AT A MINIMUM

If you are an avid bowhunter seeking to enter your trophies into the Pope & Young record books, you typically know about the minimum scores that need to be met to be considered for entry. Each species and category have its minimums based on years of scientific study used to determine an exceptional standard for that species. Whether the species at hand is a typical or non-typical antlered trophy, a velvet antlered trophy, or even one of the many animal sub-species categorized by a geographical boundary, the bowhunter should understand that these minimums are not just random numbers. At a minimum, you should know that the efforts to establish such minimums were long and exhausting. ey are exceptional but achievable.

In the world we live in today, we might feel more and more compelled only to harvest animals that will score higher than our minimum score requirements. at is not a bad thing. Taking mature animals in your hunting pursuits is a good thing. It helps the population thrive, challenges you, the bowhunter, and tests your outdoor skills at the highest levels. But the minimum scores could also be looked at as just a goal or even a bonus. Not reaching the minimum score doesn’t diminish the hunter’s effort, skill set, or value of the hunt; it is not a grade on the hunter or the hunt. Instead, the score is a final entry in your hunting journal to document the grade of the animal and compare it against a set of long-standing standards in the ranks of others. At a minimum, we should accept that taking a big game animal is an honor and should be treated with honor.

When the data is combined with harvest statistics and our record book entry data, sound biology, and wildlife management practices should support the well-known model(s) used to manage big game. It is no coincidence that big game animals that are the most dominant, have the best genetics, and are the healthiest are both the focal point of wildlife management and hunters. In a perfect world, where all wildlife management issues faced today are manageable, management of our big game animals would be exceptional, and the trophy quality of big game would be more commonplace. But it’s not a perfect world. When examined closely, the data can support good and poor wildlife management findings. And for that, we must ensure that bow hunting remains an effective tool for managing big game. At a minimum, know that every entry into the Pope & Young record books continues to help protect the use of a bow and arrow in wildlife management.

When you understand the purpose and history of the record books, our minimums make more sense regarding their purpose and position. As club members, we can then better support and represent bow hunting at a higher level. A level above the minimum expectation that, as a club, we put on each other to promote the club and bowhunting. Becoming a better bowhunter isn’t always measured in the record book. Understanding the role that the record books play should influence all bow hunters to be better ambassadors of bowhunting, at a minimum.

Tim Rozewski DIRECTOR OF RECORDS POPE & YOUNG