Fair Chase Fall 2016

FALL 2016 | $9.95

MIKE GALLO'S NEW WORLD'S RECORD PRONGHORN

Conservation Education Protecting Hunters’ Rights

It’s who we are.

It’s what we do.

Next DSC Convention January 5-8, 2017 biggame.org

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

Volume 32 n Number 3 n Fall 2016

TABLE OF CONTENTS 10

FROM THE EDITOR

74. B&C Records

68. Wolf Watch: Recovery and Management in Montana

Doug Painter

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FROM THE PRESIDENT | Living with Wildlife

Morrison Stevens, Sr.

Bruce Leopold and Michael R. Conover 16

CAPITOL COMMENTS | Appropriation Hijinks

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ACCURATE HUNTER | Take a Seat

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.22! EVERYONE'S FAVORITE

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IN MEMORIAM | Dr. Jack Ward Thomas

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CELEBRATING THE 29TH BIG GAME AWARDS PROGRAM

Steven Williams

Craig Boddington

Wayne van Zwoll

Brendan J. Moynahan

National Collection of Heads and Horns

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Jack Steele Parker Generation Next Banquet Lifetime Associates Luncheon Field Generals Luncheon Hunt Fair Chase Award Winner New World's Records 29th Big Game Awards Results

SCIENCE BLASTS | Studying Hunters Like We Study Deer:

Using Wildlife Science to Increase the Hunter Population

John F. Organ 68 34. Celebrating the 29th Big Game Awards Program

32. In Memoriam; Dr. Jack Ward Thomas

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24. .22! Everyone's Favorite

WOLF WATCH: RECOVERY AND MANAGEMENT IN MONTANA

B&C RECORDS: WHY THEY BEGAN, HOW FAR THEY HAVE COME, AND WHERE THEY CAN GO

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TROPHY TALK | Glenn E. Hisey of Pope & Young Club Retires

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GENERATION NEXT | 30th Awards Youth Trophy List

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RECENTLY ACCEPTED TROPHIES AND TROPHY PHOTO GALLERY 30 th Awards Program Entries | Sponsored by Realtree Xtra Green

COVER . Mike Gallo with his new

World's Record pronghorn, scoring 96-4/8 points.

Mike Mitchell

Rebecca L. Cain and David M. Williams

Jack Reneau

94 THE ETHICS OF FAIR CHASE | Deer Breeders vs the World

Daniel A. Pedrotti, Jr.

@BooneAndCrockettClub #BooneAndCrockettClub FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6

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ABOUT THE BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB

FAIR CHASE PRODUCTION STAFF

CONSERVATION HAD A BEGINNING, BUT HAS NO END A LEGACY TO BE PROUD OF n

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Oldest wildlife conservation organization in North America—founded in 1887

by Theodore Roosevelt and George Bird Grinnell; Initiator and champion of the first National Parks, including Yellowstone, Glacier, Denali, and Grand Canyon; Initiator and champion of the first legislation for wildlife, including the Timberland Reserve Bill, Yellowstone Protection Act, Lacey Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and Alaskan Game Laws; Champion of the earliest science-based wildlife management efforts and legislation, including the National Wildlife Refuge System Act, and the creation of the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units;

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Champion of the first legislations funding wildlife conservation, including the Wildlife Restoration Act (Pittman-Robertson), and the federal Duck Stamp Act;

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Pioneered and established the principles of responsible, ethical, and sustainable use hunting known as fair chase; Created the first big game scoring and data collection system to objectively measure and evaluate species and population health and habitat quality to improve state and federal wildlife polices and management; Initiator and champion of all of the principle federal land management agencies, including the US Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service;

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Spawned and supported key wildlife conservation organizations, including the New York Zoological Society (1895), National Audubon Society (1905), Wildlife Management Institute (1911), National Wildlife Federation (1937), Ducks Unlimited (1937), and American Wildlife Conservation Partners (2000) to name a few; Recognized, respected, and trusted authority on big game wildlife and habitat conservation for 129 years, thus far.

This is an excerpt from a message to members and guests from Simon Roosevelt at the Boone and Crockett Club’s annual black tie dinner, December 1st, 2012.

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

Club President – Morrison Stevens, Sr. Secretary – Tom L. Lewis Treasurer – C. Martin Wood III Executive Vice President – Administration

Timothy C. Brady Executive Vice President – Conservation

James F. Arnold Vice President of Administration

Marshall J. Collins, Jr. Vice President of Big Game Records

Eldon L. “Buck” Buckner Vice President of Conservation

James L. Cummins Vice President of Communications

CJ Buck Foundation President – B.B. Hollingsworth, Jr. Class of 2016 Ned S. Holmes Class of 2017 Anthony J. Caligiuri Class of 2018 Mary Webster

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FOUNDATION

Foundation President – B.B. Hollingsworth, Jr. Secretary – Tom L. Lewis Treasurer – C. Martin Wood III Vice President – R. Terrell McCombs Vice President – Paul M. Zelisko Class of 2016 John P. Evans

Steve J. Hageman

R. Terrell McCombs

John P. Schreiner

C. Martin Wood III Class of 2017 Remo R. Pizzagalli

Edward B. Rasmuson

James J. Shinners

John A. Tomke

Leonard J. Vallender Class of 2018 Gary W. Dietrich

B.B. Hollingsworth, Jr.

Ned S. Holmes

Tom L. Lewis

Paul M. Zelisko

Editor-in-Chief – Doug Painter Managing Editor – Karlie Slayer Conservation and History Editor

Steven Williams Research and Education Editor

John F. Organ Hunting and Ethics Editor

Mark Streissguth Assistant Editors

Keith Balfourd

Jim Bequette

CJ Buck

Kendall Hoxsey

Marc Mondavi

Jack Reneau

Tony A. Schoonen

Julie L. Tripp Editorial Contributors

Craig Boddington

Rebecca L. Cain

Michael R. Conover

Bruce Leopold

Mike Mitchell

Brendan J. Moynahan

John F. Organ

Doug Painter

Daniel A. Pedrotti, Jr.

Jack Reneau

Morrison Stevens, Sr.

David M. Williams

Steven Williams

Wayne van Zwoll Photographic Contributors

Denver Bryan

Justin Spring

Julie Tripp Fair Chase is published quarterly by the Boone and Crockett Club and distributed to its Members and Associates. Material in this magazine may be freely quoted and/or reprinted in other publications and media, so long as proper credit is given to Fair Chase. The only exception applies to articles that are reprinted in Fair Chase from other magazines, in which case, the Club does not hold the reprint rights.

The opinions expressed by the contributors of articles are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Boone and Crockett Club.

Fair Chase (ISSN 1077-3274) is published for $35 per year by the Boone and Crockett Club, 250 Station Drive, Missoula, MT 59801. Periodical postage is paid in Missoula, Montana, and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Fair Chase, Boone and Crockett Club, 250 Station Drive, Missoula, MT 59801 Phone: (406) 542-1888 Fax: (406) 542-0784

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FROM THE EDITOR Doug Painter EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

© JUSTIN SPRING

I write this just as the hurricane season has come into full swing here on the East Coast. Watching the weather on the news, I wish I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard a forecaster or emergency preparedness official wrap up their report by saying, “Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.”

All kidding aside, I’m sure this advice is so often repeated because it sums things up so well: it is fine to be optimistic, as long as you know where to seek shelter, if necessary, and have on hand the supplies you might need if the stores are closed and the power goes out.

Not long ago, I was reading an opinion piece on the subject of “safe spaces” at today’s colleges and universities. It was surprising to learn such spaces have nothing to do with providing shelter from storms. Instead, they are places where students can go

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to shield themselves from upsetting or uncomfortable viewpoints being presented on the campus.

Judy Shulevitz, New York Times contributing op-ed writer, noted in her piece, In College and Hiding From Scary Ideas, that in response to a debate about campus sexual assault organized by a student group at Brown University, the school had created a “safe space” that, as the author notes, “was intended to give people who might find comments from the debate ‘troubling’ or ‘triggering,’ a place to recuperate. The room was equipped with cookies, coloring books, bubbles, Play-Doh, calming music, pillows, blankets and a video of frolicking puppies, as well as student and staff members trained to deal with trauma.”

“Safe spaces,” Ms. Shulevitz writes, “are an expression of the conviction, increasingly prevalent among college

students, that their schools should keep them from being ‘bombarded’ by discomfiting or distressing viewpoints.”

I’m not here to disparage anyone, but I find it unfortunate that some students are demanding for themselves a level of protective coddling that is at odds with a robust and rigorous learning experience, certainly one appropriate for young adults. Aren’t we in college to be challenged by new ideas and different philosophies, not to hide from them?

Ms. Shulevitz sums it up well when she writes, “People ought to go to college to sharpen their wits and broaden their field of vision.

Shield them from unfamiliar ideas, and they’ll never learn the discipline of seeing the world as other people see it.

They’ll be unprepared for the social and intellectual headwinds that will hit them as soon as they step off the

campuses whose climates they have so carefully controlled.”

In the great outdoors, only Mother Nature is in charge of climate control; the rest is up to us. The natural world is a great learning center, a place where young hunters quickly learn that the higher up you go, the colder and steeper it gets. But at the end of the hunt, whether successful or not, those youngsters come home standing just a bit taller and walking with a more confident step.

So here’s to the young men and women who have belly crawled through the snow to get in for a closer shot or headed into the high country with a pack on their back and rifle in hand—I’m betting their definition of a “safe space” is a spike camp, with a good cooking fire and a small tent, pitched under a starfilled sky.

Hope to see you down the trail. n

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LIVING WITH WILDLIFE Human-wildlife interactions describe relationships between people and animals that can result in negative or opposing impacts on people, natural resources, and habitat. These interactions occur in a variety of contexts, including hunting, transportation, passiveappreciation activities, land use, and recreation. Some human-wildlife interactions are uneventful and do not have negative results. Others, especially those noted in case studies of whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in my home state of Michigan and black bear (Ursus americanus) in New Jersey and Colorado can be significant and have negative results. I also want to thank Bruce Leopold, of the department of wildlife, fisheries, and aquaculture, at Mississippi State University and Michael R. Conover, editor of Human-Wildlife Interactions and professor of wildland resources at Utah State University, for their insights regarding human-wildlife conflicts and the natural resource issues resulting from these conflicts.

DEALING WITH DEER

Hunting for waterfowl, upland game, deer, bear, and elk in Michigan is a significant pastime for both residents and non-residents. The variety of habitat in the Lower Peninsula, which ranges from dense forests and lake systems in the north to flat farmland and urban areas in the south, provides habitat— some better than others—to many animals throughout the 12 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

state. Whitetail deer hunting, particularly during rifle season, is truly an annual event in Michigan. The season lasts from November 15 to November 30, during which approximately 700,000 residents log many miles and hours in the field hoping for a shot to fill their freezers. In fact, for many, November 15 is treated as just another day off work or school.

Like other states, Michigan controls its whitetail deer populations through hunting.

Normally, people hunt deer in their natural habitat; however, with rapid development, habitat loss, urbanization, and human population growth, people can now find deer in their own backyards.

As a result, human-wildlife interactions occur between people and deer in suburban areas, especially in Detroit, Michigan. For example, surrounding areas of Detroit fall into the Huron-Clinton Metropark, a system of 13 parks that are spread across 25,000 acres in southwest Michigan.

The metro parks are considerably large, covering thousands of acres, and they encompass woods, lakes, golf courses, and picnic areas in which people like to frequent and spend time. The metro parks are also an exceptional sanctuary for whitetail deer as they provide food and cover in the woods, on the golf courses, and in the adjacent neighborhoods where the deer graze on hostas, daylilies, and homeowners’ vegetable gardens. Thus, deer tend to encroach upon habitat that is normally occupied by people. Due to the human population density near the Detroit metro parks,

FROM THE PRESIDENT

hunting for deer is appropriately not allowed, and as a result, human-wildlife interactions occur. In order to control deer populations in this area, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) relies periodically on sharpshooters (e.g., police officers) and organized, supervised hunts. After the hunt, the meat from the animals is donated to food pantries.

Residents have, for the most part, agreed with this control methodology because it protects their plants and vegetable gardens from future attacks.

Interestingly, each organized, supervised hunt has been followed by a decrease in highway deer-vehicle collisions (DVCs) around the parks.

While deer in this area are a nuisance to the nearby residents and drivers, they do not often present a threat to the larger human population.

However, deer-human conflicts can be very dangerous, especially in regard to the number and frequency of DVCs throughout the country.

In Michigan, for example, there are approximately 50,000 reported DVCs with an estimated $130 million in damages every year. DVCs have the potential to cause damage to the driver and passengers, not to mention the animal itself. According to the Insurance Journal, DVCs throughout the United States cost $4 billion every year, and this rate has been rising. The nocturnal habits of deer contribute to this problem; deer are not always easily identified when crossing the highway at night—until it is too late. These unfortunate

Morrison Stevens, Sr. PRESIDENT

circumstances present yet another reason why controlling deer populations is a prudent thing to do to minimize costs and negative humanwildlife interactions.

THE BEAR TRUTH

We can find other examples of human-wildlife interactions in case studies of black bears in New Jersey and Colorado. We tend to think of New Jersey as an urban eastern environment, but, in fact, it has black bears in every county in the state. In June of 1953, the New Jersey Fish and Game Council declared that the American black bear is a game animal. In 1971, wildlife management dictated that the hunting season for black bears be closed because the population was threatened. Over time, the moratorium on hunting allowed the black bear population to rebound.

Thus, as the human population continued to grow, so did the number and frequency of bear-human interactions.

New Jersey residents in all counties have experienced black bears rifling through their garbage bins and walking through their yards. Black bears, which have an acute sense of smell and a fantastic memory, habitually return to places where they have found food—people food, pet food, garbage, birdseed, small mammals, and livestock— successfully.

Because black bears and humans often come into contact in New Jersey, the state has developed and implemented educational programs to discourage people from feeding birds and to secure their garbage in bear-tight containers in suburban areas where bears are encountered frequently. Successful seasonal educational programs include posters that are plastered around campgrounds and on the Internet, with catchy phrases such as "Be Bear Aware" and "Know the Bear Facts". In 2010, in an attempt to further cut down on bear-human interactions, New Jersey reinstated a hunting season for black bears. During the 2015 black bear season, which was extended, 510 black bears were harvested.

Another prime area for bear-human conflict is Colorado, which has experienced rapid human population growth—from 2.9 million in 1980 to over 5.3 million in 2015. The majority of the growth has occurred on the I-25 corridor, the west side of which coincides with prime bear habitat. In the 1990s, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission (CPWC) estimated the population of black bears in Colorado to be between 10,000 and 12,000.

Now, the population is estimated at 17,000 to 20,000 bears. In Colorado, unlike in New Jersey, black bears have

significant variation in their habitat and food sources due to the lack of rainfall. When their habitat is destroyed, they seek out alternative food sources and will often travel to the suburbs to find them.

Black bears are highly mobile, have large home ranges, and benefit from human foods; thus, black bears have been aided by human population growth and development within or near black bear habitat. In 1992, due to reasons of ethics, a citizen referendum cancelled the spring bear-hunting season between March 1 and September 1, during which hunters would normally use bait or dogs to support the hunt. Black bear hunting declined significantly in 1993 as a result. Today, there is still a fall season that is in place to control the black bear population.

A situation I found myself in with my oldest son, Morrie Jr., and his 6-year-old daughter, Grace, brings the human-wildlife interactions discussion closer to home. We have a summer home in Grayling, Michigan, on a small lake, which is well within the range of black bears. Last August, we were enjoying an evening with a bonfire on the beach, when I looked over the shoulder of my son and saw what I thought was a black lab walking down the shoreline. I soon realized it was a mature black bear boar, and when he got

© W W W.ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ AWAKENEDEYE

New Jersey residents in all counties have experienced black bears rifling through their garbage bins and walking through their yards. Black bears, which have an acute sense of smell and a fantastic memory, habitually return to places where they have found food—people food, pet food, garbage, birdseed, small mammals, and livestock.

within 150 yards, I advised my son to quietly take his daughter into the house. Thankfully, my son responded immediately. The black bear walked through our backyard, and he sat on our sea-wall along the creek that drains the lake. Though the situation was harrowing at first, in the end, all of the kids got to enjoy a real wildlife experience. Why was the bear there? The neighbors had been feeding the birds regularly, and this bear appeared to have successfully located the bird feeders. We experienced several incidences of bears knocking the feeders over to get to the bird feed.

The lake association and the MDNR strongly suggested we cease feeding the birds. We all did, but since black bears have excellent memories, we worried that this black bear would be back for another lunch.

The above story and comments reinforce the North American Model of

Wildlife Conservation that we, as members of the Boone and Crockett Club, all embrace. At its core, hunting is a management tool that results in healthy wildlife populations. Obviously, in the suburban areas where hunting is not allowed, other control methodologies must be considered. Our hunting heritage and belief in the North American Model is important in controlling wild game populations to minimize dangerous human-wildlife interactions.

Every year when I go out to Cody, Wyoming, to visit friends and go fishing, we always carry bear spray. The cliché is that you only need to be the second slowest runner to be safe! I thought that was humorous until this past year when I had a bad case of gout, and now I think I am the slowest runner in the group! n

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HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICTS– THE NATURAL RESOURCE ISSUE OF THE 21ST CENTURY BRUCE LEOPOLD DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE, FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE, MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY MICHAEL R. CONOVER

© W W W.ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ DANIELHARWARDT

EDITOR, HUMAN-WILDLIFE INTERACTIONS PROFESSOR, WILDLAND RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY

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Wildlife provide great benefits to individuals and to society. Consider the whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Over 10 million people in the United States hunt big game, and deer is the most popular big game species. Deer hunting in the U.S. is an important economic benefit, with an estimated $33.7 billion in expenditures annually. Many deer hunters find the opportunity to be out-of-doors and hunting deer to be one of the greatest pleasures in their life. Other people (76 million in the U.S.) enjoy watching wildlife and many people (23 million) visit public parks to view or photograph wild animals.

Deer are among the most awe-inspiring mammals in North America due to their grace, size, and role they have played in our history.

Another role of deer, an ecological one, is to provide a food source for populations of wolves and cougars.

On the negative side, wildlife can harm a person or society. That harm might be economical when someone suffers a financial loss due to wildlife, including damage to physical property, such as when a vehicle needs to be repaired or replaced after striking a deer or a loss of future income when wildlife damage reduces profitability of farms, ranches, timber production, or other professions.

Conflicts arise when people are injured or killed by wildlife, or their health is threatened by a disease pathogen that thrives in a wildlife species and then is transmitted to humans. Harm can occur to other wildlife species or their habitat, other natural resources, or to landscapes or ecosystems. For all native wildlife species, the benefits they provide society far outweigh the problems they cause (i.e., human-wildlife conflicts). It is for this reason that we have a positive opinion of wildlife and worry when we hear that a wildlife population is declining. But while this is true for society, it is not true for every individual because the problems caused by wildlife do not fall evenly upon every individual; many

Many wildlife have lost their fear of humans due to habituation; rather than fleeing when they see a person, many animals will either ignore the person or approach.

farmers whose crops are destroyed by deer consider them a pest, and a family whose child is killed by a cougar often does not look kindly on the species. This creates conflicts among members of society about how wildlife populations should be managed.

Human-wildlife conflicts have been increasing in frequency and intensity over the last several decades for several reasons. Human populations have been increasing, of course, but so have many wildlife populations. During the 1800s, wildlife populations were at historic lows due to unregulated hunting and efforts to eradicate predator populations. When hunting was regulated and laws passed to protect predators and migratory birds, wildlife populations began to rebound. With more people and more wildlife, conflicts between the two were bound to proliferate, but increasing populations was not the only factor in the increase in human-wildlife conflicts. Many wildlife species moved into metropolitan areas seeking areas where food was abundant; hence, we now have deer, rabbits, raccoons, opossum, Canada geese, red foxes, coyotes, and black bears living in our neighborhoods. While wildlife have moved into our habitat, we have been spending time in theirs. Wildlife recreation has increased several fold, and people hike and camp in remote wilderness areas. This commingling of humans and wildlife has also heightened human-wildlife conflicts. However, much of the increase in human-wildlife conflicts has resulted from behavioral changes in wildlife and humans. Many wildlife have lost their fear of humans due to habituation; rather than fleeing when they see a person, many animals will either ignore the person or approach. People’s

perceptions of wildlife have also changed over time. Predators, once viewed as evil, vicious, and terrifying, are now seen as magnificent creatures that have important ecological roles. Hence, humans have lost their fear of animals and many get themselves in dangerous situations because of their ignorance. In Yellowstone National Park, dozens of tourists are injured or killed when they get too close to bison while taking a selfie.

Conflicts with whitetail deer and feral hogs illustrate current human-wildlife conflicts and the reasons why these conflicts have become so serious in recent years.

Wild hogs were introduced to North America by Hernando de Soto to establish a reliable food source. Additionally, swine were domesticated and raised on farms for food. However, viewed as an important game species, wild hog populations were valued and their range expanded by transporting hogs and releasing them. Today, wildlife biologists are gravely concerned about the wild hog. Wild hogs pose one of the greatest threats to humans, wildlife, and their habitats. To date, wild hogs have been identified as transmitters of 30 diseases and 37 parasites, with at least 11 of these being directly transmitted to humans. Additionally, water supplies may be impacted. One study showed that in the watershed with hogs, E. coli was found in water sources, whereas in the watershed without hogs, no E. coli. Wild hogs are prolific breeders, producing two litters per year, with litter sizes of 10-14. Wildlife biologists are concerned because hogs are invading North America. In 1982, 17 states reported having hogs; by 1998, 26 states; and in 2012, 40 states. An individual hog eats between 3-5 percent of its body weight daily, and those foods are the same foods

needed by native wildlife.

Thus, hogs are competing with our native wildlife. Studies show that by consuming large amounts of hard mast (e.g., acorns, hickory nuts), wild hogs are changing the composition of our forests, many to the detriment of native wildlife. Lastly, wild hogs impact greatly our agricultural resources, causing almost $1 billion annually in crop damage and loss. Thus, the wild hog in North America has the potential to affect many resources, including human health and safety, disease transmission to native wildlife, water resources, agricultural operations, and competition with native wildlife.

Whitetail deer populations were believed to number between 9 and 20 million prior to European settlement of North America. With the arrival of European colonists in the New World during the 1600s, deer populations began to drop due to overharvest, and by 1900, fewer than 500,000 remained. Today, there are 30 million whitetail deer in North America—more than has existed at any time in the past.

This vast recovery represents one of the great achievements of wildlife management.

But this plethora of deer also leads to a plethora of problems. In the U.S., there are over 1 million deer-vehicle collisions a year, resulting in 15,000 human injuries and 50 human fatalities. Deer damage to timber exceeds $1.6 billion annually, agricultural losses total $600 million, and losses to household gardens and yards average $500 million each year. Deer also serve as a reservoir for several human diseases that are transmitted from wildlife to humans via ticks including Lyme disease, anaplamosis, ehrlichiosis, and deer tick virus.

It is estimated that there are approximately 50,000 foreign species in the

U.S. that cause $120 billion in damages annually. There is a unified effort to address this profound issue. A federal agency called the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), through its Wildlife Services (WS) program, is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and it is at the center of addressing these issues. The mission of WS is “….to provide Federal leadership and expertise to resolve wildlife conflicts to allow people and wildlife to coexist.” WS has a daunting task as invasive species appear at a rate faster than funding to address eliminating these species. WS biologists are not just dealing with invasive species, but also overabundant species including starlings, blackbirds and cormorants. WS biologists also are working to make our airports safer by minimizing bird-plane collisions. Rabies is being held in check by a very effective WS program. At its research center located in Fort Collins, Colorado, WS biologists are testing new techniques to control species.

Fortunately, every state agency has a program to address invasive and overabundant wildlife, as well as wildlife creating damage to personal property (e.g., deer eating gardens, etc.).

There are many challenges when addressing human-wildlife conflicts. We cannot discuss them all. One major challenge is the process of animal removal: killing the animal or animals causing the conflict. What do you do with a black bear that has become accustomed to humans at a campground and has become aggressive? Relocate it to a more remote area or euthanize it? Wildlife biologists across the nation are being limited in what tools they may use to address invasive and overabundant species by the actions of animal rights

groups. Solutions promoted by the latter include non-lethal strategies such as mass sterilization and establishing protected colonies (e.g., feral cats). However, research is showing that these are not viable options. Another challenge is to provide adequate funding to state and federal agencies. As we stated, there are 50,000 exotic species in the U.S., and WS, with approximately 600 biologists in the field, is not staffed to adequately address all issues.

Human-wildlife conflicts will only increase as new species are accidentally introduced into the U.S., humankind expands into natural environments adjacent to urban areas, and existing species expand their numbers.

Education at all levels will be critical. Providing effective educational programs to legislators, municipal leaders and the general citizenry is critical if resolution of humanwildlife conflicts is to be successful. All citizens must understand that regardless of their inherent beauty or their value as game animals, exotic, invasive, and overabundant native species pose serious ecological, health, sociological, and economic threats to our native wildlife and ecosystems, and to humankind.

Educational programs also must include modules to sensitize the citizenry to the need for lethal and non-lethal methods of removing individual animals.

Resolving humanwildlife conflicts has become a major agenda item for federal, state, and private conservation organizations.

Trends indicate that it will only grow as a major issue regarding sustaining our natural wildlife species and their habitats. Given that such conflicts inevitably impact every citizen in some way, it is imperative that people become actively involved. n FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 15

APPROPRIATION HIJINKS With upcoming congressional and presidential elections, political games are playing out in both legislative chambers. The nation is torn by violent incidents and orchestrated riots for and against those who serve and protect our citizens. Britain has left the European Union, and the global economic fallout is still uncertain. Terror in the Middle East and at home continues. Both parties have established their platforms, the conventions are through, and chaos continues to ensue.

The political gamesmanship in any year is always startling; however, this election year they are beyond the pale. The current appropriation bill sitting in the House Appropriations Committee that would establish funding for the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been weighed down by 131 proposed amendments. The amendment process can be used to assure that members of Congress address the needs and desires of their constituencies. Congress has a history of weeding through amendments to craft appropriations.

The fact that very few of these amendments will actually pass doesn’t diminish the fact that they are a waste of time, energy, and expense.

