You should never be too busy or too fancy to approach the hunt in its purest form. None of us is above the rigors, the uncertainty or the wondrous, myriad details that work against us in our pursuits, and you shouldn’t want to be. And, don’t bring your pictures when you do. Fair chase is an ideal, which is also the fundamental criterion for entry into our records book. It is what we see as the best approach and most consistent with the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. It basically requires you to expose yourself to everything that can go wrong. That is what makes it such a high standard and why there are such bragging rights in it. If you can’t measure your hunt in these ideal terms, we are not saying you—nor anyone else—shouldn’t hunt. The primary differentiator on the good hunt/bad hunt continuum is intent. My brother helped me see that we can still establish and protect the ideals of fair chase while we accept that sometimes folks simply don’t have the opportunity or means to hunt this way. However, when you intend to use your financial capability to make it easier, more certain or bigger, you are not only cheapening the experience, you are setting an example that can and will be used against the hunting community. I am not taking the capitalist to task, nor will I ever vilify the free enterprise system (as it was meant to be). I believe in it in the marrow of my bones. Consequently, I have worked hard all of my adult life. I do not believe that just because I work hard, I will be successful. On the other hand, I know that if I don’t work hard, I most certainly won’t achieve success. Hunting is supposed to be like this too.
q
You should never be
too busy or to approach the hunt too fancy in its purest form.
Last Word
B&C Regular member
86 n Fair Chase Fall 2013
This said, the reward of a job well-done does not always come in the form we expected. Most often, our reward for a hearty effort afield is just the memories and a little introspection. For me, this will suffice. I chalk it up to experience but never regret that I was out there engaged in what I love, exercising my God-given and field-acquired hunting skills, and I reveled in it. I was not flawless, and I learned a few new things about the hunt, the prey and myself. I do not come back emptyhanded by a long shot. I am enriched. Once recharged, I will go at it again with the same gusto. So where does this leave us? What I intend to provide is thought-provoking “ideal speak” from which we can each and collectively reconsider where we want to stand as a community. I submit that when one goes afield, he or she becomes an active part of the equation (a variable) and he/she willingly accepts the balance of the equation as rigid and uncompromising and at the same time wonderfully unpredictable. Those that would participate in a situation where the hunt equation is shortened, sweetened or contrived need to carefully reflect on what hunting really is and what it is not. When the money/ego motive trumps the North American Model, the profiteer is nothing more than a twisted reincarnation of Roosevelt’s reprehensible market hunter—and what may look like a hunt, ain’t a hunt – caveat emptor. n
©www.stockphoto.com/Koerpers
The
By Daniel A. Pedrotti Jr. The ethics of fair chase
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