Fair Chase Summer 2022

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FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 6

FROM THE EDITOR | Keeping Up with Technology

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FROM THE PRESIDENT | Summer is Coming

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CONSERVATION POLICY COLUMN

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

Volume 38 n Number 2 n Summer 2022

Doug Painter

James F. Arnold

America the Beautiful Initiative James Cummins and Simon Roosevelt

18. SURPRISE!

24. MENTORSHIP SERIES

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ACCURATE HUNTER | TEAMWORK: Help or Hindrance?

Craig Boddington

18

SURPRISE!

24

MENTORSHIP SERIES

Wayne van Zwoll

Jump Into the Mentoring Arena Jodi Stemler

POACH AND PAY | Hunters Opinions and Attitudes Towards the Illegal Take of Wildlife in the United States Jonathan Gassett and Kristie R. Blevins 28

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THE B&C CLASSICS SERIES EXCERPT

DRAGON LIZARDS OF KOMODO

PAGE 28

W. Douglas Burden

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BEYOND THE SCORE | Family Ties

38

BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Hanspeter Giger

Russ Mason and John Organ

44

SCIENCE BLASTS | Identifying Tomorrow’s Wildlife Science Needs Today

Jonathan R. Mawdsley

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EDUCATING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CONSERVATION LEADERS B&C Fellows at the 87th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference

54. YOUR SNEAK PEEK

48

B&C VINTAGE HUNTING GALLERY

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DIY | VIDEO GAMES TO BIG GAME

54

YOUR SNEAK PEEK

PAGE 32

50. DIY

Presented by Leupold

Shawn Lentz

31ST BIG GAME AWARDS 62

TROPHY TALK | Reflections on the Judges Panel

66

GENERATION NEXT | 31st Awards Youth Trophy List

68

RECENTLY ACCEPTED TROPHIES AND TROPHY PHOTO GALLERY 31st Awards Program Entries

78

Justin Spring

CAUGHT ON CAMERA

Photos from the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch

learn more online @BooneAndCrockettClub #BooneAndCrockettClub

COVER: Rocky Mountain goat walking the Continental Divide on an October day in Western Montana. © Donald M. Jones

Scan the QR codes throughout this issue with the camera on your smartphone or a QR reader app to read additional articles found at www.Boone-Crockett.org FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2

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ABOUT THE BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB S T RAT E G IC PLAN 2020 - 2025

THE PIONEERS OF CONSERVATION…

OUR LEGACY FOR GENERATIONS

STEWARDSHIP. LEADERSHIP. EDUCATION. If the Club is to continue as an effective and influential organization, we must continue to not only evaluate, adjust and fine tune our program of work, but adapt it to the political, economic, social, technological and environmental changes facing North America.

The Club proposes to address these challenges by developing a strategy that enjoys broad support from the Club’s members, sponsors, donors, other conservation organizations, government agencies and other stakeholders throughout North America.

This Strategic Plan will help the Club chart its future course, not only for the next 5 years, but lay the groundwork for the Club for the rest of this century, taking into consideration these changes, as well as the momentum the Club has gained since it was formed in 1887.

This Strategic Plan proposes that the Club simplify its mission and visions and set four major strategic goals, which are: n

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Improve the system of conservation throughout North America; Create an atmosphere where conservation and hunting can thrive; Maintain and strengthen the Club’s world-class record system; and Increase organizational effectiveness and efficiency.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN STRATEGIC GOAL #1: CONSERVATION AND POLICY Improve the system of conservation throughout North America STRATEGIC GOAL #2: COMMUNICATIONS Create a communications climate where conservation and hunting can thrive STRATEGIC GOAL #3: BIG GAME RECORDS AND HUNTER ETHICS Maintain and strengthen the Club’s world-class records system STRATEGIC GOAL #4: ADMINISTRATION, DEVELOPMENT AND MEMBERSHIP Increase organizational effectiveness and efficiency

BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2022 FOUNDED IN 1887 BY THEODORE ROOSEVELT CLUB

Club President – James F. Arnold Secretary – John P. Schreiner Treasurer – Marshall J. Collins, Jr. General Counsel – John P. Schreiner Executive Vice President – Administration James L. Cummins Executive Vice President – Conservation Anthony J. Caligiuri Vice President of Administration John P. Evans Vice President of Big Game Records Richard T. Hale Vice President of Conservation Steven Leath Vice President of Communications CJ Buck Foundation President – R. Terrell McCombs Class of 2022 Michael L. Evans Class of 2023 Simon C. Roosevelt Class of 2024 Mary Webster