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However, this go-round is particularly disturbing in its blatant attempt by members to send political signals to the voters. The amendments run from the ridiculous to the sublime. The reader can decide for himself/herself whether sponsors are serious about governing or just playing to the base of their political party. I understand this is an appropriations bill, and funding or defunding a program sends a signal about policy, but I contend that these policy decisions should be considered separately and deliberatively. Amending an appropriation bill with arcane provisions to achieve a political or policy objective does not constitute good government.

Let us look at some of the 131 amendments.

The EPA has some powerful enemies in the House.

Numerous amendments in one way or another reduce funding for the agency and/or preclude the EPA from administering rules. One amendment would eliminate funding for EPA’s Criminal Enforcement Division. I have no doubt that there are issues that need attention in that division, but eliminating criminal enforcement is beyond my comprehension. A number of amendments keep EPA from implementing programs such as (a) a draft EPA/U.S. Geological Survey report about protecting aquatic life from hydrologic alteration, (b) total maximum daily load goals for states surrounding the Chesapeake Bay, and (c) portions of the Clean Air Act. Three amendments provide a choice for Congress to value human life. Three separate amendments state that EPA could

CAPITOL COMMENTS

promulgate and enforce rules that save the lives of either/ more than (a) 1,000, (b) 2,500, or (c) 5,000 people over the course of two years despite any other amendment that would preclude the rules—a decision that would constitute a weird sort of human life auction. One amendment would preclude employees of EPA to travel on official business by airplane. I don’t think this amendment is intended to reduce carbon emissions.

The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) also would be curtailed if amendments pass the House. One prohibits funds to be spent on prohibiting tubing, wake boarding, and waterskiing on a portion of Lake Havasu. Endangered species, always a hot-button issue, would be affected by a number of amendments: (a) preventing protection for listed species that have not undergone a five-year review, (b) preventing the listing of two species of meadow-jumping mice, (c) prohibiting protection of the gray wolf in the Lower 48 states after June 2017, and (d) eliminating protection of Mexican wolves in the southwest. In a snub to the FWS and the judicial system, an amendment would prohibit the use of funds to enforce a federal court decision that stopped implementation of a plan to manage double-breasted cormorants.

Two infrastructure-related amendments would prohibit using funds to destroy buildings or structures on Midway Island in the Pacific Ocean and prohibit funds to be used to prevent the building of an 11-mile road through Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.

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

Two amendments address the display or non-display of Confederate flags in units of the NPS. Finally, one amendment would prohibit “the use of funds for the purpose of printing signs, manuals, policies, directives, instructions or guidance of any kind that encourages or accommodates in any way the use of any gender-specific facility by a person whose birth certificate identifies such person as being from a different gender.” How these issues address the conservation of our nation’s natural resources escapes me.

Using amendments to an appropriation bill allows the sponsor to raise his/her support or objection to a policy issue. I don’t suggest that amendments to an appropriation bill are unnecessary or illegitimate. However, there is plenty of time to prioritize, discuss, and make informed decisions during the course of a legislative session.

Instead, we get polemics that don’t serve the public well and constrain the management of natural resources. The fact that very few of these amendments will actually pass doesn’t diminish the fact that they are a waste of time, energy, and expense. Our nation doesn’t have time for these shenanigans. n

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The true trophy hunter is a self-disciplined perfectionist seeking a single animal, the ancient patriarch well past his prime that is often an outcast from his own kind... If successful, he will

enshrine the trophy in a place of honor. This is a more noble and fitting end than dying on some lost and lonely ledge where the scavengers will pick his bones, and his magnificent horns will weather away and be lost forever.

- ELGIN T. GATES, LEGENDARY SPORTSMAN AND AUTHOR

FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 19

CRAIG BODDINGTON PROFESSIONAL MEMBER Photos Courtesy of Author

ACCURATE HUNTER TAKE A SEAT

Field shooting is

rarely done on a level, manicured range—and probably not often on a freshly mowed golf course. If you can lie prone to shoot, you probably should. However, all too often you have to get high enough to shoot over low brush or terrain roll. Over the years I’ve found the sitting position one of the most useful, and with practice, almost as steady as prone.

Boddington used a stout sagebrush to rest the rifle and his upended backpack for an elbow rest to take this Wyoming mule deer.

20 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

There are two primary ways to assume an unsupported sitting position: cross-legged and bent-knee. Cross-legged sitting is the true, formal-target sitting position. Cross your legs, and sit with your shooting-side leg inside, supporting-side leg outside, and your body at about a 45-degree angle to the rifletarget line (left for lefties, right for righties). Shouldering the rifle, you bend forward at the waist as far as possible, trying to get your elbows over your knees, not directly on top of them.

This is not an especially easy or comfortable position to assume. You have to be limber and not too overweight, but with practice it’s extremely steady. The bent-knee sitting position is sort of a hasty version: Legs apart, knees bent, feet flat to the ground, elbows over the knees, with about the same 45-degree angle off the rifle-target line. You don’t have to be nearly as limber, and while the cross-legged position is very low, the bent-knee position gets you a bit higher. The obvious tradeoff is that it isn’t nearly as steady, but both versions are significantly enhanced by wrapping your supporting arm into a hasty sling.

The bent-knee sitting position isn’t as steady as cross-legged, but it’s quicker and easier to drop into and gets you a bit higher. The big secret is the same: Get your elbows as far over your knees as possible to prevent slipping.

Getting the elbows far enough forward so they don’t slip is critical, but equally important is achieving the proper angle of your body so that your rifle is on-target with no last-second adjustment required—what my Marine Corps marksmanship instructors called natural body alignment. It’s easy to check. On the range (or in your living room)—with a completely empty rifle, action open, and no rounds nearby— get into position and aim at a target. Close your eyes, and then open them. Are the sights still on target? If not, you may need to adjust your butt one way or the other. Now, still keeping the rifle empty and open with no rounds close at hand, have a buddy get in front of you. Aim in, close your eyes, and have him or her gently push straight back on the rifle, then release. Open your eyes; if your body alignment is proper, the sights or scope should still be on target.

There’s no rulebook for field shooting, so regardless of which position you choose, the only time any unsupported position should be used is

when no natural rest or shooting aid is available or you simply don’t have time to figure out a better option. Although the formal crosslegged sitting position is familiar to me both from competition and military shooting, I’m pretty sure I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I’ve used it in the field, while I’ve used the bent-knee sitting position dozens of times.

Either way, however, the sitting position is ideal for enhancement. Many bipods have telescoping legs that are long enough to sit behind, and a short tripod is at least as good. Obviously a rock or log of the right height is a blessing, and a couple of times I’ve piled up multiple packs to sit behind. Form doesn’t matter as much as stability, but ultimately, the most important thing is that the bullet has a clear path to the target. This dictates the height of the

LEFT: With the fore end firmly rested, this is sort of a reverse sitting position, with the shooting-side knee up to support the shooting elbow.

Boddington used this position to take a Himalayan tahr in Nepal at 465 yards.

position you choose, the rest you use, or whatever clever way you combine positions and rests.

While we’re at it, never forget that a clear line of sight isn’t enough. With the larger scopes many of us use today, the line of sight is about oneand-a-half inches above the line of bore, and on some of today’s long-range setups, there could be a two-inch difference. I’ve seen guys shoot truck mirrors and hoods while hunting prairie dogs, which sounds pretty stupid until it happens to you. In Turkmenistan, we cornered a small band of urial sheep in

There’s no rulebook for field shooting, so regardless of which position you choose, the only time any unsupported position should be used is when no natural rest or shooting aid is available or you simply don’t have time to figure out a better option.

FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 21

AH an ancient Roman pistachio grove, and there was a monster ram in the group. I was scrunched up against a pack on a gentle berm, and I can still see the crosshairs on that ram’s chest. Unfortunately, I wasn’t seeing enough; at the shot, dirt exploded about 10 feet in front of me, and that ram was gone!

I’m now 40 years removed from the small-bore shooting I did in college and a decade-plus retired from Marine Corps rifle qualification, so it’s been a long time since

22 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

I’ve been required to use the formal NRA shooting positions. Even so, I think all four of them—prone, sitting, kneeling, and standing—form a good basis for all rifle shooting, so I still practice all of them for those relatively few occasions when there is no better solution. On the other hand, I’m all for throwing away the rulebook and getting creative. The sitting position allows for much creativity.

Since there are always magazine articles to write, I try to remember to have someone grab a camera and photograph my shooting position after I take a shot. I have a lot of shooting shots using a pack for a rest, so that’s probably a specific column for the future.

But there’s a seriously modified sitting position that has shown up in enough photos to be worth mentioning. If you’re

sitting behind a solid rest or shooting aid such as a low tripod, then some combination of height of rest and clear path to the target determines how high or low you must sit, but it is no longer necessary—and often not possible—to support your elbows over your knees.

However, even over a solid rest you will be a whole lot steadier if you can stabilize your shooting elbow. So, with the fore end rested over something, I often cock my shooting-side leg up so I can stabilize my shooting-side elbow with my knee. An upright pack can also be used, and a smaller daypack can be put on your lap, too, for elbow support.

A few years ago, with light going fast, we finally got onto a big mule deer on my friend Tom Arthur’s place.

The buck was moving down a little draw below me, so I

needed some height to see him. I threw a jacket over a bushy sagebrush for fore-end support, then upended my pack for elbow support. It was a pretty weird position, but it worked. Unfortunately, that time I was way too excited to get a picture! n

LEFT TO RIGHT: Pack—Options for enhancing the sitting position really are endless. At the SAAM shooting school, Doug Pritchard shows Caroline Boddington how to sit behind a tripod and use a backpack for elbow support.

Tripod—It’s always a good idea to practice various options on the range. Here Donna Boddington practices sitting with a short tripod. Sticks—The sitting position can be endlessly modified and enhanced. In Pakistan’s Himalayas, Boddington spread his shooting sticks low and sat in deep snow for a shot at a Himalayan ibex.

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FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 23

.22:

WAYNE C. VAN ZWOLL B&C PROFESSIONAL MEMBER Photos Courtesy of Author

EVERYONE’S

FAVORITE! After long, costly days in a faraway place, success can hinge on your pre-season practice with a .22!

24 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

Zero recoil. One-hole accuracy. A cheap, quiet path to sure hits on big game. What’s not to like?

One-hole accuracy from .22 match rifles sets high standards for young competitors, here a biathlete.

More than 40 years ago in

Mishawaka, Indiana, I snugged my sling for a go at a berth on the U.S. Olympic Shooting Team. Centered in the black disk that appeared as a fly-speck in my iron sights was the real target, a 10-dot the diameter of a finishing nail, inside a nine-ring slimmer than a .22 bullet. To reach the finals, almost all my shots had to erase the dot.

RIGHT: Not just a “kid’s cartridge,” the .22 helps riflemen hone shooting and field skills for results like this. BELOW: Rimfire .22s date to the 1850s, the .22 Long Rifle to 1887. Now in many forms, the LR is still a hit!

You might say that effort has little to do with hunting. In fact, it was part of a long apprenticeship—one I’ve yet to finish. No matter what manner of magnum you carry for big game, you probably learned much about shooting with a .22 rimfire. It is, arguably, the most useful family of cartridges ever; certainly .22 Long Rifle ammunition accounts for more civilian sales than any other type.

Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson developed the first successful .22 round in 1857, after trying to adopt Flobert’s self-contained cartridge to the recalcitrant Hunt-Jennings lever rifle that would evolve to become the Henry, then Winchester’s first rifle, the 1866. Smith and Wesson’s rimfire, essentially the .22 Short, was fashioned then much as it is now. A disc punched from thin sheet metal was drawn into a tube with a closed end. A rim was “bumped” onto that end, and the fold filled with fulminate of mercury. The fulminate exploded when the rim was crushed against the rear of the barrel FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 25

by hammer or striker. Smith and Wesson charged their .22 cartridge with 4 grains of black powder and chambered a revolver for it.

The original Flobert round became the BB (Bullet Breech) Cap, launching a 16-grain bullet at 750 feet per second (ft/s). It was intended for indoor target shooting.

Conical bullets replaced the original round ball before U.S. ammo firms stopped loading it. The CB (Conical Bullet) Cap arrived in 1888, a BB Cap with a pinch of black powder and the 29-grain bullet of the .22 Short. It is still loaded but seldom seen.

The .22 Long Rifle preceded the CB Cap by a year.

Introduced by the J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company, it launched a 40-grain bullet with 5 grains of black powder.

It’s easy to think of the .22 Long as a hybrid: a .22 Short bullet with the Long Rifle’s case and powder charge. But the Long appeared in 1871, well before the Long Rifle.

In the late 1880s, these rimfires evolved to take semismokeless powder. Smokeless loads soon followed.

Remington announced its “Kleanbore” priming for the .22 Short in 1927, several years after the Germans came up with “Rostfrei” non-corrosive priming. Remington introduced a high-speed LR load in 1930. Between 1880 and 1935, a few companies loaded the .22 Extra Long, first with 6 grains of black powder in a hull a tad longer than the LR’s.

Its 40-grain bullet clocked a modest 1,050 ft/s.

Among other early .22 cartridges that went public are the .22 Remington Automatic, developed in 1914 for that firm’s Model 16 autoloading rifle and dropped in 1928. Like the .22 Winchester Automatic, made until 1932 for Winchester’s 1903 self-loader, it used a 45-grain .222 insidelubricated bullet. Cases for both were bigger at the mouth than the .224 hulls of .22 Short, Long and Long Rifle rounds, so it would not enter S, L or LR chambers. These two smokeless cartridges ginned up only about 1,000 ft/s.

Friskier—and longer, by half—was the .22 WRF made for Winchester’s 1890 pump rif le. It sent

inside-lubricated 40-grain hollow-point and 45-grain solid bullets at 1,450 ft/s.

Remington followed with an interchangeable round: the .22 Remington Special.

By far the most popular, useful, and efficient .22 rimfire cartridge is the Long Rifle. For as long as I can remember, muzzle velocity for its high-speed 40-grain solids has been listed at 1,335 ft/s.

That speed yields 158 footpounds of energy—twice what you’ll get with the Short; 60 percent more than you’ll wring from the Long. Zeroed at 75 yards, a rifle firing this LR ammunition puts bullets 3¾ inches low at 100. (Hike velocity from the traditional ceiling of 1,300 ft/s to 1,600 f t/s w it h l ig htweig ht

hollow-points, and you get more violent upset on impact; but the arc is little changed.)

By the way, three brands of high-speed LR ammunition I’ve chronographed from a 22-inch barrel averaged 1,247 ft/s, or 88 ft/s shy of advertised speed. In truth and charity, I must add that the fast-burning powder in .22 loads gives bullets their quickest exit from 16-inch barrels.

Hollow-point loads for small animals had appeared by the time a kindly farmer let me borrow his Remington 121 to shoot barn rats. The rifle wore a J4 Weaver the diameter of a spark plug. Despite pondwater images behind a thick, hairy crosswire, many rats fell to the snap of that slide-action .22. Feeding it Shorts instead

McMillan’s barrel on Wayne’s Remington 37 has drilled many winning scores; it earned a state title.

BELOW: Among the most popular .22s ever, Ruger’s 10/22 has sold in the millions—an ideal cottontail rifle.

ABOVE: Wayne got his first taste of hunting shooting barn rats with .22 Shorts in a Remington 121 like this.

26 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

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The variety of .22 LR target and hunting loads makes it most versatile. You can even get shot loads!

This African farmer killed his first kudu with a .22 single-shot.

The .22 has taken many big animals!

of LR ammo, I saved a few in hand! Actually, in Michicents. Better sights, an able gan’s populous southern councoach and a DCM Remington ties then, .22 rifles served for 40x later drew me to competi- whitetails as well as for small tion. After shooting on a uni- game. “Deer rifles” were verversity team, I bought an boten. Hunters could carry Anschutz 1413, a Redfield .22s or shotguns with slugs, 3200 scope. Like the McMil- buckshot or cut-shells—shotlan-barreled Remington 37 shells scored so the front of that followed, the Anschutz the hull exited with the shot snared a state title. charge, keeping it together, The variety and quality crimp unopened. Up close, a of .22 sporting rifles available cut-shell acted like a slug. But to post-war youth was as- forcing hull and shot through tounding. We in that era took bore and choke red-lined presboth for granted. A Win- sures! Though .22 bullets chester 67 gathering dust could be placed more preunder a dustier moose in a cisely than any shotgun load, local hardware was tagged at they were widely considered $16.50—a bit steep for a sin- marginal for deer. A .22 holgle-shot, thought I, albeit low-point weighed 37 grains, Remington’s Nylon 10 cost a 12-gauge slug 437! $25.75, Mossberg’s 320 with receiver sight $27.15. Bolt-action repeaters and autoloaders brought more than $40.

Winchester’s 61 pump, at $69.95, and Marlin’s 39 leveraction at $79.95, were pricey indeed. Youngsters lucky enough to have parents partial to shooting-sports (mine weren’t) learned about marksmanship and woodsmanship on weekend treks for small game into oak woodlots and along stone hedgerows.

Hunting alone with borrowed .22s, I muffed many chances at game. But finding my way in the woods wouldThis 1894, well seasoned in British have been harder—and moreColumbia’s bush, is still hunting, costly—with centerfire riflehaving downed many animals.

In a pinch, the .22 LR will kill big game. I once tracked an injured whitetail and dropped it at 80 yards with an iron-sighted .22. An Africa hunter showed me a single-shot .22 with which he had killed his first kudu. In the Arctic, I met an aged Inuit with a similar rifle. It looked as if it had been snagged in saltwater and skidded home over sea ice. This stooped, nearly toothless hunter bore six caribou hides twine-tied to his back, all collected in one morning with that .22, its sight a soldered nail.

Whitetail hunters in rimfire-only country were blessed in 1959 with the .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire

One of Wayne’s favorite .22s, the classic Marlin 39, hails from lever rifles used

by Annie Oakley.

28 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

pushing a 40-grain bullet at an advertised 2,000 ft/s. That claim proved optimistic, and published velocities for 40-grain WMR loads now hover at 1,900 ft/s. With polytipped 34-grain bullets, you’ll get 2,100 ft/s. These smallgame missiles afford half again the reach of Long Rifle hollow-points, with better accuracy than the .22 Magnum offered early on.

Incidentally, WMR bullets are jacketed, not heeled.

A .22 Magnum rifle costs three or four times as much to feed as one in .22 LR, but falls well shy of the energy of traditional deer cartridges.

The LR—even the .22 Short, still available with

Choice of champions Before the evolution of modern match rifles and dead-center bullseyes in Olympic rimfire events, exhibition shooters worked their magic with .22s. Phoebe Ann Moses was one.

Born in an Ohio cabin in August 1860, she had a hard childhood. But subsistence hunting, then shooting for market, would propel her to fame. Annie’s natural talent showed when she began killing quail on the wing with her .22. At local turkey shoots, she beat all comers—including, at one match, visiting marksman Frank Butler. She was 15. A year later Butler married her. Phoebe joined his traveling show as Annie Oakley. When Captain A.H. Bogardus left Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, Annie replaced the sharpshooter, aiming in a mirror to fire over her shoulder at glass balls Frank threw in the air.

Born Phoebe Ann Moses in 1860, Annie Oakley used .22s in jawdropping shooting exhibitions.

.22:

EVERYONE’S

FAVORITE!

Petite at 100 pounds, Annie became an audience sweetheart. Germany’s Crown Prince, later to become Kaiser Wilhelm II, asked her to shoot a cigarette from his lips. She did, allowing in the wake of World War I that a miss might have changed history. Annie shot coins from Frank’s fingers. Firing 25 shots in 25 seconds, she’d tear one ragged hole in a playing card–or with careful aim, split it edgewise. In 1884, with a Stevens .22 in Tiffin, Ohio, she shattered 943 glass balls of 1,000 tossed.

Johnny Baker, another Wild West Show deadeye, tried for 17 years to outshoot Annie and never did. “She wouldn’t throw a match,” said Baker. “You had to beat her, and she wasn’t beatable.”

Annie used iron sights for exhibition shooting, and often Marlin lever rifles. At age 62, after an automobile accident had crippled her, she could still cheek a .22 and hit every one of 25 tossed pennies.

Another rimfire prodigy, Ad Topperwein, was born in Texas in 1869. A cartoonist early on, he brought his artistic talents to shooting exhibitions. “Indian-head” profiles, drilled into tin at the headlong rate of a shot a second, were snapped up by collectors. Ad specialized in aerial targets; in 1894 he broke 955 of 1,000 tossed clay disks, 2¼ inches in diameter. Disappointed, he fired at 2,000 more and minced 976. Standard clays proved too easy; he ran 1,500 straight with his .22. Ad reportedly centered postage stamps stuck on airborne washers, and hit the bullet of a tossed centerfire cartridge without tearing the case. After Winchester hired Ad, he put a Model 63 autoloader in his routine. Firing it with ejection port up, he hit with another bullet the .22 hull spinning through the air! Perhaps his most remarkable exploit was a 1907 marathon in San Antonio. He fired at 72,000 tossed 2¼-inch wooden blocks and missed just nine!

That record, set with Winchester 1903 autoloaders, lasted until 1959, when Remington introduced its Nylon 66. Exhibition shooter Tom Frye tested that .22 auto on 100,010 tossed blocks and missed only six! An aging Topperwein graciously sent congratulations.

Other exhibition shooters, from Herb Parsons to Tom Knapp, have left crowds agape. Knapp told me he could hit a tossed golf ball as many as three times with .22 bullets, keeping it aloft by shading low! He said he could hit air-gun BBs about a third of the time. “But spectators can’t see ‘em.”

Ad Topperwein met his wife Elizabeth at Winchester. Both shot for the company, she as “Plinky.”

Topperwein’s 1907 record of 71,991 hits of 72,000 tossed wooden blocks stood until 1959, when Tom Frye used Remington’s new Model 66 to drill 100,004 of 100,010.

If your marksmanship doesn’t reach that level, take heart.

Practice will make you better.

With a .22, practice is both pleasant and cheap!

FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 29

.22:

EVERYONE’S

FAVORITE! hollow-points —handily takes garden pests, fox squirrels and cottontails. Ballistic coefficients? At .083 for the 29-grain .22 Short and .115 for the 40-grain LR (solids), they are truly abysmal. Short, Long or Long Rifle, the .22 was intended for close shooting!

Among the .22 LR’s most endearing traits is its mild report. Ear protection makes sense indoors, but I don’t wear it while hunting with .22 rifles. (Handguns bark louder and warrant ear plugs). Recoil is so slight as to be negligible with the lightest of .22 survival rifles, some of which slide under the 3-pound mark! LR bullets yield

readily to quarter-inch plate angled 45 degrees behind paper targets—a common setup in basement ranges. The plate directs spent lead into beds of sand or sawdust.

Lightweight steel spinners endure many hits from .22 bullets, while centerfire rifles soon shred heavier plate. As the cost of deer-rifle ammunition ratchets past a dollar a shot, you can still trigger a .22 for less than a nickel! And despite dire warnings of continued shortages, the supply of .22 ammo on the shelf is steadily increasing. “There never was a real shortage,” confided a fellow who works in a plant turning out .22 cartridges. “At capacity, we box several million rounds a day.

So do our competitors. Ammo f lew off shelves because shooters started squirreling it away. Rumor sparked a run.

Store quotas to customers kept the rumor alive. Because .22 ammo is so affordable, it sells like candy at grocery check-outs.”

The variety and number of .22 LR loads have increased a great deal since 1977, when CCI broke the mold with its Stinger cartridge. It shared the LR’s overall length but spat a lighter bullet downrange at 1,680 ft/s. Winchester countered with its Xpediter, Remington with its Yellow Jacket. The pendulum is now swinging the other way. Eley’s new 40-grain subsonic hollowpoints combine match-ammo accuracy with hunting-ammo lethality. The other day, in my CZ 455 sporter, this Eley load

printed a .35-inch five-shot group at 50 yards; velocity: 1,085 ft/s. Keeping velocity below the speed of sound delivers the best accuracy—long the standard practice in the manufacture of match ammo.

But whether your rifle nips one-hole groups or ekes out minute-of-rat accuracy with the cheapest ammo you can find, you’re using the most popular, arguably the most versatile cartridge ever developed —and getting practice that should boost your odds on big game!

For rifles and handguns (here a Ruger), the .22 LR remains the top-selling rimfire round by far!

Moment of truth on safari! If you’ve paid your dues with a .22, a killing hit is a trigger-touch away!

30 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

THANKS FOR THE RIDE The iconic Winchester brand celebrates 150 years of legendary excellence in 2016—a historic milestone representing a steadfast commitment to the hunting and shooting sports traditions and future generations of sportsmen. Thank you to our loyal customers who’ve trusted us in the great outdoors, at the range, on patrol and in combat. A world leader in delivering innovative products, Winchester is The American Legend, a brand built on integrity, hard work and a deep focus on its most loyal customers.

JOIN US AS THE LEGENDARY RIDE CONTINUES.

winchester.com/safety f irst © Olin Corporation 2016

IN MEMORIAM

DR. JACK WARD THOMAS

BRENDAN J. MOYNAHAN, PH.D. RESEARCH COORDINATOR AND SENIOR SCIENCE ADVISOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE FACULTY AFFILIATE, THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA B&C DOCTORAL FELLOW (2004)

Professional Member and retired Chair of the Boone and Crockett Program at the University of Montana

Dr. Jack Ward Thomas, longtime Professional Member and retired chair of the Boone and Crockett Program at the University of Montana, passed away in his home Thursday, May 26, 2016, after a long battle with cancer. He was 81.

Jack was a loving and proud husband, father, and grandfather; Korean War veteran; loyal friend; an accomplished and genuine outdoorsman; a professor; and a giant in the fields of wildlife biology, ecosystem management, and public lands management and policy. Born in Handley, Texas, on Sept. 7, 1934, Jack was a young child during the Dust Bowl and had lifelong memories of spending time under a table draped with a damp tablecloth to keep the dust at bay.

He earned his undergraduate degree in wildlife management from Texas A&M in 1957, and then worked for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for 10 years before taking his first U.S. Forest Service position—as a research biologist—in Morgantown, West Virginia, in 1966.

While working there, he earned his master’s degree in wildlife ecology from West Virginia University.

In 1969, he took the lead of the Forest Service research unit at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Jack earned his doctorate in forestry there in 1972, and wrote one of his most successful contributions to the field of wildlife biology—an article 32 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

for the general public titled, “Invite Wildlife to Your Backyard.” In 1974 he moved to La Grande, Oregon, to work as the chief research wildlife biologist and program leader at the USFS Forestry and Range Sciences Laboratory.

