DSC’s mission is to ensure the conservation of wildlife through public engagement, education and advocacy for well-regulated hunting and sustainable use.
The vision of DSC is a society that values wildlife, engages in its conservation and understands and supports the role of well-regulated hunting in the sustainable use of wild resources.
To become a member or learn more about DSC, head to biggame.org.
Established in 1887 by Theodore Roosevelt and George Bird Grinnell, the Boone and Crockett Club was founded by hunters who dedicated their lives to the conservation of wildlife. As the turn of the 20th century approached our nation, these men had to make a choice: stand by and watch our cherished wildlife disappear or work for the protection and propagation of our wildlife resource. Thankfully, they rose to the challenge and chose the latter.
Today, the Boone and Crockett Club continues to build upon the legacy of wildlife conservation established by Roosevelt and Grinnell. We will continue the fight for conservation so future generations can enjoy the bounty of our wildlife resource.
It is the mission of the Boone and Crockett Club to promote the conservation and management of wildlife, especially big game, and its habitat, to preserve and encourage hunting and to maintain the highest ethical standards of fair chase and sportsmanship in North America.
Jed, the bouncing 6-month-old Chesapeake Bay Retriever, is the newest B&C mascot! With his wagging tail and playful spirit, he’s been brightening our office days since he was a tiny pup. Jed’s energy and enthusiasm has already captured all our hearts. Stay tuned for updates on this four-legged friend and his adventures in Fair Chase!
BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB AND FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Club President – Anthony J. Caligiuri
Secretary – Richard R. Capozza
Treasurer – Benjamin A. Strickling III
General Counsel – John P. Schreiner
Executive Vice President – Administration
Mary Webster
Executive Vice President – Conservation
Steven Leath
Vice President of Administration
John P. Evans
Vice President of Big Game Records
Richard T. Hale
Vice President of Conservation Research and Education
C.J. Buck
Vice President of Conservation Policy
Simon Roosevelt
Vice President of Communications
CJ Buck
Foundation President – R. Terrell McCombs
Class of 2025 Michael J. Opitz
Class of 2026 Paul V. Phillips
Class of 2027 John L. Hendrix
Foundation President – R. Terrell McCombs
Secretary – Michael J. Opitz
Treasurer – Charles W. Hartford
Vice President – John P. Evans
Vice President – Paul M. Zelisko
Class of 2025 John P. Evans
Steve J. Hageman
R. Terrell McCombs
T. Garrick Steele
C. Martin Wood III
Class of 2026 Robert W. Floyd
Charles W. Hartford
Benjamin A. Strickling III
John A. Tomke
Jeffrey A. Watkins
Class of 2027 Gary W. Dietrich
B.B. Hollingsworth, Jr.
Tom L. Lewis
Michael J. Opitz
Paul M. Zelisko
FAIR CHASE
PRODUCTION STAFF
Editor-in-Chief – Karlie Slayer
Managing Editor – PJ DelHomme
Conservation and History Editor
Steven Williams
Research and Education Editors
John F. Organ
Jonathan Mawdsley
Hunting and Ethics Editor
Mark Streissguth
Assistant Editors
Jodi Bishop
CJ Buck
Kendall Hoxsey-Onysko
Kyle M. Lehr
Marc Mondavi
Tony A. Schoonen
Jennifer Schwab
Jodi Stemler
Julie L. Tripp
Editorial Contributors
Steve Belinda
Craig Boddington
Allen Bolen
Charlie R. Booher
Tony Caligiuri
PJ DelHomme
Jamie Groneberg
Londyn Groneberg
Everett Headley
Kyle M. Lehr
Jonathan R. Mawdsley
Kasey Rahn
Thomas Reed
Greg Sheehan
Karlie Slayer
Wayne van Zwoll
Photographic Contributors
Donald M. Jones
Kris Larson
Mark Mesenko
Paul Queneau
Fair Chase is published quarterly by the Boone and Crockett Club and distributed to its Members and Associates. Material in this magazine may be freely quoted and/or reprinted in other publications and media, so long as proper credit is given to Fair Chase. The only exception applies to articles that are reprinted in Fair Chase from other magazines, in which case, the Club does not hold the reprint rights. The opinions expressed by the contributors of articles are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Boone and Crockett Club.
Fair Chase (ISSN 1077-3274) is published for $35 per year by the Boone and Crockett Club, 250 Station Drive, Missoula, MT 59801. Periodical postage is paid in Missoula, Montana, and additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Fair Chase, Boone and Crockett Club, 250 Station Drive, Missoula, MT 59801 Phone: (406) 542-1888 Fax: (406) 542-0784
NATIONAL ADVERTISING
Phone: (406)542-1888 ext. 215
B&C STAFF
Chief Executive Officer – Tony A. Schoonen
Director of Big Game Records –Kyle M. Lehr
Director of Conservation Programs –Luke Coccoli
Director of Finance and Administration –Abra Loran
Director of Communications – Jodi Stemler
Deputy Director of Communications –Karlie Slayer
Assistant Director of Big Game Records –Jennifer Schwab
Accounting Manager – Anne Labbe
Development Program Manager –Jodi Bishop
Digital Strategies Manager –Mark Mesenko
Sales and Corporate Relations Manager –Michelle Scheuermann
Graphic Designer – Fletcher Eidum
Office Manager – Kate Thornburg
TRM Ranch Manager – Mike Briggs
Conservation Education Programs Manager –Madison Todd
Since 1882, we’ve helped redefine what it means to preserve and grow wealth for some of the world’s most distinguished individuals, families and entrepreneurs. Our extraordinary breadth of capabilities, paired with the exclusive access to the Rockefeller network, allows us to help you meet all of life’s opportunities. Life’s grandest visions require thoughtful plans. That’s why we start by understanding your ambitions—taking into account your immediate and longer-term needs—and develop a roadmap designed to help you achieve your goals.
Some days, I look out my window and see deer, lots of deer. They wander next to the chicken coop, staring down the hens who dare them to come closer. Other times, does and fawns are bedded down in the yard, chewing with sleepy eyes. On my drive into Club headquarters during the fall, I need at least one cup of coffee in my veins to stay alert for any rut-crazed bucks hopping fences, chasing whitetail. If you haven’t guessed, Montana is crawling with deer. And we’re not the only state with an abundance of venison.
There are roughly 35 million deer (give or take) in the U.S. today. Compare that figure to the 300,000 deer estimated to roam the States in the early 1900s. That’s one heck of a conservation success story, and the Club played a major role in those early conservation efforts by ending market hunting and setting bag limits on big game.
Today, we reap the benefits of the Club’s forward-thinking founders as we take to the forests and
fields every fall to fill the freezer with delicious deer meat. If lucky, we might even come across a “Booner” for the wall. Deer hunting is a celebrated pastime in North America, so we have dedicated this issue of Fair Chase to all things deer.
As for deer hunting stories, we’ve got a great line-up, including an adventurous Sitka blacktail bowhunt from record-book frequent flyer Allen Bolen. We’ve also got the lowdown on a 32nd whitetail whopper called the Huff Buck—the biggest U.S. typical and second only to the Hansen buck. In addition, we’ve got a very special package of two stories about the same hunt. One is written from Dad’s perspective, the other by his daughter who killed a magnificent record-book whitetail in South Dakota.
On the conservation side, we reached out to our partners at the Mule Deer Foundation, who provided an update on some of their current projects. Writer Everett Headley penned a story on axis deer in Hawaii and how locals may have
FROM THE EDITOR
Karlie Slayer EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
found a solution before the deer eat themselves out of a home. And you’ll also find plenty of regular departments and columns with their own spin on deer.
We also hope you notice a few changes as you flip through the pages. I’m a designer at heart, and we are slowly integrating new looks into Fair Chase. It’s a new year, so why not? Speaking of new, I’d like to introduce and welcome our new Boone and Crockett Club President, Tony Caligiuri. Be sure to read his column if you haven’t already. We’re excited about what 2025 has in store.
This spring, as the snow begins to thaw and you head into the hills in search of antler gold, we hope that you toss this issue of Fair Chase in the truck and bring it with you. Or better yet, pass it along to a friend once you’re done reading. Happy spring and happy reading. n
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FROM THE PRESIDENT
It is often ironic how we progress in our hunting careers. As a small boy in Iowa, I started hunting pheasants and other upland game. Sixty years later, I enjoy watching others hunt and discover their own path to enjoying the outdoors.
I have always loved to hunt. Fortunately, my father instilled a spirit of ethical hunting and conservation in me at an early age. Growing up, we had an abundance of nearby pheasants, and it was usually a cinch to shoot a three-bird limit. Most days, though, my dad would say, “Two’s enough. We need to save some for next time.” I might not have understood it then, but I certainly do now.
The thrill of the hunt is universal, but it’s only one piece of the larger puzzle. My father’s lessons laid the groundwork, and my involvement in local conservation groups deepened my understanding of the vital relationship between hunters and wildlife. Over time, those grassroots efforts evolved into opportunities to volunteer at the national level.
In addition to being a longtime B&C member and serving on the board in several different roles, I’ve been privileged to work with organizations like the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, where I served as both a board member and chairman, and the Wild Sheep Foundation, where I’ve held board and officer positions. These experiences have given me a broader perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing wildlife and wild places. Conservation is not just a responsibility; it’s a legacy we must
safeguard for future generations.
As hunters, we are the original conservationists. Our license fees, excise taxes, and direct contributions fund most of the nation’s wildlife management efforts. Yet our role goes beyond financial support. We are stewards of the land, advocates for ethical hunting practices, and ambassadors for the outdoor way of life. It’s a role I take seriously, especially now as president of the Boone and Crockett Club.
You may have noticed that most issues of Fair Chase have a theme. This issue centers on deer, which is fitting as deer hunting is a rite of passage and tradition for almost all North American hunters.
Like many of you reading this, my big game hunting journey started with deer, but not the path that someone from the whitetail-rich Midwest might normally take. Deer were rare when I was growing up in Iowa, even seeing a doe was a major event. Today, we have one of the best whitetail deer herds in the nation in terms of both quality and quantity. Still, as a teenager, fueled by stories from Field and Stream and
Tony Caligiuri PRESIDENT
Outdoor Life, I had a much greater interest in mule deer than whitetails. Yet they were a far-off dream at best, and a Western hunt was certainly not a reality for my limited financial means.
Some days after school, I would often sit with my grandfather, who had spent some time in Kansas at the turn of the last century. He loved to talk about the bigeared, bounding mule deer he saw. He knew how much I wanted to hunt them. When he died, he left me a small gift of money to cover the expenses of a budget-minded trip west. With a Greyhound bus ticket to Albuquerque and a $20 sleeping bag, I ventured out on my first (real) big game hunt—a self-guided mule deer foray into New Mexico’s Carson National Forest. Though I did not even see a single buck on that hunt and nearly froze to death, it fueled an even greater desire to explore far-off places. Since that hunt many years ago, I have been blessed to have gone on over 100 different hunts in search of most of North America’s big game species.
As hunters, we are the original conservationists. Our license fees, excise taxes, and direct contributions fund most of the nation’s wildlife management efforts. Yet our role goes beyond financial support. We are stewards of the land, advocates for ethical hunting practices, and ambassadors for the outdoor way of life. It’s a role I take seriously, especially now as president of the Boone and Crockett Club.
This issue contains a story by Allen Bolen about a hunt for a Sitka blacktail that took first place in the 31st awards program. Allen’s name may be familiar to many of you as he is one of the most accomplished bowhunters, with multiple entries in the B&C records. Though our paths had probably crossed, I had never met Allen in person. Yet last fall, at a small restaurant in Dawson City, Yukon, I found myself across the table from another hunter who looked somewhat familiar. At about the same moment, we both realized we had a common connection through a couple of Stone’s rams that had won awards in the Club’s 30th and 31st Big Game Awards. Soon, Allen and I were talking like lifelong friends. We both took great mountain caribou on that Yukon hunt, but in typical Allen Bolen fashion, he did it the hard way with his bow.
This issue also features other deer hunting stories, along with articles on current management and wildlife health issues that deer continue to face. Still, we are making progress, so don’t despair quite yet. From those early days in the Iowa woods to the far reaches of the United States, Mexico, and Canada, hunting has always been about more than the quarry. It’s about the journey, the lessons learned, and the legacy we leave behind. For me, that legacy is one of respect—for the animals, the land, and the people who share this remarkable tradition. As I embark on this new chapter as president of the Boone and Crockett Club, I am humbled and grateful to be part of a community that values those principles as much as I do. n
asks that you please thank our Trailblazers with your patronage.
Whitetail deer are one of this country’s greatest conservation success stories. However, our conservation and wildlife management institutions are not built to address the current hyper-abundance in many parts of the country.
For much of the last century—and still with mule and blacktail deer in much of their range— demand for whitetail harvest opportunities has been far greater than what wildlife populations can sustain. Now, whitetail deer populations in many places have far outrun the demand for tags. Where there are no conscious efforts to harvest aggressively, whitetail populations continue to expand to the point of causing harm to themselves and their habitat.
Issues of abundance are areas ripe for innovation in wildlife management and conservation, as abundant and growing populations of wildlife experience and generate different problems than those populations still in need of recovery. As I noted in last issue’s policy column on processor capacity, work is underway to figure out what to do with all this extra protein. However, we must also
CONSERVATION POLICY COLUMN
Charlie R. Booher
BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB
POLICY CONSULTANT
PROFESSIONAL MEMBER
determine the best ways to manage and mitigate the effects of ever-present diseases. Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), bovine tuberculosis (bTB), and, of course, chronic wasting disease (CWD), all afflict certain populations across the country—some more than others. However, the effects and transmission of each disease depend on the density of the populations in which they occur.
EHD, a viral disease transmitted by a biting midge that lives in muddy soils, seems to produce the most immediate visceral response in the form of numerous deer carcasses. In severe outbreaks of this disease, up to 90 percent of deer in an area can die. Bovine TB, a bacterial infection that appears as lesions in the internal cavities of deer, poses a risk to the dairy industry, requiring this zoonotic disease to be managed through strong mitigation measures to keep it out of milk products. If unmanaged, CWD poses perhaps the greatest long-term threat. This fatal neurodegenerative disease affects members of the deer family, including deer, elk, and moose. It is caused by prions, which are misfolded proteins that induce neurological damage in infected animals. Since its discovery in the 1960s, CWD continues to be detected in new states, Canadian provinces, and even other countries. However, CWD does not cause immediate dieoffs like EHD; CWD slowly kills the infected and is shed into the environment prior to the animal’s death. Despite having known about this disease for some time now, our collective knowledge about its effects and our ability to address new occurrences on the landscape remains incomplete. However, the
best available science indicates that the disease can have detrimental population impacts in both mule and whitetail deer herds that are heavily infected.
One of the most troubling aspects of CWD is the persistence of prions in soil and plants, making eradication unlikely once an area is contaminated. The disease is transmitted through direct transfer of prions between individual cervids and indirectly through environmental exposure. These characteristics complicate efforts to contain outbreaks, placing additional strain on already limited wildlife management resources. While there are no confirmed cases of CWD being transmitted from an infected cervid to a human, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise caution. The Centers, along with the state and Tribal wildlife management agencies charged with monitoring and mitigating the expansion of the disease, recommend testing all harvested animals from CWD-positive areas, and consumption of infected meat is discouraged. Though yet to be demonstrated, public health concerns add urgency to ongoing efforts to address this disease, as do the ecological and economic implications of infections.
Our collective response depends on our ability to adapt to hyper-abundance and our capacity to retool institutions that were constructed to address situations of scarcity.
The Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act, an authorization of a federal funding program the Club championed in 2022, has proven useful for advancing work on this disease. The annual grant program authorized by the bill and facilitated by the USDA-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) continues to provide valuable resources to state wildlife and agriculture agencies, as well as academic institutions to advance and implement disease management and mitigation strategies. This has helped enhance surveillance efforts to detect outbreaks early and promote more and better research to advance our collective understanding of the disease. However, additional resources are needed and the direction of current efforts must be closely monitored. Notably, work to develop faster testing mechanisms, perhaps even one for field deployment, is ongoing and supported through this effort.
The Club is working to ensure that all research projects funded under the program will yield applicable management solutions for both farmed and wild deer. Further, the Club aims to expand the program to enable researchers to conduct multi-year studies, which have proven key to better understanding other prion diseases. Most importantly, the Club and our partners are committed to ensuring this program remains funded at viable levels.
The Club’s Wildlife Health Subcommittee maintains national and international expertise in the field of wildlife disease,
particularly CWD. Through upto-date reports on important disease activity, the subcommittee informs Club members, assists with developing position statements, reviews draft legislation, and addresses other issues of importance to the Club.
For several years, the Club’s Conservation Grants Subcommittee has prioritized applied CWD research and continues to do so through support of the CWD Alliance Applied CWD Research Program. Funding is provided through the Club’s William I. Spencer Grants In Aid, which are leveraged with additional financial support from conservation NGOs, including the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Mule Deer Foundation, and others. Current research priorities include assessing CWD management actions, prion detection, CWD epidemiology, human dimension impacts, and carcass disposal options.
All that said, our management options remain narrowly constrained. In any policy
ecosystem, there are only so many levers to pull and dials to trim. As we learn more about this disease and others, decision-makers on state wildlife boards and commissions continue their work to implement best practices. We know that artificially congregating local populations of deer leads to a greater risk of disease transmission, especially when deer are motivated to put their nose in the same place as the previous deer (e.g., mineral licks and bait piles). Unfortunately, baiting and feeding bans have proven extremely unpopular and are largely unenforceable, especially in parts of the country where these practices are ingrained in local hunting culture.
Further, the best available science suggests that reducing deer densities reduces the transmission of density-dependent diseases. This, like baiting bans, has proven unpopular. Several state wildlife agencies have increased the availability of tags to decrease populations. Where this is true, hunters
can obtain deer tags by the handful, yet very few hunters harvest more than one deer. At this point, there are few policy tools available to motivate additional harvest rather than simply allowing it.
CWD poses a serious threat to North America’s cervid populations and the ecosystems they inhabit. However, while unmanaged CWD is quite possibly the biggest long-term threat to wild deer on this continent, it’s certainly not the only one.
Our collective response depends on our ability to adapt to hyper-abundance and our capacity to retool institutions that were constructed to address situations of scarcity. By promoting science-based solutions, and embracing innovation, the Boone and Crockett Club remains where we have been since our founding: at the forefront, advocating for policies and practices that conserve wildlife resources for future generations.