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FOUNDATION

Foundation President – R. Terrell McCombs Secretary – Michael J. Opitz Treasurer – C. Martin Wood III Vice President – John P. Evans Vice President – Paul M. Zelisko Class of 2022 John P. Evans Steve J. Hageman R. Terrell McCombs T. Garrick Steele C. Martin Wood III Class of 2023 Remo R. Pizzagalli Benjamin A. Strickling III John A. Tomke Jeffrey A. Watkins Class of 2024 Gary W. Dietrich B.B. Hollingsworth, Jr. Tom L. Lewis Michael J. Opitz Paul M. Zelisko

FAIR CHASE PRODUCTION STAFF

Editor-in-Chief – Doug Painter Managing Editor – Karlie Slayer Conservation and History Editor Steven Williams Research and Education Editors John F. Organ Jonathan Mawdsley Hunting and Ethics Editor Mark Streissguth Assistant Editors Jodi Bishop CJ Buck PJ DelHomme Kendall Hoxsey-Onysko Kyle M. Lehr Marc Mondavi Tony A. Schoonen Justin Spring Julie L. Tripp Editorial Contributors James F. Arnold Kristie R. Blevins Craig Boddington James Cummin PJ DelHomme Jonathan Gassett Hanspeter Giger Shawn Lentz Russ Mason Jonathan R. Mawdsley John F. Organ Doug Painter Simon Roosevelt Justin Spring Jodi Stemler Wayne van Zwoll Photographic Contributors First Hunt Foundation Donald M. Jones Shawn Lentz 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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Danny Noonan - Danny@Boone-Crockett.org Phone: (406)542-1888 ext. 205

B&C STAFF

Chief Executive Officer – Tony A. Schoonen Director of Big Game Records – Justin Spring Director of Publications – Julie L. Tripp Director of Conservation Programs – Luke Coccoli Director of Finance and Administration– Abra Loran Creative Services Manager – Karlie Slayer Development Program Manager – Jodi Bishop Digital Strategies Manager – Mark Mesenko Office Manager – Sandy Poston Sales Manager – Danny Noonan TRM Ranch Manager – Mike Briggs Assistant Director of Finance – Debbie Kochel Assistant Director of Big Game Records– Kyle M. Lehr Shipping and Administrative Support Specialist – Amy Hutchison Records Data Support - Jennifer Staten

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2

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KEEPING UP WITH TECHNOLOGY

Performance aside, what intrigued me about the Huracán was its new, stateof-the-art navigation system.

It’s a first-of-its-kind geocoding system called “what3words” that has divided the entire planet into 57 trillion 10x10-foot squares, each of which is identified by three words from a pool of 40,000 English words. It is, of course, voice activated so all you have to do is say the three words of a designated square, and you’ll be directed to its location. Amazing!

The what3words navigation system is just another example of new technology that is racing forward in leaps and bounds. It’s the

kind of wizardry that seems to have jumped out of nowhere and could become a game changer overnight.

It’s a challenging task to keep up with the array of high-tech devices available to consumers today and to determine how they may be appropriate—or inappropriate in respect to the tenets of Fair Chase hunting.

The Boone and Crockett Club has updated its Big Game Records Eligibility Statement that disqualifies trophies taken with the aid of certain technologies and their application. These include: “Use of electronic communication devices (2-way radios, cell phones, etc.) to guide hunters to game, artificial lighting, electronic light intensifying devices (night vision optics), sights with built-in electronic range-finding capabilities (including smart scopes), drones/unma n ned aer ia l dev ices (UAVs), thermal imaging equipment, electronic game calls or the use of any technology that delivers real-time

location data (including photos) to target or guide a hunter to any species or animal in a manner that elicits an immediate (real-time) response by the hunter.”

The Club makes the important point that, “Some technologies take unfair advantage of an animal no matter how they are used. For others, it depends on the manner in which the hunter uses the technology.” The Club goes on to explain that, “It can be argued, for example, that thermal imaging equipment is helpful in recovering wounded or lost game. Using thermal imaging equipment to initially locate game for hunting is, however, not Fair Chase.”