In that post, Jack was instrumental in establishing the Starkey Experimental Forest Elk Project—an incredibly ambitious and unprecedented long-term study on elk ecology and interactions with their habitat and with humans. He also led a major science assessment and planning effort for wildlife conservation that was the first practical instance of what became known and adopted across the nation as ecosystem management.

That effort was published as Wildlife Habitats in Managed Forests. In 1982 he co-authored (with fellow preeminent elk ecologist and dear friend Dale Toweill) the tome Elk of North America—popularly referred to as “the elk bible.”

In 1991, Jack became embroiled in controversial political issues in the Pacific Northwest—in conserving old-growth ecosystems and spotted owl habitat—which led to the “spotted owl wars” and related controversies.

President Bill Clinton selected him to lead the development of what became known as the Northwest Forest Plan, which focused on old-growth ecosystems with emphasis on conservation of northern spotted owls and other oldgrowth forest species. Two years later, President Clinton

appointed him the 13th chief of the U.S. Forest Service in December 1993.

Upon retirement from the USFS in 1996, he accepted a position as the Boone and Crockett Professor of Wildlife Conservation at the College of Forestry and Conservation at the University of Montana in Missoula. He again poured himself into his work, mentoring students and keeping actively engaged in conservation planning and policy at local, regional, national, and international scales. In this role, Jack demonstrated a deep commitment to helping students personally; not just with a well-placed call to a connection (though he certainly did that from time to time, too), but more often with a closed-door heart-to-heart with a young professional who needed to be reminded of the big picture, who needed a confidence boost, or who needed to be plainly told to toughen up and buckle down.

Jack exhibited the rare ability to speak with his B&C students in a way that was simultaneously unvarnished and elegant, firm but never condescending, grounded but still inspiring. Every student I know to have interacted with

Jack wanted to impress him; we all wanted to show him that we were capable, thoughtful, and—above all— honorable. Jack retired from the University of Montana in 2006. This past spring, the University of Montana awarded him an honorary doctorate for his professional accomplishments, lasting contributions to the University, and his role in mentoring, shepherding, and inspiring scores of students.

Jack is well known to readers of Fair Chase; during his tenure as Boone and Crockett Professor, he authored a recurring column titled From the Center, which he often used to address bigpicture themes, unpack complex issues, and to passionately advocate for protection and wise management of our national public lands system.

This past year, B&C published an acclaimed trilogy of Jack’s professional and back-country adventures—Forks in the Trail, Wilderness Journals, and Hunting around the World.

As a preeminent biologist, public land manager, orator and a leader of his profession, Jack had many honors, awards, and accolades bestowed upon him over his

60-year career. But more than that, he was a truly extraordinary man. Even as an exceptionally effective orator and writer, he took to heart and often recalled the thought of Maya Angelou that “…people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

He was kind, generous with his time with students, employees, friends, and colleagues. Jack contributed immeasurably (and more than he knew) to students and professionals across the country.

More often than not, they were individuals who needed a hand, a gentle course-correction, or a bit of perspective as they faced their own challenges. For as strong and commanding of a character as he was capable of being, he could just as easily be brought to tears in the middle of a speech or lecture as he recalled a moment of tenderness, tragedy, or simple, true beauty. Just as he moved others, he was constantly moved by the human and natural world around him. Though he will be deeply missed by many, Jack’s legacy of influence through honor, loyalty, honesty, and hard work endures. n

Log into the Associates community to read From the Center, authored by Jack Ward Thomas from 1997-2000. Read an excerpt from the front lines of conservation in Forks in the Trail in the Fall 2015 issue of Fair Chase or order your own copy today at www.boonecrockett.org/jwt

FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 33

SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI

On July 16, 2016, I had the privilege of emceeing our 29th Big Game Awards Banquet, recognizing the great North American animals entered into our records system in 2013, 2014, and 2015. More than a hundred great North American trophies were recognized, but as always, not every lucky hunter or current owner was able to be present. By my count, 68 hunters came across the stage to have their awesome animals recognized, receive their plaques, and hear a brief story of their hunts and their animals.

Without question this was the most important event of the weekend for these hunters, and well it should be. A couple of especially lucky (or especially determined—or both!) hunters came across the stage twice, and there were a few who have been recognized in previous Big Game Awards. Realistically, however, for most of the hunters fortunate enough to take an award-qualifying animal, this is a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Hey, I even have a few animals listed in the All-time records book, but like most North American hunters, I have never taken an animal of high-enough quality to be invited to a Big Game Awards—and it may never happen.

So I fully appreciate the significance of each trophy recognized, but I don’t see that as the most important part of our triennial Big Game Awards. Instead, first and foremost, I see it in its entirety, as a celebration and ultimate proof of the fantastic wildlife resources we have on this continent and of the success of our hunter-driven and hunter-funded system of wildlife conservation.

As hunters, we like to say “the big ones are still out there.”

Every three years our Big Game Awards provides proof not only of that hope that all hunters—and all non-hunters who truly love wildlife—cling to, but, now having concluded our 29th such celebration, the extension of that thought: The big ones are still growing and still breeding, and future big ones are still being born. And in some few cases of species not well-represented in this Awards Period, the realization is obvious: Wildlife populations and dynamics are never constant, so the work of conservation and wildlife management is never done.

This year, for our 29th Big Game Awards, we were exceptionally fortunate with our venue. The folks at Bass Pro

34 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

JULY 14-16, 2016

Shops’ headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, went far beyond just rolling out the red carpet for our three-day event. They provided not just space, but plenty of well-lit and well-appointed space so that the trophies invited to Springfield could be properly displayed, enjoyed and appreciated by tens of thousands of visitors—something that has never before happened on such a scale. That, too, is important, because we as hunters are a minority in modern society, and it is increasingly important that we convey our message—hunting is conservation— to as wide an audience as possible.

Lastly, at least for my part, I think the significance of the Friday night event, the Jack Steele Parker Generation Next banquet and presentation is at least equal to the proper 29th Big Game Awards presentation. This event honors young hunters who entered qualifying animals during the three-year Awards Period. This is only the second such event, but the growth was exponential—and this event will be continued.

This year 42 young men and women received recognition for harvesting exceptional animals. Some were already veteran hunters; for others, it was a first-time event. For them, too, it may well be a once-in-a-lifetime. They were an awesome group of young hunters. They are the future, and they gave me hope for a bright future both for our passion, lifestyle, and sport— and for North American wildlife.

- Craig Boddington

29TH BIG GAME AWARDS BANQUET SPONSORED BY

Congratulations to all those who took record book animals during the 29th Awards Period, and especially those top specimens that were invited, and those trophy owners who were able to attend our 29th Big Game Awards celebrations in Springfield, Missouri.

B&C Chief of Staff Tony Schoonen introduced the emcee for the Staurday night banquet, Craig Boddington, and then presented Craig with his pin for 30-years of service to the Club as a professional member.

B&C Records Chairman Richard T. Hale presented the medallions as B&C Records Vice President Eldon L. "Buck" Buckner presented trophy owners with their recognition plaques. TOP LEFT: Dale Hislop received two plaques, one for his second award pronghorn and the other for his second award musk ox. BOTTOM LEFT: B&C Regular Member Kyle Krause accepting his plaque for his desert sheep. RIGHT: Ashlee Smith was recognized for her non-typical American elk.

Where Hunting Happens, Conservation Happens™

FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 35

WELCOME RECEPTION AND TOUR The 29th Awards events in Springfield kicked off with an over-the-top VIP behind-thescenes tour of the new Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium, which is set to open later this year.

SPONSORED BY

The tour started in the 29th Awards trophy exhibit and made its way through the Bass Pro Shops King of Bucks collection, the Club’s National Collections of Heads and Horns, dioramas of North American and African mammals, the Art Dubs’ mountain sheep of the world collection, and ended with a reception and dinner surrounded by fish and aquatic exhibits in the aquarium wing. Vice President of Big Game Records, Eldon L. “Buck” Buckner greeted everyone and turned the microphone over to our host for the evening, Bass Pro Shops founder and B&C Regular Member, Johnny Morris, who in turn introduced the speaker for the evening, fellow B&C Regular Member and NASCAR legend, Richard Childress. WOW is short for Wonders of Wildlife, and WOW is the best way to describe the Welcome Reception.

Artists working on their hand-painted murals were found throughout the museum.

African mammals exhibit

Bass Pro Shops founder and B&C Regular Member Johnny Morris welcomed everyone to kick off the weekend of events at the 29th Big Game Awards Program.

36 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

The reception was held in the aquatic exhibit and aquarium wing.

660 S. LOCHSA ST. | POST FALLS, ID 83854 | 800-326-2825 www.Facebook.com/BuckKnives

www.Twitter.com/EdgeOfALegend

www.Instagram.com/BuckKnives

FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 37

NATIONAL COLLECTION OF HEADS AND HORNS The Boone and Crockett Club’s National Collection of Heads and Horns received a permanent donation of the new World’s Record pronghorn from Mike Gallo during the Club’s 29th Big Game Awards banquet held in Springfield, Missouri this past week.

“We were there to honor this great animal and Mr. Gallo, and he honored the Club with a gesture that will benefit a lot of people,” said Justin Spring, Boone and Crockett’s Director of Big Game Records.

The Club’s 29th Big Game Awards was hosted by Bass Pro Shops to celebrate the traditions of hunting as the cornerstone of North American conservation. Attendees were treated to a unique experience that included viewing some of the largest Boone and Crockett animals entered over the past three years, as well as VIP behind-the-scenes tour of the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium. The new museum, slated to open sometime late in 2016, is also the new home of the Club’s National Collection of Heads and Horns.

Gallo, who took the largest pronghorn in recorded history in 2013, was on hand to accept its first place award and then made the announcement of his decision to donate his trophy to the Club. The buck, which measures an astounding 96-4/8 B&C points was taken in Socorro County, New Mexico, and surpassed the previous record pronghorn by one inch.

The National Collection of Heads and Horns was established by the Club in 1906 at the Bronx Zoo in New York City as a public exhibit of animals that were on the brink of extinction at the time. Its purpose was to inspire more people to support a new concept being popularized by the Club and others, called conservation.

Spring explained, “With a few exceptions it is rare for the public to get a chance to see actual World’s Record specimens because they stay in private collections. Now being in the museum and in our National Collection more people will get the opportunity to enjoy and appreciate what an impressive pronghorn this is.”

The National Collection of Heads and Horns now features four World’s Records and an additional 35 historically-significant and high-ranking big game specimens from across North America, as well as exhibits on the history of conservation and sportsmen.

The Campaign

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

to Save

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

OF HEADS AND HORNS

Jack Parker (2nd from left), Boone and Crockett Club members, and Lowell E. Baier (4th William Harold Nesbitt (3rd from left), and fi nding a new from left) were instrumental in reviving Heads and Horns. home for the National Collection of

4 PARTseries will narrate

This four part the history and legacy of Boone and of Crockett Club’s National Collection Heads and Horns. From its inception to in 1906 to the big move this spring Springfield, Missouri.

to memorialize through museum It is a story that begins with an undertaking It is, futures, at the time, looked bleak. displays big game species whose more positive note: the dramatic restoration however, a story that ends on a far of abundant numbers throughout much of these same species to healthy and was originally published in the 8th their native range. This historical recap .

Records of North American Big Game edition of Boone and Crockett Club’s

2016 44 FAIR CHASE | SPRING

38 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

Learn more about Mike Gallo's World's Record pronghorn and read his story on page 54.

Read the history of the National Collection of Heads and Horns in the summer 2015 through spring 2016 issues of Fair Chase in a four-part series written

by President Emeritus Lowell E. Baier.

Guests toured the National Collection of Heads and Horns exhibit during the 29th Big Game Awards Program. The collection will be open to the public later this year.

Mike Gallo's World's Record pronghorn will be on display along with trophies like the renowned World's Record Stone's sheep, the Chadwick Ram (left).

JACK STEELE PARKER GENERATION NEXT YOUTH BANQUET

SPONSORED BY

At its 29th Big Game Awards held this past week at the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World store in Springfield, Missouri, the Boone and Crockett Club put the future of conservation on center stage with its second Jack Steele Parker Generation Next banquet. The banquet honored young men and women 16 and under from across North America who, over the past three years, had entered a Boone and Crockett record-book animal.

“At our big game awards banquets we typically honor the animals, but this one is different,” said Justin Spring, the Club’s Director of Big Game Records.

The Generation Next Awards, sponsored by the Wild Sheep Foundation with youth travel assistance provided by Kimber Manufacturing, proved to be one of the weekend’s most popular and inspirational highlights.

“This was really special to be a part of this wonderful evening and event. Parents were beaming, of course, but everyone was moved by the words and sentiments and maturity of these young people—the next generation of hunter-conservationists.

It’s obvious to all who attended that we’re leaving conservation in very good hands,” said Wild Sheep Foundation President and CEO Gray N. Thornton. “The power of that event reminded us all why sportsmen lead the conservation movement; so that those generations unborn would have the same opportunity we have to hear an elk bugle and see a majestic, wild ram stand over his domain.”

In total, between 2013 and 2015, 168 youth hunters entered their trophies into the conservation records. Forty of these trophies were on public display at the Bass Pro Shops store and 42 young hunters and their families were able to be there to be honored at the banquet.

Keynote speaker, Randy Newberg, host of Leupold’s Fresh Tracks with Randy Newberg airing on the Sportsman Channel, spoke of how the discipline of hunting had taught him life skills such as self-reliance, problem solving, humility, and sportsmanship. He said, “The smiles on these bright young faces tells me that there is hope for the future of our wildlife, conservation, and the traditions of hunting. This is who we will be passing the torch to and I would say it is clear we are headed in the right direction.”

YOUTH INSTAGRAM CONTEST Kids were encouraged to add the #BandCAwards hashtag to all of their Instagram posts from the 29th Awards displays and events.

40 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

ABOVE: Wild Sheep Foundation President and CEO Gray N. Thornton (left) and his wife Kelly Thornton (right) with Sitka Gear, sponsor of the youth instagram contest, both spoke at the Generation Next Youth Banquet.

BELOW: The keynote speaker was television host, Randy Newberg. In addition to the speakers each youth was called on stage individually and presented with a plaque and a custom engraved Buck knife.

WINNER!

HUNTER H. MILANOWSKI RECEIVED A COMPLETE SITKA OUTFIT DONATED BY SITKA GEAR: Youth Core Mid-weight Mock Scrambler Jacket Scrambler Pant Sitka Cap

Rankine Hoody Cyclone Jacket Cyclone Pant TOTAL VALUE: $689

Congratulations to the young sportsmen and sportswomen present at the Jack Steele Parker Generation Next Youth Banquet, July 15, 2016.

YOUTH HUNTERS IN ATTENDANCE

TOP: Jack M. Optiz enjoys the event with his father, B&C Regular Member Mike Optiz. ABOVE: Kaylin S. Russell receives her plaque for her black bear from Eldon L. "Buck" Buckner.

Youth Travel Assistance provided by Kimber

NAME

CATEGORY

SCORE

Kyle C. Bartsoff Dylan R. Beach-Bittner Lacey J. Bennett Malcolm G. Bradbury Parker R. Calvert Simon P. Carlson David B. Carr Jr. Zachery J. Christensen Johnathon E. Cox Joel M. Crank Nicholas E. Cronon, Jr. Kayman L. Culley Trevor J. Eickman Andrew M. Evans Quinton E. Grantier Dalton K. Griffith Hayden G. Jones Madysen N. Jones Garrett L. Loesel Trevor R. Macknak Zachary M. Martin Hunter H. Milanowski James W. Morton Nealie R. Niemeier Makenna E. Olson Jack M. Opitz Michael J. Parsons Ridge H. Peterson Spencer D. Peterson Hannah L. Ridenour Kevin P. Rippentrop Robert S. Rison, Jr. Isaiah H. Ritter Kaylin S. Russell Kyle T. Schoenborn Dillon M. Schumann William S. Shumway Alec R. Smith Bryson S. Spilski Elizabeth M.F. Thomas Noelle K. Voigt Justin A. Waymire

Rocky Mountain goat non-typical whitetail deer cougar typical whitetail deer black bear typical mule deer typical whitetail deer desert sheep typical whitetail deer Shiras’ moose typical mule deer typical whitetail deer pronghorn typical American elk typical American elk black bear non-typical whitetail deer typical American elk black bear typical whitetail deer Shiras' moose black bear cougar non-typical whitetail deer black bear black bear typical American elk typical Columbia blacktail typical whitetail deer typical whitetail deer typical whitetail deer typical whitetail deer black bear black bear typical mule deer typical whitetail deer Alaska brown bear black bear pronghorn typical whitetail deer black bear typical whitetail deer

53 243 15 165 2/8 20 12/16 193 4/8 176 165 6/8 163 3/8 140 5/8 192 5/8 160 4/8 80 4/8 361 2/8 364 4/8 20 5/16 186 3/8 387 20 2/16 162 2/8 153 2/8 20 7/16 15 2/16 211 5/8 21 8/16 20 1/16 375 137 4/8 164 7/8 160 7/8 179 1/8 166 5/8 20 3/16 20 9/16 193 4/8 175 2/8 28 2/16 21 4/16 83 161 3/8 21 12/16 165 5/8

WINNER!

DAVID B. CARR, JR. Scott Ellis, from the Guides and Outfitters Association of British Columbia was present representing Fehr Game Outfitters to draw a name and award one youth with a 5-day British Columbia black bear hunt. David B. Carr, Jr., from Mississippi, won the hunt.

This hunt, is a one-on-one spot-and-stalk black bear hunt in the heart of black bear country for a young hunter 10-18 years old. Jonny and Tawnie Fehr have been involved in the guiding industry since they were young. They have a passion for the guide outfitting industry and providing great hunting memories.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Scott Ellis, David B. Carr, and CJ Buck, congratulating David on being selected as the winner of the British Columbia black bear hunt.

FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 41

LIFETIME ASSOCIATES LUNCHEON WINNER!

SHELLEY K. NASBY

John P. Schreiner, Associates Committee Chairman, drew a card to determine which Lifetime Associate would win a 5-Day British Columbia black bear hunt.

Lobo Peak Guides and Outfitters offers guided spot and stalk big game hunting adventures. This hunt will take place 1½ hours Southeast of Prince George, British Columbia, in May 2017. Lobo Peak has more than 2,000 square miles of hunting territory. The three main watersheds within this territory are the Bowron, Fraser and Willow. This group of first-class guides will share their knowledge of hunting and the area with you to give you the most enjoyable, memorable and successful hunting experience possible.

Our luncheon honoring the Club's Lifetime Associates was a glowing success.

Club Foundation president, Ben Hollingsworth addressed the crowd by saying, " In case any of you are wondering why you’re here I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Our lifetime associates (you) are a significant force behind the Club. The Club model is pretty simple really. We fight the good fights. To do so we assemble a leadership team of regular members. They assemble a brain trust made up of professionals from all walks of life and together we move the chess pieces around the big board. That’s the output. The input to do this, financial horse power and otherwise, comes from everyone, including our lifetime associates.

You fine folks have entrusted the Club to secure what is important to all of us. And for that, we thank you."

John P. Schreiner congratulates Lifetime Associate and Official Measurer Shelley K. Nasby on winning the British Columbia black bear hunt.

Ben Hollingsworth, B&C Foundation President, addressed the attendees.

42 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

ABOVE: Trophy owner Timothy P. Justnes, center, enjoyed the Lifetime Associates luncheon with family and friends. BELOW: Shane Mahoney addressed attendees at the Lifetime Associate Luncheon stressing the importance of fair chase as a conservation ethic. "How we hunt truly does matter, maybe more so than why. Fair chase is a contract we make with ourselves. It's personal, but it has great affect."

PLEASE WELCOME THE B&C LIFETIME ASSOCIATES THAT JOINED WHILE IN SPRINGFIELD. Kyle Bartsoff Mark A. Hedges Mike Ritter Sr. Ronnie Harrison Aaron Molchak

RIGHT: John P. Schreiner drew raffle tickets giving away donated raffle items from Skull Hookers Leupold & Stevens Buck Knives and Bass Pro Shops.

Thank you to the Lifetime Associates present at the luncheonJuly 16, 2016.

TM

FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 43

BOONE AND CROCKETT AUCTION AND LIFETIME ASSOCIATE WINNER Thanks to the generosity of our hunt donors, the 29th Big Game Awards Benefit Auction featured 14 handpicked, first-class hunts from across North America that represent the tenets of fair chase, trophy experiences and opportunities, and the rare chance to pursue some of our most cherished species in memorable locations. Thanks to the generosity of some of our sponsors and other donors, we are also able to offer additional items that compliment the quality of these hunts.

Like all non-profit conservation organizations, the Boone and Crockett Club can only be as effective as the money it can raise and put to work to further its mission. Proceeds from the live and silent auctions provided a vital boost in funds available to support the Club’s mission-based programs.

WINNER!

KEVIN M. KENNEY THE BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB AUCTIONED OFF THE #1,000 LIFETIME ASSOCIATE SPOT AT THE 29TH BIG GAME AWARDS AUCTION. Kevin M. Kenney bid on and won the 1,000 spot on our Lifetime Associate roster. He is now a part of a group of dedicated, ethical hunters whose common interest and participation in their sport demands the respect of everyone who takes to the field.

ABOVE: Donated hunts included British Columbia black bear, Texas pronghorn, Kansas whitetail and Utah mountain lion, all fair chase hunts donated by generous guides and outfitter. BELOW: B&C Member CJ Buck displays an auction item, a framed 1961 Big Game Awards poster with corresponding vintage printing blocks.

Associates Committee Chairman John P. Schreiner congratulates Kevin M. Kenney on his successful bidding and welcomes him as one of the newest Lifetime Associates.

Interested in joining as a Lifetime Associates? Along with your financial support of the Boone and Crockett Club, you will also receive this impressive package of benefits.

LIFETIME ASSOCIATE BENEFITS: n n

n n n n n n

44 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

Lifetime subscription to Fair Chase magazine Long-sleeve, button-down B&C Lifetime Associate shirt with embroidered B&C logo Leather and canvas hat with B&C logo B&C Lifetime Associate plaque A 20% discount on select B&C books and merchandise A significant tax deduction Invitations to special B&C events A one-year subscription to B&C’s Trophy Database Search

FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 45

FIELD GENERALS LUNCHEON This is the third time B&C has hosted the Field Generals Luncheon in connection with an Awards Program to recognize the significant contributions and dedication of its Official Measurers.

There was 125 Official Measurers from all over North America in attendance. This is a significant increase over the number that attended the luncheon the 28th Awards Program three years ago.

Each Measurer was recognized for his/her years of service with a custom commemorative belt buckle

Richard Hale presenting Jack Reneau with his belt buckle and recognizing 40 years of service as an Official Measurer.

On behalf of the Boone and Crockett Club, Richard T. Hale, Chair of the Big Game Records Committee, Jack Reneau, Director Emeritus, Justin Spring, Director of the Big Game Records Program, and Kyle Lehr, Big Game Records Data Specialist, thank you to all Official Measurers who score trophies for B&C. Their dedication and work are the heart and soul of B&C’s records-keeping activities.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: B&C Members and Official Measurers Earl Wahl, Jr., Paul Webster and Fred King enjoying themselves at the luncheon.

We hope to see more measurers at the next Field Generals Luncheon at the 30th Awards Program in 2019.

All Official measurers in attendance at the Field General’s Luncheon will receive this belt buckle.

Fred King and Richard Hale presented the Official Measurers with their buckles

Congratulations to the Official Measurers present at the Field Generals Luncheon, July 15, 2016.

46 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

OFFICIAL MEASURERS IN ATTENDANCE NAME

YEAR APPOINTED

LOCATION

Bill D. Hlavachick Eldon L. Buckner Robert E. Estes David A. Linde Richard A. Bishop Mark O. Bara William L. Cooper W. Gerald Moore Jack Reneau Charlie Wilkins David H. Boland Kerney J. Sonnier Larry R. Carey Frederick J. King Tommie A. Berger Wayne C. van Zwoll Michael V. Beaufeaux John H. Detjen Dale H. Ream, Jr. Lawrence Redel David J. Wellman Ronald G. Lowe Robert D. Jones John L. Stein Paul D. Webster Albert C. England Patrick H. Mckenzie Richard C. Berreth Robert H. Hanson Gilbert Hernandez Harvey Libby Robert M. Morton Jim D. Proudfoot Curtis R. Siegfried John A. Bogucki Randy G. McPherren Donald G. Pfeiffer Joe Ream Steve Adams Richard T. Hale Caren Fish Steven Fish Kevin Fredrickson William A. Keebler Craig R. Pierce Ken Witt Stanley G. Zirbel Corey F. Neill William L. Walters Keith R. Balfourd William F. Crigler Edward L. Fanchin Ricky L. Krueger Kevin Asbury Daniel J. Belwood John J. Detjen Bernard J. Garcarz Brad Harriman Dan P. Hollingsworth Larry G. Lueckenhoff Roy M. Goodwin Billy Lambert Jay A. Lesser Howard P. Monsour, Jr. Bradley Wiese Rick Dillard Hanspeter Giger John M. Ramsey Dale Weddle James F. Arnold André Beaudry Erbie L. Earls Conrad Fennema Curtis P. Smiley

1966 1968 1968 1968 1970 1976 1976 1976 1976 1978 1979 1979 1981 1984 1984 1984 1987 1987 1987 1987 1987 1988 1990 1990 1990 1990 1990 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1993 1993 1993 1993 1994 1995 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1997 1997 2002 2002 2002 2002 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006

Pratt, KS Baker City, OR Caledonia, NY Rapid City, SD Indianola, IA Hemingway, SC Tifton, GA Union, SC Missoula, MT Hickory, KY Chatfield, MN De Ridder, LA Spokane, WA Gallatin Gateway, MT Sylvan Grove, KS Bridgeport, WA Hinckley, MN Frankford, MO Unionville, MO Jefferson City, MO Bark River, MI Strasburg, PA Kettle Falls, WA Bulverde, TX Wayzata, MN Lloydminster, AB Regina, SK Prince George, BC Cave Creek, AZ Elko, NV E. Waterboro, ME Robards, KY Pincher Creek, AB Whitecourt, AB North Liberty, IN Unionville, IA Washington, IA Unionville, MO Tulsa, OK Ottawa, KS Pepin, WI Pepin, WI Champlin, MN Happy Jack, AZ Lewiston, MN Burleson, TX Greenleaf, WI McCarley, MS Clarksdale, MS Florence, MT Raton, NM Prescott Valley, AZ Fremont, NE Fort Scott, KS Wadesville, IN Troy, MO Hendersonville, NC Pilot Grove, MO Jefferson City, MO St. Thomas, MO Upton, MA Hearne, TX Glenrock, WY Pearland, TX Benkelman, NE Madison, MS Charlotte, NC Baraboo, WI Nancy, KY Austin, TX Granby, QC London, AR Leduc County, AB Fairfax, VT

Ben B. Wallace Paul D. Atkins Robert C. Graber Justin E. Spring Shawn A. Grabow Kyle C. Krause Shelley K. Nasby Tim Rogers Tony A. Schoonen Rebecca A. Spring Kelly Stockdale James S. Willems Ronnie Harrison Terry J. Fricks Dale F. Good Michael J. Opitz Mark W. Streissguth Jerry Lunde Earl K. Wahl, Jr. Scott G. Corley Tim L. Donnelly Tim C. Lake Larry R. Lindeman Kenny Morphew Jason A. Sumners Rene R. Barrientos Chad Coburn William A. Demmer Linda Demmer Curtis Gray Tom Kalsbeck John E. Legnard Clay Newcomb Jeff Olson Raymond H. Osgood Ron Ratz Jayson F. Arnold William R. Bowman Jeremiah B. Gordon Gary R. Howard Kyle M. Lehr David M. Williams

2006 2008 2008 2008 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2010 2011 2011 2011 2011 2012 2012 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015

Corpus Christi, TX Kotzebue, AK Peru, IN Alberton, MT Sartell, MN Rosenberg, TX North Bend, OR Mayer, MN Missoula, MT Alberton, MT Louisville, KY Farmington, NM Lucedale, MS Fort Worth, TX Indianola, IL Olympia, WA Thorp, WA St. Croix Falls, WI Somerset, PA O'Fallon, MO Springfield, MO Sumner, MO West Plains, MO Beaver Dam, KY Columbia, MO San Antonio, TX Victor, IA E. Lansing, MI E. Lansing, MI Lonoke, AR Miltona, MN Conifer, CO West Fork, AR Willernie, MN Escondido, CA Whitehorse, YT Austin, TX Stockholm, WI St. Joseph, MO Kingman, IN Missoula, MT East Lansing, MI

In April 2016, the 29th Big Game Awards Judges Panel convened in Springfield, Missouri, to verify the scores of the invited big game entries.