For us, conservation isn’t about hugging trees or trading in our jerky for granola. It’s about understanding how important our wild places are to the traditions of hunting and fishing, and how critical it is to sustain those traditions by keeping habitats and game populations healthy for the next generations of sportsmen.
See our latest habitat conservation projects at mygrizzly.com.
If you can, just drive to your next hunt. Here’s why.
After a lifetime of terminals, ticket agents, and late (or missed) flights, I love to drive to hunts when I can. With no baggage restrictions, I can take everything I might need. I can take my own saddle or even tow a four-wheeler. Driving is also the best way to bring game home. Pack your gear in empty coolers on the way there—just make enough room to bring everything home when (not if) you’re successful.
Boddington loves horseback hunts, and his idea of a perfect horseback hunt includes taking his own saddle. He does, when he can, but these are the Tien
in eastern Kyrgyzstan. Not a hunt one can drive to, nor take all the gear you’d love to have.
In the Lower 48, we have choices, big country, and an awesome road network. Alaska, Canada, and Mexico are also big, but the roads are not always good. If you head overseas, you’re going to fly. As you get closer to your destination, planes will likely get smaller, reducing the gear you can take. I once took a train from Vancouver to the Chilcotin in central British Columbia. Rules for travel with firearms have changed, but Amtrak accepts firearms in checked baggage, terminal to terminal, with advance notification.
Plane fares have increased frighteningly, but so have fuel, lodging, food, and everything else along the road. Flights to major airports are less expensive than flights to smaller terminals, likely closer to hunting country. Plan ahead and explore your options. I don’t pretend to understand it, but airfares can vary significantly from day to day. A bit of flexibility can make a big difference.
In some ways, flying with firearms is easier than driving. Once you get past check-in,
security issues are somebody else’s worry. Decades ago, there were reports of gun cases “going missing” at certain U.S. airports. Bags, including gun cases, do get misdirected, and there is the occasional incidence of willful damage by antigun baggage smashers. Fortunately, since 9-11, this is rare. Thanks to increased security and accountability, I don’t worry about my guns getting “lost” once properly checked and locked. When you drive, all security and adherence to firearms regulations are on you. For the latter, I won’t attempt to quote the litany of conflicting state and city ordinances. I have a Kansas concealed carry permit, and I know I’m legal in all surrounding states and most of the West. I also know that when I drive to/from our place in California, firearms have to be locked out of reach, and many firearms are not “California compliant.” To the east, Illinois is the closest place that might cause issues. I haven’t
LEFT: On the most remote hunts, planes often get smaller…and space/ weight limits don’t grow. This is Dave Leonard’s Hershey-bar chocolate SuperCub. A wonderful machine, but limited in load capacity.
BELOW: You can’t always get your vehicle to a down animal, but it certainly helps when you can.
driven through there with a firearm since I was a kid. If I need to, I’ll check the rules. The same goes for the big cities and smaller states in the Northeast.
Security when driving is my biggest concern. A friend was driving from the West Coast to a western hunt a few years ago. She stopped overnight, and her truck was cleaned out, including some nice guns. My buddy, Mike, recently called me with a worse horror story. He and some friends were headed from Portland to a hunt in central Montana. His buddies drove; Mike took the train. His friends stopped at a motel and started to unload the truck. While
they were making trips to unload, someone grabbed Mike’s M48 Nosler rifle and a handgun—right under their noses. Stops to rest are essential, but recognize that safety is not assured. Keep firearms out of sight and always lock the car—even for quick pit stops. Never leave firearms in a vehicle parked overnight.
I’m always schlepping guns from California to the kid’s place in Texas and the Kansas farm. To take a quick snooze, I stop in state rest areas that have surveillance cameras. There is safety in numbers. I snuggle in, legal pistol handy, sleep as needed, and press on.
Usually, I drive alone, so my system works for me. It is easier, safer, and more secure for hunting partners to drive as a team. Whatever you do, don’t leave a vehicle with firearms unattended and unlocked, even for a moment. Since
ABOVE: The “Decked” system of sliding bins Boddington installed in his new pickup. Mated with locking tailgate and locking bed cover, he feels this is the most security he’s ever had when driving with firearms.
LEFT:Not quite all of the rifles we piled into Goron Marsh’s big SUV for a Wyoming prairie dog shoot. Doesn’t matter who you are, you can’t get all this gear and ammo on a commercial aircraft.
“smash and grab” is always an option, I also make sure firearms are covered and out of sight.
I got a new Tundra this year, which, like most newer pickups, has a locking tailgate. I put slide-out bins in the bed long enough for soft cases, with a locking bed cover. It is unlikely to deter a determined thief with time and a crowbar, so I still don’t leave the vehicle unattended, but this system offers the most peace of mind I’ve had in years.
I worry about breaking down or getting into an accident, so I carry roadside assistance—AAA and USAA. Last year, I hit my first-ever deer and totaled my Kansas ranch truck, which is why I have a new Tundra. I was lucky and had no long guns, but the incident made me think. Drive with the guns you need, but don’t overdo it. If stuff happens, you must safeguard them while you sort things out.
Besides jurisdictions with Draconian rules, there’s little issue driving within the Lower 48. Driving into Mexico or Canada is different. You must worry about their rules going in and our rules coming out.
With few firearms restrictions in most of the U.S., we tend to get casual. We forget about the extra pistol in the glovebox and loose cartridges rattling around the console. This can lead to disaster. Issues on the Mexican border have been headline news, but I have friends who, through sheer carelessness, have gotten into big trouble on the northern border. Sanitize your vehicle, every nook and cranny. Stray ammo is as bad as an undeclared firearm.
Taking a legal firearm and ammo into Canada is simple. You need a Non-Resident Firearms Declaration (form 5589) from the
Driving into Mexico is not a big issue, but bringing firearms requires paperwork. Mexican outfitters have responded with increasingly good “camp guns.” In 2024, Boddington took this “management” desert mule deer with Andres Santos’ Christensen Arms 6.5 PRC, well-scoped and dialed in. Can’t ask for much more.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), which doubles as a temporary firearms license while in Canada. Print it off the internet, fill it out in advance, and then sign it in the presence of an RCMP officer at the border, with a small fee. You can take most sporting arms into Canada except handguns or semiautomatic rifles. Canada also has a relatively new rule that prohibits extremely powerful cartridges. The intent was to exclude .50 BMG, but the specific rule prohibits a maximum bullet energy of 10,000 joules. This translates to 7365 foot-pounds, excluding the .460 Weatherby Magnum and a few other big cartridges.
Mexico is different. Years ago, we used to get hunting licenses and gun permits and drive into northern Baja for some of the world’s best quail hunting. Those days are over. Under Mexico’s current system of UMAs (privatized hunting units), there is no “DIY” hunting. Hunting licenses can only be obtained from owners of UMAs or outfitters.
Competent Mexican outfitters will assist with temporary gun permits. I’ve done it many times. Ensure your gun permit is correct and there is no extra ammo. With a permit in hand, clearance is nerve-wracking, but only because my Spanish is terrible. I’ve driven into Tamaulipas, Coahuila, Chihuahua, and Sonora. If flying, Hermosillo and Loreto are wonderful; they see lots of gun-toting gringos.
The biggest fly in the ointment is the sheer size of Mexico, and destinations in the interior see
Like most American hunters, we drive to our “Dos Fuegos” deer camp in Lampasas County, Texas. That means we can take whatever we want, usually towing or trailering Jeeps and four-wheelers.
few tourists with firearms. Changing planes in Mexico City is common, where you must report to the police kiosk and clear firearms for onward flights. Again, I’ve never had a problem, but it’s a tedious, time-consuming process.
Recognizing this, reputable Mexican outfitters have suitable firearms available. I’ve taken rifles and shotguns to Yucatan through Mexico City. At short jungle ranges, it’s not worth it; camp shotguns are fine. Before Covid, I hunted in Zacatecas for Central Plateau whitetail. Outfitter Armando Klein (Sierra Madre Hunting) offered me a Blaser R8 6.5 Creedmoor. In early
2024, while hunting deer in Sonora, Andres Santos (Buelna Outfitters) offered me a Christensen 6.5 PRC. Both are pretty fancy camp guns, well-scoped and dialed-in. That’s Mexico today.
Whether you fly or drive, if you take a firearm to Canada or Mexico, there’s one more wicket to pass. You must get your firearm home through U.S. Customs. No different than hunting in the farthest corner of the world, you need U.S. Customs Form 4457, an innocuous piece of paper proving the firearm was in your possession when you left the U.S. Don’t overlook this detail! n
Favored for decades, the lever-action rifle yielded to the turn-bolt. Is it hurtling down a perilous path?
My first deer tumbled to a lucky shot, still sharp in memory. I don’t get lucky often.
Michigan woodlots had yet to put a deer in my sights. The last morning of the 1966 season held no better prospects. But in a sunny patch of poplars, I heard hoof ticks in the leaves. They were coming my way! Nut-brown slivers winked between the pale boles. I swung as
WAYNE C. VAN ZWOLL
B&C PROFESSIONAL MEMBER
PHOTOS COURTESY OF AUTHOR
The .303 Savage matched the .30-30 ballistically in 1895, their debut year. The .300 Savage upstaged it in Savage’s Model 99 in 1920.
Winchester lever actions evolved from the 1860 Henry. Deer hunters (East and West) adored the Model 1873 in .44-40. Marlin’s first lever rifle of note appeared in 1882. Its Model 1889, like the John Browning-designed Winchester 1886, added power, reliability. The 1893 Marlin by Lewis Hepburn, first priced at $13.35, came in .32-40-165 and .38-55-255, as did the Winchester 1894. In 1895 the smokeless .30 W.C.F. (.30-30) joined them, and Savage unveiled a hammerless lever rifle for its similar .303.
The ‘95 Savage had a durable coil mainspring. Instead of screws at the tang, a through bolt held buttstock to receiver. The Savage receiver shielded its spool magazine from blows that could dent under-barrel tubes, and rifle balance was unaffected by the cartridge count therein. The spool also permitted safe use of pointed bullets, soon to bless bolt-action rifles.
Early efforts by Winchester and Remington to develop useful
bolt actions had failed. In 1873 the U.S. Army’s first cartridge rifle was the “Trapdoor” Springfield, essentially an 1865 muzzleloader with a new breech and lock by Springfield Armory mechanic Erskine S. Allen. Winchester’s 1873 and 1876 lever-action repeaters would impress William Cody and Theodore Roosevelt, while soldiers in the frontier West were issued Trapdoor single-shots! In Europe in 1872, Prussia adopted an 11mm (43-caliber) turnbolt rifle designed by Paul Mauser and his brother Wilhelm the previous year. The Mausers then partnered with a Stuttgart bank to buy the Wuerttemberg Royal Armory, which in 1874 became Mauser Bros. and Co.
Wilhelm died young in 1882. Sensing the future of infantry rifles lay in repeaters, Paul designed a nine-shot tube for the 1871’s forestock. The reliable, if crude, 71/84 resulted. In 1889, Fabrique Nationale d’Armes de Guerre (FN) emerged in Liege to build Mauser
Ruger now builds Marlin’s 1895 rifle in .45-70. It competed ably with Winchester’s top-ejecting 1886.
Swedish Mausers in 6.5x55 were ahead of their time. For deer hunting, the aperture sight here excels.
rifles for Belgium’s government. The Model 1889 for smokeless loads led to the 1892, whose non-rotating extractor controlled cartridge feed. Its stout claw yanked sticky hulls from dirty chambers and cleared the breech if shooters short-cycled. A year later, the 1892 got a fixed, flush magazine. As the 7.65x53 “Spanish” Mauser, it served armies worldwide.
Mid-decade tweaks yielded the 1898 Mauser, which cocked on opening. After Germany’s Army adopted it, the ’98 was exported to many countries and built in many more. Great Britain, France, Russia, and the U.S. designed their own battle rifles, but in the Mauser’s wake, they were all bolt-actions. Generations of hunters would thus grow up in the long shadow of the turnbolt.
In 1892, the U.S. Army adopted its first smokeless, repeating bolt rifle, the Krag-Jorgensen in .30-40 Krag. The 1903 Springfield
The 1903 Springfield in .30-06 offered deer hunters an accurate bolt rifle of great power and reach.
followed, in .30-06. Soon thereafter, the German Army traded its 226-grain 7.9mm round-nose bullet at 2,090 fps (a load later designated “J” or “I” for infantry) for a 154-grain 8mm spitzer (“S”) at 2,880 fps. The U.S. promptly swapped its 220-grain 30-caliber round-nose at 2,300 fps for a 150-grain pointed bullet at 2,700.
Krags and Springfields soon invaded deer country—only to find the lever-action .30-30 firmly in place as “America’s deer rifle.” A bolt-action .30-06 was heavy, had needless power, and kicked hard. However, as scopes became more reliable and available, hunters paid gunsmiths to attach them to bolt rifles—military, then sporting. Remington’s Model 30 appeared in 1920, the 30 Express in ’26. New York’s Griffin & Howe mounted a 2 -3/4x Hensoldt on Grancel Fitz’s Model 30 as he embarked on a quest to take specimens of all North American big game. In 1928, Savage
chambered its new Model 40 and 45 Super Sporter in .30-06. Winchester’s 54, announced in 1925 with the debut of the .270, begat the Model 70 in ’37 for several flat-shooting cartridges. Remington’s affordable 721/722 bolt rifle followed in 1949, Savage’s Model 110 a decade later. Meanwhile, A.F. Stoeger of New York acted as Mauser’s U.S. agent. By Depression’s end, it was peddling 20 versions of the ’98 in four action lengths.
Not all bolt rifles in the golden decade of mule deer hunting following WW II wore scopes. Ross O’Neil installed a receiver sight on his trimmed 1903 Springfield. During the 1947 season in Utah’s Big Red Creek drainage, that rifle felled a buck with 30 inches of beam spread and an outside measure of 40!
Rifles and cartridges evolve together—rifles to accept new loads, cartridges to make the most of new rifles. After the Great War, stateside deer hunters had myriad
lever-action cartridge options: the .30-30 and its ballistic brethren, the .32 Special and .303 Savage, then Savage’s friskier .250 and .300. In bolt rifles, Europe’s .303 British, 6.5x55, 7x57 and 8x57 joined the .30-40 Krag and .30-06.
Still, far into the 20th century, less capable loads took many deer. One writer opined that the .25-20 Winchester, introduced with smokeless powders for short-action lever rifles, “probably wounded more deer than it has killed.” But at least once, its anemic 86-grain bullet at 1,460 fps outdid itself.
That November dawn in 1914, young Jim Jordan hiked the Soo Line out of Danbury, Wisconsin. Later, tracks in the snow led him back to the rails, where an approaching train flushed several deer. Three shots failed to drop the buck. Trailing it, Jordan killed it with his last .25-20 bullet. Mysteriously, its great antlers vanished for decades. Scored by the Boone and
The “Broder Buck” is the current World’s Record non-typical mule deer. It was taken in 1926 by Edmund Broder and scores 355-2/8 points.
Unlike Winchester’s Model 94, the side-ejecting Marlin 336, introduced in 1948 in .30-30, .32 Special and .35 Remington, welcomed scopes. But many hunters, as here, fitted the 336 with an aperture sight.
Crockett Club in 1966, that rack would top the list of typical whitetails until 1993. Two months before Jim Jordan was listed as the hunter in 1978, he died.
Edmund Broder’s buck of 1926 fell to the more powerful .32 Special. With a couple of pals, he’d motored 100 miles from Edmonton to Chip Lake, Alberta, in a 1914 Model T and a ’24 McLaughlin. At a saw camp, they hired a team and a sleigh, reaching camp in a foot of snow. Broder took a deer track into the forest, coming upon the animal at dusk and claiming it with one shot. After Ed died in 1968, siblings squabbled over the antlers. Scored by B&C in 1995, they’re still the best of any mule deer on record.
In 1953, Winchester presented its two-millionth Model 94 to President Eisenhower. Marlin bored its Model 336 to .35 Remington; Savage chambered its 99 for the new, potent .308. The lever-action was still America’s deer rifle!
But like the advent of smokeless powder in the 1890s and the Depression-era rise of the .270 in bolt-action sporters, the mid-‘50s marked a shift in deer rifle sales. The .308, developed by the U.S. Army, was adopted by our armed forces in 1954. But Winchester snatched it up as a sporting cartridge in 1952 and promptly offered it in the new Model 70 Featherweight rifle. Ballistically, the .308 almost matched the .30-06, but it fit short actions. It sold well in lever rifles: Savage’s 99, Winchester’s hammerless 88 (1955), and Sako’s Finnwolf (1962).
Still, the .308 and its .243 progeny owe their great longevity to bolt actions. By the early 1950s, Leupold had developed a fog-free scope, and turnbolts were routinely drilled and tapped at the factory for scope mounts. Remington 721s and 722s were less expensive than popular lever-actions, a price gap that would grow. Lever-rifle
production begged more hand-work than did bolt-action manufacture. Computer-controlled machining and hands-free bedding of onepiece stocks would trim turnbolt costs, while bumps in the price of skilled labor burdened makers of traditional lever rifles.
The arrival of short belted magnums in the 1950s and early ‘60s hiked sales of bolt-actions. Most of these cartridges appealed to hunters with bigger game than deer in mind. The first—Winchester’s .458 and .338—stopped dangerous beasts. The 7mm Remington and .300 Winchester Magnums caught the eye of deer/elk hunters in the West, per Weatherby’s .270 and 7mm of the 1940s. Only Winchester’s .264 was advertised as a deer cartridge, but it offered little that Winchester’s 34-year-old .270 didn’t.
During the Vietnam era, bolt-action buffs got other new cartridges, too. Remington announced its .280 in 1957, later renamed its ailing .244 the 6mm, then adopted the .25-06, a popular wildcat since the 1920s. Winchester announced its .284, a cartridge that also served Winchester’s 88 and Savage’s 99 lever rifles. The
7mm-08 Remington appeared in 1980. The subsequent .260 Remington was almost identical to the .260 Redding’s Richard Beebe had cooked up for me years before.
Century’s end brought tides of full-length, then short-action magnums. Based mainly on the .404 Jeffery of 1910, they crowded a field once defined by belted magnums. Remington’s stubby 6.5mm and .350 belted magnums of the ‘60s had faded, to the dismay of deer hunters who found their bizarre Models 600 and 660 bolt rifles handy, affordable, and accurate. Many frothier cartridges aired from 1987 to 2007 are now on life support.