In its situational overview on the subject of technology and hunting, “The Club believes placing personal limits on the use of technolog y is a reward i ng, self-imposed trade-off. While this may decrease the likelihood of a successful harvest, it will heighten the hunting experience and show respect

"A peculiar virtue in wildlife ethics is that the hunter ordinarily has no gallery to applaud or disapprove of his conduct. Whatever his acts, they are dictated by his own conscience, rather than a mob of onlookers.

It is difficult to exaggerate the importance of this fact." - Aldo Leopold

Doug Painter EDITOR-IN-CHIEF for the animals being hunted.

For many people, ‘the ones that got away’ are just as memorable as the ones that did not. A lack of self-restraint may or may not change the outcome of a hunt, but it will certainly diminish its value as a memory.”

As so often is the case, Aldo Leopold summed it up when he reminded readers in his A Sand County Almanac.

In it, he wrote, “A peculiar virtue in wildlife ethics is that the hunter ordinarily has no gallery to applaud or disapprove of his conduct. Whatever his acts, they are dictated by his own conscience, rather than a mob of onlookers. It is difficult to exaggerate the importance of this fact.”

Hope to see you down the trail. n

learn more online

B&C Position Statement Technology and Hunting 6

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©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/MIKE SCHERBACK

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SUMMER IS COMING A not her w i nter has passed, and most of our hunting seasons have concluded. While we must now wait in anticipation of another year for what I hope will be meaningful and successful hunting experiences for all of you, we still have an opportunity in 2022 to celebrate the success of all of the Club’s collective conservation efforts. This year marks the celebration of the Club’s 31st Big Game Awards, which will be held this summer from July 21 to July 23 in Springfield, Missouri, at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium.

Along with Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, and Wonders of Wildlife, the Club hosts the Big Game Awards every three years to recognize the biggest heads, horns, and antlers from North America that have been entered into the Boone and Crockett Club’s record book. As part of the award program, the Club invites select hunters to put their top entries on display as part of a special threemonth exhibit in the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium. This will be the only time these particular trophies will ever come together on public display to tell their respective stories of conservation and the hunt.

Ultimately the select group of hunters who harvested these magnificent animals will participate in recognition events, all culminating in a gala awards banquet.

Showcasing these animals is important for the Club. These trophies signify our successes in managing and conserving big game while enhancing the habitats that support them. At the same time, we share those accomplishments with other conservation organizations and agency partners. These trophy displays also highlight the success of, and pay tribute to, the many fair chase hunters who dedicate much of their time scouting and harvesting big game in the field.

This year’s event happens to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the National Collection of Heads and Horns, which is also currently on permanent display at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium. Back in the early 1900s when this collection was established, the founding members of the Boone and Crockett Club were nervous these species were all headed for extinction. They wanted to preserve a representative of each species so future generations could remember the animals that once roamed the North American continent. That sentiment soon changed, however, when these same founders became determined to save these species. They eliminated market hunting, established game laws and management practices and conserved wild

FROM THE PR ESIDEN T

lands where these species could survive and thrive. With the centennial celebration of this collection, we plan to honor and memorialize the history of wildlife management, education, and conservation that continue to support healthy wildlife populations.

For these reasons, the 31st Big Game Awards is a must-attend event for sportsmen and women. To top it off, the venue alone is worth seeing and experiencing! All are invited.

In addition to the recognition events and awards banquet, the 31st Big Game Awards will include an Official Measurer luncheon, during which the Club will recognize all Official Measurers for their commitment to the success of our trophy program. These folks are volunteers who have had to apply for their prestigious Official Measurer appointments and receive training by other Boone and Crockett Club staff.

The Big Game Awards will also include the Jack S. Parker Generation Next event, which recognizes young hunters (youth aged 16 and under) who have taken qualified trophies. If you want to smile, laugh, and cry all at once, then you must consider attending this event to watch the reactions of these youth and listen to the excitement in their voices as they retell their hunting adventures and stories.

If that wasn’t enough, we have a surprise announcement in store. The Club has been working hard on ways in which we can bring the

James F. Arnold PRESIDENT Club’s vision and conservation mission to a bigger and more diverse audience. We want more people to be aware of (and involved in) hunting, fair chase ethics, wildlife management, and conservation. To achieve this goal, we’ve been developing a new media project. We plan to unveil the project this summer at the 31st Big Game Awards Banquet. Stay tuned for more details.