From left: Ken Witt, Richard T. Hale, Theodore A. Archibeque, Frederick J. King, Glenn E. Hisey, Guy Hooper, Patrick H. McKenzie, Justin E. Spring, Jack Reneau (kneeling front), Gilbert Hernandez, Craig A. Cook, Albert C. England, Vince J. Crichton, L. Victor Clark, Kyle C. Krause (kneeling), Mark O. Bara, Edward L. Fanchin, Eldon L. “Buck” Buckner, Stanley G. Zirbel, Heath L. Dredger, and Kyle M. Lehr.

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OFFICIAL MEASURERS OPEN MEETING On behalf of the records staff, I want to thank everyone who was able to attend the inaugural Official Measurer’s open meeting on Friday, July 15, 2016, at our 29th Big Game Awards in Springfield, Missouri. It was great to see all the interest in records and scoring North American big game.

While it was meant as a brief refresher course for our Official Measurers (OMs) and to introduce our measuring system to guests who may be new to our system, our other goal was to allow the OMs to ask us questions in an open, relaxed environment. It was also a great opportunity to introduce Justin Spring as Director of Big Game Records (former Assistant Director of Big Game Records) and me, Kyle Lehr, as the Data Specialist. We also want to show our thought process and chain of command used when clarification may be needed for an unusual entry. In essence, we wanted to put a face—or two—to the records staff, to touch base on a couple categories, and to show some unusual cases that we see at B&C Headquarters.

We announced that we are working on a digital entry system for our Official Measurers to streamline the entry process and turn entries in a timelier manner. There were also some slides of the new 4th edition of the Boone and Crockett Club’s Official Measurers Manual, How to Score North American Big Game. We pointed out that there were no changes in how to measure and score; but rather, clarifications on existing polices. We strongly recommend that all Official Measurers read and become familiar with the new manual, which replaces the 3rd edition. All Official Measurers should have received a complimentary copy of the new manual and will also have access to an electronic version if they wish. Additional printed copies are also for sale for OMs as well as the general public.

Some of the other topics for measuring that we touched on were: definition of a point; unmatched normal tines being scored as abnormal because they disrupt symmetry; drop tines versus main beams; common bases of points; proper measurement of circumference of base measurements on horns; and other situations that individual measurers may only see once, but we see on a somewhat regular basis here at the office. We also reminded OMs to utilize the resources available to them—such as the OM manual and the records staff when needed; that we are here to help. We especially encouraged them to reach out to us if they run into a situation that they may not have seen recently or before.

Again, thank you to everyone who was able to attend.

We look forward to continuing the open meeting at future Awards Programs.

- Kyle Lehr Big Game Records Data Specialist

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Kyle Lehr (left) and Justin Spring (right) introducing the B&C measuring system to the guests.

Learn more about How to Score North American Big Game: Boone and Crockett Club’s Official Measurers Manual, 4th Edition on page 78.

We strongly recommend that all Official Measurers read and become familiar with the new manual, which replaces the 3rd edition.

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HUNT FAIR CHASE AWARD WINNER Boone and Crockett Club presented the Hunt Fair Chase Award to Michael G. Swyers of Quesnel, British Columbia.

He was surprised with the award while on stage accepting his 2nd Award received for his Rocky Mountain goat scoring 55-6/8.

Professional Member, Craig Boddington emceed the 29th Big Game Awards Banquet and addressed the audience: “If you polled sportsmen across North America about the name Boone and Crockett you would likely hear two things… record-book trophies and fair chase. Up to this point we’ve been honoring record-book animals. Now it’s time to honor fair chase.

“Fair chase is just two words, but their meaning has deep significance to everyone who hunts and teaches young people about hunting. Of all the trophies that were the result of a fair chase hunt that we will recognize tonight there is one hunt that stands out that the Club’s records department and the sponsor of this next award felt read ‘fair chase’ from beginning to end. I’ve read the accounts of all of these hunts and trust me this was not an easy call to make.”

Leupold & Stevens sponsored the award, which included a plaque that read – In recognition of a hunt that best represents the determination, self-reliance, and respect for the game that embodies the tenets of fair chase set forth

by Boone and Crockett Club founder, Theodore Roosevelt.

Michael G. Swyers was presented with this second award plaque, Hunt Fair Chase Award plaque and a one-of-a-kind 29th Big Game Awards engraved Leupold VX 6 3-18x44 riflescope. LEFT TO RIGHT: B&C Records Chairman Richard T. Hale, Mike Slack with Leupold & Stevens, Michael G. Swyers, and B&C Records Vice President Eldon L. "Buck" Buckner.

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SOLO WINTER GOAT HUNT MICHAEL G. SWYERS HUNT FAIR CHASE AWARD RECIPIENT

“Sorry Mike, I cannot do the goat hunt” were the words that stand out at the start of this epic journey. The plan was for my sheep-hunting partner to join me on this late-season Rocky Mountain goat hunt. Due to circumstances out of his control, he could not join me.

Upon hearing those words and many apologies, I was in a state of limbo. I thought long and hard about what I wanted to accomplish on this hunt and ultimately decided to go. I arranged for another friend to tag along. He was going to meet me on the second day of the hunt.

The gear was packed and snowmobiles loaded for a oneweek hunt. As this was a new location for me, the research put into access paid off. The area had experienced a large snowfall a few days before. The deep snow was nearly impassable, but I was able to find an old path and began to break trail on the first day. Alone with my snowmobile, I pushed into the valley where the adventure would take place.

Day 1: That first day was a long, tiring one. I was getting stuck and digging out the snowmobile at every corner. Many times the trail cut along steep ledges. With the snow, it was very treacherous. At each obstacle I had a recurring thought, “What am I doing in here alone?”

By day’s end I had the trail established, but I was tired— exhausted, actually. I pushed through, knowing that my partner would show up the next day. That night I received a phone call and those words came back to haunt me. “Sorry Mike, I cannot do the goat hunt.” My second partner could not help me out. He had business commitments beyond his control. I sat in my hotel room thinking, “What am I going to do?”

Winter goat hunting is very strenuous, and with the deep snowpack, the risk of avalanche is a possibility. Therefore, going solo on such a hunt is not a recommended practice. I weighed the risk versus reward; I decided to stay on the hunt.

I put out a call for a short-notice hunting partner on a hunting blog for British Columbia hunters. Many people responded, wishing they could get time off work. However, one local fellow responded to say he could not go with me, but would check in with me each day to ensure I got back safely at day’s end. With that, I felt more secure. Little did I know that this stranger would become a great friend after this week.

Day 2: I awoke to a miserable day. It was typical coastal weather: cold and rainy, with poor visibility. I decided to leave the snowmobile at the truck and snowshoe into another valley in my area. Deep snow to my waist made the trek almost impossible. I spent the day pushing into a valley with steep timbered sides and no trail to follow. With every step my snowshoes sunk deep into the snow. Many times I had to switch to crampons to climb the steep timbered slopes. Periodically, I was glassing through binoculars when the skies cleared.

By midday I had spotted a goat, high above the tree line.

I settled in behind my spotting scope to see a mature billy. I

judged him to be a goat to harvest, but unfortunately, the mountain he was on was not in my hunting zone. It was a great feeling to see such a beautiful, mature animal with long winter hair and large horns sitting there getting warmed by the sunlight. That was what I needed to stay on this weeklong adventure. I returned to my hotel and spent the night dreaming of that huge billy, hoping to find another one of the same quality.

Day 3: Early to rise and back on the hunt. This time I decided to go back to the first valley. On my snowmobile, I slowly made my way up the trail, glassing at every opportunity. This was a great morning; I spotted a nanny and kid in the first hour. I arrived at the trail’s end and set up for a day of glassing. By midafternoon, with no other goats spotted, I decided to put the snowshoes on and walk further into the valley. I wanted to see what other areas lay beyond my glassing location. As I

snowshoed along, I realized that I could possibly push further into the valley, but to do so, I would have to cut a small trail around a landslide. This trail cut along steep topography. The risks were real, but I decided to push on. By day’s end, I made it back to my snowmobile and I had a plan: return tomorrow to cut the trail and push deeper into the valley.

Day 4: With the anticipation of the hard day’s work ahead, I was up much earlier and ready for the challenge. I stopped at the trail’s end, put the snowshoes on and hiked further into the valley with chainsaw in hand for the small trail I had to cut. By 9 a.m., tired and feeling the aches of my muscles, I had returned to my snowmobile and sleigh, ready to push on.

“This is going to be really good as long as I don’t fall off the edge with my snowmobile and gear,” I thought. I slowly made my way without incident past the landslide to a large opening, which gave

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me many glassing opportunities. It was now 11 a.m., and I was sitting behind the spotting scope with a warm cup of coffee in my hands. Little did I know how this day was going to unfold.

The skies cleared, and I saw more and more of the mountain in front of me. A little past noon, I spotted movement high above a large avalanche chute. “There he is,” I thought. It was one of those moments where you do not have to think. You know he is the animal you came looking for. Large horn bases, good length, and large body; a mature billy.

Now my heart was pumping because I realized the time of day. Judging the climb, I was going to be pressed for time to get up there before sundown. I quickly made the decision to go. I did a quick gear check and elected to take only the necessities. This lightened my pack so I could make good time climbing the mountain. I pressed on without snowshoes through the deep snow across the valley bottom.

This proved to be tougher than anticipated.

With each step I sunk past my knees into the snow. I encountered a large creek that luckily had a large windblown log lying across it. I elected to walk along the log, and as I did, I lost my footing and fell into the creek. I was fortunate to land on my feet, but in waistdeep water. This normally would have ended the stalk, but my determination prevailed. Getting that rush of cold glacier water was the motivation I needed to move even faster.

As I crossed the bottom of the chute through the maze

of willows, I had the chance to glass the billy one last time.

Securing the location in my head, I noted the necessary landmarks and pressed on.

The climb was very steep.

Even with my crampons on, each step was a difficult one.

At 4:30 p.m., I was in position. I quickly put my white cover-up suit on and pushed into an opening. As I came into the open, there he was. The billy was lying in a quartering-away position, 116 yards across a deep gorge from me. He had no Idea I was there.

This was it! After the first shot through the shoulders, he stood. It had hit on-target. I cycled another round and put one more in the boiler room.

In typical goat fashion, he made one last kick and fell out of sight into the deep gorge.

I quickly gathered my pack and proceeded to the gorge’s edge. There he lay at the bottom. I was elated. My voice echoed through the valley in celebration. However, this was short lived once I realized it was almost impossible to get to him from where I stood.

I quickly devised a plan. Utilizing the 150-foot rope from my pack, I cut out a section of it to make a harness. Next, I secured the rope to the best anchor I could find, and then proceeded to rappel down the 80-foot edge to my goat. I had no thought about how I was to get him out; I just knew I would cross that obstacle when it came time.

There he was. The emotions were running high; I was trembling and cheering loudly. The dreams of harvesting a winter mountain goat became reality. All the aches and pains from the climb were nonexistent; I didn’t care how

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big he was at that time. I was just glad to have harvested such a great animal.

His hair was long and he showed the evidence of a rough life of living in this harsh environment. A winter mountain goat is a true trophy, and he was just that. I quickly got a satellite message out to my wife to let her know I was ok. Next, I proceeded with the photography the best I could. Then I got my goat caped and deboned the meat.

I was losing daylight. I quickly loaded up the pack and started down the gorge.

The weight of my gear, the meat and his wet life-sized cape was tremendous. It was the heaviest pack I have ever had on my back, but the adrenaline was pumping because I was on my way down.

Darkness fell as I came to an impassable section.

With headlamp on, I quickly scanned the terrain for landmarks and pushed up over a small ridge to the large avalanche chute. This was the one the goat was above when I first spotted him earlier in the day.

Walking down an avalanche chute is not recommended practice, but I weighed it against staying on the mountain. I did not have the gear to spend the night.

Fortunately, the risk of another slide was low; there was minimal snow at the top of this particular chute. I proceeded down slowly. I took the cape out of my pack to lighten my load; I was getting tired. I held on to the game bag containing the cape in one hand as I walked down the slope.

An hour or so into the descent, I heard flowing water. Suddenly, I fell through the snowpack. Luckily, between my pack and the cape/ game bag in my left hand, I was saved from falling into the unknown. With my feet dangling below, I felt helpless, but

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I was able to get my crampons dug into hard ice and wiggled myself out of the precarious position. I then belly crawled over the snowpack to the side where I was in willows. The snow was waist deep, but I knew I had solid ground below me. I descended this side of the chute through dense brush and deep snow.

Hours later, I reached the large creek I crossed earlier that day; it was now 11 p.m. I rested briefly alongside the flowing water, contemplating what I’d just endured.

Then, I looked at my GPS for an idea of where I was. I was only 300 meters from my snowmobile trail, but with a large creek in between. I crossed the waist-deep creek with the cape first and then went back for my pack.

I stashed the meat and cape under an old tree, marked the location and made my way to the trail. I was 1 kilometer from where I left my sled, and the walking was easy on the established trail compared to the last 12 hours of walking and climbing. I turned the snowmobile around and began the ride out, physically and mentally drained from the day’s events.

I decided to leave the goat stashed along the creek for the night and return in the morning after much-needed rest.

As I rode my snowmobile out with sleigh in tow, I approached the location of the trail I cut earlier that day. I misjudged the trail and overturned my snowmobile. Exhausted, I disconnected my sleigh, then dug deep to gather the strength to upright the snowmobile. This action took everything I had. I needed a break, so I put on some warm clothes and boiled water for coffee.

It was just after midnight when I was ready to resume the trek. I started my

sled, and it took off over the edge of the cliff. I later learned that a stick had gotten lodged in the throttle.

The feeling of being alone set in instantly. It was dark, and I was in a predicament—survival became a concern. Luckily, the sleigh, with all my gear, was disconnected, so it did not go over with the snowmobile.

“Am I dreaming?” I thought. My emotions were running low, but there I was, and I had to do something. I realized I had to leave the snowmobile and walk out. I put on my snowshoes, grabbed my rifle and left everything behind. I was walking out to my truck. It was well after 3 a.m. before I reached my hotel room, exhausted. I fell into bed.

I awoke the next morning to multiple texts from people wondering where I was. I quickly called everyone to make them aware that I was fine and that I’d taken a goat.

By 8 a.m. I was at the trailhead. Luckily, I had a second snowmobile on the trailer that was originally intended for my hunting partner.

I snowmobiled to my first spotting location. Four hours later, after multiple trips on snowshoes, I had my sleigh with all my gear and got my goat to the snowmobile. I left the first snowmobile over the cliff where it fell; I would need assistance to pull it out.

That afternoon I arrived at my hotel. My new friend James was there waiting to see me and my goat. It was a great feeling to share the moment and story with him. We took the time to look

at this fine goat and could not decide what was more impressive, the horns or the cape. He was a magnificent goat with his thick, long hair and long horns.

We pulled out the tape to do a quick green score. I did not want to measure him, so James obliged. Still, the suspense was killing me as he took the measurements. I looked at the horn length of 12 inches and nearly passed out.

Not only did I go on a solo goat hunt in the winter, I got a monster Rocky Mountain goat. This was something I thought I would never experience. Any goat would have been a monumental feat in those conditions. I was in shock. It all sunk in when James pulled out the Boone and Crockett records book.

We saw that this was a possible top-10 goat. High fives all around and a celebration ensued!

We were unable to retrieve the snowmobile while I was there. I returned home and some friends of James’ retrieved the snowmobile in the spring and delivered it to my house seven hours away.

For a hunt that at times seemed destined not to happen, it turned out to be a great success. I harvested a once-in-alifetime animal, and better yet, I made a great new friend. n

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FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 53

NEW WORLD'S RECORDS Two new World's Records were honored at the 29th Big Game Awards Banquet on July 16, 2016.

Here is the story of Mike's hunt in Socorro County, New Mexico, that produced this new World's Record pronghorn.

BELOW: Richard Hale and Eldon "Buck" Buckner present Mike Gallo (middle) with his World's Record plaque for his pronghorn.

In 2013, I bought the New Mexico enhancement pronghorn tag. I have purchased it every year since it was first offered by New Mexico Game and Fish—some eight or so years ago.

I called Tony Grimmett of Pronghorn Guide Service, whom I have hunted with as the enhancement tag holder.

He and his son Eli did some scouting at various times in May, June, and July. He said he had two or three good bucks for that season. I received a call from Tony saying I should meet him and Eli on July 31, 2013, at a motel in Magdalene, New Mexico.

I made the drive there and met them in the morning. After checking in, we went scouting

that afternoon. We looked at several bucks and saw many does and fawns. Out again before dawn the next morning, we set up the spotting scopes and glassed many pronghorn. We moved a couple of times, and then spotted one of the bucks that Tony and Eli had particularly taken note of.

We studied the buck and discussed it for some time. We determined that his horns would score 94 inches, plus or minus, so we made a plan for a stalk. This actually turned out to be the first of many, as I had decided to take the buck with a Gunwerks muzzleloader. The gun had been loaned to me to try out.

I loaded the muzzleloader and headed out to try to get within my effective range. To make a long story short, we tried for three days but couldn’t get within my com for t zone.

PRONGHORN 1ST AWARD

NEW WORLD’S RECORD

B&C SCORE: 96 4/8 HUNTER: Mike Gallo LOCATION: Socorro Co., New Mexico DATE: 2013

LEFT: Craig Boddington gave Mike Gallo the podium to address the crowd after receiving his World's Record plaque announcing his donation of his pronghorn to the Boone and Crockett Club's National Collection of Heads and Horns located at Wonders of Wildlife Museum in Springfield. Read more about the National Collection of Heads and Horns on page 38.

54 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

Every time we tried he’d be quartering away at a walk, trot, or run. On occasion we’d see him alone, but soon he was with others and one of the herd would start them all trotting or running off, and we would have to wait for him to settle down.

After several unsuccessful stalks over three days, I decided to use my Gunwerks 7 mm LRM. Tony and I set out on what turned out to be our final stalk. We observed the buck headed away at some distance, so we cut across on foot and were able to intercept him at about 550 yards. He immediately started quartering away from us, as most of the big bucks usually do, so I

Mike Gallo's story, along with many others are featured in Boone and Crockett Club's 29th Big Game Awards, 2103-2015 , due out later this fall.

WORLD’S RECORDS ALASKA-YUKON MOOSE

In the last three years, the record for the number one Alaska-Yukon moose has been broken twice.

First by Heinz Naef in Yukon Territory with a panel-confirmed score of 263-5/8 points. A second moose recently surfaced, taken in 2010 in Alaska. The bull was taken by Rex J. Nick and is currently owned by Tony J. Nogy. Nearly every feature of this bull is reported to be extraordinary from the spread to the palm length and width.

Guides and friends Tony Grimmett and his son Eli helped guide for Mike's hunt.

dropped to a prone position and was able to take him with one shot.

We high-fived as we had finally gotten the buck; we talked about how challenging and fun the hunt had been as we walked towards him. Our excitement grew, because as we got closer, the buck seemed to grow as well! There was no ground shrinkage this time!

Some tight but rough measurements told us that he was bigger than we had thought. Then we began the 60-day minimum wait for official measurement and the

many weeks following panel measuring until it was confirmed B&C's new World’s Record.

I’d like to thank Tony and Eli for many years of fun hunts and friendship. I’ve taken a couple of bucks since this one and haven’t lost my enthusiasm or anticipation for the next great hunt with them.

I’d like to thank Boone and Crockett Club's Records committee for their persistence in making sure that my buck was indeed the legitimate World’s Record pronghorn. n

Tony J. Nogy, above, was present in Springfield to receive his World's Record plaque.

Mike Gallo's World's Record pronghorn (top left) was on display in the Big Game Awards Exhibit alongside Dale Hislop's and Jeff S. Erickson's trophies.

ALASKA-YUKON MOOSE CERTIFICATE OF MERIT NEW WORLD’S RECORD

B&C SCORE: 266 4/8 HUNTER: Rex J. Nick OWNER: Tony J. Nogy LOCATION: Lower Yukon River, Alaska DATE: 2010

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BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB'S RESULTS FROM THE 29TH BIG GAME AWARDS PROGRAM BLACK BEAR

1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 22 12/16 HUNTER: Scott C. Stintzi SKULL LENGTH: 14 /16 SKULL WIDTH: 8 3/16 LOCATION: Rusk Co., Wisconsin – 2015 9

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 22 11/16 HUNTER: Steven A. Christie SKULL LENGTH: 13 14/16 SKULL WIDTH: 8 13/16 LOCATION: Porcupine Forest, Saskatchewan – 2012

3RD AWARD (TIE) B&C SCORE: 22 9/16 HUNTER: Dave H. Sutton

GRIZZLY BEAR 1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 27 6/16 HUNTER: Shane C. Swiderski

SKULL LENGTH: 16 /16 SKULL WIDTH: 10 10/16 LOCATION: Nageethluk River, Alaska – 2013 12

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 27 2/16 HUNTER: John H. Hatch SKULL LENGTH: 17 1/16 SKULL WIDTH: 10 1/16 LOCATION: Kuskokwim River, Alaska – 2015

SKULL LENGTH: 14 1/16 SKULL WIDTH: 8 8/16 LOCATION: Jackson Co., Wisconsin – 2014

3RD AWARD B&C SCORE: 27 1/16 HUNTER: Jared B. Cummings

3RD AWARD (TIE) B&C SCORE: 22 9/16 HUNTER: Timothy P. Justnes

SKULL LENGTH: 16 7/16 SKULL WIDTH: 10 10/16 LOCATION: Baldwin Peninsula, Alaska – 2014

SKULL LENGTH: 14 3/16 SKULL WIDTH: 8 6/16 LOCATION: Warren Co., New Jersey – 2012

3RD AWARD (TIE) B&C SCORE: 22 9/16 HUNTER: Stephanie J. Kotecki SKULL LENGTH: 13 12/16 SKULL WIDTH: 8 13/16 LOCATION: Taylor Co., Wisconsin – 2013

Shane C. Swiderski

4TH AWARD B&C SCORE: 26 15/16 HUNTER: Larry S. Fitzgerald SKULL LENGTH: 17 SKULL WIDTH: 9 15/16 LOCATION: Teklanika River, Alaska – 2013

5TH AWARD B&C SCORE: 26 12/16 HUNTER: Aaron D. Molchak

SKULL LENGTH: 17 5/16 SKULL WIDTH: 11 11/16 LOCATION: Uganik, Alaska – 2013

3RD AWARD (TIE) B&C SCORE: 29 HUNTER: Neil E. Strausbaugh SKULL LENGTH: 17 5/16 SKULL WIDTH: 11 11/16 LOCATION: Sterling, Alaska – 2013

3RD AWARD (TIE) B&C SCORE: 29 HUNTER: Lawrence H. Vielhauer SKULL LENGTH: 17 12/16 SKULL WIDTH: 11 4/16 LOCATION: Deadman Bay, Alaska – 2014

COUGAR

1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 15 12/16 HUNTER: Ryan J. Fadear

ALASKA BROWN BEAR

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 15 9/16 HUNTER: Jay W. Deaton

SKULL LENGTH: 17 /16 SKULL WIDTH: 11 15/16 LOCATION: Narrow Cape, Alaska – 2012

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 29 7/16 HUNTER: Jeffery T. Ploch SKULL LENGTH: 18 4/16 SKULL WIDTH: 11 3/16 LOCATION: Cold Bay, Alaska – 2013

SKULL LENGTH: 8 10/16 SKULL WIDTH: 6 3/16 LOCATION: Benewah Co., Idaho – 2014

AMERICAN ELK T YPICAL ANTLERS 1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 408 HUNTER: Albert W. Henderson

LENGTH: (R) 52 3/8 (L) 52 2/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 9 (L) 8 7/8 POINTS: (R) 6 (L) 7 INSIDE SPREAD: 45 2/8 LOCATION: Fremont Co., Wyoming – 2014