In 2009, the 6.5 Creedmoor changed the deer rifle as markedly as had smokeless powder, the fast-stepping .270 in bolt-actions, and the flood of post-war magnums. Named after New York’s famous long-range shooting venue, the 6.5 Cm was the brainchild of Hornady ballistician Dave Emary and competitive marksman Dennis DeMille, who craved a 1,000-yard cartridge with light recoil. Emary necked Hornady’s .30 T/C hull to .264 and set its shoulder back. Result: a short-action cartridge that accepts Pinnochio-nose match bullets and
whose 129-grain spitzers clock 2,950 fps, within 100 fps of 130s from the .270. At long range, the 6.5 Cm trumps the .270. Todd Seyfert of Magnum Research introduced me to this champ with a super-accurate Remington 700. It had a GreyBull stock, a GreyBull/Leupold 4.5-14x scope. Its carbon-fiber barrel with Krieger core helped me take the first elk claimed by the 6.5 Cm.
I’ve since used the Creedmoor to take several deer. Once, at a trailhead in the pre-dawn darkness, I found to my chagrin I’d pocketed the wrong ammo for my lever-action carbine. Shaking his head, my pal pulled a spare Savage in 6.5 Cm from behind the pickup seat. Its left-side bolt was no handicap when my first shot with that rifle downed a fine buck.
LEFT TO RIGHT: The 1894 and 1896 Swedish Mausers fired the versatile 6.5x55. The .260 Remington on the .308 case matched it ballistically in 2001. The 6.5 Creedmoor permitted use of long bullets in 2009.
Predictably, the Creedmoor has inspired peppier options. Not all are as versatile. Some bullets for Hornady’s 6.5, 7mm, and .300 PRC and Winchester’s 6.8 Western are long enough to demand faster-than-standard rifling twist. The 6.5 PRC and 6.8 Western are ballistic heroes for clobbering deer beyond 400 yards, but having stretched .270-class loads that far, I see no need for faster, meaner bullets. What justifies a first shot when a buck is so distant that a follow-up shot or recovery is in doubt?
Besides, close shots are memorable. I hunted deer in Oregon’s Wallowa Mountains for decades, mostly with a Winchester 70 under a 3x or 4x scope. From a ridgeline, I often spied deer far off. But shots could be close. Once, in weather-stunted pines on a tall rim, I turned to check behind. Sunlight glinted on an eye. A .270 bullet took that buck at 12 yards.
Another time, struggling up a steep face, I heard a twig snap in brush short yards ahead. Five deer burst from the thicket and nearly ran me over in their dash to forest below. The thicket, hard against
dead-end rock, was surely empty now. But on the off chance…. A scramble around a boulder brought me nose-to-nose with a big buck. He had stayed still, betting I’d follow his mates. He fell to my .30-06.
“Whatcha got there?” It was a bolt-action, but not like most I’d used. Its carbon-fiber stock was lighter than walnut, its metal sheathed in eye-catching Cerakote. At cheek, though, that rifle lost some of its shine. Its grip put my trigger hand too far forward and was too steep to let it slide back. The forend was angular in cross-section. Instead of swivel studs for a shooting sling, the stock had snap-in recesses for a side-mounted strap. A bipod added 14 ounces, a suppressor six inches. The rifle was too long to point fast, but its .300 Weatherby loads were throttled by the 22-inch barrel. While the 30mm scope was optically superior to my old Lymans, it also sat higher and weighed three times as much.
The bolt slid smoothly; the striker fell cleanly to a light tug. “Slick action, great trigger,” I smiled.
That .300 has downed many deer, some with big antlers, some
at long range. A rifle for our time. Meanwhile, lever rifles have enjoyed a revival. Deer hunters line up to snare Ruger’s handsome renditions of Marlin Models 336 and 1895. Winchester’s Mirokubuilt “Classic” lever guns sell out. Doug Turnbull’s company is busy gussying up lever-actions, vintage and current.
Part of the appeal of traditional lever actions is surely their slender waists, easy to wrap in your palm for one-hand carry and wand-like handling. Recently, I taped the circumference of seven lever rifles, old and new, from Winchester, Marlin, and Henry, in chamberings from .30-30 to .45-70. They averaged 5.6 inches at the balance point. Seven bolt rifles, by Blaser, Mauser, Remington, Ruger, and Winchester, .308 to .458, averaged 7.2 inches. Taped around the action and a 1-inch scope in low rings, four of those bolt guns averaged 9.8 inches—without protruding magazines!
Sweet on both lever actions and “classic” turnbolts, I like rifles that are easy to cradle and quick to point, rifles with fixed magazines, and slim, carnivorous profiles. Stocks that feel right have
open grips, slim forends, and straight combs that align my eye naturally with metallic sights or low, slender scopes.
Among the most enchanting deer rifles in my memory was a borrowed Savage 1899. Still-hunting whitetails on a gray day, I earned an offhand shot with the aperture sight at a buck quartering off. The .25-35 bullet “flew to the bead” but didn’t reach the far shoulder. The animal ran. Sparse blood sign on patchy snow led me into a swamp, where I spied a tail fringe in timber. Two more careful shots downed the deer.
On another hunt, cold wind had almost driven me from deep snow at timberline when a last look with my 7x35 B&L revealed an antler. My approach failed on an icy pitch. Retreating, I spied the animal quartering off. A fast offhand shot landed well, but the deer lunged through deep snow down into forest, where I killed it. My Remington 700 with its 4x Redfield differed in many ways from the old Savage, but it pointed as fast, and the heavy .35 Whelen bullet threaded the 300-pound buck midrib to nape.
Whatever your deer rifle, pre-season handling and firing from field positions make it more effective!
While my tastes have grown expensive over time, I’ve come to appreciate a broad range of deer rifles and cartridges—most of which weren’t around when a whitetail tumbled to my SMLE. Days ago at this writing, I was cradling a borrowed Benelli rifle of futuristic profile and features unimagined in 1966. But it cheeked fast when a whitetail buck jetted from a brushy swale. The bullet, from a cartridge new as driverless automobiles, struck as he paused 80 yards off.
America’s deer rifles have changed more than my hunting habit: poking through promising cover, new perspectives at each step, knowing each could send deer off and humiliate me again. n
We walked side by side that day, talking. I had a shotgun slung over my shoulder, but we had not seen anything to cause me to lift it. Instead, it had been a day of good conversation and exercise. A calm, easy day with a nap beneath the rattling leaves of a yellowing aspen and the feel of September sun on our skin. As the day faded and the chill came down the valley from the mountain, we turned to the truck and looked to the dog. He had been working off to our right, and we were paying little attention until she said, “Where’s Hank?” I called once and then saw him, a full quarter mile away, a solid white buoy on the gray canvas that is the sagebrush sea. He was frozen in point, holding steady, a classic setter pose. I looked at her and grinned. “Excuse me for a minute.”
I ran toward Hank, and he stood. He held, and I made time, shotgun now in my hands, a handful of shells bouncing in my game vest as I vaulted over sagebrush. Closer, I slowed, caught my breath, and walked in. The dog did not move. It was beautiful. I swallowed. Then a big male sage grouse, as big as all outdoors, launched into the air. I swung on him, pulled the trigger, and piled him. The earth seemed to wince when he hit, and the big male setter, old Hank, was on him and bringing him back. That was almost a decade ago. I buried the dog a couple years after that. I’ve got lots of pictures of that dog. I’ve even got his collar in a special place in my living room. But those pictures, and even that collar, don’t bring back the memories as strongly, as fully, as the big bomber sage grouse that sits on my gun safe. For some reason, I had that particular bird mounted by a good taxidermist. Perhaps it was because the bird was a big old lunker and probably as tough as boot leather to eat. The dog had many more spectacular points and retrieves in his brief but brilliant career. But whatever the reason, I had that particular bird mounted and, also without plan, that is the last sage grouse I ever shot. I’ve given myself a hopefully temporary moratorium on shooting sage chickens because they are scarcer than they used to
be and because I haven’t really felt like shooting something that is having such a tough go of it in modern-day Wyoming. And so that sage grouse sits there on my gun cabinet, and when I look at him, I’m back in Wyoming and back on that sagebrush steppe with a shotgun in my hand, a pretty girl at my side, and one hell of a bird dog before us.
I have other animals and birds mounted in my house, and they, too, bring me to special places, places where time comes back as clearly as good gin melts ice in a highball glass. I have photographs of other times, but nothing brings the waves of recollection up as sharply as the animal itself.
The ethics of sportsmanship is not a fixed code, but must be formulated and practiced by the individual, with no referee but the Almighty.
–Aldo Leopold
There’s a Coues’ whitetail deer, a nice little buck that I shot in college not far from the Mexico border in Arizona. I remember how he burst from a stand of oak and sprinted across a canyon, flying his white tail, and I remember how I snapped my .270 to my shoulder offhand. I squeezed as soon as I found the crosshairs on his neck, and he lay there in the December grass between the spears of giant agave and scattered acorn shells. I remember how I felt sad and happy all at the same time. I shot a bigger one a few years later, but I didn’t even bother to mount him for some reason, though his antlers are as close to the “book” as I’ll ever get for that species. But the mounted buck takes me to 1984 and college. That winter, I drove my LUV truck up into a remote canyon where a pounding, week-long rain made a
dry creek bed roar with a good stream, and there I met my buddies, one of whom had driven a Triumph Spitfire up that rough road, fording the creek over the door frames in a car that belonged on an English motorway and not an Arizona backroad. We were deer hunting and common sense was something yet in the future. Sometimes far in the future. You do strange things in college, and if you’re lucky, those memories will stick with you.
There’s a sheep that came very close to full curl. I shot him on the Trident at last light and then spent the night out in the rain under a big old spruce—the only green tree in a sea of fire-charred timber on the edge of Yellowstone’s east boundary. I curled up in wet saddle blankets and ate from a tin of smoked oysters I had kept in my saddle bag for years for just such an evening.
There’s a moose, a bull with a cattle-catcher rack of antlers, and when I look at him, I’m in the Absarokas, and I am hearing him snore as I slip through dark timber. I see him there, head resting on the spruce needle carpet, sound asleep. I take a knee and then I have a whole bunch of work to do.
The men I hunt with are of the same cloth as I. None have taken a game animal for its size alone.
Some of those mounts have gone on the wall; a friend has a tremendous bull elk that he mounted European style, and I know it takes him back there to a rainy day in September. Another friend has a tremendous bull he took in a blowdown jungle while the bull was mid-bugle. There is frost on my friend’s hunting mountain now, and his elk days are winding down, but that memory hangs above his head every evening when he sits down to watch the evening news. He mounted a fair antelope buck that he shot not long ago after a tremendous stalk and a patient, hour-long wait for just the right shot.
I have never suffered the fools gladly. These are the men who shoot trophies for the collection alone. They stuff their game rooms full of heads just to carve a notch in some ego tally book, and they brag in numbers: That bull went 389. That buck scored 250. If it hadn’t been for that kicker, he would have gone 270. My memories are not numerals. I avoid these people because they hunt a different planet.
But if I walk into a person’s house and see a beautiful mount in a place of honor, I ask: “Tell me the story of that bull.”
It is those stories and those memories that draw my interest. The trophy itself is deeply personal. As it should be. n
B&C PROFESSIONAL MEMBER
Over the last 25 years, a common assertion you often hear is that mule deer populations are in decline. But is this true?
This question is frequently posed to us at the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF), and it represents a significant issue that our leadership actively addresses. So, what’s the reality? The answer is nuanced. In short, it depends.
The status of mule deer populations across their range cannot be distilled into a singular response. Some states report declines in specific mule deer populations, while others indicate stability or even increases in their numbers. Location matters, but so is the response to areas experiencing population declines. MDF addresses these declines through partnerships, prioritizing actions in needed areas, increasing funding for habitat projects, and focusing on actions that have proven effective and beneficial to deer. Focusing on projects that benefit deer habitat, MDF is turning treated acres into deer.
The 2024 Rangewide Status of Black-tailed and Mule Deer report from the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) indicates that several states are witnessing declines while others are stable or increasing. However, interpreting this information as an overall stable population status is misleading. Wildlife conservation is complex, and simplistic scorecards fail to capture the local dynamics influencing herd populations. Therefore, it is imperative to remain actively engaged in maintaining and enhancing sustainable, huntable mule deer populations across all states.
The health of mule deer herds is influenced by various local factors, including habitat conditions, habitat availability and abundance, predation rates, drought, disease, development, and others. It’s not uncommon for adjacent herds to experience significant variations in population dynamics. Among these factors, the condition and availability of habitat are of utmost concern to MDF, and focusing on habitat is where we can
effect positive change through targeted actions and have more deer on the landscape.
One factor that no one can predict and has a considerable influence on deer populations is weather, particularly winter conditions and prolonged drought. The winter of 2023-2024 drew attention to the severe impacts of harsh weather on mule deer populations in southwestern Wyoming, southeastern Idaho, and northeastern Utah, where thousands of animals perished. These regions account for a substantial portion of each state’s overall mule deer population, but attributing the same level of loss to the entire state would be inaccurate. Similarly, eastern Montana has battled extreme prolonged drought in recent years and populations have been negatively influenced. However, deeming Montana’s mule deer population as declining based solely on this factor would oversimplify the issue. Such complexities exist in every state, where local populations have experienced significant losses, recent increases, or relative stability over decades.
MDF collaborates with partners like state wildlife agencies, federal land management agencies, private landowners, and other stakeholders to tackle local and regional population challenges. Our main focus is habitat management, as we operate without land ownership and rely on partnerships to be effective. Our approach relies on identifying, assessing, and prioritizing opportunities for action, as well as evaluating funding availability, and prioritizing limited resources, allocating them to local mule deer populations that need them the most.
Our targeted efforts use a place-based strategy called the Priority Herds & Landscapes Initiative (PHL). PHL synthesizes scientific data and anecdotal evidence—including areas prioritized by hunters and MDF members, funding opportunities, and the effects of recent habitat-altering events—to guide our actions. We categorize this information down to 5th Level Hydraulic Unit Code, commonly referred to as watersheds (40,000 to 250,000 acres), ranking them from high (most needing help) to low. When opportunities or funding arise, we can quickly coordinate with partners to implement projects that address identified needs by selecting high or medium watersheds and drilling down into the data to determine which activity could have the most beneficial impact and provide the highest likelihood of the habitat to produce more deer after project completion.
Historically, MDF has concentrated on public land managed by agencies, specifically the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM). With a recent influx of federal funding to address wildfire and land management issues through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation
Pictured here, volunteers rebuild fences to wildlife-friendly standards. Fencing can be a barrier to movement, impede migrations, and cause injury or death to deer and other big game. Retrofitting fences is an extremely beneficial activity, particularly in migration corridors.
Reduction Act, we have intensified our efforts. By partnering with the USFS and BLM, MDF has developed agreements to fund projects that restore, enhance, and protect habitat across tens of thousands of acres in grasslands, rangelands, and forests. Utilizing our PHL model, we have directed resources to areas where mule deer habitat needs align with federal agency priorities and where deer can benefit the most. In 2024, with these enhanced efforts, we positively impacted an additional 70,000 acres of priority mule deer habitat.
Recently, MDF also began a Private Lands Initiative in the Great Plains, working directly with landowners to improve habitat conditions, enhance animal migration corridors, and increase water availability. These improvements benefit mule deer and support the interests of private landowners in livestock management while enabling us to access Farm Bill conservation funding. By broadening our focus to include private lands, the MDF can effectively address habitat and population needs across various land ownerships. We plan to extend our work into Tribal lands soon.
In 2018, during the MDF-sponsored Western Hunting and Conservation Expo, the Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke signed Secretarial Order 3362 (SO3362), which aims to enhance winter ranges and migration corridors for mule deer, pronghorn, and elk in 11 western states. SO3362 allowed MDF to collaborate with federal and state agencies to prioritize projects in winter ranges and migration corridors identified by state agency wildlife departments. MDF secured funding to implement the order through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and increased our capacity, enabling us to assist partners in several western states in project implementation. Guided by the priorities outlined in SO3362 state action plans, MDF has secured over $5 million to restore habitat in winter range and migration corridors by enhancing vegetation, removing obstacles, and improving migratory success. To date, we have restored and enhanced thousands of acres of critical habitat and assisted in funding numerous highway crossing structures.
Winter ranges are vital for mule deer in many states and have been severely impacted by
catastrophic wildfires in recent years. MDF has led efforts to plant over 1.5 million shrubs—primarily sagebrush—across key winter habitats used by mule deer, elk, pronghorn, and sage grouse. The restoration work we’ve initiated accelerates habitat recovery in regions where natural rehabilitation could take decades. Additionally, we focus on protecting intact winter ranges by targeting invasive grasses through selective herbicides that do not harm native plant species, thereby reducing the risk of fire and enabling the re-establishment of native flora.
In Idaho’s portion of the Great Basin, in partnership with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and BLM, MDF has successfully restored over 50,000 acres of burned winter range and treated over 30,000 acres affected by invasive grasses. By utilizing PHL and collaborating with federal and state agencies, private landowners, and
Large, catastrophic wildfires—like the one shown here in western Colorado—impact hundreds of thousands of acres of deer habitat every year. Proactively preventing large-scale wildfires and implementing swift post-fire restoration efforts to rehabilitate critical habitats are core priorities of MDF’s mission.
other stakeholders, we are concentrating our efforts on regions that will yield significant improvements in mule deer habitat. This will ensure sustainability for current populations and foster growth in those in decline.
Northern California and parts of Oregon have also been ravaged by wildfires in beetle-killed
Increasing the availability of water in the dry season can help sustain local deer populations. Shown below, MDF volunteers rebuild a water distribution system in Arizona.
timber, particularly in forested areas that provide essential summer and transitional ranges for mule deer. MDF has responded with numerous projects focused on the accelerated restoration of key deer habitats. MDF works closely with the USFS and private timber owners to restore these affected lands and prevent future destructive fires. This includes pre-commercial and commercial treatments to improve forest health, enhance forage availability, and promote quicker growth of remaining trees by reducing density. In burned areas, we also work on reforestation by clearing debris to prepare lands to facilitate new tree and shrub plantings. Additionally, we employ mastication to mitigate fire threats from flammable shrubs, recycle invasive tree species, and contribute nutrients back into the ecosystem. This can improve migration success by easing movements and creating travel corridors.