I hope to see all of you at this triennial celebration as we join together in celebrating all that our hunting and conservation community has to offer. I have no doubt this celebration will be a highlight of your year.

Lastly, in light of all that is going on in our country and around the world, I hope that you continue to stay positive and find ways— whether spending time in nature and/or with friends and family—to find common ground and peace.

God bless you all. n

Save the date!

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FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL INITIATIVE The difference between conservation and preservation is lost on most people. Clearing up any confusion between those terms and acting on it will promote conservation actions that truly benefit biodiversity and wildlife habitat. In doing so, it will make a place for sensible natural resource management.

© MARK MESENKO

There is a simi lar problem with the term environmentalism. It conjures the image of radical anti-development protesters chaining themselves to trees. This also clouds understanding. It is what many first thought of when they heard about the international 30x30 initiative to protect 30 percent of all land and water by 2030 to reverse a trend of global biodiversity loss.

What the Biden Administration is doing with the 30x30 idea is an opportunity for clarity and progress. In the words of our founder

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Theodore Roosevelt, “Conservation means development as much as it means protection.”

He was saying conservation is the big idea in which preservation plays a part. Conservation and preservation are not opposites. The Biden Administration heard this message clearly from the hunting and fishing community, and it shows.

In the May 2021 report Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful, President Biden’s conservation cabinet officers emphasized “...the notion of ‘conservation’ of the nation’s natural resources (rather than the related but different concept of ‘protection’ or ‘preservation’).” They said this recognizes “...that many uses of our lands and waters, including working lands, can be consistent with the long-term health and sustainability of natural systems.”

Credit goes to the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation for rallying hunters

CONSERVATION POLICY COLUMN

James Cummins and Simon Roosevelt REGULAR MEMBERS CO-CHAIRS CONSERVATION POLICY COMMITTEE

and anglers behind the right view on conservation through the HuntFish30x30 campaign. The Boone and Crockett Club and many members of the America Wildlife Conservation Partners joined under this banner to engage the Biden Administration with our views on what should “count” toward 30x30.

Our community made the case that hunting and fishing access, as well as other well-managed and sustainable activities with sustainable management goals, should count.

The Administration’s agreement is more than just a rebrand from the 30x30 slogan to what they now call the America the Beautiful Initiative (ATB). It is now the first attempt in the history of American conservation to set an overall goal for the country’s many conservation efforts. After more than 100 years—during which the Club led the creation of many agencies and programs—it is time to define what we are trying to accomplish and why.

Conservationists have always said their goal is something general. Aldo Leopold said, “Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land.” Gifford Pinchot said, “Conser vation means the wise use of the earth and its resources for the lasting good of men.”

Many others have said in various ways that the restoration or maintenance of ecosystems should be for the benefit of present and future society.

These general ideas all justify the many works of federal, state, and private conservationists; but, none of these ideas direct how much and what kinds of that work should be carried on

and where. ATB has the potential to move the country toward answering those questions based on meaningful numbers.

Done properly, for example, this will include an objective for big game migration corridors. The purpose of functioning corridors is far more than ensuring healthy elk, deer, sheep, and moose populations. As these species move through ecosystems, they become the arteries of protein that drive those entire systems. The ATB report specifically named corridors as a conservation objective.

Corridors and other specific objectives will be considered as the Administration takes the next step for ATB, which is the creation of an American Conservation and Stewardship Atlas to show where and how much conservation is happening.

This will require an update to existing data in the Protected Areas Database (PAD) of the U.S. Geological Survey. That dataset describes protection rather than conservation. It classifies protection only by the types of activities allowed, not conservation value. For example, the most protected are national parks and wilderness areas. The least protected are private lands, whether developed or not.

National forests and other managed lands are placed in between.

ATB needs new categories. First, everything on the Atlas needs to be backed by a commitment to produce measurable conservation value and by money to carry out the commitment. Then, categories can distinguish among the variety of approved uses, the types of ecosystems, and the communities of citizens

near enough to visit. For instance, a city park may inspire urban people with a conservation interest more readily than a distant wildlife refuge.