SKULL LENGTH: 17 9/16 SKULL WIDTH: 11 LOCATION: Bear Lake, Alaska – 2013

SKULL LENGTH: 16 9/16 SKULL WIDTH: 10 3/16 LOCATION: Beaver Creek, Alaska – 2015

1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 29 12/16 HUNTER: Aaron V. Simser

HONORABLE MENTION B&C SCORE: 14 13/16 HUNTER: Brit J. Balant

HONORABLE MENTION B&C SCORE: 28 9/16 HUNTER: Tom L. Pettiette

SKULL LENGTH: 9 3/16 SKULL WIDTH: 6 9/16 LOCATION: Louis Creek, British Columbia – 2013

13

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3RD AWARD (TIE) B&C SCORE: 29 HUNTER: Michael J. Walkley

SKULL LENGTH: 9 2/16 SKULL WIDTH: 6 7/16 LOCATION: Lewis and Clark Co., Montana – 2012

3RD AWARD B&C SCORE: 15 7/16 HUNTER: Thomas B. Gallo SKULL LENGTH: 9 1/16 SKULL WIDTH: 6 6/16 LOCATION: Graham Co., Arizona – 2014

Carrie A. Albrecht

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 407 4/8 HUNTER: Michael J. Shetler LENGTH: (R) 61 4/8 (L) 58 5/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 10 (L) 9 5/8 POINTS: (R) 6 (L) 6 INSIDE SPREAD: 41 6/8 LOCATION: Twin Falls Co., Idaho – 2015

AMERICAN ELK

NON-T YPICAL ANTLERS 1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 436 1/8 HUNTER: Casey P. Brooks

LENGTH: (R) 54 7/8 (L) 52 6/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 8 5/8 (L) 8 6/8 POINTS: (R) 7 (L) 8 INSIDE SPREAD: 44 LOCATION: Graham Co., Arizona – 2012

TULE ELK

1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 350 HUNTER: Edward J. Blanck LENGTH: (R) 49 4/8 (L) 48 4/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 8 (L) 8 2/8 POINTS: (R) 7 (L) 6 INSIDE SPREAD: 53 2/8 LOCATION: San Luis Obispo Co., California – 2014

Brett C. Ross

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 431 2/8 HUNTER: Carrie A. Albrecht LENGTH: (R) 49 6/8 (L) 58 5/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 8 7/8 (L) 9 1/8 POINTS: (R) 9 (L) 7 INSIDE SPREAD: 41 3/8 LOCATION: Wayne Co., Utah – 2014

3RD AWARD B&C SCORE: 422 HUNTER: Ashlee K. Smith LENGTH: (R) 54 6/8 (L) 54 4/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 10 6/8 (L) 11 2/8 POINTS: (R) 7 (L) 8 INSIDE SPREAD: 39 5/8 LOCATION: Garfield Co., Utah – 2014

ROOSEVELT’S ELK

1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 381 7/8 HUNTER: Terry L. Raymond LENGTH: (R) 50 4/8 (L) 49 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 9 5/8 (L) 9 7/8 POINTS: (R) 8 (L) 8 INSIDE SPREAD: 42 6/8 LOCATION: Jervis Inlet, British Columbia – 2014

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 378 3/8 HUNTER: Joseph W. Wallace LENGTH: (R) 52 /8 (L) 52 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 9 3/8 (L) 10 4/8 POINTS: (R) 7 (L) 10 INSIDE SPREAD: 43 6/8 LOCATION: Del Norte Co., California – 2014 7

HONORABLE MENTION B&C SCORE: 351 7/8 HUNTER: Kevin T. Klumper LENGTH: (R) 44 3/8 (L) 45 2/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 9 6/8 (L) 10 4/8 POINTS: (R) 7 (L) 8 INSIDE SPREAD: 39 7/8 LOCATION: Sayward, British Columbia – 2013

MULE DEER

T YPICAL ANTLERS 1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 207 HUNTER: Christopher B. Snell LENGTH: (R) 27 (L) 27 6/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 5 5/8 (L) 5 6/8 POINTS: (R) 6 (L) 5 INSIDE SPREAD: 26 2/8 LOCATION: Grand Co., Colorado – 2012

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 204 7/8 HUNTER: John C. McClendon LENGTH: (R) 27 1/8 (L) 28 3/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 5 7/8 (L) 5 6/8 POINTS: (R) 6 (L) 6 INSIDE SPREAD: 24 4/8 LOCATION: Mohave Co., Arizona – 2014

3RD AWARD B&C SCORE: 203 4/8 HUNTER: William L. Nash LENGTH: (R) 25 6/8 (L) 26 6/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 5 7/8 (L) 5 7/8 POINTS: (R) 5 (L) 5 INSIDE SPREAD: 29 LOCATION: Cibola Co., New Mexico – 2014

4TH AWARD B&C SCORE: 202 7/8 HUNTER: Jay K. Moum LENGTH: (R) 24 2/8 (L) 22 7/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 5 2/8 (L) 5 2/8 POINTS: (R) 5 (L) 7 INSIDE SPREAD: 25 4/8 LOCATION: Sonora, Mexico – 2015

MULE DEER

NON-T YPICAL ANTLERS 1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 292 6/8 HUNTER: Brett C. Ross LENGTH: (R) 24 4/8 (L) 24 5/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 4 7/8 (L) 5 POINTS: (R) 17 (L) 17 INSIDE SPREAD: 22 2/8 LOCATION: Mesa Co., Colorado – 2014

Where Hunting Happens, Conservation Happens™

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 265 HUNTER: John Wigton OWNER: Randy B. Gorton LENGTH: (R) 26 7/8 (L) 26 4/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 5 7/8 (L) 5 7/8 POINTS: (R) 13 (L) 14 INSIDE SPREAD: 22 6/8 LOCATION: Eagle Co., Colorado – 1938

HONORABLE MENTION B&C SCORE: 239 6/8 HUNTER: Gilbert T. Adams III LENGTH: (R) 28 6/8 (L) 25 4/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 5 1/8 (L) 4 6/8 POINTS: (R) 9 (L) 6 INSIDE SPREAD: 22 1/8 LOCATION: Mohave Co., Arizona – 2013

COLUMBIA BLACKTAIL

T YPICAL ANTLERS 1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 151 5/8 HUNTER: Michael S. Browne LENGTH: (R) 22 2/8 (L) 23 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 4 6/8 (L) 4 6/8 POINTS: (R) 5 (L) 5 INSIDE SPREAD: 17 1/8 LOCATION: Humboldt Co., California – 2014

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 150 HUNTER: Gary R. Morrow LENGTH: (R) 21 (L) 21 1/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 4 7/8 (L) 4 7/8 POINTS: (R) 5 (L) 5 INSIDE SPREAD: 19 LOCATION: Trinity Co., California – 2011

SITKA BLACKTAIL

T YPICAL ANTLERS 1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 116 5/8 HUNTER: Douglas D. Reimer LENGTH: (R) 17 2/8 (L) 17 3/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 3 6/8 (L) 3 7/8 POINTS: (R) 5 (L) 5 INSIDE SPREAD: 14 1/8 LOCATION: Kosciusko Island, Alaska – 1987

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 114 1/8 HUNTER: Brad Taylor LENGTH: (R) 16 7/8 (L) 17 1/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 3 4/8 (L) 3 6/8 POINTS: (R) 5 (L) 5 INSIDE SPREAD: 14 1/8 LOCATION: Muddy River, Alaska – 1996

SITKA BLACKTAIL

NON-T YPICAL ANTLERS CERTIFICATE OF MERIT B&C SCORE: 122 4/8 HUNTER: Picked Up OWNER: Randall D. Newberg LENGTH: (R) 17 7/8 (L) 17 7/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 4 3/8 (L) 4 POINTS: (R) 6 (L) 5 INSIDE SPREAD: 14 4/8 LOCATION: Horseshoe Island, Alaska – 2015

Michael S. Browne

3RD AWARD B&C SCORE: 148 HUNTER: Travis C. Ford LENGTH: (R) 19 7/8 (L) 20 4/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 4 5/8 (L) 4 5/8 POINTS: (R) 5 (L) 5 INSIDE SPREAD: 21 5/8 LOCATION: Shasta Co., California – 2011

COLUMBIA BLACKTAIL

NON-T YPICAL ANTLERS 1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 187 6/8 HUNTER: Gene V. Sapp OWNER: Larry Sapp LENGTH: (R) 23 6/8 (L) 24 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 5 (L) 5 POINTS: (R) 10 (L) 9 INSIDE SPREAD: 15 4/8 LOCATION: Lincoln Co., Oregon – 1937

WHITETAIL DEER

T YPICAL ANTLERS 1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 193 1/8 HUNTER: Michael L. Burgdorf LENGTH: (R) 28 2/8 (L) 27 7/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 4 4/8 (L) 4 4/8 POINTS: (R) 7 (L) 7 INSIDE SPREAD: 22 LOCATION: Winona Co., Minnesota – 2012

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BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB'S RESULTS FROM THE 29TH BIG GAME AWARDS PROGRAM 2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 191 6/8 HUNTER: Adam L. Hupf LENGTH: (R) 27 4/8 (L) 26 5/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 5 2/8 (L) 5 2/8 POINTS: (R) 6 (L) 7 INSIDE SPREAD: 18 4/8 LOCATION: Dodge Co., Wisconsin – 2014

WHITETAIL DEER

NON-T YPICAL ANTLERS 1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 303 7/8 HUNTER: Timothy J. Beck LENGTH: (R) 30 (L) 29 1/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 6 3/8 (L) 6 1/8 POINTS: (R) 16 (L) 19 INSIDE SPREAD: 23 4/8 LOCATION: Huntington Co., Indiana – 2012

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 278 2/8 HUNTER: Ryan M. Stolz LENGTH: (R) 25 7/8 (L) 25 2/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 5 3/8 (L) 5 1/8 POINTS: (R) 17 (L) 18 INSIDE SPREAD: 22 2/8 LOCATION: Harrison Co., Iowa – 2012

CERTIFICATE OF MERIT B&C SCORE: 295 HUNTER: Picked Up OWNER: James E. Wanklyn LENGTH: (R) 20 4/8 (L) 23 6/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 7 (L) 7 4/8 POINTS: (R) 28 (L) 20 INSIDE SPREAD: 15 5/8 LOCATION: Marshall Co., Kansas – 2012

COUES’ WHITETAIL

T YPICAL ANTLERS 1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 130 6/8 HUNTER: Roy A. Finney, Jr. LENGTH: (R) 18 (L) 18 2/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 4 3/8 (L) 4 3/8 POINTS: (R) 5 (L) 5 INSIDE SPREAD: 14 6/8 LOCATION: Hidalgo Co., New Mexico – 2014

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 125 4/8 HUNTER: James S. Armstrong LENGTH: (R) 19 7/8 (L) 20 1/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 4 7/8 (L) 5 POINTS: (R) 5 (L) 5 INSIDE SPREAD: 14 4/8 LOCATION: Gila Co., Arizona – 2014

COUES’ WHITETAIL

NON-T YPICAL ANTLERS 1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 128 1/8 HUNTER: Nathan J. Simms

Timothy J. Beck

3RD AWARD B&C SCORE: 259 3/8 HUNTER: Mark E. Lee LENGTH: (R) 19 3/8 (L) 20 3/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 4 1/8 (L) 4 4/8 POINTS: (R) 12 (L) 17 INSIDE SPREAD: 20 1/8 LOCATION: Houston Co., Texas – 2013

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LENGTH: (R) 20 1/8 (L) 19 7/8 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 3 3/8 (L) 3 7/8 POINTS: (R) 8 (L) 8 INSIDE SPREAD: 15 5/8 LOCATION: Baviácora, Mexico – 2015

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 128 HUNTER: Michael D. Frazier LENGTH: (R) 17 3/8 (L) 18 CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 4 5/8 (L) 4 3/8 POINTS: (R) 7 (L) 6 INSIDE SPREAD: 12 LOCATION: Gila Co., Arizona – 2014

Brad L. Thul

CANADA MOOSE

1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 227 2/8 HUNTER: Rollie R. Miller GREATEST SPREAD: 67 6/8 LENGTH OF PALM: (R) 47 (L) 46 7/8 WIDTH OF PALM: (R) 14 (L) 15 4/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 11 (L) 11 LOCATION: Tatshenshini River, British Columbia – 2014

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 222 4/8 HUNTER: Freddy Dodge GREATEST SPREAD: 66 6/8 LENGTH OF PALM: (R) 44 4/8 (L) 39 4/8 WIDTH OF PALM: (R) 19 (L) 19 5/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 12 (L) 14 LOCATION: Blanchard River, British Columbia – 2015

3RD AWARD B&C SCORE: 216 4/8 HUNTER: Keely M. Kibala GREATEST SPREAD: 64 4/8 LENGTH OF PALM: (R) 40 2/8 (L) 43 4/8 WIDTH OF PALM: (R) 17 5/8 (L) 14 6/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 16 (L) 13 LOCATION: Tuya Lake, British Columbia – 2015

4TH AWARD B&C SCORE: 216 1/8 HUNTER: Brad L. Thul GREATEST SPREAD: 61 3/8 LENGTH OF PALM: (R) 41 4/8 (L) 42 3/8 WIDTH OF PALM: (R) 15 3/8 (L) 17 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 13 (L) 16 LOCATION: Mess Creek, British Columbia – 2013

ALASKA-YUKON MOOSE

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 249 1/8 HUNTER: Larry R. Silha GREATEST SPREAD: 69 7/8 LENGTH OF PALM: (R) 46 7/8 (L) 46 WIDTH OF PALM: (R) 18 3/8 (L) 16 2/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 19 (L) 19 LOCATION: Bonnet Plume River, Yukon Territory – 2013

3RD AWARD B&C SCORE: 246 6/8 HUNTER: Kyle L. Koster GREATEST SPREAD: 73 LENGTH OF PALM: (R) 49 6/8 (L) 43 6/8 WIDTH OF PALM: (R) 20 7/8 (L) 20 2/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 15 (L) 20 LOCATION: Hess Mountains, Yukon Territory – 2015

CERTIFICATE OF MERIT NEW WORLD’S RECORD

B&C SCORE: 266 4/8 HUNTER: Rex J. Nick OWNER: Tony J. Nogy GREATEST SPREAD: 76 LENGTH OF PALM: (R) 53 6/8 (L) 52 6/8 WIDTH OF PALM: (R) 23 1/8 (L) 22 5/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 12 (L) 13 LOCATION: Lower Yukon River, Alaska – 2010

CERTIFICATE OF MERIT B&C SCORE: 263 5/8 HUNTER: Heinz Naef OWNER: Bass Pro Shops GREATEST SPREAD: 75 5/8 LENGTH OF PALM: (R) 50 7/8 (L) 51 WIDTH OF PALM: (R) 23 6/8 (L) 17 5/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 19 (L) 17 LOCATION: Yukon River, Yukon Territory – 2013

1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 250 5/8 HUNTER: Mark W. McKinnon

HONORABLE MENTION B&C SCORE: 229 HUNTER: Lisa M. Galvin

GREATEST SPREAD: 68 7/8 LENGTH OF PALM: (R) 53 5/8 (L) 52 2/8 WIDTH OF PALM: (R) 16 5/8 (L) 16 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 16 (L) 15 LOCATION: Post River, Alaska – 2015

GREATEST SPREAD: 67 LENGTH OF PALM: (R) 48 5/8 (L) 49 4/8 WIDTH OF PALM: (R) 15 4/8 (L) 16 1/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 9 (L) 11 LOCATION: Tikchik River, Alaska – 2013

Kevin M. Kenney

SHIRAS’ MOOSE

1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 192 HUNTER: Robert S. Hebert GREATEST SPREAD: 55 4/8 LENGTH OF PALM: (R) 40 7/8 (L) 41 1/8 WIDTH OF PALM: (R) 11 1/8 (L) 10 3/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 12 (L) 10 LOCATION: Park Co., Colorado – 2015

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 189 2/8 HUNTER: Steven M. Azcarraga GREATEST SPREAD: 55 6/8 LENGTH OF PALM: (R) 36 (L) 36 2/8 WIDTH OF PALM: (R) 12 1/8 (L) 14 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 15 (L) 12 LOCATION: Mesa Co., Colorado – 2015

3RD AWARD B&C SCORE: 182 6/8 HUNTER: Ryan S. Malm GREATEST SPREAD: 50 LENGTH OF PALM: (R) 40 6/8 (L) 39 4/8 WIDTH OF PALM: (R) 10 1/8 (L) 10 5/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 10 (L) 11 LOCATION: Madison Co., Idaho – 2013

MOUNTAIN CARIBOU

1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 421 7/8 HUNTER: Gregory A. Biddinger INSIDE SPREAD: 28 6/8 LENGTH OF MAIN BEAM: (R) 44 7/8 (L) 45 WIDTH OF BROW PALM: (R) 12 7/8 (L) 3 1/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 22 (L) 22 LOCATION: Aishihik Lake, Yukon Territory – 2014

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 401 4/8 HUNTER: Kyle L. Koster INSIDE SPREAD: 39 7/8 LENGTH OF MAIN BEAM: (R) 50 3/8 (L) 51 1/8 WIDTH OF BROW PALM: (R) 4 1/8 (L) 12 3/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 18 (L) 17 LOCATION: Hess Mountains, Yukon Territory – 2015

WOODLAND CARIBOU

1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 377 6/8 HUNTER: Jeffery K. Samson INSIDE SPREAD: 35 2/8 LENGTH OF MAIN BEAM: (R) 39 4/8 (L) 38 7/8 WIDTH OF BROW PALM: (R) 11 1/8 (L) 14 1/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 20 (L) 21 LOCATION: Middle Ridge, Newfoundland – 2013

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 353 7/8 HUNTER: Kyle S. Williams Gregory A. Biddinger

4TH AWARD B&C SCORE: 181 7/8 HUNTER: Bradley H. Visser GREATEST SPREAD: 51 3/8 LENGTH OF PALM: (R) 37 5/8 (L) 39 1/8 WIDTH OF PALM: (R) 11 1/8 (L) 11 6/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 13 (L) 10 LOCATION: Twin Falls Co., Idaho – 2015

5TH AWARD B&C SCORE: 178 7/8 HUNTER: Kevin B. Miller

INSIDE SPREAD: 25 7/8 LENGTH OF MAIN BEAM: (R) 42 4/8 (L) 42 2/8 WIDTH OF BROW PALM: (R) 14 7/8 (L) 16 4/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 20 (L) 25 LOCATION: Middle Ridge, Newfoundland – 2015

Marty C. Loring

3RD AWARD B&C SCORE: 340 HUNTER: Douglas E. Wilson INSIDE SPREAD: 33 3/8 LENGTH OF MAIN BEAM: (R) 38 4/8 (L) 37 WIDTH OF BROW PALM: (R) 10 (L) 5 7/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 15 (L) 14 LOCATION: Sam’s Pond, Newfoundland – 2014

4TH AWARD B&C SCORE: 337 7/8 HUNTER: Kevin L. Countryman INSIDE SPREAD: 30 1/8 LENGTH OF MAIN BEAM: (R) 39 5/8 (L) 42 5/8 WIDTH OF BROW PALM: (R) 14 7/8 (L) 14 1/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 18 (L) 20 LOCATION: Sam’s Pond, Newfoundland – 2014

HONORABLE MENTION B&C SCORE: 324 6/8 HUNTER: Carey A. Brinckman INSIDE SPREAD: 37 LENGTH OF MAIN BEAM: (R) 42 6/8 (L) 44 WIDTH OF BROW PALM: (R) 8 4/8 (L) 3 7/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 13 (L) 14 LOCATION: Sandy Lake, Newfoundland – 2013

BARREN GROUND CARIBOU

1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 444 7/8 HUNTER: James H. Elwell INSIDE SPREAD: 37 2/8 LENGTH OF MAIN BEAM: (R) 44 5/8 (L) 48 WIDTH OF BROW PALM: (R) 13 2/8 (L) 14 3/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 22 (L) 23 LOCATION: Chapman Lake, Yukon Territory – 2012

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 432 5/8 HUNTER: Kevin M. Kenney INSIDE SPREAD: 41 3/8 LENGTH OF MAIN BEAM: (R) 47 (L) 47 2/8 WIDTH OF BROW PALM: (R) 0 1/8 (L) 14 1/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 15 (L) 21 LOCATION: Swift River, Alaska – 2015

3RD AWARD B&C SCORE: 421 3/8 HUNTER: Paul S. Adamson INSIDE SPREAD: 36 LENGTH OF MAIN BEAM: (R) 50 3/8 (L) 50 2/8 WIDTH OF BROW PALM: (R) 5 4/8 (L) 15 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 21 (L) 23 LOCATION: Bear Lake, Alaska – 2012

4TH AWARD B&C SCORE: 419 HUNTER: James A. Dobush INSIDE SPREAD: 42 LENGTH OF MAIN BEAM: (R) 48 1/8 (L) 47 7/8 WIDTH OF BROW PALM: (R) 11 (L) 0 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 21 (L) 15 LOCATION: West Hart River, Yukon Territory – 2014

CENTRAL CANADA BARREN GROUND CARIBOU

1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 363 4/8 HUNTER: Stanley R. Thieman INSIDE SPREAD: 33 6/8 LENGTH OF MAIN BEAM: (R) 55 7/8 (L) 54 6/8 WIDTH OF BROW PALM: (R) 4 4/8 (L) 12 7/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 12 (L) 18 LOCATION: Farnie Lake, Manitoba – 2014

GREATEST SPREAD: 53 1/8 LENGTH OF PALM: (R) 35 3/8 (L) 38 4/8 WIDTH OF PALM: (R) 14 (L) 12 7/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 8 (L) 11 LOCATION: Shoshone Co., Idaho – 2014

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BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB'S RESULTS FROM THE 29TH BIG GAME AWARDS PROGRAM QUEBECLABRADOR CARIBOU

1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 376 HUNTER: John O. Farmer IV INSIDE SPREAD: 44 /8 LENGTH OF MAIN BEAM: (R) 51 4/8 (L) 51 7/8 WIDTH OF BROW PALM: (R) 13 (L) 3 4/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 13 (L) 10 LOCATION: Kuujjuaq, Quebec – 2013 3

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 375 4/8 HUNTER: Michael G. Adams INSIDE SPREAD: 49 /8 LENGTH OF MAIN BEAM: (R) 56 2/8 (L) 57 3/8 WIDTH OF BROW PALM: (R) 6 2/8 (L) 10 5/8 NORMAL POINTS: (R) 17 (L) 21 LOCATION: Kuujjuaq, Quebec – 2013 4

PRONGHORN 1ST AWARD

NEW WORLD’S RECORD

B&C SCORE: 96 4/8 HUNTER: Mike Gallo LENGTH: (R) 18 3/8 (L) 18 4/8 BASE CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 7 (L) 7 PRONG LENGTH: (R) 7 (L) 6 5/8 LOCATION: Socorro Co., New Mexico – 2013

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 95 4/8 HUNTER: Dale Hislop LENGTH: (R) 19 5/8 (L) 18 4/8 BASE CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 6 7/8 (L) 7 PRONG LENGTH: (R) 8 2/8 (L) 8 1/8 LOCATION: Mohave Co., Arizona – 2014

HONORABLE MENTION B&C SCORE: 90 HUNTER: Jeff S. Erickson LENGTH: (R) 19 (L) 18 7/8 BASE CIRCUMFERENCE: (R) 6 5/8 (L) 6 5/8 PRONG LENGTH: (R) 6 4/8 (L) 7 LOCATION: Coconino Co., Arizona – 2014

BISON

1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 131 6/8 HUNTER: Patrick J. Mowrey LENGTH: (R) 20 6/8 (L) 21 BASE CIRC: (R) 14 6/8 (L) 14 4/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 34 2/8 LOCATION: Teton Co., Wyoming – 2009

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 126 6/8 HUNTER: Mark A. Hedges LENGTH: (R) 21 1/8 (L) 21 BASE CIRC: (R) 14 5/8 (L) 14 3/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 30 6/8 LOCATION: Custer Co., South Dakota – 2014

ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT

1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 56 HUNTER: Marvin H. McCloud III LENGTH: (R) 11 2/8 (L) 11 6/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 6 (L) 5 7/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 8 4/8 LOCATION: Revillagigedo Island, Alaska – 2015

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 55 6/8 HUNTER: Michael G. Swyers

3RD AWARD B&C SCORE: 53 6/8 HUNTER: Arne D. Anderson

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MUSK OX

1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 119 2/8 HUNTER: Mike J. Coelho LENGTH: (R) 28 /8 (L) 28 /8 BASE CIRC: (R) 10 2/8 (L) 10 GREATEST SPREAD: 28 4/8 LOCATION: Coppermine River, Nunavut – 2013 3

LENGTH: (R) 12 (L) 11 5/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 6 1/8 (L) 6 1/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 7 3/8 LOCATION: Little Oliver Creek, British Columbia – 2015

Edward C. Joseph

Mike J. Coelho

LENGTH: (R) 10 5/8 (L) 10 3/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 5 7/8 (L) 5 7/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 6 7/8 LOCATION: Little Oliver Creek, British Columbia – 2013

5

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 117 HUNTER: Dale Hislop LENGTH: (R) 26 1/8 (L) 28 5/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 10 5/8 (L) 10 2/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 29 3/8 LOCATION: Kilekale Lake, Northwest Territories – 2015

3RD AWARD B&C SCORE: 115 4/8 HUNTER: Mark W. McKinnon LENGTH: (R) 27 7/8 (L) 28 BASE CIRC: (R) 10 1/8 (L) 10 1/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 27 6/8 LOCATION: Kugluktuk, Nunavut – 2014

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 187 3/8 HUNTER: Kyle C. Krause LENGTH: (R) 38 1/8 (L) 41 6/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 16 (L) 16 GREATEST SPREAD: 22 5/8 LOCATION: Hidalgo Co., New Mexico – 2014

DALL’S SHEEP

1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 173 6/8 HUNTER: Edward C. Joseph LENGTH: (R) 43 2/8 (L) 43 2/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 13 4/8 (L) 13 4/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 26 LOCATION: Chugach Mts., Alaska – 2015

2ND AWARD B&C SCORE: 173 2/8 HUNTER: Robert L. Janits LENGTH: (R) 41 7/8 (L) 41 7/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 14 6/8 (L) 14 5/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 31 LOCATION: Kusawa Lake, Yukon Territory – 2015

STONE’S SHEEP

DESERT SHEEP 1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 195 3/8 HUNTER: Jim Hens

LENGTH: (R) 41 6/8 (L) 42 5/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 15 5/8 (L) 15 5/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 24 LOCATION: Socorro Co., New Mexico – 2013

1ST AWARD B&C SCORE: 173 5/8 HUNTER: Marty C. Loring LENGTH: (R) 40 3/8 (L) 38 6/8 BASE CIRC: (R) 14 7/8 (L) 14 6/8 GREATEST SPREAD: 22 1/8 LOCATION: Muskwa River, British Columbia – 2013

AVAILABLE NOW!