MDF also enhances habitats in aspen and mountain shrub communities and expands water sources through projects that establish guzzlers, ponds, wells, and pipelines where they are most needed. Enhancing riparian and mesic areas to boost water retention improves overall water quality and availability while accompanying fencing and grazing adjustments work to increase habitat capacity.
Since 2020, MDF has completed or significantly funded over 650 projects, resulting in approximately one million acres of total conservation benefit to mule deer, blacktailed deer, and other wildlife. Conservatively, if our efforts have a 1–2 percent net beneficial impact in sustaining or increasing local deer populations, our efforts have contributed to 10,000–20,000 deer. This conversion factor shows how MDF turns acres of habitat and miles of fencing into numbers of deer on the landscape and shows
Active forest management benefits deer and provides local jobs and wood. Thinning and clearing forests allows sunlight to reach the forest floor, which increases habitat function and deer forage. By piling and burning slash or making it available for biomass, fuel loads are reduced and the chance of a stand-replacing fire is reduced.
why habitat projects matter and why MDF focuses on such actions. On a policy level, MDF actively champions federal and state initiatives that significantly impact mule deer and other big-game species, particularly those that fund habitat projects and allow for effective use of available dollars. We advocate for policies that enhance migration corridors, winter ranges, funding opportunities, and streamlining restoration activities on public lands. We led efforts to secure a categorical exclusion for mule deer and sage-grouse habitats under the 2018 Farm Bill. Conversely, we confront policy challenges that threaten mule deer hunting. In 2024, Colorado’s Proposition 127 aimed to ban hunting for various cats, which could lead to future restrictions on big-game hunting. However, through collaboration with sportsman coalitions, we successfully defeated this proposition. We anticipate ongoing threats from state-level initiatives and will remain vigilant in representing sportsmen’s interests in safeguarding mule deer and wildlife management.
Overall, the status of mule deer across their range is highly variable and subject to continual fluctuations based on several influencing factors. In our mission to enhance habitats to support current and growing populations, MDF employs a strategic and proven approach based on science, partnerships, and prioritizing efforts that foster the sustainability of local herds and help grow more deer by increasing the number of deer that habitat can support. MDF also remains focused on fulfilling its mission—to ensure the conservation of mule deer, black-tailed deer, and their habitats—by turning acres of habitat projects into deer on the landscape. n
Founders’ Circle members are among the Boone and Crockett Club’s most committed and loyal donors who invest in our mission with gifts of $500,000 or more.
Our work simply would not be possible without their support. We are so proud of these members and their families who have helped us with our mission to conserve wild places and the wildlife that calls it home and to protect our hunting heritage.
With your gift of $500,000 or more (payable with 20% down and the balance payable over a maximum of 4 years) you can join this elite group of dedicated members. You will also join the ranks of the Wilderness Warrior Society and be presented with a limited-edition bronze of Theodore Roosevelt on horseback by Bob Scriver, a custom blazer, and an exclusive event at our annual meeting each year to recognize and honor your generosity.
The three inaugural members of the Founders’ Circle, pictured above, each made a $1 million pledge to the Boone and Crockett Club in 2023.
If you would like more information about joining the Founders’ Circle, please contact Terrell McCombs at 210-818-8363
PJ DELHOMME
Before the Huff Buck’s score is official, Boone and Crockett Club procedures require that an Awards Program Judges Panel verify the final score of a potential top 10 All-time record. Awards Program Judges Panels are assembled once every three years, with the next Judges Panel in April 2025. At an Awards Program Judges Panel, two teams of two judges each measure the entry, and if the scores of both teams verify the original measurement, the panel will declare the score official.
The Huff Buck will be on display for the 32nd Big Game Awards in Springfield, Missouri, at Johhny Morris’ Wonders Of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium.
SAVE THE DATE!
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI JULY 24-26, 2025
While Dustin Huff sat in his treestand in November 2021, all he hoped to do was kill a deer big enough to beat his record of 134 inches. He’s been hunting the same 185-acre Indiana hog farm since he killed his first squirrel there when he was 10. He’s in his late 20s now and grew up just about a mile down the road. While hunting the farm with his 7-year-old nephew earlier in the 2021 season, Huff killed a doe, and his nephew got a five-pointer.
As a kid, Huff helped vaccinate hogs on the farm and baled hay. When he was 15, he started writing country songs. Three months after graduating high school, he moved to Nashville, where he still wrote songs while working for UPS. After three years, he said goodbye to the big brown delivery truck and started touring full-time, playing in a different state every weekend. Today, Huff is a bonafide singer/songwriter, and he travels back to Nashville from his Indiana home at least once a month for work.
When the last week of October and the first week of November roll around, he takes some time off for hunting. On November 4, 2021, the Indiana woods on the hog farm had been very quiet. As evening settled in, Huff was about to call it a day when he saw movement down in the creek bottom about 70 yards away. A big buck had his nose to the forest floor, and for a second, Huff thought it was a moose. Gaining his senses, he watched as the buck started to come his way.
It stopped at 40 yards. Huff reached for his crossbow, which three years prior he bought used for $300. He made a perfect shot, and the mechanical broadhead did its job. Huff watched the deer stumble and go down. A few months later, in an interview with Michael Waddell, Huff was asked what “history” he had with the buck. Had Huff been watching it grow over the years on his trail cam? Huff replied that his history with the buck was all of about two minutes.
In his mind, Huff thought he’d killed a solid 170-inch deer. Once the landowner saw it, he disagreed and said it might score a high
160—maybe. It took six guys to drag the buck out of the woods to the truck, and Huff snapped photos. Rightfully proud of the deer, Huff sent those photos to some friends. Around 2 a.m., things started to blow up.
That evening, they hung the deer from a basketball goal, and a buddy put a tape to the antlers. When the totals started coming in, the numbers kept getting bigger. One Google search later, and Huff thought he might have a new Indiana state record. That night, he sent a tweet and some photos to fellow country musician Luke Combs. At 2 a.m., presumably after a show, Combs called Huff for the details. Once he hung up, Combs tipped off the writers at The Meateater, who broke the story the next day. The headline read, “Photos: This Buck Might Crush the Indiana State Record.” It crushed the state record, alright. In fact, it is second only to Milo Hansen’s world record. The next day, Huff’s phone and Facebook page lit up.
“After that article, people were calling— from the news, on Facebook—and people wanted me to do podcasts. That went on for about a week,” Huff said. “I just kinda took it in stride, and it was all just crazy.” He was asked to do endorsements and go to deer shows. “I’m like ‘What’s a deer show?’ I didn’t know there was a deer business.” With all the notoriety, Huff’s prayers had
been answered—literally. “In music, I’ve always prayed for a big break. The big break was this deer,” he said. The deer impacted his music career through sheer notoriety and name recognition. He’d hear from folks about how they were turned on to his music after hearing about what is now known as the Huff Buck. He plans to tour with his guitar and the deer, but those antlers next to him will be replicas.
At the beginning of the big buck media storm, some people contacted Huff about buying the antlers, and he initially turned them down. “But then I got to thinking,” he said. His dad needed money for stem cell therapy, which isn’t cheap. So, Huff put a number out there just to see what would happen.
One person who contacted Huff was antler collector Keith Snider, who will be the first person to admit that he might have an obsession with antlers. “My wife would call it an illness,” he said. Snider has been collecting whitetail antlers since he was eight years old. “Folks collect salt shakers, cookie
jars; I’ve never been into that stuff.” Today, his basement in Ohio is wallto-wall whitetail racks. Snider was drawn to this buck for its size, but the story also attracted him.
“He [Huff] is out there just hunting,” explained Snider. “He’s not worried about killing a big deer. He took me back to hunting as a kid when I would go hunting. And if someone killed a doe, everyone would say how lucky they were.” Things are different now, though, said Snider. Thanks to better management, there are more deer, bigger deer. “The best whitetails are in our future.”
Eventually, Snider and Huff struck a deal, and the antlers lived briefly in Ohio with Snider. Does Huff have seller’s remorse? That’s
a quick no. He still has the cape and some pretty good replicas. He’s always wanted some property in Indiana, and he’s been looking around with his girlfriend. And there’s a new guitar, a Gibson J-45, that he’s finally going to pull the trigger on.
At the time, Snider said that if he ever parted with the antlers, he’d want them displayed for the public to see. He has, in fact, since parted with the antlers, selling them to Bass Pro Shops. The Huff Buck now lives among over 150 other monstrous whitetail racks recorded in the Boone and Crockett records and owned by Bass Pro Shops. “Regardless of who owns it, it’s Dustin’s deer,” Snider said. “It will always be his deer.” n
Huff demonstrates the mass on his buck’s left antler. The buck’s B&C entry score is 211-4/8 points, making the second largest whitetail in B&C’s record book*.
The American Sportsman is the most powerful force for conservation in history. Bass Pro Shops® and Cabela’s® is proud to stand alongside our customers in partnership with the Boone and Crockett Club®. Together we are advancing responsible wildlife management, habitat conservation, and ethical fair chase.
Learn more at basspro.com/conservation
Decades ago, early in my bowhunting journey, I read a lot about hunting Sitka blacktail deer. Bowhunters like Chuck Adams and Jack Frost seemed obsessed with these little island deer and wrote amazing stories about their do-ityourself escapades in Alaska. Their articles sparked my need for adventure.
Years ago, I decided the time was right to chase blacktail. I knew I wanted to go selfguided into remote Alaska as Chuck and Jack had done. The ultimate goal, I concluded, would be a Pope & Young Booner—what I call animals that qualify for both record books. Interestingly, even though Sitka deer are a popular animal to bowhunt, there are only a handful of Pope & Young Booners. And of those, Chuck Adams and Jack Frost each have one!
This story was originally printed in the Boone and
2019-2021.
In 2018, my 16-year-old son Jake and I planned a two-week backpack hunt. We were dropped by floatplane into remote southeast Alaska on July 30. The weather started beautifully, and on opening day, Jake arrowed a gorgeous 5x5 non-typical. It was his first animal to qualify for the P&Y record book. I could see Jake’s joy as he stood over his buck and put his hands on those beautiful velvet antlers. He was so proud and so thankful.
“Dad, I’m so grateful for this experience and opportunity you’ve given me. I want to pay you back with a promise that I will stay with you and help you find your big buck, no matter how long it takes,” he said. “I won’t get impatient or want to go home. I’m here with you until we get it done.”
As a father, these were some of the sweetest words I’d ever heard. My 16-year-old understood and was willing to give it his all to help his old man accomplish a dream in the tough backcountry. After arranging a pickup of Jake’s deer meat, we climbed back to the
alpine. Both of us were ready and determined to do whatever it would take to find a giant buck.
Over the next 12 days, Jake and I endured some very tough conditions and explored some beautiful, albeit intimidating, country. Ultimately, we traversed ridges, crossed valleys, camped on five different peaks, endured galeforce storms, and spent countless hours behind glass. We were fortunate to look over 120 different blacktail bucks.
Nearly two weeks into the hunt, I reflected on the awesomeness of the trip as I sat on the edge of a cliff, 80 yards above the biggest buck either of us had ever seen. He was taking a midday rest with a few of his buddies. When he finally stood, I placed a perfect arrow in his vitals. Jake watched him fall as he glassed from a lookout above me. That 2018 buck scored 103-3/8 (P&Y/B&C) and earned the P&Y Club’s First Award at the 2019 convention in Omaha, Nebraska. Although he was short of my dream (108 B&C all-time
minimum), he was a beautiful deer that meant a lot to Jake and me. The two bucks we killed on that trip will always be displayed together in our home. The bright side of missing the minimum was that our quest would continue.
In 2020, Jake and I decided to go back to the same spot we hunted in 2018. We were accompanied by Jake’s friend Tyler Rose and my buddy Luke Johnson who was taking pictures.
Right off, we were pounded by copious amounts of rain and fog and ended up stuck in our tents. When we finally got out to hunt, the fog and rain continued to roll in and out, posing a glassing challenge. The conditions were some of the most frustrating I’ve ever
dealt with. There were multiple three-day stretches where we didn’t hunt at all. I was also frustrated because I wanted the boys to have fun. The only consolation was that their toughness and patience were being tested to the extreme, which was also a goal of the trip. I just hoped it wasn’t too much. I was relieved to see that they stayed positive and entertained by playing cards and Yahtzee.
Thanks to everyone’s good attitude, we jumped on every opportunity to get out and hunt, even when the weather wasn’t ideal. On one such occasion, we decided to move camp deeper into the mountains. As we walked through the mixed fog in a historically good deer area, we found a very defined
we traversed ridges, crossed valleys, camped on five different peaks, endured gale-force storms, and spent countless hours behind glass.
deer trail and some large, smoking-fresh buck tracks. As we followed the trail across the main ridge, I spotted antler tips about 75 yards out. We dropped into the tall alpine grass and glassed ahead. There were a few bucks we could see that looked pretty nice. I was about to ask the boys if they wanted to stalk them when a giant buck appeared with the group from behind a rise. As we watched, I didn’t know what to do. I really wanted to see the boys make a stalk. Luke got my attention and snapped me out of my indecisive trance. He looked directly at me and said firmly, “Allen, you need to shoot that buck!”
One of the bucks had noticed our movement and started to walk
Bolen’s Sitka blacktail was on display at the Club’s 31st Big Game Awards Banquet, held July 2022.
away. The herd divided as a few bucks went up the ridge, while two dropped down the ridge toward a saddle. They were suspicious of something but moved slowly and didn’t know exactly what was wrong. Luke and I used the contour of some draws to get closer. The big buck was not in either of the groups moving off. We slipped into the area where we’d last seen him, but he remained out of sight. There was only one very small draw left. Did he somehow sneak out on us? My instincts told me that we would have seen him leave, yet it was hard to believe that he was completely hidden in that one small cut. We crawled to within 10 yards of the lip of the draw, where I decided to be patient and wait. I resisted the urge to peek over the edge. If he was in the draw, there was no way for him to exit without showing himself inside my bow range.
We waited several minutes, and I began to lose hope. Both visible groups of bucks were moving away quickly now. I looked back at Jake who was glassing my position from our original spot. He gave me
an encouraging gesture. Suddenly, a small buck fed out of the draw 14 yards in front of us. He saw us and started to walk stiff-legged to the rim of the draw. I knew it was likely that the big buck would follow him out, perhaps alerted by the smaller buck’s posture. My muscles tensed with my release hooked on the string. I settled my bow grip into that familiar place on my left palm. This was going to happen fast, and I was way closer than I wanted to be.
Within moments the big buck lumbered out of the draw with his nose in the grass feeding. As I came to full draw, he saw the movement and looked my way. However, his reaction was too late and my arrow smashed through his ribs from 14 yards. He sprinted down the ridge and bailed into some timber where I would find him an hour later.
The boys and I celebrated in the pouring rain, taking photos of the giant buck. I told Jake that I thought we might be looking at a true B&C All-time buck and a new P&Y velvet World’s Record. He couldn’t believe it, and honestly,
neither could I. This buck was something special. Despite having seven inches of deductions (including a big non-typical point), he still carried enough of a typical frame to net over 108!
By some strange destiny, Jake and I had made a complete circle and ended where we started. Despite hundreds of miles hiked over three years, I shot my buck on the same ridge as Jake’s first P&Y deer— within a few hundred yards of the place where he made his grateful promise to stick with me to the end. And that he had done.
The circles of human influence are an integral part of the magic of hunting. The way others inspire us and the way we inspire them make up the fiber of what fuels our passion in the field. Thank you, Chuck and Jack, for telling stories nearly 30 years ago. Without those, I would never have had a dream to chase. Thank you to Jake for being with me and living that dream. I hope that someday you’re able to inspire your own child’s life and pass the adventure-seeking baton to yet another generation. n
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One hundred years ago, the wildlife species of North America were in deep trouble. Unregulated harvest by market hunters and individual landowners had decimated the continent’s once-teeming herds of bison, deer, elk, moose, pronghorn, black bear, and grizzly bear. The devastation was not limited to big game alone: wild turkeys, beaver, many songbirds, and numerous species of waterfowl were also in serious decline. Two bird species, the Carolina parakeet and the passenger pigeon, had become extinct with the death of the last individuals in zoos in 1918 and 1914, respectively. Other species, such as the ivory-billed woodpecker and the California condor, were already teetering on the brink. Conditions were so bad for American wildlife overall that the Boy Scouts of America launched a campaign, with the blessings of professional members of the Boone and Crockett Club, to conserve the eastern gray squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis . “Save Silver-tail!” proclaimed the pamphlets and leaflets circulated among conservation-minded individuals and the general public.
Our native deer species were also in dire straits. In 1912, Boone and Crockett Regular Member William T. Hornaday conducted the first game census of the United States, sending surveys via mail to members of the Boone and Crockett Club and other wildlife enthusiasts who reported on the condition and population status of wildlife species in their geographic area. Hornaday’s shocking conclusion was that numerous wildlife species had been severely impacted by unrestricted hunting. Whitetail deer, mule deer, and moose had each been more or less completely extirpated from six states. Whitetail deer had disappeared across the Midwestern states, including Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, and Ohio. Mule deer had been largely extirpated across the Plains states of Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Nebraska, and South Dakota. And moose had vanished from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylva -
SCIENCE BLASTS
Jonathan R. Mawdsley
B&C PROFESSIONAL MEMBER
CHIEF OF THE COOPERATIVE FISH AND WILDLIFE RESEARCH UNITS
nia, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Concerted action was needed to bring back these species. Boone and Crockett Club members led the way in advancing legislation that would ban unregulated harvest and unsporting hunting practices. Beginning with Pennsylvania, individual states established game commissions and regulatory agencies that would help provide scientific management of the diminished wildlife herds and enforce restrictions on illegal or unsustainable harvest. New fields of science, such as wildlife management, range management, and forestry, were developed by leaders in the Boone and Crockett Club and their friends and colleagues to help provide the scientific knowledge necessary to manage these valuable natural resources.
Boone and Crockett Club Professional Member Aldo Leopold famously led the first science project sponsored by the Club—an investigation of the status of the
The Lacey Act of 1900 put a stop to market hunting of America’s onceabundant big game resources.
The recovery of North America’s whitetail deer population stands as one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of global wildlife conservation.