On this basis, the country can better evaluate the progress of our conservation strategy. And we will not be trapped by an arbitrary number like 30 percent. We will be guided by meaningful questions such as what are we doing, how is it going, and what can we try next.

This is why the Club recently commented to the Administration that the ATB Atlas should count the multiple-use lands of the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.

These lands are managed under legally binding requirements for habitat health and longevity. Working ranches and farms under Farm Bill contracts also fit the requirement of financially backed specific conservation commitments.

T he Boone a nd Crockett Club is excited by the prospect that—after more than 100 years—the American conser vation strategy will have a “national goal for the stewardship of nature in America.”

To realize the promise of this vision, the goal must direct efforts toward clear purposes. This will take us to the fullest understanding and achievement of conservation in America. n

In the words of our founder Theodore Roosevelt, “Conservation means development as much as it means protection." Aldo Leopold said, “Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land.” Gifford Pinchot said, “Conservation means the wise use of the earth and its resources for the lasting good of men.” full article online The Boone and Crockett Club and 44 other Hunt Fish 30x30 organizations submit formal recommendations to the Biden administration concerning the “America the Beautiful” Initiative’s American Conservation and Stewardship Atlas.

JOIN US ON THE TRAIL LESS TRAVELED. Photo Rob Gerstner, High Mountain Archery ©KENETREK, LLC 2022

DON’T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT...

I put my Kenetreks (and myself) to the most brutal test I ever have. In August I went on an exploratory hunt in the Brooks Range. It was a unit that hadn’t had a sheep tag in 15 years. We ended up in over 20 miles with 60lb packs and took a beautiful 11.5 year old ram. The pack out was about 6 miles of sidehill and talus then 15 miles of tussocks. Not a single sore spot or blister other than sore feet from all the weight.

JAMES REED, Sports Afield Magazine fairchase-summer-22.indd 1

800-232-6064

WWW.KENETREK.COM VISIT US ON SOCIAL

2/4/2022 4:17:46 PM

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 11

In the last issue of Fair Chase, we shared two stories about bringing new hunters into the fold—one consistent theme in those stories, and hundreds more like them, is that someone took the time to teach these new hunters how to hunt. In this issue, we’ll explore how Boone and Crockett Club members could fill this role.

"Adult-onset hunters may lack the generational ties to hunting, but they bring the enthusiasm of a seeker that those of us who grew up hunting with strong influences have to cultivate in other ways. Point the way, share a tip, or recommend a trusted guide—these new hunters wanted this badly enough to find it, let’s give them some waypoints to follow." - onX Hunt report Hunting for Community

© FIRST HUNT FOUNDATION

Jump Into the Mentoring Arena pg. 24

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FAIR FAIR CHASE CHASE || S U MME R 2 0 2 2 13

CR A IG BODDINGTON PROFESSIONAL MEMBER Photos Courtesy of Author

ACCURATE HUNTER TEAMWORK: HELP OR HINDRANCE?

The mule deer, with multiple

bucks in the group, were working their way up a ridge, 300 yards away and gaining ground. It was tough enough to stay on the right deer, but the rifle kept slipping.

Things were going downhill fast.

We jumped the deer from a ranch track on the third day. I hopped out and put a jacket on the hood. I’m not proud of this, but it’s 100 percent legal on private land in far West Texas. The truck was tall; I am not.

The angle was not lefty-friendly. As soon as I’d get the crosshairs steady, the rifle would start to slide. Not quite in panic mode, I realized this wasn’t going to work.

Boddington and guide Steven Ryan with a fine far West Texas mule deer. Teamwork saved the day; Boddington’s shooting position was slipping, no shot possible until Ryan stepped in and put shooting sticks under the rifle butt.

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Glassing is very much a team sport, the more eyes the better. Shooting at game is one at a time; usually the best thing a guide or partner can do is stay quiet!

There was too much brush for prone, sitting, or kneeling. There were no tall rocks or sturdy trees. It was the big pickup or nothing. Just behind me, guide Steven Ryan was on his spotting scope doing a great job of keeping me on the largest buck. He couldn’t see my dilemma. I’m not usually helpless, but I needed help.

I knew we had shooting sticks somewhere in the rig. “Steven, not steady. Can you grab the shooting sticks and get them under me?” A veteran of 20 years guiding, he instantly understood the problem. In seconds he had shooting sticks wedged under the rifle butt.