29TH BIG GAME AWARDS PHOTO BROCHURE

This booklet includes important statistical data (who, where, when score, measurements, etc.) for each trophy featured in the 29th Awards trophy display. Also included is the award each trophy received at the banquet, and a portrait photograph of the top trophy in each category.

29BP | $7.50

29TH BIG GAME AWARDS MERCHANDISE Coming October 2016...

29TH BIG GAME AWARDS MENS BLACK T-SHIRT

Available in small only 29APTSB | $24.95

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Available in S, M, XXL, XXXL 29APTST | $24.95

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Available in M-XXL 29APTSP | $28.95

Boone and Crockett Club's 29th Big Game Awards 2013-2015 Featuring the stories behind the top 90+ trophies recognized at the 29th Big Game Awards Program.

This book contains the most current data on North American big game trophies accepted by the Boone and Crockett Club 2013 through 2015.

Along with the trophy stories, you’ll find hundreds of portrait and field photographs, plus a detailed listing of over 4,000 big game trophies. This hardcover edition is limited to just 2,500 copies. Once they are sold out, no more will be printed.

Due out this fall, watch your mail for details.

Order Today! While supplies last. www.Boone-Crockett.org or call 888/840-4868 FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 61

© DENVER BRYAN/IMAGES ON THE WILDSIDE

Wildlife conservation is the responsibility of all citizens, NO MATTER IF THEY LIVE IN LARGE CITIES OR NEAR WILDERNESS. But tolerance from the people that live the closest to predators offers the best chance of success in the social sense; PROFESSIONAL, SCIENTIFICALLY-INFORMED MANAGEMENT OF ECOSYSTEMS OFFERS THE BEST CHANCE OF SUCCESS IN THE BIOLOGICAL SENSE. - JACK WARD THOMAS

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FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 63

STUDYING HUNTERS LIKE WE STUDY DEER: USING WILDLIFE SCIENCE TO INCREASE THE HUNTER POPULATION My column in the Summer 2016 issue of Fair Chase talked about the importance of the Boone and Crockett Quantitative Wildlife Center directed by Professor Bill Porter at Michigan State University. I briefly traced the evolution of wildlife science, particularly the science behind understanding the dynamics of wildlife populations. A great deal of concern in recent decades has been focused on the trends in the populations of hunters in the United States.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Commerce, conducts a national survey of hunting, fishing, and wildlife-associated recreation every five years. This has been ongoing since 1955.

Long-term survey data show a steady decline in the number of hunters. Data on hunting license sales show a similar trend. The Wildlife Management Institute, National Shooting Sports Foundation, state fish and wildlife agencies, and many other conservation organizations are collaborating in efforts to enhance the recruitment, retention, and reactivation of hunters to stall or reverse this trend.

The implications of a declining hunter population are ominous. Hunters—who have a vested interest in healthy wildlife populations and wildlands—are staunch advocates for conservation, 64 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

and their license fees and purchases of firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment represent the bulwark of state-based wildlife funding.

Given the concern we have over trends in the population of hunters and the expertise we have in understanding and managing wildlife populations, why don’t we try to merge the two?

That’s exactly what is happening in Alabama. Dr. Conor McGowan, Dr. Steve Ditchkoff, and graduate student Jennifer Price Tack are developing modeling approaches that can help state fish and wildlife agencies “recover” and “manage” their hunter populations. McGowan is the assistant leader of the Alabama Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, and Ditchkoff is the William R. and Fay Ireland distinguished professor in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences at Auburn University. Tack is a doctorate candidate at Auburn examining factors that affect whitetail deer fawn recruitment and identifying characteristics that potentially predispose areas to low fawn recruitment. Tack will establish baseline herd demographic information and create predictive models to assess the impacts of different management actions aimed at improving fawn recruitment.

Further, she is quantifying the socio-economic impacts of management alternatives,

including management costs and impacts on hunter satisfaction. She is working across 16 diverse wildlife management areas throughout Alabama and will ultimately provide data and analyses to Alabama’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to support sciencebased decision making in the development of a statewide adaptive management plan for whitetail deer.

These three wildlife researchers have pooled their expertise to study hunters.

Part of the reasoning behind their work is that to sustain funding, wildlife management agencies might benefit by setting objectives for and managing hunter populations. In order to address

SCIENCE BLASTS

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

options to bolster hunter participation and evaluate the potential to sustain or increase hunter populations, they developed a hunter population model with different categories (stages) of hunters that account for unpredictable random events that might affect the hunter population—what population biologists term a “stage-based stochastic population model.”

They chose this approach as a means to predict trends over the next 50 years. The model includes the stages youth, potential hunter, annual hunter, and lifetime hunter, and allows for transitions between stages. They then

Basically, they are approaching this in the same way they would model the life cycle of an animal population. In certain wildlife population models, the results can demonstrate whether, for example, increasing the recruitment of young into the population or increasing the survival of adult females will yield a greater response in population growth. The same can be done with a hunter population model—show the relative return on increasing recruitment versus retaining adult hunters.

modeled the outcome of several management scenarios (changes in license cost, outreach program, and changes in game density) in order to help guide state agencies interested in boosting recruitment and retention rates.

Finally, they’ll use license sale data obtained from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to fine-tune the model (parameterize). Using their model as the core of a decision analysis, state agencies can set hunter population or license revenue targets and evaluate management actions to achieve those objectives.

The model could be directly linked to a game species population model to account for the effects of hunters on game species and the effect of game species abundance on hunter populations. A fundamental objective of this effort is to help state agencies maximize their annual hunting license sales while minimizing the cost of the efforts they take to increase sales.

Basically, they are approaching this in the same way they would model the life cycle of an animal population.

In certain wildlife population models, the results can demonstrate whether, for example, increasing the recruitment of young into the population or increasing the survival of adult females will yield a greater response in population growth. The same can be done with a hunter population model—show the relative return on increasing recruitment versus retaining adult hunters. Of course, with any model, its performance will depend on the quality of the information and data that are used to drive it. More research is needed on the functional relationship between actions a state agency may take and the response of the hunter population—and the researchers in Alabama are

looking into doing just that.

Of course, we may learn that there is little state agencies can do to influence the trends in hunter numbers. That will add further urgency to ongoing efforts to secure alternative sources of conservation funding.

Science has been a major factor in the restoration of our wildlife populations in America. Maybe it will help us restore our hunter populations as well. n

FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 65

Ride With The Best.

Mr. Roosevelt’s Cavalry was a remarkable group of cowboys, athletes and hunters.

They were fit, ready, and willing, and the spirit of these brave volunteers lives today in the Boone and Crockett Club’s Roughriders Society. You can become a member of this select group by supporting our mission with a gift through your estate. One great way to make your gift is by naming the Boone and Crockett Club Foundation as your IRA beneficiary. You get special recognition; the Club gets funding for wildlife conservation, fair chase hunting, and big game records keeping; and your estate gets tax relief.

That’s good planning.

For more information, please contact: Winton C. Smith, J.D. 1-800-727-1040 wsmith@wintonsmith.com 66 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

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WOLF WATCH

MIKE MITCHELL US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MONTANA COOPERATIVE WILDLIFE RESEARCH UNIT UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA

RECOVERY AND MANAGEMENT IN MONTANA Few species incite more controversy than wolves.

People seem to either hate them or love them, with few opinions (or maybe a silent majority) in between.

This has certainly been the case in the northern Rocky Mountains where the reestablishment of the species has been playing out for nearly four decades. It began when wolves crossed the border from Canada and began to settle in northwestern Montana in the late 1970s. This population remained small and relatively stable until about 2005 when it began to grow slowly (Figure 1). Because they colonized northwest Montana naturally, these wolves received full protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The wolf population in the northern Rockies began to change dramatically in 1995 when 66 wolves captured in Canada (the

68 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

same species as wolves native to Montana, contrary to some claims) were released in Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho after years of debate and deliberation. The reintroduced wolves established populations that were designated as “experimental, non-essential� under the ESA, meaning that management actions (e.g., removal of wolves that prey on livestock) are allowed as long as such actions are in accordance with the ultimate recovery of the species. These populations that began with a small number of wolves grew very rapidly (Figure 1), becoming sources of dispersers that soon colonized much of western Montana.

The delisting of wolves in the northern Rockies is a convoluted story. The wolf population exceeded the delisting criteria of 300 wolves and 30 breeding pairs divided equally between Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming in 2002.

Wolves in the three states were first delisted in 2008, but court battles resulted in a series of injunctions and new proposals to delist that kept the wolf population in regulatory limbo. This continued until 2011 when the U.S. Congress passed legislation that permanently delisted wolves in Montana and Idaho (wolves in Wyoming were delisted in 2012). Needless to say, throughout this process, public and scientific debate was intense. Public concerns about effects of wolves on ungulate populations and the livelihood of stock growers contrasted sharply with beliefs that wolves were a natural part of the northern Rockies ecosystem and their populations should be allowed to thrive. Scientists, in the meantime, debated about just what thriving meant. How large must a wolf population be to be self-sustaining? How connected should wolf

populations be to ensure genetic vigor? What effects do wolves have on prey populations? How much human offtake can a wolf population absorb before it experiences unintended demographic consequences? The truth is that we just don’t know the answers to these questions all that well.

Following delisting, resolutions to public debate and answers to ecological questions continue to evolve.

States in the northern Rockies have assumed management authority over wolves since they were delisted. Learning about effects of management on wolves is increasing rapidly, providing a lot of insight into just what makes wolf populations tick. The first public harvest of wolves took place in 2009 after the initial delisting. In Montana, limited harvest quotas were set out of an abundance of caution.

Those quotas were not met, and the wolf population continued to grow, suggesting the population could sustain more intensive harvest. Hunting of wolves was suspended during subsequent court battles but resumed following final delisting in 2011.

Healthy discourse and debate continues as part of the North American Model where management of wildlife is a public process driven by public ownership of wildlife.

Since resuming wolf hunting, Montana has defined hunting and trapping seasons with the intent to reduce its wolf populations in order to strike a balance between a healthy wolf population and public tolerance. Harvest pressure on wolves has increased incrementally over the years, primarily because the more limited pressure of earlier seasons failed to achieve harvest quotas. Recent, slightly downward trends in population size (Figure 2), however, suggest two (among several) possible scenarios: (1) harvest is proving successful at reducing the size of the population, or (2) the wolf population in western Montana may have hit its carrying capacity and is unable to grow further. We probably won’t know which of those scenarios is most likely for quite some time, though.

A fundamental tenet of using harvest to achieve management objectives is understanding the size of the population you’re managing. Since reintroduction, the abundance of wolves has been rigorously monitored; first, because it was required under the ESA but more recently because it is needed for effective management and to meet public expectations. While wolves were listed, funding from the federal government enabled intensive monitoring (e.g., capturing, collaring, and radio tracking lots of wolves), allowing a thorough count of wolves and breeding pairs. In the years immediately prior to delisting, however, even that level of monitoring was not able to keep up with growing wolf populations. To make matters worse, federal funding rapidly declined in the years following delisting,

NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN WOLF POPULATION TRENDS IN MONTANA, IDAHO, AND WYOMING: 1982-2014 (excludes Oregon and Washington)

MINIMUM NUMBER OF WOLVES

FIGURE 1. Growth of the wolf populations in Montana (MT), Wyoming (WY), and Idaho (ID) from 1982 to 2014. The delisting criterion under the Endangered Species Act of at least 300 wolves and 30 breeding pairs distributed equally across the 3 states was met in 2002. Figure courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

YEAR FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 69

SIZE OF THE WOLF POPULATION IN MONTANA FROM 1994 TO 2014

NUMBER OF WOLVES

FIGURE 2. Size of the wolf population in Montana from 1994 to 2014, represented by minimum counts observed through traditional monitoring of collared packs (black bars) and abundance estimates derived independently from occupancy models based on hunter observations. Error bars indicate uncertainty associated with estimates.

Figure courtesy of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

YEAR

strongly limiting the ability of states to understand and manage their wolf populations.

Montana needed another way to monitor its wolves. Large carnivores like wolves are notoriously difficult to monitor because they are elusive and occur at low densities. Previous approaches based on tracking collared wolves were no longer feasible, and alternative methods such as track counts, genetic mark-recapture, and camera trapping would not work on the scale of an entire state.

The Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit had been working for years with the Nez Perce tribe and Idaho Department of Fish and Game on developing a statewide protocol for monitoring wolves based on a statistical methodology called occupancy modeling. In essence, occupancy modeling uses observation data such as wolf sightings within “patches� (actually, cells on a grid covering the entire state) and infer whether cells were occupied or not. Because wolves are

FIGURE 3. This map shows estimated statewide occupancy of wolves in Montana in 2012, based on observations of deer and elk hunters obtained by phone survey following the hunting season. Cells within the grid are 600 square kilometers in size, equal to average territory size for wolf packs in Montana. Green shading indicates low probability of occupancy; red indicates high probability. Large black dots represent centroid locations of known packs; small dots indicate locations of legal wolf harvests. Figure courtesy of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

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highly territorial and their pack sizes are understood reasonably well, knowing occupancy across a state allows us to estimate abundance (Figures 2 and 3). The approach works well, and it was adopted by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) in 2007. Figure 2 shows abundance estimates for Montana, developed using occupancy models and the minimum number of wolves recorded using traditional, intensive (but no longer affordable) techniques. A comparison of

the estimates and minimum numbers tells us two important things. First, the greater magnitude of the estimates tells us what we already suspected—traditional monitoring since delisting was not sufficient to detect all wolves.

Second, trends were similar for both estimates and minimum numbers, suggesting that the estimates were a reliable indicator of changes in the wolf population. Based on this approach to monitoring, wolf populations in Montana are probably some of the best

understood anywhere.

Understanding abundance, however, is only part of the picture when it comes to good management. We also need to know how harvest affects abundance so hunting and trapping seasons that will help meet management objectives can be planned and implemented. This is no easy accomplishment because it can be hard to see relationships between harvest policies and population dynamics due to four sources of uncertainty: (1) environmental variation that inf luences populations, (2) incomplete understanding of processes within populations that affect growth, (3) limited control over successful implementation of harvest regulations (i.e., the number of tags sold may not equal the number of wolves harvested), and (4) the limited ability of any monitoring program to detect interactions between harvest and population dynamics. The only way to reduce these important uncertainties is over time, through a process called adaptive harvest management (AHM). In essence, AHM is experimentation through management where we might have various ideas about how harvest affects wolf populations, we implement a harvest policy based on these ideas, and then use monitoring to see which of the ideas has greatest support. What we learn from doing this over multiple harvest seasons allows us to improve our understanding of how different approaches to harvesting wolves help—or fail to— achieve management objectives. Collaborative research with Montana FWP to develop an AHM program for wolves is currently underway—so stay tuned!

In the meantime, healthy discourse and debate continues as part of the North American Model where

management of wildlife is a public process driven by public ownership of wildlife. This discourse ultimately leads to effective conservation of species like wolves, however contentious it might seem in the short term. Interestingly, the tenor and volume of public debate in Montana has decreased considerably since state management began and progress toward management obj e c t i ve s h a s b e en

demonstrated. Scientific debate continues apace, however, as researchers seek to discern how human off-take affects wolf populations. Arguably the stakes are high for wolves in the northern Rockies that made the transition from an endangered to a harvested species nearly overnight. The good news is that throughout the recovery in Montana, wolves have proven highly resilient, and rigorous

monitoring and tracking of harvest in real time allows managers to keep close tabs on population health and progress toward management objectives. Through AHM, over time we will better understand both population dynamics of wolves and effects of harvest, allowing managers to best find that sweet spot between healthy wolf populations and their acceptance by the public. n FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 71

MEMBERS OF THE WILDERNESS WARRIOR SOCIETY The Wilderness Warrior Society is the Club’s premier major gifts society. It is named after Doug Brinkley’s historic book about Theodore Roosevelt and his Crusade for America and was launched in 2011 to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Boone and Crockett Club.

With your gift of $125,000 or more, you will be honored by being named a member of the Wilderness Warrior Society. You will be presented with your own numbered limited edition bronze of Theodore Roosevelt on horseback, a custom Hickey Freeman Blazer, as well as other gifts to recognize and honor you for your contribution.

Funds raised from Wilderness Warrior contributions are placed in the Boone and Crockett Club Foundation endowment where the principal remains intact, and the annual interest income generated provides permanent funding for vital conservation programs.

We added four new members in 2014, bringing our total to twenty-four members of the Society. This translates to more than $3 million for the endowment and has been a major portion of the growth of these funds. It has been a huge success by any measure.

Please join us in this grand effort. Contact the Boone and Crockett Club today to find out how you can become a member of the Wilderness Warrior Society.

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

2015 Annual Meeting, San Antonio, Texas

Contact Ben Hollingsworth at 713/840-1508 for more details.

Boone and Crockett Club www.boone-crockett.org 250 Station Drive, Missoula, MT 59801 406/542-1888

72 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

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REBECCA L. CAIN BOONE AND CROCKETT FELLOW MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

DAVID M. WILLIAMS, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

B&C RECORDS: Why they began, In a world where game animals were

how far they have come, and where they can go

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dwindling and little was known about wildlife management, the Boone and Crockett Club arose to address the reckless, continual removal of wildlife and natural resources from the landscape. Big game populations were collapsing, and the extinction of numerous species appeared inevitable. Theodore Roosevelt gathered a group of friends to found the Boone and Crockett Club (B&C) and bring attention to the horrific consequences of this overexploitation of our natural resources. They believed it was important to begin developing a scientific understanding of big game and their habitats and to document the existence of big game specimens for future generations before these animals disappeared from the landscape.

The wealth of information contained in the big game records is uncommon in wildlife databases.

There are more than 50,000 records in the Boone and Crockett database, and 1,200 to 1,800 new records are being added every year.

To begin getting the information they needed about big game, the Boone and Crockett Club devised a novel program to excite hunters to record information about the animals they harvested. The data collected documented not only the existence, but also the condition of harvested big game animals in North America.

Throughout his life, Roosevelt maintained detailed notes about his observations of wild animals because of his deep interest in their habitats and natural history. Moreover, he saw hunting as both a sport and an opportunity to further his knowledge about the land and species that inhabit it. Roosevelt believed that science should provide the basis for conservation, and from his observations, he became interested in questions such as, what kinds of habitats are necessary to restore and maintain species, and what kinds of habitats support the very best examples of each species? Thus, the Boone and Crockett records program began with the hope that someday the data would be used by

scientists to provide valuable insights about wildlife populations and their habitats.

David M. Williams and Rebecca L. Cain pose in Today, the Records from the Boone and Crockett of North American Big Headquarters, where all the Game represent victories entry data gets processed in management as well as and recorded. They traveled provide the conduit to Missoula, Montana, in 2015 to participate in an Official through which to honor Measurer's workshop. successful hunters.

While celebrating hunters and management success is important, the most significant role of the Boone and Crockett records records program continues to invest is, arguably, contributing to our knowl- considerable resources to train Official edge of wildlife. As one of the most com- Measurers in the detailed methods of prehensive archives in wildlife, big game measuring and scoring of North Amerirecords have become a significant re- can big game. By requiring all candidates pository for quality harvest data that can to complete a workshop before they are be used in research related to wildlife recognized as Official Measurers, disspecies and their habitat. crepancies among individual measurers The wealth of information con- during the data acquisition process are tained in the big game records is uncom- minimized. In addition to having wellmon in wildlife databases. There are trained Official Measurers, there are more than 50,000 records in the Boone quality-control procedures in place that and Crockett database, and 1,200 to 1,800 every entry must undergo. Part of the new records are being added every year. standard procedure for each entry inSince the database contains well over 100 cludes having the information verified years of harvest information for 38 cat- by records-program personnel, which egories of big game across North Amer- ensures the accuracy of all new informaica, consistency in the data is important. tion added to the database.

Fortunately, the Boone and Crockett Club Of course we periodically need to records data remain dependable over justify the investment the Club makes in time and across the continent due to the these records, so it’s important to ask, tremendous efforts the Club has taken what practical use do the data serve for to maintain the data quality. society? The simple answer is the knowlCompared to similar databases, edge. The original intention of the foundthe quality of the Boone and Crockett ing members of the Boone and Crockett data is extraordinary. This is partly be- Club is still relevant— the knowledge we cause the Boone and Crockett Club gain is better equipping us to manage and conserve these species. The longevity and continental scope of the big game records Rebecca with a musk ox skull and a copy of the make them uniquely positioned to help thirteen edition of Records of North American managers appreciate the short- and longBig Game. The Boone and Crockett Club has term consequences of modern society’s been publishing its records data since 1932.

FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 75

impacts on wildlife. Ultimately, the benefit to society is in using this information to ensure that these big game resources will continue to be enjoyed by future generations.

The Boone and Crockett database will only become more prominent in the future because historical continental-wide data are necessary to answer pressing scientific questions, including research aimed at understanding how wildlife populations respond to changes in climate conditions, management strategies, and land-use patterns. For climate-change research, it is necessary to have many decades of data to evaluate how wildlife populations have responded throughout time in the face of these global environmental changes. Broadscale historical data are also necessary to investigate the response of wildlife populations to alternative management strategies (e.g., changes in hunting regulations, harvest restrictions, season structures). To answer questions related to land-use changes, we require many years of data along with information from areas with different landscape characteristics to understand how wildlife populations have been influenced by the way in which the land has been used.

The Boone and Crockett records are one of the only databases available to address the spatial and temporal scales appropriate to answer questions about these subjects, so the big game records data will remain very valuable.

The Boone and Crockett database has the potential to

become even more important to science and conservation as steps are taken to improve big game records, making them more valuable for informing management decisions. In particular, the Club’s efforts to make all its records available online will help encourage greater research and general interest in the records data.

Improvements are also being made in the data itself.

We know that age is an important factor influencing the size of an animal. In sheep, for example, a ram that measures 190 at 6 years old from Montana indicates better habitat than say a ram measuring 190 at 12 years old from a different location. Unfortunately, age information has rarely been recorded as part of the data collected in the big game records, and this gap makes it difficult to interpret trends we observe in the size and number of record-book entries. To address this issue, the records program has been collecting information about the age of harvested individuals since the 16th awards program (1974-1976), so researchers will be able to monitor how the age-structure of big-game record-book harvests change through time.

Another improvement to the database deals with potential biases in the records data. As with many human behaviors, self-reporting of harvest information by hunters is subject to bias. The motivations that are unique to each hunter can influence how likely the harvest of an animal will be reported to the

Boone and Crockett Club. We know that not every successful hunter will get the animal measured by an Official Measurer and then submit the scoresheet and other required materials to the Club. However, no research has been conducted to understand the variation in reporting rates and, consequently, the interpretations of the records data can be misleading. For instance, without knowing the reporting bias, we are unable to determine if the observed trends in antler and horn sizes are the result of changes in the actual population or merely changes in reporting to the Boone and Crockett Club by hunters. To ensure appropriate conclusions are made from analyses using the big game records data, research to evaluate the variation in reporting rates is necessary. The investigation of reporting bias will be a crucial next step in improving the records data.

T he B o one a nd Crockett Club can be proud that its records program was one of the first citizen-science initiatives to be instituted in conservation and that it has become one of the longest living citizen-science efforts. Of course, much appreciation goes to the countless sportsmen, sportswomen, and Official Measurers. Perhaps most importantly, Theodore Roosevelt’s dream for the records as a valuable source of information for wildlife conservation is being realized, and the future of the Records of North American Big Game is bright. n

The Boone and Crockett Club's records program continues to invest considerable resources to train Official Measurers in the detailed methods of measuring and scoring of North American big game. By requiring all candidates to complete a workshop before they are recognized as Official Measurers, discrepancies among individual measurers during the data acquisition process are minimized.

LEFT: Rebecca learned how to score various species at an Official Measurers workshop.

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GLENN E. HISEY OF POPE & YOUNG CLUB RETIRES

TROPHY TALK

JACK RENEAU B&C PROFESSIONAL MEMBER Director Emeritus

On Sunday, June 12, 2016, friends and family met at Chosen Valley Golf Course, Chatfield, Minnesota, to celebrate Glenn E. Hisey’s retirement from Pope and Young Club after 28-1/2 years of dedicated and loyal service. I would, therefore, like to take this opportunity and space to publicly congratulate Glenn on his retirement and thank him for his many years of dedicated and loyal service to B&C, P&Y, trophy owners and hunters everywhere. At the time Glenn retired, he wore many hats; he was P&Y’s executive secretary, director of records, and museum director.

I am very pleased to say I was able to attend his party and personally congratulate him on his retirement on behalf of Boone and Crockett Club, the Records Committee, B&C’s records department staff, and myself for all he did for B&C over the years. I was

given the opportunity to say a few words and present Glenn with a specially engraved Buck knife from Buck Knives’ B&C series to commemorate his retirement. My thanks go to C.J. Buck and his staff for engraving this special knife on such short notice.

I first met Glenn back in the early 1980s during a P&Y Biennium Judges Panel in Spokane, Washington, and appointed him a B&C Official Measurer in 1986. Since then, I have regularly visited with Glenn on the telephone and via emails seeking his advice and input on matters of mutual concern to both B&C and P&Y. All of us here at B&C send him our best wishes for a very happy retirement.

4TH EDITION OF OM MANUAL RELEASED

As readers of Fair Chase and fans of Boone and Crockett Club know, B&C’s universally recognized scoring system has evolved into the benchmark

scoring system for identifying and recording mature native North American big game animals. Other systems have come and gone, but B&C’s scoring system is the gold standard

LEFT: Jack presented Glenn Hisey with this custom Buck knife (below) at Glenn's retirement party in Chatfield, Minnesota.