Kaibab mule deer herd. Leopold’s investigations and observations provided the basis for the scientific management of this herd and its associated ecosystem, and many of the research questions he pursued continue to drive the scientific investigation of deer biology and management to this day. In particular, Leopold was among the first to investigate the concept of “overabundance” in deer herds and the complex interactions between deer populations and their predators.
In Iowa, Boone and Crockett Club Honorary Life Member Jay “Ding” Darling founded the first of a series of cooperative wildlife research units, collaborative partnerships between state and federal wildlife managers, universities, and the non-profit Wildlife Management Institute. In 1935, federal legislation expanded the program, which has continued to grow to the present day where 43 units provide science to inform wildlife management in 41 states while providing world-class graduate education and technical assistance. Studies of whitetail deer and other hunted
and harvested game species have formed the core of the scientific work of these units since their foundation 90 years ago.
From the 1930s on, science from the Coop Units and new university departments of wildlife and natural resource management was readily applied by the state fish and wildlife agencies in their new roles as public trustees of wildlife species such as whitetail deer, which were now publicly owned and managed resources. License sales and excise taxes from the sale of hunting equipment helped fund conservation science and the applications of scientific research studies on the ground by the state agencies and their cooperators. Scientific studies at the Coop Units and universities covered all aspects of game species biology, including nutrition, habitat requirements, seasonal movements, weather impacts, population status and trends, predation, abundance, and overabundance. Field studies helped managers gather important information about preferred habitats for deer and other big game, allowing management
units to be more accurately defined and hunting and harvest regulations to be tailored to the requirements of specific herds. The science of adaptive management helped managers learn from their actions, evaluating the success or failure of particular conservation actions to improve the status of wildlife species and their habitats.
The result of these actions on the game species of North America has been nothing short of spectacular. In the case of whitetail deer, recent studies have concluded that the number of whitetails in North America is approximately the same as before European colonization. In other words, the precipitous decline in their populations documented in the early 20th century has been reversed. Few other wildlife species have suffered such decimation, followed by a complete recovery within such a short period. The recovery of whitetail deer population numbers must stand as one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of wildlife conservation. Several key facts stand out in reviews and
discussions of this tremendous conservation success story in the scientific literature.
The importance of hunting as a tool for conservation management. Although unrestricted and unregulated hunting was responsible for the initial decline in whitetail deer, properly managed hunting has become an effective tool for managing wild deer populations. It continues to provide enjoyment, outdoor recreation opportunities, and an important source of wild meat and nutrition for millions of outdoor enthusiasts.
The importance of funding mechanisms that support species management and applied scientific research.
License sales in individual states and federal excise taxes on hunting equipment and ammunition are critically important resource engines that support the management of game species and their habitats.
The value of science for informing the management of species and their habitats.
The recovery of whitetail deer would not have been possible without the hundreds of scientific studies investigating every aspect of the species and its biology. This gave managers the information they needed to manage populations and set harvest and hunting regulations at local, regional, and statewide scales.
The importance of habitat management, both active and passive. Whitetail deer populations have benefited from a wide array of habitat management activities, including establishing wildlife management areas and other conservation areas that protect overwintering grounds, movement corridors, food plots, and other essential habitat features for this species.
Additionally, whitetail deer populations have undoubtedly benefited from larger landscape-scale changes, such as the expansion of suburban and exurban developments and regional changes in farming and timber harvesting practices across eastern North America.
Scientific research continues to inform the conservation and management of deer and other big game species in North America. For example, at the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Dr. Matthew Kauffman uses high-tech GPS satellite collars to map the movements of individual mule deer, elk, and pronghorn within herds of these species to identify broader migration corridors for each species. Mapping these corridors helps state and federal wildlife and land managers minimize impacts on these species during crucial movement times and enables managers to address potential impacts to overwintering and calving areas for these species.
At Michigan State University, Michigan Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit scientist Dr. Brett DeGregorio and Boone and Crockett Professional Member Dr. Sonja Christensen are using new approaches to help address Aldo
Leopold’s age-old questions about deer population size and overabundance. These researchers are actively investigating new ways to analyze data from standard trail cameras—commonly used by private citizens and landowners—to improve our estimates of deer population size in an area and determine what constitutes “overabundance” in deer populations.
Finally, the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Program has recently hired a new genomics expert whose talents and training will help us unravel some of the thorniest questions in deer taxonomy and population status. Some 30 or so subspecies taxa have been proposed in North American whitetail deer, and the status of these populations is very much in need of a rigorous re-evaluation. Modern genomic techniques can help trace the ancestry and evolutionary history of individual deer populations, identifying past genetic bottlenecks and more recent events such as intermixing or transplantation of individuals from one population to another. By doing so, we can help align our management prescriptions and units more closely with actual biological populations of deer and identify those populations in need of conservation assistance before the status of these
Biologists deploy a GPS collar on a cow elk. Elk location data collected from the collars help wildlife managers map elk movement and habitat use, design hunting seasons to meet objectives, monitor the effects of wolves on elk density, and evaluate the effects of elk density on potential disease transmission.
populations becomes critical. Science has played an important role in the recovery of whitetail deer and many other big game species around the globe. The Boone and Crockett Club can be proud of its role in fostering the scientific research needed to recover and manage our most iconic big game species. Working together, the Club’s regular and professional members and the broader scientific community can help ensure a bright future for wildlife. n
A group of mule deer crosses a stream in spring 2020 on the Red Desert to Hoback Corridor in Wyoming. Such stream crossings are natural bottlenecks, where disturbances and barrier effects can be magnified.
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As non-native axis deer proliferate in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a market hunting and harvest operation has become the conservation tool of choice.
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Moloka`i is an escape to Old Hawai`i. One of the eight main Hawaiian islands, its red slopes of ironrich volcanic soil create a landscape sparsely punctuated with acacia trees and bunchgrasses. The high ground rises to over 3,000 feet from the island's midsection and gently flows down, a constant reminder that everything finds its way to the ocean. These tall peaks create a rain curtain that keeps the island's eastern half lush and green, ensuring a parched, near desert-like landscape on the western side. The dry western side is where the axis deer roam and where they wreak havoc on local ecosystems.
Generations of islanders have lived with these non-native deer. In 1867, King Kamehameha V received a gift of seven axis deer from British-ruled Hong Kong. Native to the Indian subcontinent, axis deer did very well in the hot, open land free of predators. With orange coats and white spots, they carry a pair of threepronged antlers that can reach nearly a meter in length. They were transplanted to Lana`i, O`ahu, and Maui by the early 1900s. Axis deer breed early and often, and herd growth rates are greater than 25 percent annually. Current estimates put 60,000 axis deer on Moloka`i—a density of more than 200 deer per square mile. Invasive and unrestricted, they created ecological upheaval. With a preference for native plants, the deer have decimated vast areas of the island, with a 90 percent reduction in native flora in some areas. This has sped up the encroachment of non-native flora. Overgrazed and barren ground cannot hold rainfall; mudslides have become more common. The eroding sediment has buried coral reefs and filled in fish ponds—both large protein sources for the 7,400 locals.
Recent droughts have exacerbated these troubles, and axis deer have died from starvation.
Government-funded efforts to control herd populations have had little effect. A bounty of anywhere from $25-$50 has incentivized private landowners to shoot more deer. Fencing programs have created exclusion zones to help prevent the spread of deer and allow for more focused eradication. None of this was enough to put a dent in deer numbers. Recognizing the need for management, some locals have taken matters into their own hands.
Desmund Manaba is a keeper of this place. His roots run eight generations deep on Moloka`i, and he has only called the island home. Fishing and hunting were family traditions that immersed him in the natural cycles of the island. He has studied the change across his land and the upheaval created by the introduction of non-native species.
When an aquaculture venture tried to raise shrimp and found mediocre results, the owners turned to Desmund for help.
Leveraging his local and ancestral knowledge, he helped design better growth strategies that worked with the shrimp and island tides. Emboldened by his success, he founded his own company, rearing native species and restoring them around Moloka`i. Desmund's dedication to conservation caught the attention of the head of Hawai`i’s Department of Land and Natural Resources, who recommended that he turn his efforts to axis deer.
Desmund offered a solution to the uncontrolled deer populations. It was, quite simply, to shoot them—a lot of them. Initially, the local response was not positive. “I got everybody hating me, bro,” he says. “The whole island—because they didn’t understand.” Hunters on the island who had used axis deer as their source of protein for generations felt as though their sport was being taken away. Homeowners would lose their backyard pets. At the same time, collisions with deer steadily grew, ranches failed because domestic livestock
couldn’t compete with the deer, and farmers were unable to harvest crops that never had the chance to grow. The need for Desmund's plan became apparent. Getting it approved by the regulating agencies would prove difficult.
Desmund devised a plan to harvest the deer, process the meat, and sell it to the public. “This was done in the light of conservation, sustainability, and creating food,” he says. He wanted to ensure the meat would go to his neighbors and the rest of Hawai`i. In 2003, Desmund killed the first processed axis deer. It would take four more years to learn the requirements and laws of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) before he was granted a permit to sell deer meat to the public. Desmund thinks this is the first wild-sourced, fieldculled meat processing program of its kind the USDA had ever granted. Approaching this new venture much like a beef cattle operation, USDA officials placed the same restrictions on Desmund's operation. Animals for slaughter were brought to pens for observation and then killed immediately after inspection in the presence of agency officials. However, rounding up wild animals didn’t work. The deer ran into the corral fences, killing themselves trying to escape. In this frenzied state, the deer overworked their muscles, tainting the meat and precluding it from being put into the food system.
Still, it took several attempts before inspectors would try Desmund’s way, which was shooting the deer in the head at night. “These deer are nocturnal and only calm at night,” Desmund says. “We can make one stand and get our full load we can process for the night.” Instead of rounding deer up, USDA officials accompany the shooters to the field and verify that humane headshots quickly dispatch the animals. A lead truck with shooters
and a spotter eases into areas where axis deer are known to frequent. The spotter will locate deer and shine the light while calling the distance. Most shots are within 200 yards, but some could be out to 400. Anything other than an instant kill is a demerit that could lead to a permit being revoked. “I’ve had hunters wanting to work with me say they are sharpshooters. I’ll take them out, and one, two, three—they fail out. They get that adrenaline and miss the shots. That can’t happen.”
The carcasses are hauled back to the plant and processed. On a given night, the whole operation can handle 30 animals. Shoots happen every few days and are limited only by local manpower to run the meat plant. The tropical heat makes it a race. The meat must be rushed back and cooled before it spoils. Desmund's philosophy is that if it can’t feed families now, then it can wait in the field until
the next harvest. He tries to keep the meat on Moloka`i and the rest of Hawai`i. “We want to feed you guys, the ones that come to Moloka`i. And the locals are always going to get great meat. They always will.”
Venison is sold to other restaurants on Maui, O`ahu, and Lana`i. Axis deer sausage is made for local airlines. Meat bars are sent to the University of Hawaii athletic programs.
Moloka`i Wildlife Management, Desmund’s company, employs over a dozen residents. On an island where work is limited and wages barely keep up with the “paradise tax,” employing locals in something other than the tourism industry is
a boon. Ku Keanini has been working for Desmund for several years. A Moloka`i native of Hawaiian heritage, he’s hunted since he could walk. He is keen to be part of this unique conservation model on his home island. Ku has worked all
stages of the hunt, from spotting and shooting to pick up and processing. “This is a special place, and it needs to be protected. It's a small island, and we all know we have to do our part.”
Both Desmund and Ku will tell you there are plenty of deer on the island, but setting up an operation is not easy. “If you aren’t a sharpshooter, please don’t get into this business. It’s going to get expensive for you and put your family in dire straits. If you get three demerits, you're done, and you lose your license.” Instead, Desmund encourages you to support their work by purchasing venison. “That’s a safer bet anyway.” Still, they have both found success. Ku guides throughout the year and takes many clients on meat hunts to fill the freezer. Forgoing the single buck for the wall, these hunters kill several does and take the meat home. Desmund’s management company is in its second decade with over 20,000 deer being served at local tables. Both of these approaches take hundreds of animals off the island annually.
Axis deer populations are still above carrying capacity, but there's hope with stewards like Desmund and Ku. Populations are beginning to decline, and areas once overgrazed are seeing new growth. The only downside to this unique strategy might be that what many consider a seasonal pastime becomes work. While we were driving around looking for another deer, I asked Ku if this could ever get old. He smiled, waved his shaka (Hawaii’s thumb and pinkie wave), and said, “Nah, braddah. It's all good.” n
In certain circles, mentioning wolves is like shouting “fire” in a crowded theater. But the dissonance surrounding these animals doesn’t scare Boone and Crockett Fellow Alejandra Zubiria Perez (Ale, pronounced Allie, to her friends), a research assistant and doctoral student at Michigan State University. Instead, she’s drawn to large carnivores, contentious species, and research surrounding human-wildlife conflict.
Through a series of interconnected studies, Zubiria Perez’s Ph.D. research aims to identify mortality drivers of gray wolves (what kills them) in the Great Lakes region. Using that data, she is researching how mortality influences population and pack dynamics. The work
will provide sound science for state and federal decision-making about wolf management.
For the first chapter of her dissertation, published in Scientific Reports , Zubiria Perez and co-authors explored how legal wolf harvest impacted reproduction and pack persistence—did the pack stay together or disband? Working in collaboration with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services program, Zubiria Perez examined data from howl surveys and Wisconsin’s wolf monitoring program. This included information from legal wolf hunting seasons in the state from 2012 to 2014 when wolves in the Great Lakes
region were briefly removed from protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Currently, Great Lakes wolves are listed on and federally protected under the ESA, which does not allow harvest of the animals.
Zubiria Perez and her coauthors found that pack persistence and reproduction rates were largely stable regardless of harvest. But that’s likely influenced by several factors.
First, harvest in Wisconsin occurred during a season that doesn’t impact breeding or pup-rearing. Mortality was also spread across the state, helping to dilute the effects on individual packs. Zubiria Perez says Wisconsin also has a pretty stable wolf
population connected to other populations in Michigan and Minnesota. “These relationships with how wildlife responds to various human influences is all so complex,” she says. “We’re really trying to help inform management decisions, but I like to think it’s one piece of the puzzle.”
Zubiria Perez’s passion for science began as a curious kid growing up in Mexico City, watching Animal Planet television shows. “I didn’t interact with wildlife growing up at all, but the little information I had on wildlife really interested me,” she says.
She originally planned to become a veterinarian but quickly realized she wanted to focus on research with broader implications for management. “We (humans) have a huge impact on the landscape, and I really wanted to help shed some light on things we can maybe change to improve our relationship with our ecosystem and wildlife within it,” she says.
Zubiria Perez earned a B.S. in biology from the University of British Columbia, where she dipped her toes into research for the first time in a lab studying behavior and cognition in zebrafish, a small fish often used for genetic research. Her master’s work at the University of Victoria focused on understanding
grizzly bear behavior and movement to inform the relocation of problem grizzly bears. Now, as a doctoral student at Michigan State, she’s studying wolves. “Wolves have always been my top species,” she says. “They’re complex in their ecology and in their relationships with humans.”
Zubiria Perez’s doctoral work is supported by the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act and the Boone and Crockett Club’s University Programs, which funds wildlife conservation research for students around the United States. One major benefit of funding from the Boone and Crockett Club allows her to focus exclusively on her research and fully dedicate herself to her work, she says. She also values the opportunity to join a community of researchers with different backgrounds and specialties, allowing her to broaden her perspective.
“The more I do science, the more I realize how little we know, even with the species that are extremely charismatic and get tons of media attention,” she says. “Everyone knows what
The mission of the Boone and Crockett Club University Programs is the development of a diverse community of high-impact wildlife conservation leaders.
a wolf is and has an opinion about wolves and wolf management. [But] there is still so much about them that we don’t know.”
Zubiria Perez’s research will be critical in helping states understand how to set harvest management regulations and how to distribute that harvest during years when wolves can be harvested in the western Great Lakes states, says Jerrold Belant, Zubiria Perez’s advisor and Boone and Crockett Chair in Wildlife Conservation at Michigan State. Research like Zubiria Perez’s helps us separate science from values so we can debate these aspects of wolf management independently, Belant adds. While both have their place, we need to understand which is being discussed and when. Zubiria Perez hopes her science can help provide the information managers need while shedding more clarity on gray wolves as a whole.
Strong science doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and Zubiria Perez’s research is just one part of a larger collaborative effort. Her current project explores a massive collection of wolf telemetry data collected by federal, state, and tribal partners in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan—all working together on questions about wolf ecology no
individual could answer alone through data sharing, says Belant. Known as the Great Lakes Wolf Collaborative, Belant and Zubiria Perez say it’s the largest database of wolf location and mortality data ever compiled.
Zubiria Perez’s inquisitiveness, creativity, and diligence make her a great scientist, Belant says. He adds that when you’re working with data as complex as what Zubiria Perez is working with, mistakes are all too easy to make. She does a great job ensuring the integrity of the data—checking, double-checking, and then checking again. She has a sharp mind and learns rapidly.
“Boone and Crockett has been instrumental in ensuring that we integrate sustainable use conservation in all the research we do and helps ensure the studies we do—like Ale’s—have direct contribution to people and management,” says Belant.
Wildlife biologist Kelsey Bernard first met Zubiria Perez when the two worked together on the Isle Royale Wolf Project, collecting scat and hiking to wolf kill sites in the national park’s backcountry.
Bernard recalls a scorching hot day on that Lake Superior island, three days into a backpacking trip when she and Zubiria Perez trekked into a particularly rough field location.
“This site will forever be burned into our memories because it was one of the most brutal to reach,” Bernard says. “Despite the difficulty, Ale made sure to follow protocol to the letter, thoroughly scouring the site. What stood out most was her attitude. Through it all, she kept spirits high, never letting the situation get the better of us. It was a perfect example of how she maintains high scientific standards with a positive, team-oriented outlook, making even the toughest moments enjoyable.”
After graduation in May, Zubiria Perez hopes to continue research on human-wildlife interactions. She’s particularly interested in how wildlife responds to anthropogenic landscape changes and in exploring non-invasive wildlife research techniques.
“What makes Ale an exceptional scientist is her unwavering dedication and passion for the field. Her curiosity continually drives her to push the boundaries of knowledge in her field. Ale excels at collaborating with diverse groups, allowing her to approach scientific challenges with a holistic and well-rounded perspective,” says Bernard. “She’s genuinely passionate about her work and in making a difference, not just in her research, but in breaking barriers and being an incredible role model for other women in this field.” n
BOONE AND CROCKETT
The Boone and Crockett Club George Bird Grinnell Society welcomes those individuals who wish to support our conservation programs through purely philanthropic, tax deductible gifts of $2,500 or more.