T he problem was solved instantly. In seconds I had the largest buck quartering to me at 325 yards. With the .270 steady, the bullet struck perfectly, and the buck was down in a few steps.

In this column I’ve talked about “building your house.” This means assessing, determining options, and utilizing whatever means are available to establish a stable shooting position. There is no “school solution.” How steady you must be depends on distance, size of target, and skill. All must be accomplished quickly.

If you hunt alone, all decisions are up to you. Other than natural rests, the only aids are on your person, be it a pack, shooting sticks, bipod, spotting-scope tripod, etc.

You do the best with what you have. However, many of us hunt with a partner, sometimes with a guide. When it’s time to take a shot, anything among the party is fair game.

I was embarrassed to ask the guide for help, and that was silly. In any group hunting together, there’s one designated shooter at a time.

With an opportunity at hand, all resources must be at the shooter’s disposal. Often, the best help available is for Veteran guide Steven Ryan on the spotting scope. This was exactly where he was—and should have been—when Boddington was trying to shoot a mule deer, watching and keeping quiet. When Boddington’s position slipped and he needed help, Ryan instantly saw the problem and saved the day.

everybody else to shut up and stay still. Other times, building a proper house becomes a construction project. Two sets of shooting sticks are better than one, opening all manner of dead-steady options. The problem is that somebody has to lug them!

I love packs, too. Even if just a light fanny pack, few of us venture far from camp, horse, or vehicle without a pack. Stuffed with camera, knives, lunch, raingear, spotting scope and tripod, a pack is ideal for laying across a rock or log. Whether external or internal, a frame pack can be upended and used as a low rest, and any pack can be snuggled against you or into your lap to stabilize your shooting elbow.

Sometimes, two or three packs are better than one. On a wet day in southeast Alaska, we glassed a big black bear traversing a series of basins far across a big valley.

He was holding much the same course and elevation as we were, so we had the bright idea of intersecting him. We were moving camp (me, guide, and packer), and we fought devil’s club and steep slopes for hours. It was perhaps not the best idea ever, but we finally caught up with the bear during a lull in constant rain. He was across a side canyon at our level, but

our ground sloped down so steeply that getting a steady rest seemed almost impossible. Using all of our full packs, we built up a berm. All I had to do was lay across the top pack. It was a successful construction project!

In Yukon’s Bonnet Plume Range in 1999, we glassed the best Dall’s ram I’ve seen. It was in a bachelor group along a distant ridge, the gap between us and the rams was steep and awful.

We watched them drift over the ridge. Late in the afternoon after a long day, we got to the spot where we had last seen the ram. We were backpacking, so we dropped sleeping bags and tent to lighten the load.

After a bit we glassed the sheep in the bottom, far below us. We crept down the ridge to a rocky shelf and peered over. Younger rams were already climbing into cliffy stuff on the next ridge, but the big ram was feeding in a green patch in the bottom. Take it or leave it, gonna be a long shot, better get extra-steady.

With a nice flat spot to lie prone, we piled up our two backpacks, but the ram was so steeply below us I couldn’t depress the muzzle enough.

My (excellent) guide went back and collected our sleeping bags. I was shooting the FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 15

AH

TOP: Bipods are great, and packs are almost always useful. J.Y. Jones has his bipod on a slanting rock, snuggling tight against a pack to keep the rifle from slipping. MIDDLE: A frame pack isn’t the only thing that can be upended to offer a solid low rest. In Arctic Alaska, an overturned sled offered near benchrest stability! BOTTOM: Donna Boddington on sticks, with much taller PH Mark Haldane beside her on binoculars. Proper height is critical with sticks, and what’s right for one person will be very wrong for someone shorter or taller.

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big, fast Lazzeroni Warbird, and I knew the drop. The wind was dead calm. I could do this if I could get steady enough. With most of our camp under the rifle, stability was not an issue. The bullet passed through the heart, and our ram was down.

There is another side.

Shooting at game is an intense and personal moment, and the shot belongs to the shooter. It’s not a group effort, and too many cooks spoil any broth. Folks who hunt alone escape this, but I’ve seen some amazing and unnecessary goat-ropes—well-intentioned, but disastrous.

On that mule deer hunt with Steven Ryan, he was doing exactly what an effective guide or partner should be doing: Monitoring the deer through good glass and keeping his mouth shut until I asked for help. Steven instantly saw the problem and sprang into action coolly and calmly.