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that hunters use to record their hunting accomplishments in North America. The scoring system has also evolved into an effective tool used by conservationists for identifying big game population changes and gauging the success of conservation efforts.

A very significant part of this equation is the scoring manual that provides detailed instructions to our cadre of Official Measurers on the proper scoring techniques for measuring all 38 categories of big game recognized by the Club. It is also an especially useful tool for any hunter who wants to score his or her own

trophies to see how they stack up, whether or not they make “The Book.”

The Club’s records office is pleased to announce the release of the 4th edition of its official scoring manual titled, How to Score North American Big Game: Boone and Crockett Club’s Official Measurers Manual. During the last 110 years, the scoring manual has gone through many versions, name changes, and updates, which I will review in this column, but this 4th edition is the most comprehensive rewrite since Grancel Fitz published his version of the manual with Outdoor Life magazine in 1963. From 1950 to 1963, the only available scoring instructions were on Copies of How to Score North American Big Game: Boone and Crockett Club’s Official Measurers Manual, 4th Edition, are now available for $34.95 each, plus shipping and handling. Copies of the 4th edition can be obtained by calling B&C’s toll-free number, 1-888-840-4868 or going to www.boonecrockett.org. The associate’s price is $27.95 each, plus shipping and handling. How to Score North American Big Game: Boone and Crockett Club’s Official Measurers Manual is a great gift idea for any and all occasions, so pick one up for yourself, your hunting companions, hunting camp, etc.

the backs of the score charts first released in 1950. This 4th edition is really the culmination of the efforts of many knowledgeable individuals over the years to present B&C’s scoring system and explain how to use it.

In the Club’s newly revised edition of How to Score North American Big Game, B&C’s scoring system for measuring all North American big game is explained in detail using simple, straightforward language and more than 100 new illustrations.

The step-by-step scoring instructions in each chapter have been rearranged in the same chronology as the boxes are filled in on the score chart, which wasn’t the case in earlier editions. Also, each scoring chapter has subheadings, such as Point Determination and Count, Spread Measurements, Main Beam and Point Lengths, etc., so that scoring instructions can be quickly located and questions quickly answered. The 3-D illustrations in this edition, which replace the pen-and-ink drawings of the manual’s previous editions, give a much clearer idea of how to follow the scoring instructions.

The illustrations were created by Chris Lacey who is not only an incredibly talented wildlife artist but also a B&C Official Measurer. Who could be better qualified to do accurate and detailed illustrations for B&C’s scoring manual than a B&C Official Measurer who knows the system inside and out and how to apply it? Chris is without a doubt one of the best wildlife artists in the world; his attention to detail is exceptional.

Some of his other contributions to B&C include artwork for book dust jackets and B&C apparel. Among his many accomplishments are the background murals at a number of Cabela’s stores.

This latest edition is spiral-bound for durability and easy, lay-flat reading.

Pockets are integrated into the back cover for safe keeping of completed score charts, records office communications, notes, phone numbers, etc.

The Procedures and Policies chapters in this edition have been significantly expanded with updates that have been announced in “Trophy Talk” since the 3rd edition was released in 2009. Everyone, not just Official Measurers, needs to fully review these two chapters to

understand how the records program works, which trophies are acceptable for the records books and which ones are not. The category boundaries chapter especially has been revised and updated with easier to interpret, fullcolor detailed maps by onXmaps.

There are now maps for all states that have desert sheep populations. In addition, boundary changes were necessary for Roosevelt’s elk in northern California where they are moving eastward into Tule elk territory.

Included are all boundary changes announced in “Trophy Talk” since the 3rd edition.

A complimentary copy of How to Score North American Big Game, 4th Edition, has been mailed to all Official Measurers, and the new manual is available on B&C's website. An e-book edition also available.

MO OSE .

Meas urem ents .

HISTORY OF THE OFFICIAL MEASURERS’ MANUAL

1906 Manual The history of the Club’s scoring manual is quite confusing and somewhat disjointed. It has gone through many revisions, updates, and changes over the last 110 years (Table A). Its history is almost as long as the existence of the Club itself. In 1902, only 15 years after the Club’s founding, the Club’s board of directors appointed Theodore Roosevelt, then president of the United States, Caspar Whitney, and Archibald Rogers to a subcommittee with the primary goal of devising a standard scoring procedure for native North American big game. There is no record of this committee’s discussions or reports until the Club’s first Official Measurer’s manual, Big Game

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Leng th on Insid e Curve . . . . . . .

Burr . . . . . . .

Circu mfere nce above . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tip to Tip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Great est Width . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bread th of Palm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Numb er of Point s .

31 -41 inche s 6 7-8 ‘ ‘ 29 ‘ ‘ 50 ‘ ‘ 14 ‘ ‘ 12 12

Measurements: Game Book of the Boone and Crockett Club was published in 1906 by Club member James H. Kidder, chair of the Committee on Big Game Measurements.

Included were detailed instructions and score charts for scoring only 17 categories of big game. This system was primitive and inadequate to say the least, but it was a start to draw attention to the plight of big game animals and to record data for them for posterity if they went extinct. As unbelievable as it may seem today, extinction was a possibility in the minds of FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 79

TROPHY TALK Roosevelt, George Bird Grinnell, and many other early Club members and conservationists at that time.

The Club’s first scoring system put forth in this book was used to score and record trophies for the Club’s first edition of the All-time records book, Records of North American Big Game, published by the Club in 1932 and edited by Club member Prentiss N. Gray. It was also used for collecting data for the 1939 edition titled, North American Big Game.

This 1906 publication is without a doubt the rarest

B&C publication in existence.

I didn’t know this book even existed for many years until I just happened to find an advertisement for it back in the late-1980s in some early Club files. The Club priced this leather-bound, pocket-sized book at $1.50 a copy, postpaid.

That may sound like a reasonable price today, but apparently it was a rather hefty price in 1906 because a note by Caspar Whitney attached to the ad I found strenuously complained that it was terribly overpriced; he figured that $.50 would have been a much fairer price.

Whitney was concerned that the manual and scoring system wouldn’t get the wide distribution it needed because, “It is a prohibitive price to the great majority of men who go afield.”

BELOW: Forest and Stream's Ad for Big Game Measurements and Caspar Whitney's response.

When I found the ad, I knew immediately this was such a rare book that I wanted one for my own personal library. Because it was so rare, I didn’t share information of its existence with anyone else because I didn’t want any competition from others searching for it. I silently searched book stores and the internet, weekly if not daily, for a copy for over 15 years. It wasn’t until January 3, 2006, that a copy finally surfaced on eBay and sold for the paltry sum of $190.05. I didn’t know about it until after the sale closed, so I unfortunately missed my first chance to purchase a copy of this very rare B&C book.

I’m sure there are more copies out there, but to date, I have only heard of four copies in existence. The Club purchased one of them, and I finally realized my goal by acquiring a copy in good condition. The Club reprinted a limited edition of this publication for B&C book collectors and aficionados; a limited number of copies are still available.

1947 Manual The Club held its first Competition, called Awards Programs today, in 1947. To get this program off to a proper start, the Club’s Committee in Charge of Records and North American Big Game Competitions, published the first comprehensive booklet on the Club’s records program titled, North American Big Game Competitions Conducted by Boone and Crockett Club. Not only did this booklet include complete details and rules of the Club’s Competitions, but it also included score charts and scoring instructions introduced in 1906. There were no minimum scores that I am aware of because deer, for example, were ranked on length of the longer main beam. The committee that produced this manual was located at the

80 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

American Museum of Natural History in New York City at the time of publication and was chaired by Club member Harold E. Anthony.

1963 Outdoor Life Edition It wasn’t until 1963 that Grancel Fitz, one of the original architects of the Club’s current scoring system, published his own paperback scoring manual titled, How to Measure and Score Big-Game Trophies. This edition was made of poor-quality paper, and I doubt many copies survived in pristine condition because they were meant to be workbooks for writing in and cutting out score charts; in other words, it was disposable.

A second edition of Grancel’s book was published in 1977 by Pope and Young Club when it purchased the rights to do so from Grancel’s wife Betty Fitz. It was published by David McKay Co., Inc. P&Y Club’s edition was published in both hardback and softback editions.

In the 1950s, B&C gave Glenn St. Charles, P&Y’s founder, permission to use its scoring system to promote the fledgling sport of bowhunting.

P&Y prospered and grew, but sadly and for whatever excuse, many bowhunters don’t enter their B&C qualifying trophies in B&C. We strongly encourage them to do so. B&C accepts trophies taken in fair chase by any legal method of harvest. B&C’s records are incomplete without these trophies.

So, if you have a B&C qualifying trophy that you haven’t entered in B&C, please do so.

P&Y has published several editions of its own scoring manual since then, but I won’t list their manuals in this column. I need to point out, however, that P&Y’s scoring manual cannot be used to score trophies for B&C’s records program and vice versa because of some scoring nuances, which are mentioned

TABLE A. LIST OF B&C’S OFFICIAL MEASURER MANUALS 1906: Big Game Measurements: Game Book of the Boone and Crockett Club. Club member James H. Kidder

1947: North American Big Game Competitions Conducted by Boone and Crockett Club. Boone and Crockett Club. Club member Harold E. Anthony.

1963: How to Measure and Score Big-Game Trophies, Outdoor Life Magazine. Grancel Fitz.

1977: How to Measure and Score Big-Game Trophies, Pope and Young Club. David McKay Co., Inc. Grancel Fitz.

1967: Manual for Official Measurers. Records Committee. Boone and Crockett Club

1969: Manual for Official Measurers. Records Committee. Boone and Crockett Club

1985: Measuring and Scoring North American Big Game Trophies.

Boone and Crockett Club. Wm. H. Nesbitt and Philip L. Wright

1997: Measuring and Scoring North American Big Game Trophies.

2nd Edition. Boone and Crockett Club. Updated by C. Randall Byers and Jack Reneau.

2009: Measuring and Scoring North American Big Game Trophies, 3rd Edition. Updated by Eldon L. “Buck” Buckner and Jack Reneau.

ABOVE: The 1985 edition, Measuring and Scoring North American Big Game Trophies was created to be used at Official Measure training workshops and included illustration and photos depicting proper scoring techniques.

2016: How to Score North American Big Game: Boone and Crockett Club’s Official Measurers Manual, 4th Edition. Updated by Eldon L. “Buck” Buckner, Richard T. Hale, Jack Reneau (Editor), et al.

B&C FIELD SCORING GUIDES

in a special chapter in the appendix of the 4th edition, about the scoring of trophies for each program. I do want to emphasize the fact that B&C has always accepted trophies taken by bowhunters, whereas P&Y obviously only accepts trophies taken with archery tackle.

charts that had scoring instructions on the backs of each score chart. Both booklets included copies of B&C’s fair chase statement, a list of acceptable categories and minimum scores, along with rules and policies covering how the Club’s records program worked.

1967 & 1969 Manuals From 1962 to 1970, the Club’s records office was located at the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In 1967 and 1969 the Club’s Records of North American Big Game Committee published two small booklets titled, Boone and Crockett Club Manual for Official Measurers.

Neither of these publications included score charts or scoring instructions. Instead, they instructed trophy owners on where to obtain score

1985 Manual In 1985, the Club released the first edition of Measuring and Scoring North American Big Game Trophies.

It was co-authored by William H. “Harold” Nesbitt and Philip L. Wright. Harold was executive director of the Boone and Crockett Club at the time and Phil was the Club’s chair of the Records of North American Big Game Committee. I remember well when Harold was tirelessly working on this book as he would occasionally ask

2003: A Boone and Crockett Club Field Guide to Measuring and

Judging Big Game, 1st Edition. Boone and Crockett Club.

Wm. H. Nesbitt, Philip L. Wright; updated by Eldon, L. “Buck” Buckner, and Jack Reneau.

2010: A Boone and Crockett Club Field Guide to Measuring and Judging Big Game, 2nd Edition. Wm. H. Nesbitt, Philip L. Wright; updated by Eldon, L. “Buck” Buckner, and Jack Reneau.

me to review one section or another and give an opinion on it.

This 1985 edition, which only came in softcover, was the culmination of years of work by Nesbitt and Wright to create a manual to be used at Official Measurer training workshops throughout the United States and Canada.

Copies were available for purchase to the public so that trophy owners could follow detailed instructions to score their own trophies.

In the back of the 1985 edition was a special chapter on “Field Evaluation of Trophies.” Photographs of a minimum score trophy and a top-ranking trophy of each category were depicted side by side to give readers a visual idea of the size of top-ranking trophies and trophies that barely met the minimum scores.

From 1976 through 1985, I taught Official Measurer training workshops using score charts and FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 81

TROPHY TALK photocopied drafts of a manual that eventually became the 1985 edition. These photocopies are spiral bound with red copypaper covers. I doubt very many copies of this version of the manual exist today because only enough copies were made for the number of students that attended each workshop.

1997 & 2009 Update Editions In the ensuing years, the 1985 edition was followed by the second and third editions that were published in 1997 and 2009, respectively.

The 1997 edition only came in a three-ring binder version, and the 2009 edition was printed in both softcover and three-ring binder editions.

The three-ring binder editions were designed especially for Official Measurers so the manual could lie flat while scoring a trophy. Grancel Fitz scoring an Alaska-Yukon moose is depicted on the

cover of the 1997 edition, and I am depicted scoring a pronghorn on both the softcover and the three-ring binder editions in 2009.

2003 & 2010 Field Manuals In 2003 and 2010, B&C published field guide editions of the scoring manual titled A Boone and Crockett Club Field Guide to Measuring and Judging Big Game that could easily fit into a backpack. The 2003 edition was spiral bound and the 2010 edition was softcover bound. The unique feature of these two editions that sets them off from other printings of the OM manual was that each chapter included several paragraphs by top outdoor writers and hunting experts on field-judging trophies.

There are also photographs of top-scoring and minimumscoring trophies for side-byside comparison purposes in each scoring chapter. n

RIGHT: The 2010 publication of A Boone and Crockett Club Field Guide to Measuring and Judging Big Game included side-by-side comparisons of top—scoring and minimum-scoring trophies.

BELOW: Measuring and Scoring North American Big Game Trophies through the years. Left to right: the 1997 binder edition; the 1985 publication was the first edition titled Measuring and Scoring North American Big Game Trophies; the 1967 and 1969 booklets did not include score charts; the 1963 Outdoor Life edition; the 1947 publication was released in conjunction with the first competition, now called the Awards Program; the 2009 third edition; and the 2010 A Boone and Crockett Club Field Guide to Measuring and Judging Big Game .

82 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

I’m sure after reading this column that you realize by now that the Club’s scoring system is not static, and that this 4th edition will not be the last. There will be many more revisions and updates to this latest edition of the manual in the coming decades as unique scoring problems keep cropping up and scoring procedures are refined and problems defined. The important thing about any new editions, however, is that all Official Measurers must completely familiarize themselves with each and every new edition. While new editions may look like earlier editions, they are positively not identical.

FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 83

JACK STEELE PARKER

GENERATION

NEXT FINAL GROSS SCORE SCORE

LOCATION

HUNTER

DATE MEASURER

BLACK BEAR 20 6/16

Wasatch Co., UT

Bridger B. Smith

2015 W. Phifer

TYPICAL MULE DEER 181

216 5/8

Catron Co., NM

Kyrin M. Romero

2015 R. Madsen

The Boone and Crockett Club would like to celebrate young hunters who have embraced the outdoor way of life and embody the spirit of fair chase hunting.

The following is a list of the most recent big game trophies accepted into Boone and Crockett Club’s 30th Big Game Awards Program, 2016-2018, 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 Summer 2016 issue of Fair Chase was published.

NON-TYPICAL MULE DEER 232 4/8 238 1/8

Arapahoe Co., CO Nicole A. Dodge

2015 D. Doerr

TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER 172 1/8 187 169 4/8 191 5/8 167 7/8 177 4/8

Harper Co., KS Grayson Co., KY Hart Co., KY

Joscelyn E. Hazel Andrew D. Haycraft William H. Peak

2015 R. Bergloff 2015 W. Cooper 2015 D. Weddle

NON-TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER 192 3/8 198 6/8

Union Co., KY

James D. Hutchison III 2015 D. Weddle

CANADA MOOSE

205 7/8 211 5/8

McHenry Co., ND Georgina R. Eidmann 2015 J. Plesuk

PRONGHORN 84 83 6/8 83 2/8 81

84 4/8 84 6/8 83 6/8 81 5/8

Box Elder Co., UT Coconino Co., AZ Carbon Co., WY Meagher Co., MT

Ethan J. harrow

Ethan J. Harrow Teague E. Swanson Mabel E. Raymond Zachary A. Roberts

2015 2015 2015 2015

R. Hall R. Stayner B. Wilkes R. Selner

Joscelyn e. Hazel

Kyrin m. romero 84 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

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FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 85

RECENTLY ACCEPTED TROPHIES The following pages list the most recent big game trophies accepted into Boone and Crockett Club’s 30th Big Game Awards Program, 2016-2018, which includes entries received between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2018.

Entries marked with an * were accepted in the 29th Awards Program. All of the field photos in this section are from entries that are listed in this issue and are shown in bold green text.

30 BIG GAME AWARDS TH

LISTING AND PHOTO GALLERY

This listing represents only those trophies accepted since the Summer 2016 issue of Fair Chase was published.

SPONSORED BY

B&C Associate David A. Murawski took this typical mule deer, scoring 191-3/8 points, on a hunt in Lincoln County, Nevada, in 2015.

Share your field photos with us!

Follow: @BooneandCrockettClub Tag: #booneandcrockettclub 86 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

TOP TO BOTTOM

BEAR & COUGAR FINAL SCORE

LOCATION

HUNTER

DATE MEASURER

BLACK BEAR - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 23-10/16 22 5/16 Warren Co., NJ George P. Polachak 2015 D. Chanda 22 1/16 Port Saunders, NL Tony J. Allen 2015 J. Anstey 21 10/16 Delta Co., MI Scott M. Knauf 2015 B. Novosad 21 9/16 Forest Co., PA Heath M. Bromley 2015 E. Defibaugh 21 9/16 Rusk Co., WI Woodene D. Stevens 2015 P. Ostrum 21 7/16 Chippewa Co., WI Mark J. Schwartz 2013 J. Hjort 21 3/16 Lake Manitoba, MB Brent A. Moen 2015 R. Dufault 21 2/16 Chippewa Co., WI Alex J. Hoel 2015 M. Miller 21 1/16 Otter Tail Co., MN Yolonda M. 2013 M. Harrison

Christopherson 20 14/16 Morgan Co., TN Wendell E. Freels 2014 T. Buchanan 20 12/16 Currituck Co., NC Edwin F. Morgan, Jr. 2011 J. Turner 20 9/16 Las Animas Co., CO Mike J. Fritzler 2015 M. Bain 20 9/16 Penobscot Co., ME George L. Turner, Sr. 2015 T.

Montgomery 20 8/16 Duck Mountain, MB Michael L. Ritter, Jr. 2015 J. Bogucki 20 7/16 Bayfield Co., WI Matthew J. Sefkar 2014 J. Ramsey 20 7/16 Iron Co., MI David P. Hommes 2015 J. Ohmer 20 7/16 Dinan Bay, BC Frank L. Werbecky 2015 R. Berreth 20 4/16 Polk Co., WI David G. Anderson 2015 J. Lunde 20 3/16 Chippewa Co., MI David H. Debar, Jr. 2015 R. Banaszak 20 2/16 Chippewa Co., WI Duane Boettcher, Jr. 2013 S. Ashley 20 1/16 Washington Co., ME John R. Morris III 2014 A. Cramer 20 Leaf River, QC Milton Schultz, Jr. 2015 A. Beaudry

Lifetime Associate Milton Schultz, Jr. took this black bear, scoring 20 points, in 2015 while hunting near Leaf River, Quebec. He was shooting a .270 Weatherby.

This cougar, scoring 14-12/16 points, was taken by Lifetime Associate Dennis H. Dunn on an archery hunt near Horse Lake, British Columbia, in 2015.

Michael E. Broadwell was on an archery hunt in Coconino County, Arizona, when he harvested this typical American elk, scoring 371-7/8 points.

GRIZZLY BEAR - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 27-13/16 26

Bowron River, BC

Mike Gilson

2015 R. Berreth

ALASKA BROWN BEAR - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 30-12/16 28 4/16 28 2/16 28 1/16

Kaiugnak Bay, AK Kiliuda Bay, AK Red Lake, AK

Mark S. Yancey 2015 T. Henson Joseph P. Buono 2014 R. Johndrow Bennett L. McMillian 2013 C. Gray

COUGAR - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 16-4/16 15 2/16 14 15/16 14 12/16

Lincoln Co., WY Craig E. Palmer San Miguel Co., CO Autumn L. Boss Horse Lake, BC Dennis H. Dunn

2015 J. Brummer 2014 R. Nelson 2015 R. Spaulding

ELK & MULE DEER FINAL GROSS SCORE SCORE LOCATION

HUNTER

DATE MEASURER

TYPICAL AMERICAN ELK - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 442-5/8 393 3/8 407 6/8 387 7/8 399 6/8 387 6/8 398 7/8 386 6/8 397 6/8 371 7/8 386 4/8 371 2/8 384 367 5/8 378 3/8

364 2/8 368 7/8 363 365 5/8

Yavapai Co., AZ Paul J. Bilbrey 2015 Elk Co., PA Domenic V. Aversa, Sr. 2010 Yavapai Co., AZ Victor L. Carter 2015 Elko Co., NV Mitchell D. Jones 2015 Coconino Co., AZ Michael E. Broadwell 2015 Broadwater Co., MT Roy E. Czaplewski 2015 Powder River Mark Kayser 2015 Co., MT Rich Co., UT Wade F. Youngberg 2015 Park Co., WY Emilie K. Hoffert 2015

M. Cupell G. Vail K. Monteith J. Capurro* D. Waechtler J. Chelsvig M. Barrett R. Hall B. Milliron

ROOSEVELT’S ELK - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 404-6/8 330 6/8 339 2/8 Humboldt Co., CA 302 5/8 310 Clallam Co., WA

David P. Grein Mike A. Carpinito

2015 H. Wilson 2015 D. Waldbillig

TYPICAL MULE DEER - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 226-4/8 211 3/8 219 4/8 200 2/8 205 4/8 198 5/8 202 4/8

198 3/8 218 1/8 197 5/8 210 2/8 193 2/8 212 3/8 192 5/8 215 5/8 192 2/8 193 6/8 191 6/8 197 4/8

Mohave Co., AZ Mark A. Reeb Bonneville Co., ID Unknown South Shawn R. Osborne Saskatchewan River, SK Unknown Unknown Manitou Beach, SK Bailey T. Comeault San Juan Co., UT Ralph C. Stayner Eagle Co., CO Ted W. Miller Antelope Lake, SK Chris W. Hanson Park Co., CO David L. Bantly II

2015 L. Clark 1970 I. McArthur 2015 J. Clary 1980 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015

R. Hall D. Pezderic H. Grounds R. Newman J. Lorenz K. Travnicek

FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 87

30 BIG GAME AWARDS TH

TYPICAL MULE DEER CONTINUED 191 3/8 187 6/8 186 6/8 186 5/8 185 2/8 185 1/8 184 5/8 184 2/8 183 4/8 182 6/8 181 5/8 181 1/8 180 5/8 180 2/8 180 1/8

204 3/8 197 3/8 193 7/8 205 212 1/8 193 7/8 196 3/8 194 4/8 187 4/8 204 6/8 192 184 6/8 184 6/8 185 5/8 191

Lincoln Co., NV Delta Co., CO Saguache Co., CO Campbell Co., WY Baker Creek, BC Mohave Co., AZ Rio Blanco Co., CO Moffat Co., CO Rio Arriba Co., NM Delta Co., CO Archuleta Co., CO Custer Co., ID Grand Co., CO McKenzie Co., ND Mohave Co., AZ

David A. Murawski 2015 Annavah M. Kropp 2015 Bradley J. Barcus 2015 George T. Elder, Jr. 2015 Joe Hocevar 2015 Gary D. Whited 2015 Robert C. Hillis 2015 Rhett D. Montgomery 2010 Ryan P. Romero 2015 Fred F. Kroh 1978 Brad A. Monday 2015 Joseph M. Heald 2015 James T. White 2015 Cory W. Burkhardt 2015 Pete R. Tartaglia, Jr. 2015

R. McDrew R. Black R. Black R. Mayer R. Berreth R. Hall R. Collier B. Wilkes L. Panzy C. Newcomb T. Watts C. Wenger G. Kleczka J. Zins H. Grounds

NON-TYPICAL MULE DEER - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 355-2/8 229 4/8 228 7/8 224 2/8 220 6/8 220 6/8 216 3/8

234 4/8 235 3/8 227 1/8 228 4/8 223 3/8 226 6/8

Elko Co., NV Lincoln Co., NV Eagle Co., CO Lake Co., OR Laramie Co., WY Las Animas Co., CO

Donald S. Bostock Jared N. Morley Eric P. Shipley Mark W. Taylor Scott A. Kolb Harry F. Sickafuse

2015 2015 2015 2014 2015 2015

G.Hernandez S. Sanborn R. Rockwell G. Childers* D. Lynch M. Thomson

2015 2015 2015 2015 2015

R. Bergloff S. Troutman B. Abele L. Meduna B. Abele

TYPICAL COLUMBIA BLACKTAIL - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 182-2/8 147 5/8 136 7/8 136 128 5/8 128 2/8

151 7/8 139 5/8 138 143 2/8 131 5/8

Jackson Co., OR Jackson Co., OR Mendocino Co., CA Humboldt Co., CA Mendocino Co., CA

Whitney B. Freeman Lee Frudden Brett C. Gomes Sean D. Whipple Ryan N. Warren

TYPICAL SITKA BLACKTAIL DEER - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 133 112 2/8 118 7/8 102 4/8 106 2/8 101 2/8 102 3/8 100 4/8 108

Red Lake, AK Coffman Cove, AK Uganik Lake, AK Kupreanof Island, AK

Donald G. Robinson Heidi L. Rice Matthew V. Christy Luke J. Whitethorn

2015 2015 2015 1991

J. Brown M. Nilsen L. Blumer M. Nilsen

WHITETAIL DEER FINAL GROSS SCORE SCORE LOCATION

HUNTER

DATE MEASURER

TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 213-5/8

TOP TO BOTTOM:

This typical Coues' whitetail, scoring 106-6/8 points, was taken by Brian M. Martinez in Catron County, New Mexico, in 2015. He was shooting a .50 caliber muzzleloader.