Funds raised from the George Bird Grinnell Society are placed in the Boone and Crockett Club Foundation endowment where the principal remains intact. The annual interest income generated is then dedicated to vital conservation programs.
Special recognition is given via Club publications and with a custom plaque. After your initial gift of $2,500; gifts of $500 or more to the Boone and Crockett Club Foundation endowment will accumulate toward new contribution levels. Please join us by becoming a Member of the George Bird Grinnell Society Today!
LEVELS OF GIVING:
Copper - $2,500 - $4,999
Bronze - $5,000 - $9,999
WILDERNESS WARRIOR SOCIETY
Anthony J. Caligiuri
Gary W. Dietrich
Michael L. Evans
Robert H. Hanson*
Charles W. Hartford
Remo R. Pizzagalli
Richard D. Reeve*
Marion S. Searle
Gordon J. Whiting
DIAMOND LEVEL
Butch Marita
GOLD LEVEL
Timothy C. Brady*
SILVER LEVEL
Michael J. Borel
Hanspeter Giger
Steven Leath
Timothy C. Shinabarger
Wilson S. Stout
Keith I. Ward
BRONZE LEVEL
Scott A. Cooper
Alice B. Flowers
Fritz R. Mason
D. Michael Steuert
Bret A. Triplett
Brian Wilson
COPPER LEVEL
Patrick R. Bernhardt
McLean Bowman
Lonnie Dale
Evelyn H. Merrill
Joshua J. Millspaugh
Mychal Murray
Greg Sheaffer
*Deceased
The records department had a monumental 2024, culminating at the Boone and Crockett Club’s annual meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina. What an exciting time for conservation and big game. At this meeting, the committee discussed creating a new category and expanding two other categories—all conservation milestones that speak to successful big game management throughout North America.
For the committee to consider creating or expanding categories, the interested parties must address certain conditions.
The journey to creating a new category started in early 2024 when a proposal was presented to the records committee by individuals representing the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Texas Wildlife Association, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Wild Sheep Foundation, and Ecumene Desarrolos. They urged the committee to add javelina (collared peccary) as a category to Boone and Crockett Club’s Records of North American Big Game. This allowed the committee to ask questions and thoroughly vet the proposal.
The records committee outlines the conditions necessary for category creation and expansion in our Official Measurers manual, How to Score North American Big Game, 5th edition. The conditions are as follows:
n There are extensive geographical areas where the proposed category occurs.
n The animals occur in good numbers.
n Suitable boundaries can be drawn.
n The game department(s) managing the proposed category favor creating such a new category.
n Scientific evidence supports the new category.
The group stated javelina range from the southern United States
Kyle M. Lehr B&C PROFESSIONAL MEMBER DIRECTOR OF BIG GAME RECORDS
to northern Argentina. For Boone and Crockett Club’s big game records, we would focus on the javelina that reside in Mexico and the southern United States, the collared peccary.
“Wildlife management agencies in both the U.S. and Mexico officially classify native javelina as a ‛Big Game’ species, and they are managed using the same science-guided process as all other big game, such as elk or mule deer.” They also stated that the population throughout its range is healthy, appears to be growing, and is sustainable enough to allow hunting. They provided evidence to support that javelina populations have been expanding and growing and that hunter harvest also seems to be increasing.
Approximate distribution of the javelina in the United States and northern Mexico.
“In the U.S. and Mexico, each jurisdiction has some combination of closed seasons, bag limits, a lottery-style draw, or limits to license numbers. In Mexico, javelina are managed identically to deer, and hunters acquire licenses through a participating ejido or landowner. These programs are designed to limit javelina harvest and monitor populations to ensure sustainable harvest into the future.”
Interest in hunting these animals has only grown in recent years. Javelina also offers opportunities when other big game seasons are closed; in some areas, javelina can be hunted through March or later. Mexico is also seeing this trend in increased hunting interest, especially by the locals, who are being priced out of some of their other, more well-known, big game
species. “For hunting operations in northern Mexico, having a javelina category in the Boone and Crockett record book would add value to this species, equating to more management and conservation attention for javelina.”
Now that the committee has approved the javelina category, we need to determine the minimum entry score and develop scoring procedures and a score chart. We will work with the proposal group to hammer out all the details. Lucky for us, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas already possess a comprehensive dataset, including minimum scores and established scoring policies and procedures, which we will reference for guidance. By the time this reaches your mailbox, we should be well on our way to finalizing these details.
Proposed boundary expansion for bison to include Fort Peck Indian Reservation.
The records committee was asked to expand two categories: our bison boundary, which includes the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, and our Shiras’ moose boundary, which includes the state of Nevada. When an agency wishes to recognize a big game species from its area, we ask that they submit an official request addressing the same conditions as category creation.
The director of the Fort Peck Tribe Fish and Game Department submitted a well-written proposal outlining the tribe’s management of its bison on the reservation. The tribe works hard to maintain a healthy carrying capacity by setting tag limits based on birth rates every spring. The herd was restored from bison brought in from Yellowstone National Park, and the tribe also uses its reservation as a place where overflow bison are brought from Yellowstone on their way to other recovery areas in North America, such as Oklahoma and Alaska.
As Nevada’s first moose season was underway, the Nevada Department of Wildlife contacted our office to see if we could supply their department with our moose
Proposed boundary expansion for Shiras’ moose to include Nevada.
chapter from our Official Measurer manual so they could provide their staff with a general understanding of scoring moose for departmental use. During this conversation, we noticed Nevada was not within our Shiras’ moose boundary, meaning that if one of their hunters harvested a moose during the season that met the minimum entry score for the Club’s records, it would not be eligible. When asked how they could remedy this, I explained that we would need an official request to include Nevada within our boundary. Based on the proposal submitted, moose in Nevada seem to be thriving with a high survival rate and adapting to the microclimates in the state’s northeast corner. While there have been confirmed moose sightings in Nevada since the 1950s, it wasn’t until 2024 that biologists in the state felt the population was sustainable enough for hunting harvest. By harvesting these animals, they could learn even more about the species.
Read more about all the category boundaries in How to Score North American Big Game, 5th Edition
As of January 29, 2025
1. Philip A. Herrnberger – 373
2. Bucky Ihlenfeldt – 220
3. Stanley Zirbel – 208
4. Dale Weddle – 132
5. Steven Taylor – 128
6. Ken Witt* – 113
7. Brett C. Ross – 78
8. Jerry E. Lunde – 72
9. Hanspeter Giger – 68
10. John Bogucki* – 46
SEE THE COMPLETE LISTING IN THE COMMUNITIES SECTION ON OUR WEBSITE .
Each time an OM gets Someone to join B&C we put a credit by their name!
HERE’S THE BREAKDOWN
3 Members – $25 off any item in the B&C store
5 Members – Buck Knife
10 Members – B&C Boyt Sling
25 Members – OM Wool Vest
50 Members – SITKA Gear (value up to $350)
75 Members – YETI Package (value up to $500)
100 Members – Browning Rifle
150 Members – $800 Gift Card to Bass Pro Shops/Cabelas
200 Associates – Vortex Optics Gear (value up to $1,400)
300 Members – Kenetrek Boot Package (value up to $1,500)
400 Members – Browning Rifle (value up to $1,500)
500 Members – Hotel & registration plus $500 travel stipend to the next Awards Banquet
Through collaborative efforts like these, big game animals in North America continue to survive and, in many cases, thrive. Thank you to everyone who dedicated much time and effort to making this possible. I don’t know if the records committee has ever had such a monumental year. n
Would you like to give an Official Measurer credit for your renewal? Let them know when it is your time to renew and they will provide their OMID number to include with your renewal so they will receive credit.
In anticipation of the 32nd Big Game Awards, we are highlighting some of the entries from the recent awards period. These two stories recount the same deer hunt, but each is told from a unique perspective. Dad is the guide, and his daughter is the hunter.
Londyn and her dad Jamie, with her buck, scoring 161-6/8 points. While this was her first buck, it was definitely not her first deer.
JAMIE GRONEBERG
LONDYN GRONEBERG
PHOTOS AND PERSONAL HANDWRITING COURTESY OF AUTHORS
It was Londyn’s first year of being able to hunt for a buck. After finishing all her hunter safety requirements with online testing and a field day in Rapid City, South Dakota, she could finally apply for a buck tag. She drew an Edmunds County any deer rifle tag on her first try!
On the first morning of the hunt, we sat in a tower stand to scout the area and see where the deer were moving. There was a chance a buck would come within range because we have taken several deer from that stand over the years. To the south, deer often use a large shelter belt for cover. It had rained the night before and drizzled in the morning, so we were happy to stay dry in the blind.
At first light, about 7:15, we saw deer to the east in a cornfield. Young bucks were chasing does. We also saw deer to the north in the corn stalks. We watched these deer for nearly an hour hoping a buck would head our way.
Sometime after 8 a.m., we saw some deer running from the west coming our way—two bucks and a doe. It looked like they would come right to us so I had Londyn get her rifle ready. Instead, they stopped
across the road from our field. We could tell that one deer was much bigger than the others, but they were nearly 1,000 yards away. We weren’t sure how big the buck was. I could tell he had quite the headgear, and I told Londyn that it looked like a buck we wanted to go after.
Then another buck came from the north and joined the group. Clearly, the doe was in heat, and now three bucks were fighting for her attention. Every time one of the smaller bucks got close, the big buck would chase them off. They kept this competition up for nearly 40 minutes. During all this, the doe bedded down in a slough among some tall weeds, clearly tired from being hounded by the bucks.
Eventually, one of the smaller bucks gave up and headed west.
Not long after that, the other smaller buck was chased off and headed back to the north, where he came from. With his competition defeated, the big buck bedded down near the doe on the edge of the slough where he could survey the horizon and protect his prize.
After watching them bed down for the morning, I told Londyn we needed to make a move and go after that deer. I knew there was no way he was going to leave that doe. He was definitely in the lockdown phase of the rut.
We drove to an old farm southwest of the deer to get the wind in our favor. Then, we walked down the fence line to the north until we reached the slough where we thought they were bedded. At this point, we were still around 600 yards away.
We entered the soybean field near another slough and followed that low spot, cutting the distance to a couple hundred yards. The ground was muddy and soft from the rain, making for a quiet stalk through the bean stubble. We kept getting closer and glassing the spot to make sure we didn’t spook the deer.
Once we got to 150 yards, we sat down to catch our breath and glass for a while because we still couldn’t see the buck. After several minutes of glassing, we finally saw the gleam of an antler as the buck moved his head.
The wind was in our favor, and the doe was bedded on the other side of the taller weeds. She couldn’t see in our direction. We
We snuck to 100 yards and then to 75. Still, all we could see were the buck’s antlers. Even that was difficult because he blended in so well with the weeds and grass. He bedded in a low spot, which gave him the advantage because we didn’t have a shot even with being so close. We tried to get him to stand with some grunt calls and doe bleats, but he wasn’t interested.
At one point, he fell asleep and put his head down so we couldn’t see him. We took that opportunity to sneak even closer. Eventually, we were within 50 yards! Londyn was ready with her rifle on the tripod this whole time in case he stood up.
We used the buck grunt and doe bleat to get him to stand up, but he didn’t seem phased. There were times he looked right at us, and we
were surprised he wouldn’t stand up to check out what we were. He felt he was hiding so well that we couldn’t see him, or he just didn’t care because he had his doe!
Finally, for some reason, the buck decided to stand up. He shook his tired body and then shook his head. With sleepy eyes, he turned and looked right at us. By then, Londyn had settled the crosshairs on his vitals and took the shot. He ran into the middle of the slough, started to wobble, and tipped over. Only then did the doe stand up and run off.
When we approached him, we couldn’t believe how big he was! There were high-fives, hugs, and lots of smiles! We started the stalk around 9:45 a.m., and she shot him right around noon.
Londyn’s dad
My day started early, and as I got ready that morning, I was excited for the new hunting adventure. I had this gut feeling that I would get my first buck on the first day I went out to hunt for one. Along with the chance to get my first buck, I was also hunting in a place I had never hunted before. I didn’t even know what the land looked like. Since it had been dark when we first got there, I was even more excited to scout out my surroundings.
My dad led the way to the stand. It took a minute to become light enough outside to see any movement. It was cold, and it had been raining lightly that morning. I will be honest, I got a bit bored because nothing big enough had come our way for quite a while. Soon, off in the distance, we finally noticed not just one buck but three. The sight of this had me excited again. After watching these bucks fight for quite some time we decided to get out of the stand and head their way. This is where the hunt really began.
It was no short or easy walk to where we needed to be to make a shot. We just kept creeping closer and closer. I was amazed that
we were even able to get so close. The buck didn’t give the smallest care about us and the fact that we were headed his direction.
The more time passed, the more frustrated I got because I wanted to shoot this deer, and it was taking so long it felt like I was never going to get the chance. Everything we tried to get his attention wasn’t working, and as I kept looking in his direction, I started to think he wasn’t even there. Every time I looked into my scope, it would get foggy, and I lost hope that I would get to shoot this buck.
When it comes to patience and hunting, I am usually very good at it because I like to make sure that I will make the best shot I can. I also
usually have to try to calm my heart down from racing from excitement, but we had been waiting so long that it was completely calm. The waiting continued, and I knew he couldn’t stay in the same spot forever. That thought kept me going.
The best sight for me from that day was when the buck finally stood up. I was so prepared for that moment and knew I had to act quickly. I remember right before taking the shot, I thought he was going to notice us and run away as soon as he looked our way. Although, I knew that my gun was already positioned in the right spot, so I looked in my scope, kept aim where it was supposed to be, slowly breathed out, and pulled the trigger.
I didn’t even feel the kick of my gun or hear the sound of it. I only remember seeing the buck stumble to the ground. I am always happy after every hunt, but this one was different. All the anticipation I had built up made me so grateful that I was able to execute a shot on this buck that we had been after for what felt like an eternity.
As we made our way to my trophy, I fully grasped how big he really was. This hunt is one I know I won’t forget, and it has made me want to continue hunting that much more.
BLACK BEAR
21 7/16 French River, ON Clay S. Taylor 2023 L. Desmarais
20 6/16 Bell Co., KY Kenneth R. Jones 2018 D. Weddle
20 Pike Co., KY Tristan G. Conn 2021 D. Weddle
COUGAR
14 10/16 Carbon Co., WY Hunter R. Johnston 2023 B. Wilkes
TYPICAL MULE DEER
182 5/8 191 2/8 Dawson Creek, BC Teegan Collins 2022 R. Berreth
TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER
170 6/8 179 6/8 Grenada Co., MS Luke C. Kelly 2023 C. Neill
165 7/8 176 Northumberland Landon J. Lahr 2023 J. Turner Co., PA
165 1/8 172 4/8 Richland Co., WI Isaac Gald 2023 J. Gander
164 5/8 170 4/8 Auglaize Co., OH Tanner R. Olberding 2023 L. Shellhaas
163 5/8 167 7/8 Miami Co., OH Kinzie J. Peters 2023 L. Shellhaas
160 6/8 166 Scott Co., IA Hayden M. Gibbs 2022 J. Miller
NON-TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER
200 7/8 207 5/8 Dubuque Co., IA Maxwell D. Pivit 2023 P. Barwick
The Boone and Crockett Club celebrates young hunters who embrace the outdoor way of life and embody the spirit of fair chase hunting. The following is a list of the most recent big game trophies accepted into Boone and Crockett Club’s 32nd Big Game Awards Program (20222024), that have been taken by a youth hunter (16 years or younger). All of the field photos in this section are from entries that are listed in this issue and are shown in bold orange text .
This listing represents only those trophies accepted since the winter 2024 issue of FairChase was published.
WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!
All youth hunters 16 years old or younger, who have a trophy accepted in our 32nd Awards (2022-2024) will receive an invitation to our Generation Next banquet, which will be held in Springfield, Missouri, on July 22, 2025.
The following pages list the most recent big game trophies accepted into Boone and Crockett Club’s 32nd Big Game Awards Program, 20222024, which includes entries received between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2024. 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 Winter 2024 issue of Fair Chase was published.
1. ALASKA BROWN BEAR
Hunter: Marshall G. Lindsay
Score: 28-6/16 points
Year Taken: 2022
Location: Mt. Katmai, Alaska
2. BLACK BEAR
Hunter: David A. Mayer
Score: 20-1/16 points Year Taken: 2023
Location: Clearwater County, Idaho
3. TYPICAL MULE DEER
Hunter: Todd K. Stroud Score: 183-4/8 points
Year Taken: 2023
Location: Terry County, Texas
SHARE YOUR FIELD PHOTOS WITH US! @BooneAndCrockettClub #BooneAndCrockettClub
NON-TYPICAL
Hunter: Charles R. Campbell
Score: 186 points
Year Taken: 2023
Location: Atascosa County, Texas
BLACK BEAR - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 23-10/16 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 20
23 2/16 Wise Co., VA Erich F. Mischke 2023 M. Serio
22 3/16 Peace River, AB J. Fred Miller 2023 A. Anderson
21 14/16 Warren Co., NJ Mark H. Talley 2023 M. Madonia
21 10/16 Lenoir Co., NC Timothy A. Taramelli 2017 J. Shaw
21 10/16 Halifax Co., NC Cody J. Tart, Jr. 2022 D. Boland
21 10/16 Fauquier Co., VA David M. Popik 2023 C. Harrison
21 9/16 Prince Edward David C. McClellan 2020 H. Hall Co., VA
21 8/16 Luzerne Co., PA Joshua A. Winters 2022 V. Rosa
21 8/16 Tyrrell Co., NC Clint J. Howard 2022 J. Nordman
21 8/16 Polk Co., WI Samantha K. Hatleli 2022 J. Lunde
21 8/16 Wood Co., WI Candace M. Pernsteiner 2023 P. Jensen
21 8/16 Duck Mountain, MB Steven J. Rubischko 2023 C. Pierce
21 7/16 Peace River, AB Picked Up 2014 R. Melom
21 7/16 Beltrami Co., MN Kelly R. Nipp 2023 C. Kozitka
21 6/16 Fraser River, BC Gregory C. 2024 J. Thomson Montgomery
21 4/16 Shell River, MB M. Blake Patton 2024 R. Skinner
21 3/16 Allegany Co., NY Derek J. Reukauf 2023 K. Schilling
21 1/16 Clay Co., FL Indyana O. Sorensen 2015 P. Layman
21 1/16 Bell Co., KY Dwight D. Hughes 2020 D. Weddle
21 1/16 Duck Mountain, MB Paul R. Cosman 2024 D. McGrew
21 Penobscot Co., ME Curtis N. Miller 2023 J. Creamer
21 Rat River, MB Frederick A. Cash 2023 M. Harrison
20 15/16 Black Bay, ON Richard L. Korn 2023 S. Ashley
20 15/16 Oconto Co., WI Jamie M. Koenig 2023 S. Zirbel
20 14/16 Delta Co., MI Terrance D. Grieser 2023 J. Kinsey
20 13/16 Somerset Co., PA Robert J. Ohler 2017 A. Harvey
20 11/16 Carteret Co., NC Jack P. Howard 2023 D. Boland
20 9/16 Olha Lakes, MB Cory J. Smith 2024 L. Wahlund
20 8/16 Allegany Co., MD David F. Moreland, Jr. 2023 J. Melvin
20 8/16 Rusk Co., WI Logan W. Baitinger 2022 S. Zirbel
20 8/16 Mountain Cabin, SK Thomas A. Beilke 2024 S. Zirbel
20 8/16 Swan Lake, MB Edward A. Parker 2024 L. Cote
20 7/16 Lone Pine Lake, AB Bradley W. Mantzell 2024 J. Medeiros
20 6/16 Polk Co., WI Joseph A. Webb 2022 J. Lunde
20 6/16 Vilas Co., WI Scott R. Fischer 2022 A. Loomans
20 6/16 Lac York, QC Gaetan Roy 2023 R. Groleau
20 6/16 Morgan Co., WV Richard L. Stanley, Sr. 2023 T. Cramer
20 6/16 Placer Co., CA Kim S. Espat 2023 J. Capurro
20 5/16 Chippewa Co., WI Nicholas W. Greger 2020 J. Lunde
20 5/16 Madera Co., CA David R. Smith 2023 R. York
20 5/16 Cholmondeley Roy E. Bartz 2023 T. Spraker Sound, AK
20 4/16 Jefferson Co., OR James E. Lussier 2022 M. Cupell
20 4/16 Jackson Co., WI Hannah M. Miller 2023 B. Laufenberg
20 4/16 Lincoln Co., WI Paul A. Waliczek 2023 T. Heil
20 4/16 Jackson Co., WI Dustin J. Neuendorf 2023 M. Miller
20 4/16 Adams Co., WI Kyle J. Burkoth 2023 G. Martin
20 3/16 Chippewa Co., WI Mitchell D. Dess 2021 G. Villnow
20 3/16 Sweet Grass Co., MT Narciso Garcia Neto 2023 F. King
20 3/16 Las Animas Co., CO Robert L. Sanchez III 2023 L. Gatlin
20 3/16 Aroostook Co., ME Robert S. Scott 2023 T. Montgomery
20 3/16 Lane Co., OR Jason P. McDougal 2024 J. Knoebel
20 2/16 Kettle River, BC Mike J. Bennett 2020 L. Verbaas
20 2/16 Aroostook Co., ME Christopher J. Redman 2023 T. Montgomery
20 2/16 Douglas Co., WI Joshua J. Crook 2023 P. Jensen
20 2/16 Otter Lake, QC Donald N. 2023 J. Messeroll Lesperance, Jr.
20 2/16 Idaho Co., ID Callie A. Mader 2023 D. Michael
20 2/16 Carrot River, SK Charles W. Rehor 2024 L. Desmarais
20 1/16 Clearwater Co., ID David A. Mayer 2023 W. Adkins
20 1/16 Mesa Co., CO Larry W. Parshen 2023 T. Heil
20 1/16 Lac la Biche, AB Luke B. Mantzell 2024 J. Medeiros
20 1/16 Peace River, AB Joann Dobish 2024 R. Melom
20 Lac du Bonnet, MB Jeffrey D. Andresen 2019 C. McPhaul
20 Tyrrell Co., NC Jennifer L. Fontanini 2023 D. Boland
20 Greenlee Co., AZ Marc S. Durfee 2023 A. Moors
20 Swan Lake, MB Benjamin S. Elliott 2024 M. Olson
20 Gardom Lake, BC Ryan A.J. Sinclair 2024 L. Verbaas
4. TYPICAL AMERICAN ELK
Hunter: Bailey M. Fender
Score: 393-4/8 points
Year Taken: 2023
Location: Socorro County, New Mexico
5. COUGAR
Hunter: Jason D. Lickfeldt Score: 14-12/16 points
Year Taken: 2023
Location: Coconino County, Arizona
6. ROOSEVELT’S ELK
Hunter: John J. Prentice
Score: 329-5/8 points
Year Taken: 2023
Location: Siskiyou County, California
Golsovia River, AK Brent M. Adcox 2023 R. Deis 24 3/16
Little Tonzona Matthew C. Swartz 2023 R. Morrison River, AK
7. TYPICAL COLUMBIA BLACKTAIL DEER
Hunter: Michael D. Kulak
Score: 132-1/8 points
Year Taken: 2022
Location: Siskiyou County, California
8. NON-TYPICAL MULE DEER
Hunter: Leo H. Goss
Score: 226-2/8 points
Year Taken: 2023
Location: San Juan County, Utah
24 2/16
Nimiuktuk River, AK Tanner K. Hippen 2020 R. Mort 23 10/16
Susitna River, AK James R. Taylor 2019 R. Graber 23 8/16
Wrench Creek, AK Tim D. Hiner 2024 C. Brent
Shaktoolik River, AK Craig T. Huff 2023 L. Gorchesky
BROWN BEAR - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 30-12/16 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 26 29 2/16 King Salmon Darin J. Haugh 2024 S. Parkerson Creek, AK 28 8/16
Chickaloon Flats, AK Zachariah H. Johnston 2023 T. Spraker
6/16 Mt. Katmai, AK Marshall G. Lindsay 2022 T. Adams
2/16
3/16
Swanson River, AK Tyson B. Huling 2024 T. Spraker
Uyak Bay, AK Jesse L. Shadduck 2023 G. Dennis
Ugak Bay, AK Lance A. Bodeen 2023 C. Brent
- WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 16-4/16 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 14-8/16 15 8/16
4/16
4/16
Bonner Co., ID Keith S. Hardy 2024 P. Gardner
Co., CO John E. Legnard 2023 B. Ross
Co., ID Joseph M. Wood, Jr. 2023 M. Schlegel
12/16 Coconino Co., AZ Jason D. Lickfeldt 2023 M. Zieser 14 12/16 Elmore Co., ID Shane H. Boettcher 2023 M. Demick
10/16 Washoe Co., NV James R. Koehler 2024 L. Clark
8/16 Owyhee Co., ID Eric M. Tatro 2024 R. Addison
7/8 Socorro Co., NM Bailey M. Fender 2023 R. Grace 387 396 2/8 Valencia Co., NM Wayne R. Deason 2023 J. Hanselka 373 6/8 386 3/8 Otter Valley, BC Picked Up 2024 P. Byrne 369 5/8 399 5/8 Harding Co., SD Sean D. Lesnar 2023 M. Mauney
365 4/8 380 3/8 Red Deer River, AB Bryan R. Ness 2012 T. Brew
NON-TYPICAL AMERICAN ELK WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 478-5/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 385
396 2/8 424 6/8 Kittson Co., MN Gary A. Przekwas 2023 R. Dufault
ROOSEVELT’S ELK - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 455-2/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 275
377 2/8 382 2/8 Humboldt Co., CA Leslie E. Hudson, Jr. 2023 J. Capurro
333 4/8 342 Little Bear Bay, BC Picked Up 1979 E. Swanson
329 5/8 334 Siskiyou Co., CA John J. Prentice 2023 J. Maytum
315 3/8 348 7/8 Humboldt Co., CA James R. Davis 2023 D. Biggs
TULE ELK - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 379 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 270
305 3/8 312 2/8 Mendocino Co., CA Nicholas B. Beiter 2023 J. Fischer
TYPICAL MULE DEER - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 226-4/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 180
201 5/8 204 5/8 Montagneuse Kyle G. Stevens, Sr. 2023 D. Powell River, AB
195 1/8 216 4/8 Gallatin Co., MT Unknown 2024 D. Boland
194 7/8 219 1/8 Idaho Unknown 2024 D. Boland
193 1/8 204 7/8 Sonora, MX Kevin C. Reed 2023 T. Bartoskewitz
192 7/8 201 2/8 Unknown Unknown 2023 D. Boland
191 5/8 199 4/8 Colorado Picked Up 1989 B. Dam
186 5/8 209 2/8 Sonora, MX John B. Smith III 2023 E. Stanosheck
6/8 Terry Co., TX Todd K. Stroud 2023 E. Stanosheck
TYPICAL COLUMBIA BLACKTAIL DEER
WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 182-2/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 125
143 6/8 158 3/8 Shasta Co., CA Kenneth D. Roberts II 2023 S. Boero
132 1/8 141 2/8 Siskiyou Co., CA Michael D. Kulak 2022 D. Mallia
129 7/8 132 1/8 King Co., WA Matthew T. Bell 2018 R. Spaulding
127 7/8 138 1/8 Lane Co., OR Pamela A. Parham 2023 R. Evans
126 5/8 130 6/8 Stave Lake, BC Kyle J. Douglas 2023 J. Thomson
TYPICAL SITKA BLACKTAIL DEER
WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 133 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 100
109 7/8 114 1/8 LeConte Bay, AK David F. Myrup 2021 B. Capes
TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 213-5/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 160
184 1/8 198 4/8 Stearns Co., MN Picked Up 2023 S. Grabow
181 7/8 190 5/8 Washington Co., OH Ryan A. Wagner 2022 M. Olson
180 5/8 206 1/8 New Castle Co., DE Scott Slover 2023 J. Melvin
178 1/8 187 2/8 Washington Co., IL Joshua T. Smith 2022 S. Moore
177 6/8 204 4/8 Rockcastle Co., KY Eddie W. Todd 2023 D. Weddle
177 4/8 196 3/8 Franklin Co., OH James E. Hawkins 2023 R. Wood
177 2/8 183 4/8 Lawrence Co., IL Heath A. Judy 2023 M. Lamb
176 3/8 180 2/8 Mitchell Co., IA Josh A. Adams 2023 C. Coble
176 2/8 180 2/8 Grassmere, BC Picked Up 1995 D. Patterson
175 6/8 181 Saline Co., MO Robbie O’Bryan 2005 D. Hollingsworth
175 1/8 184 6/8 North Clinton D. Dukewich 2010 L. Rayment Saskatchewan River, AB
174 4/8 187 7/8 Fond Du Lac Co., WI Chad C. Karls 2023 M. Miller
174 4/8 179 1/8 Clinton Co., IA Kyle T. Lafrenz 2022 C. Pierce
174 3/8 185 5/8 Clark Co., KY Walter L. Davis 2023 J. Lacefield
174 181 Delaware Co., OH Paul B. Campbell 2023 M. Olson
173 7/8 182 6/8 Wapello Co., IA M. Scott Wilson II 2023 C. Coble
173 3/8 179 4/8 Cambria Co., PA Daniel A. Kirsch 2023 D. Schellhammer
TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER CONTINUED
172 5/8 196 3/8 Jay Co., IN Benjamin R. Lyons 2023 T. Wright
172 5/8 194 6/8 Tippecanoe Co., IN Garrett A. Konopa 2023 G. Howard
172 5/8 180 Adams Co., OH Garry J. Kortz, Jr. 2023 J. Riebel
172 3/8 177 5/8 Butler Co., MO Julie Becker 2020 D. Nance
171 5/8 178 Pike Co., MO Aeran K. Hubbard 2023 G. Webber
171 4/8 194 3/8 Morgan Co., IL Cody A. Miller 2016 A. Shofner
171 4/8 177 7/8 Pulaski Co., AR Scotty Allen 2023 L. Rochelle
170 5/8 180 6/8 Lee Co., KY Timothy D. Fox, Jr. 2023 D. Weddle
170 5/8 177 4/8 Pulaski Co., KY Joby L. Gossett 1987 D. Weddle
170 5/8 178 4/8 Meigs Co., OH Josh M. Price 2023 J. Riebel
170 4/8 174 2/8 Sauk Co., WI Monte N. Mast 2023 J. Gander
170 3/8 180 5/8 Trempealeau Co., WI Sheila R. 2023 S. Godfrey Weisenberger-Reglin
170 2/8 195 4/8 Day Co., SD Lyle Berg 1985 S. Rauch
170 2/8 189 Pulaski Co., KY Joby L. Gossett 2006 D. Weddle
169 7/8 194 Allamakee Co., IA Alan J. Basten 2023 J. Miller
168 6/8 172 7/8 Hancock Co., ME Suzanne M. Clement 2023 T. Montgomery
168 3/8 172 7/8 Grant Co., WI Casey A. Swenson 2020 P. Jensen
168 2/8 170 Lawrence Co., IL Adrian W. Powell 2023 C. Adams
168 173 6/8 Wright Co., MN Robert J. Savage 2022 J. Olson
167 6/8 185 5/8 Washington Co., WI Matthew J. Schmitz 2024 M. Miller
167 5/8 180 4/8 Allen Co., IN Neil J. Johnson 2023 R. Karczewski
167 4/8 171 4/8 Scioto Co., OH Donald N. Whisman 2022 J. Sperry
167 197 6/8 Brokenhead Logan T. Cote 2021 E. Parker River, MB
166 4/8 171 2/8 Oxford Co., ME Randall Y. Paquette 2023 B. Emerson
166 3/8 171 Hennepin Co., MN Justin R. Frymark 2023 K. Fredrickson
165 7/8 174 3/8 Johnson Co., IN Rusty B. Girard 2023 J. Moore
165 6/8 172 5/8 Letcher Co., KY Kaleb M. Hamilton 2023 D. Weddle
165 2/8 169 5/8 Greensville Co., VA R. Owen Miller 2023 J. Turner
165 168 6/8 Chippewa Co., WI Alex A. Sedivy 2023 J. Lunde
164 7/8 172 1/8 Lawrence Co., OH Shane D. Allen 2022 S. Taylor
164 6/8 170 6/8 Meigs Co., OH Ricky L. Price 2024 J. Riebel
164 3/8 181 3/8 Washington Co., OH Trent G. Hendrickson 2022 R. Wood
164 3/8 168 7/8 Roseau Co., MN Shyanne M. Gust 2022 S. Grabow
163 6/8 172 7/8 Carroll Co., IN Jamie F. Lay 2023 R. Graber
163 6/8 172 3/8 Rockingham Co., VA Samuel C. Knupp 2023 B. Trumbo
163 3/8 180 5/8 Berrien Co., MI Alan D. Barchett 2023 C. Collins
163 1/8 181 7/8 Daviess Co., IN Justin K. Williams 2023 R. Graber
163 177 Cass Co., IL Donald J. Bonlander, Jr. 2023 S. Zirbel
162 5/8 172 7/8 De Witt Co., IL William A. Duggins 2021 D. Good
162 5/8 169 5/8 Barron Co., WI Luke A. Mathews 2023 K. Zimmerman
162 4/8 182 3/8 Columbia Co., WI Justin C. Kovalaske 2022 C. Rotering
162 3/8 189 5/8 Lucas Co., IA Craig E. Stickfort 2022 C. Coble
162 3/8 186 4/8 Ross Co., OH Mark A. Danner 2019 R. Elkins
162 1/8 176 5/8 Allen Co., OH Luke J. Wrasman 2023 W. Bellman
162 192 3/8 Morris Co., KS Toby L. Biehler 2023 D. Hollingsworth
162 171 Brown Co., IL Bernard Rioux 2022 R. Groleau
161 7/8 171 2/8 Greene Co., IN Nicholas R. Goodman 2022 J. Fields
161 6/8 186 4/8 Carroll Co., KY Ricky L. Leach 2023 S. Taylor
161 6/8 173 4/8 Champaign Co., OH Kenneth J. Kopacko 2023 M. Hentrick
161 6/8 169 2/8 Lake Co., IN Picked Up 2010 S. Zirbel
161 3/8 168 Crawford Co., WI Ryan M. Reischel 2023 E. Nelson
161 1/8 177 Guernsey Co., OH T.J. Miller 2023 R. Huffman
161 1/8 164 7/8 De Witt Co., IL Michelle I. Fortune 2023 J. Fields
160 7/8 170 1/8 Richland Co., WI Kyle L. Ziegler 2023 J. Vogel
160 6/8 171 6/8 Floyd Co., KY Michael C. Elliott 2021 S. Taylor
160 5/8 172 Edgar Co., IL Michael S. Sereno 2023 J. Fields
160 4/8 174 5/8 Scott Co., MN Ryan C. Johnson 2023 S. Grabow
160 4/8 169 3/8 Hardin Co., KY Howard T. Gleason 2023 M. Peterson
160 4/8 163 3/8 Kelvington, SK Rob M. Ziola 2017 D. Pezderic
160 2/8 169 2/8 Vernon Co., WI Mary E. Rauls 2023 J. Gander
160 2/8 166 2/8 Lyon Co., MN Picked Up 2023 J. Lunde
160 1/8 169 1/8 St. Joseph Co., IN Jonathan E. Kintner 2023 R. Karczewski
160 1/8 166 7/8 Unknown Unknown 2024 G. Wegner
NON-TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 333-7/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 185
243 1/8 251 3/8 Moose Lincoln M. Garton 2021 D. Holinaty Mountain Creek, SK
228 4/8 237 3/8 Duchess, AB Jay Watts 2023 W. Paplawski
218 225 2/8 Hemphill Co., TX Louis A. Harveson 2023 D. Brimager
215 4/8 222 4/8 Franklin Co., MA Russell A. Newland 2022 R. Peltier