In 2015, B&C Associate Lee Frudden harvested this 136-7/8-point typical Columbia blacktail while on a hunt in Jackson County, Oregon.

He was shooting a .50 caliber muzzleloader.

B&C Official Measurer Ralph C. Stayner took this typical mule deer, scoring 193-2/8 points, in 2015 while hunting in San Juan County, Utah.

He was shooting a .270 Winchester.

88 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

195 2/8 212 7/8 184 6/8 190 2/8 182 185 5/8 180 4/8 185 7/8 180 2/8 207 5/8 180 1/8 184 1/8 180 1/8 184 3/8

179 7/8 183 179 6/8 191 179 5/8 197 3/8 178 7/8 191 5/8 178 3/8 205 5/8 178 1/8 191 177 7/8 192 4/8 177 4/8 186 1/8 175 1/8 194 174 7/8 181 3/8

174 4/8 179 7/8 173 5/8 182 4/8

172 5/8 181 5/8 172 5/8 187 6/8 172 3/8 195 7/8 172 1/8 186 171 6/8 177 3/8 171 6/8 178 6/8 171 2/8 176 4/8 171 2/8 187 7/8 171 1/8 186 4/8 171 1/8 184 5/8 171 183 4/8

Drew Co., AR Jacob M. Ayecock 2015 Brown Co., KS Tyran L. Hartter 2015 Logan Co., OH Thomas J. Minoske 2015 Buffalo Co., WI Aaron M. Hopkins 2014 Woodford Co., KY Mark D. Lunsford 2015 Mudhen Lake, AB Kolby D. Johnston 2015 Pottawattamie Richard W. 2015 Co., IA Fishback, Jr. Spencer Co., IN Brett P. Tuggle 2015 Kimball Co., NE Paul L. Boos 2015 Fauquier Co., VA Melanie D. Long 2015 Hart Co., KY Jeffrey L. Byrd 2015 Buffalo Co., WI Matthew P. Coffaro 2015 Lee Co., IL Matthew C. Rehor 2015 Pierce Co., WI Benjamin R. Herum 2015 Ottawa Co., OH Jeffrey A. Henneman 2012 Winneshiek Co., IA Daniel R. Riebe 2015 Gooseberry Christopher B. McCall 2015 Lake, SK Lee Co., AR Gregory E. Williams 2015 Saskatchewan Perry L. Haanen 2015 River, SK Kingman Co., KS John G. Files 2015 Rockingham Co., NC Picked Up 2015 Madison Co., AR Troy Wyatt 2015 Battle River, SK Sheri-lyn Berry 2015 Houston Co., MN Bruce C. Norton 2015 Ohio Co., KY Adam R. Mattingly 2015 Spring Lake, SK Gordie A. Kimble 2012 Rusk Co., WI Scott E. Starkey 2015 Clearwater Co., MN Curt D. Amundson 2015 Sauk Co., WI Roger H. Spear 2015 Breckinridge Co., KY Samuel W. Gingerich 2015

D. Doughty J. Lunde B. Nash J. Lunde D. Weddle A. England T. Donnelly M. Verble M. Dowse B. Trumbo D. Weddle M. Miller C. Rehor S. Ashley B. Nash J. Brummer P. Mckenzie B. Sanford J. Clary L. Barr R. Hamilton C. Newcomb B. Seidle C. Pierce K. Morphew J. Clary J. Lunde R. Dehart J. Ramsey S. McMillen

TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER CONTINUED 170 7/8 186 1/8 Breckinridge Co., KY Allie M. Butler 2015 D. Weddle 170 6/8 180 7/8 Fillmore Co., NE Mitchell E. Softley 2015 W. Cammack 170 6/8 198 3/8 St. Croix Co., WI Nathan J. Prokop 2015 S. Ashley 170 4/8 198 3/8 Putnam Co., IN Jody 2015 S. Petkovich

Marsteller-Davies 170 3/8 177 2/8 LaSalle Co., IL Jerry M. Banaszak 2011 R. Banaszak 170 1/8 172 2/8 Cass Co., MI Frederick R. Grice 2015 D. Merritt 170 185 Gallatin Co., MT Eric W. Burdette 2015 R. Selner 169 5/8 184 7/8 Fond du Lac Co., WI Joshua C. Odekirk 2015 M. Miller 169 5/8 179 6/8 Preble Co., OH Ryan M. Fliehman 2015 L. Loranzan 169 3/8 186 5/8 Hamlin Co., SD Jason R. Stormo 2015 S. Rauch 169 3/8 179 5/8 Webster Co., KY Derrick W. Campbell 2015 D. Weddle 169 181 2/8 Boundary Co., ID Robin D. Carson 2015 S. Wilkins 169 176 6/8 Island Lake, SK David J. Goodall 2015 D. Coker 168 3/8 170 7/8 Itasca Co., MN Shawn M. Racine 2015 R. Berggren 168 184 4/8 Ohio Co., KY John A. O’Neil 2015 K. Stockdale 167 6/8 175 1/8 Adair Co., IA Christopher M. Shrock 2015 S. Zirbel 167 6/8 172 7/8 Lawrence Co., IN Picked Up 2015 R.

Karczewski 167 4/8 174 7/8 Webb Co., TX Justin M. Whitworth 2015 B. Lambert 167 185 1/8 Casey Co., KY Christopher D. Baldock 2015 D. Weddle 167 180 3/8 Muskingum Co., OH Timothy S. Davidheiser 2015 J. Jordan 167 170 7/8 Sprucewoods, MB Robert A. Karpiak 2015 D. Wilson 166 6/8 179 3/8 Jackson Co., AR Jim M. Penn 2015 D. Doughty 166 2/8 174 3/8 Worth Co., MO Christopher L. 2015 J. Lunde

Anderson 165 5/8 186 1/8 Crittenden Co., AR Marvin D. Latham 2015 D. Boland 165 4/8 173 2/8 Madison Co., AR Larry W. Bramall 2015 C. Newcomb 165 4/8 170 4/8 Sauk Co., WI Jerald L. Sprecher 2014 J. Ramsey 165 2/8 167 2/8 Clark Co., WI Shawn W. Hoffman 2015 M. Miller 165 2/8 181 2/8 Hart Co., KY Stephen C. Sivori 2015 K. Stockdale 165 1/8 169 5/8 Fillmore Co., MN Benjamin A. Baune 2015 G. Hisey 165 181 5/8 Brown Co., WI Chad E. Sprutles 2015 S. Zirbel 164 5/8 170 6/8 LaPorte Co., IN Leon A. Bogucki 2015 J. Bogucki 164 4/8 167 3/8 Olmsted Co., MN Sheila M. Franck 2015 D. Boland 164 3/8 182 4/8 Brown Co., WI Joseph G. Maitland 2015 S. Zirbel 164 1/8 179 3/8 Arenac Co., MI Bill Clark 1969 M. Heeg 163 7/8 168 4/8 Bath Co., KY Rex Crouch II 2015 W. Cooper 163 6/8 174 6/8 Meade Co., KY Aaron H. Pierce 2015 T. Smith 163 1/8 168 2/8 Fond du Lac Co., WI Kerry A. Bruins 2015 M. Miller 162 7/8 170 7/8 Hemphill Co., TX John E. Shawen 2015 T. Fricks 162 4/8 182 2/8 Mercer Co., WV Darrin L. Haynes 2015 G. Surber 162 1/8 178 4/8 Crittenden Co., KY David L. Childress 2015 W. Cooper 162 176 4/8 Mitchell Co., GA Gregory Wells 2015 W. Cooper 161 7/8 166 3/8 Buffalo Co., WI Steven S. Bruggeman 2015 S. Ashley 161 5/8 171 6/8 Franklin Co., OH Stephen E. Esker 2015 R. Deis 161 3/8 168 5/8 Jackson Co., MI Martin W. Grove 2015 J. Knevel 161 3/8 168 7/8 Maple Lake, MB Michael Ethier 2015 A. Beaudry 161 3/8 178 6/8 Simpson Co., KY Patrick D. Thornton 2015 D. Weddle 161 1/8 173 4/8 Cass Co., MI Michael S. Ellis 2015 D. Merritt 161 165 4/8 Roscommon Co., MI Daniel F. Stajkowski 2015 R. Banaszak 160 7/8 193 3/8 Carroll Co., MO John E. Savage 2014 D.

Hollingsworth 160 6/8 174 5/8 McHenry Co., IL Brandon H. Turner 2015 B. Scarnegie 160 6/8 174 Shelby Co., KY Robert R. Savko 2015 K. Stockdale 160 6/8 169 1/8 Webb Co., TX Justin M. Whitworth 2015 B. Lambert 160 4/8 166 5/8 Bottineau Co., ND Steven G. Lauer 2015 J. Plesuk 160 3/8 164 1/8 Holland, MB Scott E. Graham 2015 D. Wilson 160 2/8 174 2/8 Fulton Co., KY Christopher D. Feezor 2015 R. Flynn 160 171 1/8 Phillips Co., AR Donald R. Washburn 2015 J. Harmon

NON-TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 333-7/8 216 229 Miami Co., IN Jason E. Stiver 2015 R. Graber 212 3/8 222 5/8 Boone Co., MO Roger D. Walker 2015 D.

Hollingsworth 211 6/8 213 2/8 Coahuila, MX Jimmy W. 2015 T. Fricks

Singleton, Jr. 209 4/8 218 Knox Co., OH Mark D. Grubaugh 2015 E. Robinson 209 3/8 220 3/8 Webster Co., KY Sara F. Mundy 2015 W. Cooper 208 1/8 226 4/8 Williamson Co., TX James A. Henderson 2015 K. Witt 207 6/8 212 4/8 Orange Co., IN David J. Fischer 2015 M. Verble 207 5/8 211 7/8 Vernon Co., MO Owen P. Mason, Jr. 2015 R. Graber 207 2/8 211 5/8 Neosho Co., KS James C. Rainey 2015 J. Johnson 207 1/8 216 6/8 Highland Co., OH Eric W. Fulkerson 2015 T. Schlater 204 2/8 221 1/8 Ransom Co., ND Troy D. Bunn 2015 J. Zins 203 3/8 211 2/8 Richland Co., WI Jerry L. Gander 2015 D. Fisher 201 1/8 210 2/8 Muhlenberg Co., KY Mark R. Cornette 2015 D. Weddle

RECENTLY ACCEPTED TROPHIES

TOP TO BOTTOM:

This typical whitetail deer, scoring 161-7/8 points, was taken by B&C Associate Steven S. Bruggeman on an archery hunt in Buffalo County, Wisconsin, in 2015.

Jimmy W. Singleton, Jr. was on a hunt in Coahuila, Mexico, when he took this non-typical whitetail deer, scoring 211-6/8 points, in 2015. He was shooting a .300 Winchester Short Mag.

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30 BIG GAME AWARDS TH

THIS PAGE: TOP TO BOTTOM

B&C Associate Mike J. Coelho was on a hunt in the Pelly Mountains, Yukon Territory, when he harvested this AlaskaYukon moose scoring 210-1/8 points. He was shooting a .300 Winchester Mag. While on a hunt near Kaiugnak Bay, Alaska, during the 2015 season, B&C Associate Mark S. Yancy harvested this Alaska brown bear scoring 28-4/16 points. He was shooting a .338 Winchester Mag. B&C Associate Bryce K. DeForest took this pronghorn scoring 80 points. He was hunting in Big Horn County, Wyoming, in 2008. He was shooting a 7mm Remington Mag. This bighorn sheep, scoring 185-5/8 points, was taken by Bradley J. Baldwin in El Paso County, Colorado, in 2015.

In 2015, Mike A. Carpinito harvested this 302-5/8-point Roosevelt's elk in Clallam County, Washington. He was shooting a .300 Weatherby.

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NON-TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER CONTINUED 201 208 Low Lake, SK David E. Charbonneau 2015 A. England 200 6/8 211 7/8 Iroquois Lake, SK Kasandra C. Donohue 2015 D. Pezderic 200 2/8 212 3/8 Dimmit Co., TX Gregory W. Wessels 2015 H. Saye 200 1/8 207 5/8 Wabasha Co., MN Joshua S. Marchand 2015 S. Grabow 198 7/8 204 4/8 Ribstone Creek, AB Brody G. Gilchuk 2015 A. England 198 5/8 206 6/8 Clay Co., KY Tommy J. Sears 2015 D. Weddle 198 2/8 204 4/8 Louisa Co., IA Andrew M. 2015 L. Miller

Zweibohmer 196 3/8 204 4/8 Green Co., WI Daniel J. Schneider 2015 S. Zirbel 196 2/8 203 4/8 Harrison Co., KY James R. Botkins 2015 J. Lacefield 196 2/8 202 Kingman Co., KS Jason W. Brewton 2015 J. Lunde 196 202 4/8 Blue Earth Co., MN Jeffery D. Harrison 2015 T. Rogers 196 206 1/8 Sheboygan Co., WI Jalen M. Weyker 2015 S. Zirbel 195 4/8 201 4/8 Rooks Co., KS Jediah O. States 2015 R. Krueger 195 1/8 208 1/8 Sheridan Co., ND Randy L. Wagner 2015 J. Plesuk 195 1/8 198 7/8 St. Croix Co., WI Cynthia D. Metzger 2015 C. Fish 195 1/8 200 Wayne Co., KY James D. Murphy 2015 D. Weddle 195 197 5/8 Tripp Co., SD Steve Kayser 2015 M. Mauney 195 201 5/8 Wilkin Co., MN Tyler M. Januscheitis 2015 J. Zins 192 5/8 196 6/8 Mason Co., KY Luke A. Carswell 2015 D. Weddle 192 4/8 203 Polk Co., WI Rick C. Olson 2015 S. Ashley 192 1/8 199 5/8 Athens Co., OH Jason A. Ashcraft 2015 W.

Culbertson 190 2/8 198 5/8 Steuben Co., IN Angela L. Collins 2015 W. Novy 189 3/8 194 3/8 Nuckolls Co., NE Douglas A. Wehrman 2015 W. Cammack 188 7/8 194 3/8 La Salle Co., TX Marshall J. Collins, Jr. 2015 M. Bara 188 4/8 196 Bryan Co., OK Jimmy R. James 2015 K. Witt 188 192 7/8 Logan Co., KY Ben Oakes 2015 W. Cooper 188 192 3/8 North Richard E. Weber 2015 F. Fanizzi

Saskatchewan River, SK 187 3/8 194 1/8 Powder River Michelle R. Rost 2015 S. Zirbel

Co., MT 187 2/8 197 3/8 Fountain Co., IN Dustin E. Ward 2015 S. Petkovich 187 2/8 191 2/8 Webster Co., KY Kasey A. Alexander 2015 D. Weddle 187 1/8 195 7/8 Powell Co., KY Tim R. Hatton 2015 D. Weddle

186 5/8 186 4/8 186 3/8 185 4/8 185 185

195 7/8 200 6/8 197 2/8 188 4/8 189 5/8 189 1/8

Kossuth Co., IA Jewell Co., KS Morrow Co., OH Seward Co., KS Allegan Co., MI Crittenden Co., KY

Douglas M. Culbertson 2015 Brett A. Walker 2015 Timothy L. Harbauer 2015 Michael R. Messerer 2015 Mike Zylstra 2015 David L. Childress, Jr. 2010

TYPICAL COUES’ WHITETAIL - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 144-1/8 106 6/8 115 3/8 Catron Co., NM

Brian M. Martinez

2015 J. Edwards

HUNTER

DATE MEASURER

John E. Flanagan Graeme S. Mann

2015 J. Lunde 2015 F. Pringle

MOOSE AND CARIBOU FINAL GROSS SCORE SCORE LOCATION

CANADA MOOSE - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 242 186 191 English River, ON 185 2/8 188 6/8 Dease Lake, BC

ALASKA-YUKON MOOSE - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 266-4/8

233 230 3/8 214 6/8 210 1/8

236 2/8 233 6/8 224 6/8 210 4/8

Montana Creek, AK Adam F. Drinkhouse 2015 Andreafsky Hills, AK Rhett D. Montgomery 2015 Teklanika River, AK Robert C. Coyner 2015 Pelly Mts., YT Mike J. Coelho 2015

C. Brent B. Wilkes C. Brent C. Pierce

SHIRAS’ MOOSE - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 205-4/8 178 2/8 182 7/8 Glacier Co., MT 145 1/8 148 5/8 Cassia Co., ID 140 146 Sublette Co., WY

Daron K. Lime Ronald G. Holtman Earl M. Bass

2015 J. Williams 2015 K. Hatch 2014 J. Hammill

BARREN GROUND CARIBOU - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 477 416 1/8 437 6/8 Coal Creek, AK 400 6/8 417 4/8 Gulkana River, AK

William A. McCain Aaron T. Wills

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2015 C. Brent 2015 R. Deis

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FAIR CHAS E | FAL L 2 0 1 6 91

30 BIG GAME AWARDS TH

HORNED GAME FINAL GROSS SCORE SCORE LOCATION

HUNTER

DATE MEASURER

PRONGHORN - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 96-4/8 88 4/8 88 7/8 Washoe Co., NV Richard V. Furman 2015 C. Lacey 87 2/8 87 7/8 Sweetwater Co., WY Tyler S. Mortensen 2015 B. Wilkes 87 87 4/8 Hot Springs Co., WY Timothy A. French 2015 R. Stayner 86 2/8 87 7/8 Navajo Co., AZ Shawn C. Barker 2015 M. Golightly 85 6/8 86 2/8 Elko Co., NV B. Doug Weaser 2015 G.

Hernandez 85 6/8 86 2/8 Rio Arriba Co., NM Brendan T. King 2015 J. Willems 84 84 7/8 Carbon Co., WY Lee Frudden 2015 B. Wilkes 83 4/8 84 4/8 Dawes Co., NE Kevin J. Patras 2015 T. Welstead 83 4/8 84 2/8 Hot Springs Co., WY Howard R. French 2015 R. Stayner 83 83 7/8 Carbon Co., WY Valerie A. Mason 2015 B. Wilkes 83 84 1/8 White Pine Co., NV Jeffrey T. Miller 2015 J. Tiberti 82 6/8 83 3/8 Coconino Co., AZ Susan E. Golightly 2015 J. Gates 82 6/8 83 6/8 Las Animas Co., CO Timothy K. Manley 2015 L. Gatlin 82 2/8 85 3/8 Las Animas Co., CO N. Guy Eastman 2015 R. Selner 82 82 5/8 Carbon Co., WY Brad R. Barker 2015 R. Stayner 82 82 3/8 Modoc Co., CA Ronald F. Cibart 2015 H. Wilson 81 81 2/8 Laramie Co., WY Edward N. Strader 2015 D. Pawlicki 80 80 4/8 Big Horn Co., WY Bryce K. DeForest 2008 R. Addison

BISON - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 136-4/8 117 2/8 117 2/8 Taye Lake, YT 115 2/8 116 1/8 Teton Co., WY

Trevor L. Castagner Randall A. Sinclair

1999 P. Merchant 2014 J. Mankin

ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 57-4/8 51 4/8 47

52 47 1/8

Union Co., OR LeConte Bay, AK

Jason R. Inman William C. Albrecht

2015 D. Waldbillig 2015 M. Opitz

BIGHORN SHEEP - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 209-4/8 201 7/8 203 191 4/8 192 189 2/8 189 3/8 185 5/8 186 4/8 185 1/8 185 2/8 183 6/8 185 6/8 183 2/8 184 4/8 183 1/8 183 6/8 178 3/8 179 2/8 175 6/8 176 1/8

175 3/8 176 1/8

Fergus Co., MT D. Ward Gatlin 2015 Asotin Co., WA Gary L. Guerrieri 2015 Blaine Co., MT Richard D. Seymour 2015 El Paso Co., CO Bradley J. Baldwin 2015 Chouteau Co., MT Ronald M. Reichelt 2015 Yavapai Co., AZ Ben C. Allen, Jr. 2015 Chelan Co., WA Samuel K. Adams 2015 Taos Co., NM Brent V. Trumbo 2015 Chelan Co., WA Bryce K. Hubbard 2015 Lewis and Timothy M. Longmire 2015 Clark Co., MT Lewis and Robert C. Scruggs 2015 Clark Co., MT

L. Buhmann D. Waldbillig B. Milliron R. Burtis H. Yeager W. Keebler S. Kline W. Knox L. Carey J. Kolbe L. Lueckenhoff

DESERT SHEEP - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 205-1/8 181 4/8 177 2/8 176 6/8 172 172 171 5/8 168 1/8 168 165 6/8

182 6/8 178 1/8 177 3/8 172 2/8 172 4/8 172 168 3/8 168 4/8 166 3/8

Pinal Co., AZ John Holcomb Chihuahua, MX Robert C. Nelson Kane Co., UT John A. Krahenbuhl Mesa Co., CO Brian D. Kendall Mohave Co., AZ Roger L. McCosker Kane Co., UT Carson K. Gubler Washington Co., UT Clayton M. Cox Clark Co., NV Don G. Waechtler Carmen Island, MX Michael C. Kreig

2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015

D. May L. Barr D. Nielsen R. Black L. Clark W. Bowles K. Leo G. Wisener R. Newton

DALL’S SHEEP- WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 189-6/8 173 173 3/8 Coast Mts., YT Trevor L. Castagner 2004 D.

Drummond 161 161 4/8 Peters Creek, AK Brian S. Kolstad 2015 R. Deis

TOP TO BOTTOM:

B&C Associate N. Guy Eastman took this pronghorn, scoring 82-2/8 points, in 2015 while hunting in Las Animas County, Colorado.

This desert sheep, scoring 165-6/8 points, was taken by B&C Associate Michael C. Kreig on an archery hunt on Carmen Island, Mexico, in 2015.

Robert C. Scruggs was on a hunt in Lewis and Clark County, Montana, when he harvested this bighorn sheep, scoring 175-3/8 points. He was shooting a .280 Remington.

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STONE’S SHEEP - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 196-6/8 173 6/8 174 7/8 Cassiar Mts., BC Carl P. Anderson 164 2/8 164 7/8 MacMillan River, YT Raymond J. Melom

2015 R. Berggren 2015 D. Watson

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DEER BREEDERS VS THE WORLD I recently attended a meeting of the Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) Commission, which sets policy for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). Commissioners met to discuss and vote on an enhanced set of rules under which deer breeders could continue their business and in specific cases, move deer around the state as long as they meet new testing requirements.

Besides increased testing, one of the significant changes proposed was that breeders can no longer release pen-raised deer onto lowfenced ranches. Further, these new rules add a more comprehensive recordskeeping requirement to the testing protocol—ultimately creating a higher cost burden for breeders.

The process began with a n assemblage of 35 stakeholders, made up of biologists, agencies, hunterconservationist groups as well as the deer breeders. The initial 35 was reduced to 14 stakeholders and a series of meetings were held in Austin to hammer out new rules where compromise could be reached. This process culminated in Consensus Rules, which were presented to the TPW Commission on May 26.

The day before that commission meeting, the deer breeders decided they would not support the Consensus Rules which had been agreed to in the stakeholders meetings. In short, they made it clear they would not support the new rules or any other imposition on their “rights.”

Of particular note regarding their tactics, when the 94 FA I R CH A S E | FA LL 2 0 1 6

commission met on May 26, there were a couple of hundred folks representing themselves as deer breeders in attendance, as compared to the other groups that participated in the stakeholder meetings.

The other groups believed the matter was settled and didn’t bother to attend. The deer breeder group must have outnumbered the proponents of the new rules by 30 to 1. In response, the commission tabled any action on the matter to make sure they received adequate feedback from both sides of the issue.

On June 20, the commission reconvened to hear testimony regarding the new rules proposed by the TPWD staff, most of which were supported in the consensus agreement. This time, those that favor increased testing protocol and enhanced rules came out in droves. Once again, the deer breeders showed up as a large contingent but when they saw the lay of the land, they wanted no part of it and did not participate further in the discussion. From that point, there were several hours of testimony from biologists, hunter-conservation groups, including the Boone and Crockett Club, ranchers, public officials, individual hunters, students and even a few breeders that weren’t aligned with the others. After those present spoke in favor of conservation of wild deer regarding rules to contain CWD, the commission ultimately voted unanimously to put the new rules in place.

All is well and good, right? Well, not really.

Both sides of this argument consider the other side

THE ETHICS OF FAIR CHASE

a threat to the hunting way of life. The breeders say it is a property rights issue and we say it is an animal health issue. They say they are building better deer, we say they are breeding livestock. They say they are protecting and improving the future of hunting and we say they are not hunting at all. Ultimately, this all comes down to the North American Model and the Public Trust Doctrine. Under this umbrella, this is not about property rights because the deer are not the property of any individual and the “right” is based on a permit that can, and at times is, be revoked.

The TPW Commission agreed that breeding facilities and operations need a better set of rules to protect the wild herd and acted accordingly.

The problem is that the gap between the breeders and the rest of us remains unresolved and there is good reason to believe that it will widen before we all find our way back to the center. A few facts to keep in mind. The deer breeders clearly have the right to conduct a legal business and pursue a profit. At the same time, in the pursuit of their profit, they also own the risk associated with their business and part of that risk is the possibility that the rules will change when there is an animal health concern. Unfortunately, in this fight, there seems to be no quarter for compromise or diplomacy.

That being the case, the state agencies simply have to do what is best for the wild herd without regard for the business model that has inserted itself into the process of managing and conserving this

Daniel A. Pedrotti, Jr. B&C REGULAR MEMBER Chair, Hunter Ethics Sub-Committee

precious wild resource that belongs to all of us.

It should be noted not all deer breeders blindly follow the lead of the louder more melodramatic group that walked out. Many just want to know what the rules are and live well within them.

In fact, some have always exceeded the minimum testing requirements, even before they were tightened, and show great concern for the wild herds. We need to engage these folks, as they may be the catalyst group that opens the lines of communication necessary to moderate the threat of CWD vectors within the breeder business.

In the meantime, it is an unfortunate state of affairs that will cost huge amounts of public resources, money, and time. In my opinion, they brought the fight to us, and we can neither retreat nor surrender. If they won’t even participate in the discussion they should be allowed to suffer the consequences. The ideas contained within the North American Model must be reinforced and upheld—and I, along with many in this Club and most of the hunting community, stand ready to do just that. For now, it is the deer breeders against the world. n

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