213 218 6/8 Marshall Co., IA Picked Up 2023 S. Grabow
209 5/8 219 1/8 Tuscarawas Co., OH Thomas E. Stull 2023 W. Ogden
209 1/8 214 1/8 Jackfish Lake, BC Jacob Albertson 2023 R. Berreth
9. TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER
Hunter: Kyle L. Ziegler
Score: 160-7/8 points
Year Taken: 2023
Location: Richland County, Wisconsin
10. TYPICAL COUES’ WHITETAIL DEER
Hunter: Scott M. Thompson Score: 121-1/8 points
Year Taken: 2024
Location: Sonora, Mexico
11. ROOSEVELT’S ELK
Hunter: James R. Davis
Score: 315-3/8 points
Year Taken: 2023
Location: Humboldt County, California
12. TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER
Hunter: Michelle I. Fortune
Score: 161-1/8 points
Year Taken: 2023
Location: De Witt County, Illinois
13. MOUNTAIN CARIBOU
Hunter: Michael Willms Score: 372-7/8 points
Year Taken: 2022
Location: Tuya Range, British Columbia
14. NON-TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER
Hunter: Christopher S. Caldwell Score: 196 points
Year Taken: 2023
Location: Wayne County, Indiana
15. BLACK BEAR
Hunter: Gaetan Roy Score: 20-6/16 points
Year Taken: 2023
Location: Lac York, Quebec
NON-TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER CONTINUED
208 5/8 213 3/8 Webster Co., IA Triston J. Licht 2023 C. Coble
208 2/8 214 1/8 Vernon Co., WI Darian J. Strasser 2024 L. Miller
207 5/8 213 1/8 Cass Co., IA Jordan R. Petersen 2023 C. Coble
206 5/8 214 3/8 Marion Co., IL Kenenth B. Lane 2007 D. Good
206 214 4/8 Marion Co., IA James D. Vandenberg 2023 C. Coble
205 5/8 211 2/8 Lac McKay, QC Reginald Arsenault 1980 R. Groleau
205 3/8 214 3/8 Shelby Co., OH Zachary J. Kemper 2023 J. Riebel
203 206 2/8 Ste. Genevieve Matthew R. Gegg 2023 C. Co., MO Matzenbacher
202 5/8 223 7/8 Greene Co., IL Erik P. Enstad 2023 J. Mraz
202 1/8 213 4/8 Cedar Co., IA Craig A. Schnoor 2019 C. Pierce
201 7/8 207 6/8 Anoka Co., MN Dustin R. Gadient 2006 L. Streiff
200 5/8 209 1/8 Barber Co., KS Jonathan M. Lieb 2022 D. Doughty
200 4/8 206 2/8 Caddo Co., OK Chris L. Allen 2023 D. Springer
200 2/8 210 4/8 Canada Unknown 2024 D. Boland
199 5/8 206 Williams Co., ND Richard A. Webster 2017 S. Rehak
198 4/8 203 4/8 Black Hawk Co., IA Picked Up 2023 S. Grabow
198 3/8 206 6/8 Adams Co., WI Daniel R. Wiesman 2023 R. Walter
197 5/8 207 5/8 Adams Co., OH Michael L. Murtland 2023 R. Wood
197 1/8 199 3/8 Macon Co., MO Jesse C. Gieson 2023 J. Demand
196 2/8 198 3/8 Todd Co., MN Alissa M. Oeffling 2023 D. Ohman 196 1/8 200 1/8 Jefferson Co., MO Kenneth L. Williams 2023 C. Matzenbacher
196 203 5/8 Wayne Co., IN Christopher S. 2023 T. Wright Caldwell
195 7/8 200 2/8 Iowa Co., WI Kelly R. Ware 2020 J. Lunde
195 7/8 199 5/8 Mclean Co., IL Joshua A. Petersen 2023 D. Hollingsworth 195 2/8 200 6/8 Johnson Co., MO Buck M. Tranbarger 2016 D. Hollingsworth 195 1/8 205 6/8 Clay Co., IL Jacob R. Cowger 2023 M. Lamb
195 1/8 203 1/8 Decatur Co., IA Tristan M. Johnson 2023 C. Coble
193 1/8 199 6/8 Noble Co., IN Drew R. Conley 2023 R. Karczewski
192 7/8 198 1/8 Lac des Îles, SK Michel Bernard 2020 E. Tremblay
191 5/8 198 4/8 Mercer Co., IL John W. Attig 2008 Z. Randall
191 2/8 199 7/8 St. Charles Co., MO Dustin Erlewine 2023 D. Hollingsworth
191 195 2/8 Val Verde Co., TX John E. Williams, Jr. 2023 R. Zaiglin
191 193 1/8 Hart Co., KY Aaron B. Yoder 2023 J. Druen
190 7/8 195 4/8 Morgan Co., OH Zachary W. Ponchak 2023 R. Huffman
190 2/8 196 3/8 Harlan Co., KY Jerry C. Clayborn 2019 D. Weddle
190 1/8 193 6/8 Floyd Co., IA Thomas D. Daiker 2023 J. Miller
189 7/8 197 1/8 Jasper Co., IN Craig J. Vyhnanek 2023 T. Wright
189 5/8 194 6/8 Todd Co., KY Richard L. Soyk 2023 W. Cooper
189 1/8 200 6/8 Ozaukee Co., WI Derek A. Strohl 2023 S. Zirbel
189 194 2/8 LeFlore Co., OK Brayden O. Dees 2023 J. Johnson
189 192 2/8 Nobles Co., MN Adam F. Vaske 2023 D. Boland
188 7/8 198 3/8 Henry Co., MO Corey J. Dunn 2023 J. Workman
188 5/8 193 4/8 Story Co., IA Connor J. Finch 2023 J. Miller
187 6/8 194 5/8 Sheboygan Co., WI Morgan J. Glander 2024 M. Miller
187 4/8 207 1/8 Brown Co., IL Ernesto M. Santana 2024 C. Coble
187 2/8 197 3/8 Breckinridge Co., KY Jeffrey W. DeBerry 2023 D. Weddle
186 6/8 190 4/8 Mercer Co., OH Matthew A. Kuess 2021 T. Wright
186 2/8 198 6/8 Clark Co., IL Paul M. Boles 2023 D. Robillard
186 1/8 191 Union Co., IN William A. Hertel 2023 T. Wright
186 190 2/8 Atascosa Co., TX Charles R. Campbell 2023 A. Cain
185 7/8 191 3/8 Dunn Co., WI Picked Up 2023 K. Rimer
185 3/8 193 Crittenden Co., KY Robert Ervin 2024 W. Cooper
185 2/8 190 4/8 Leslie Co., KY Andrew C. Hunt 2021 S. Taylor
TYPICAL COUES’ WHITETAIL DEER
WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 144-1/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 100
121 1/8 127 1/8 Sonora, MX Scott M. Thompson 2024 W. Norton
119 2/8 124 1/8 Chihuahua, MX Gregory H. Smith 2023 M. Sipe
107 4/8 110 6/8 Sonora, MX Alejandro S. Contreras 2024 D. Clark
106 4/8 110 3/8 Sonora, MX Timothy W. Stanosheck 2024 E. Stanosheck
105 3/8 108 1/8 Sonora, MX Picked Up 2023 C. Brent
105 1/8 112 2/8 Santa Cruz Co., AZ Alejandro S. Contreras 2022 D. Clark
NON-TYPICAL COUES’ WHITETAIL
WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 196-2/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 105
131 2/8 134 7/8 Cochise Co., AZ Carlos Píña 2023 M. Zieser
120 123 2/8 Cochise Co., AZ John Falcon 2023 J. Browning
CANADA MOOSE - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 242 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 185
191 5/8 196 1/8 Cassiar Mts., BC Shannon Meadors 2023 R. Evans
ALASKA-YUKON MOOSE - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 266-4/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 210
242 6/8 253 4/8 Iliamna Lake, AK Picked Up 2006 G. Anderson
241 2/8 244 4/8 Fortymile River, AK Damien D. Burke 2023 L. Lewis
237 7/8 241 6/8 Slokhenjikh Hills, AK Benjamin J. Flores 2022 J. Booey
233 239 Golsovia River, AK Ray F. Lovell 2021 S. Kleinsmith
225 5/8 236 5/8 Taylor Mts., AK Eugene Hancock 1966 D. Larsen
222 6/8 231 4/8 Wood River, AK Michael B. Vasser 2017 T. Spraker
222 1/8 227 2/8 Nuyakuk Lake, AK Jarrod S. Mays 2023 F. King
219 3/8 223 5/8 Cinnabar Creek, AK Curtis L. Halbakken 2023 F. King
213 6/8 222 5/8 Golsovia River, AK William J. Kitchin 2023 K. Lehr
211 214 6/8 Alaska Unknown 2020 D. Boland
SHIRAS’ MOOSE - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 205-4/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 140
171 3/8 173 2/8 Summit Co., UT Gerald S. Laurino 2023 W. Bowles
169 2/8 171 5/8 Boulder Co., CO Vince E. Rafferty 2023 E. Lowery
165 3/8 176 7/8 Summit Co., UT William H. Crystal 2023 P. Davis
163 2/8 168 6/8 Summit Co., UT Gordon W. Nelson 2023 P. Davis
161 5/8 165 5/8 Blackfeet Christopher J. Clark 2023 E. Headley Indian Res., MT
157 159 Bannock Co., ID Clay J. DeClark 2023 E. Bartholomew
154 6/8 158 2/8 Caribou Co., ID Benny L. Kendall 2023 B. Sanford
144 6/8 148 3/8 Big Horn Co., WY William B. Wilson, Jr. 2022 D. Hart
143 7/8 149 4/8 Stevens Co., WA Matthew T. Bell 2004 R. Spaulding
141 6/8 151 1/8 Twin Falls Co., ID David C. Posey 2023 T. Kelly
MOUNTAIN CARIBOU - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 459-3/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 360
391 4/8 409 2/8 Itsi Mountain, YT Eric Lane 2023 C. Walker
388 4/8 398 2/8 Mackenzie Mts., NT Andrew J. Moeckel 2023 F. King
372 7/8 387 4/8 Tuya Range, BC Michael Willms 2022 R. Wiens
WOODLAND CARIBOU - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 419-5/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 265
349 1/8 357 6/8 East Pond, NL Terrance L. White 2023 J. Ramsey
289 7/8 297 7/8 Pond Lake, NL Gary B. Mefford 2023 M. Barrett
289 3/8 296 7/8 Middle Ridge, NL Mitchell A. Miller 2023 J. Brummer
273 2/8 283 2/8 Deer Lake, NL Brad R. Plaga 2022 C. Blome
CENTRAL CANADA BARREN GROUND CARIBOU WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 433-4/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 345
380 7/8 388 1/8 Edehon Lake, NU Eric D. Lowery 2023 T. Kelly
PRONGHORN - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 96-4/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 80
95 95 7/8 Otero Co., NM Mike Gallo 2023 R. Stayner
91 4/8 91 7/8 Luna Co., NM Brett Hamilton 2023 R. Stayner
91 2/8 91 4/8 Luna Co., NM Mike Gallo 2020 R. Stayner
89 6/8 90 3/8 Hudspeth Co., TX Wanda H. Bazemore 2023 O. Carpenter
85 2/8 86 4/8 Hudspeth Co., TX Keith R. Eason 2023 O. Carpenter
84 84 6/8 Elko Co., NV Timothy J. Koll 2023 R. Stayner
83 2/8 85 Unknown Unknown 2024 D. Boland
82 2/8 84 1/8 Catron Co., NM Brandon L. Hoag 2023 M. Parah
82 82 Fox Lake, AB Bryan D. Wendt 2023 J. Zins
80 2/8 84 6/8 Emery Co., UT Timothy C. Haught 2022 K. Lehr
80 2/8 80 7/8 Mineral Co., NV Lori E. Hoelzen 2023 C. Lacey
80 2/8 80 4/8 Millard Co., UT Quincy C. Cox 2023 D. Nielsen
80 80 7/8 Phillips Co., MT Andrew J. Boyce 2023 J. Schwab
BISON - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 136-4/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 115
125 2/8 126 4/8 Custer Co., SD Scott R. Grasse 2023 A. Sternagel
124 4/8 125 3/8 Teton Co., WY Bradley D. Clingman 2003 T. Hawkins
124 126 6/8 Teton Co., WY Michael T. Jerup 2023 T. Smith
119 120 4/8 Garfield Co., UT Mitchell A. Miller 2023 J. Brummer
16. PRONGHORN
Hunter: Brett Hamilton Score: 91-4/8 points Year Taken: 2023
Location: Luna County, New Mexico
17. SHIRAS’ MOOSE
Hunter: Vince E. Rafferty Score: 169-2/8 points Year Taken: 2023
Location: Boulder County, Colorado
18. WOODLAND CARIBOU
Hunter: Mitchell A. Miller Score: 289-3/8 points Year Taken: 2023
Location: Middle Ridge, Newfoundland
19. ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT
Hunter: Gabriel M. Krahn Score: 48-2/8 points Year Taken: 2023
Location: Moonlit Mountain, British Columbia
20. NON-TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER
Hunter: Louis A. Harveson Score: 218 points
Year Taken: 2023
Location: Hemphill County, Texas
21. CENTRAL CANADA BARREN GROUND CARIBOU
Hunter: Eric D. Lowery
Score: 380-7/8 points
Year Taken: 2023
Location: Edehon Lake, Nunavut
22. DESERT SHEEP
Hunter: Grant A. Medlin
Score: 177-5/8 points
Year Taken: 2023
Location: Sonora, Mexico
23. BISON
Hunter: Michael T. Jerup
Score: 124 points
Year Taken: 2023
Location: Teton County, Wyoming
24. CANADA MOOSE
Hunter: Shannon Meadors
Score: 191-5/8 points
Year Taken: 2023
Location: Cassiar Mountains, British Columbia
25. PRONGHORN
Hunter: Timothy J. Koll
Score: 84 points
Year Taken: 2023
Location: Elko County, Nevada
ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 60-4/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 47
49 4/8 50 3/8 Kluachon Lake, BC Christian J. LeVatte 2023 D. Cropley
48 2/8 49 1/8 Moonlit Gabriel M. Krahn 2023 S. Krossa Mountain, BC
47 6/8 48 Grindle Hills, AK Joseph P. Crawford 2023 F. Giuliani
47 47 7/8 Summit Co., CO Bryan G. Lamont 2023 L. Balenko
MUSK OX - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 131-4/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 105
121 4/8 123 6/8 Lynx Lake, NT Benjamin B. 2023 M. Wallace, Jr. Ledbetter
119 2/8 122 Lynx Lake, NT Andy Carpenter 2023 E. Stanosheck
118 6/8 120 Baker Lake, NU Dylan J. Hitner 2023 T. Humes
116 118 7/8 Baker Lake, NU Mitchell A. Miller 2023 J. Brummer
115 6/8 117 Cambridge Bay, NU Mark E. Moore 2022 M. Kronyak
109 6/8 110 7/8 Lynx Lake, NT Ben B. Wallace 2023 M. Ledbetter
109 4/8 110 7/8 Nunivak Island, AK Jeremy D. Pierce 2024 C. Brent
107 6/8 108 6/8 Coppermine Glenn Thurman 1993 B. River, NT Thompson
106 108 1/8 Paulatuk, NT Todd J. Looney 2024 C. Collins
105 2/8 106 5/8 Nunivak Island, AK Samuel P. Jeffries 2022 C. Brent
BIGHORN SHEEP - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 216-3/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 175
193 7/8 195 4/8 Greenhill Peak, BC Nelson Mitchell 2023 J. Barrow
190 6/8 191 4/8 Junction Creek, AB Mark MacDonald 1982 T. Webber
189 3/8 191 1/8 Montana Sherwin Scott 1993 J. Schwab
189 189 1/8 Asotin Co., WA Michael T. Kinney 2023 V. Trujillo
188 5/8 188 5/8 Lewis and Cody D. Strunk 2016 G. Taylor Clark Co., MT
186 4/8 187 4/8 Apache Co., AZ Bradley A. Briggs 2023 R. Priest
184 4/8 185 3/8 Unknown Unknown 1930 D. Boland
178 5/8 179 2/8 Fremont Co., CO Timber M. McGuin 2023 J. Mancuso
178 2/8 178 2/8 Las Animas Co., CO Picked Up 2022 G. Adkisson
177 1/8 178 2/8 Park Co., WY Brian K. Turner 2023 V. Trujillo
175 3/8 176 4/8 Ravalli Co., MT Michael L. Tatum 2023 K. Lehr
175 1/8 175 6/8 Nez Perce Co., ID Matthew T. Bell 1994 R. Spaulding
DESERT SHEEP - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 205-1/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 165
186 188 Cochise Co., AZ Kevin P. Bagley 2023 M. Sipe
181 181 2/8 Sonora, MX Michael T. Kinney 2024 V. Trujillo
180 7/8 182 1/8 Cochise Co., AZ Bryan T. Stark 2023 M. Sipe
177 5/8 178 Sonora, MX Grant A. Medlin 2023 P. Dalrymple
175 1/8 175 7/8 Hidalgo Co., NM Michael T. Kinney 2023 V. Trujillo
174 4/8 175 2/8 Sonora, MX Michael T. Kinney 2024 V. Trujillo
172 6/8 174 5/8 Sonora, MX Jared M. Van Lanen 2023 S. Zirbel
170 3/8 171 3/8 Brewster Co., TX Peter A.B. Widener, Jr. 2024 M. Barrett
170 171 Socorro Co., NM Luke Linhoff 2023 N. Tatman
168 7/8 169 2/8 Churchill Co., NV Byron W. Christiansen 2023 B. Capes
168 168 Mineral Co., NV Forrest T. Cross 2023 V. Trujillo
166 3/8 166 4/8 Sonora, MX Paul A. Vice 2024 A. Clark
STONE’S SHEEP - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 196-6/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 160
174 5/8 175 Cassiar Mts., BC Gordon Eastman 1966 G. Adkisson
161 6/8 163 Yash Creek, BC Everitt N. Davis 1996 J. Graham
26. BIGHORN SHEEP
Hunter: Michael L. Tatum
Score: 175-3/8 points
Year Taken: 2023
Location: Ravalli County, Montana
27. MUSK OX
Hunter: Benjamin B. Wallace, Jr.
Score: 121-4/8 points
Year Taken: 2023
Location: Lynx Lake, Northwest Territories
28. STONE’S SHEEP
Hunter: Gordon Eastman
Score: 174-5/8 points
Year Taken: 1966
Location: Cassiar Mountains, British Columbia
TRAIL CAMERA PHOTOS FROM BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB’S THEODORE ROOSEVELT MEMORIAL RANCH
Dupuyer, Montana
SPONSORED BY
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