Guides and hunting partners (including parents and spouses) are also hunters and nearly as excited as the shooter. It does nobody any good to jump around and holler, “Shoot, shoot, shoot!”

Usually, the most helpful thing any bystander can do is keep his or her mouth shut and stay still. However, if an animal is moving, or in a group, it can be useful to call distances and positions. Especially through a riflescope, keeping track of a fluid situation is difficult. A spotter can be of great help, but only with calm, quiet, and correct information.

Our snipers typically work in teams, shooter and spotter. Some teams trade roles; others learn one is the better shooter, the other a more adept spotter. Either way, both roles are equally important. With today’s interest i n extreme-range shooting, the shooter/spotter dynamic is constantly trained and employed.

People who shoot and hunt together reg u larly

develop teamwork. Brothers Bert and Chris Klineburger hunted the world together and opened up a lot of it for the rest of us. To keep things simple and reduce baggage, they often shared a battered Model 700 7mm Remington Magnum between them. But unless you and your partner have developed teamwork, the best course of action while a person is setting up for a shot is to keep still—unless the shooter asks for help!

As for “home improvements,” one of the toughest things with any shooting position is getting the height right. Only exceptionally competent and experienced guides (and partners) will properly take into account a hunter that is significantly shorter or taller. My wife, Donna, is six inches shorter, and even that can make a big difference in proper height and viewing perspective.

Most of the time, I’m convinced that the best help a partner can offer is to stay calm, quiet, and out of the way! You can pay attention, and sometimes little things help a lot. Offering a pack or rolled up jacket under an elbow can make a big difference, and having such stuff available to change the height of a rest can save a shot.

I love shooting sticks, but the height must be right.

Even after 40 years of “stickology,” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been ready to squeeze when one tripod leg slips. When your supporting hand is for ward and shooting hand is on small of stock, you are all tied up. If the animal stays put, recovery is possible, but sometimes there’s nothing to be done. Other times, a watchful partner can step in, adjusting height or trapping the er ra nt leg. Be caref u l , though. It’s always the shooter’s shot to take, make, or miss. Even best-intentioned interference can mess things up, and strident exhortations usually will! n

B IRD GRI N

N

GE

L

The Boone and Crockett Club George Bird Grinnell Society welcomes those individuals who wish to support our conservation programs through purely philanthropic, tax deductible gifts of $2,500 or more.

E RG

EL

George Bird Grinnell Society

O

BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB

SO C I E T Y

Funds raised from the George Bird Grinnell Society are placed in the Boone and Crockett Club Foundation endowment where the principal remains intact. The annual interest income generated is then dedicated to vital conservation programs.

Special recognition is given via Club publications and in the visitors’ gallery at Boone and Crockett Club Headquarters in Missoula, Montana, and with a custom plaque.

After your initial gift of $2,500; gifts of $500 or more to the Boone and Crockett Club Foundation endowment will accumulate toward new contribution levels.

Please join us by becoming a Member of the George Bird Grinnell Society Today!

LEVELS OF GIVING: COPPER - $2,500 - $4,999 BRONZE - $5,000 - $9,999 SILVER - $10,000 - $24,999 GOLD - $25,000 - $49,999 DIAMOND - $50,000 - $124,999 Wilderness Warrior Society - $125,000 or more

DIAMOND LEVEL Anthony J. Caligiuri Michael L. Evans Robert H. Hanson* Charles W. Hartford Butch Marita Richard D. Reeve Gordon J. Whiting SILVER LEVEL Michael J. Borel Gary W. Dietrich Hanspeter Giger Keith I. Ward BRONZE LEVEL Steven Leath Remo R. Pizzagalli D. Michael Steuert Wilson S. Stout Bret A. Triplett COPPER LEVEL Scott A. Cooper Lonnie J. Dale Alice B. Flowers Fritz R. Mason Joshua J. Millspaugh Marion S. Searle Deceased

*

Grinnell Glacier, Glacier National Park

For more information contact Jodi Bishop at Boone and Crockett headquarters (406) 542-1888, Ext. 212 or jodi@boone-crockett.org FAIRFAIR CHASE CHA|S S EU|MME FA L R L 2020 2

17

WAY NE C. VA N ZWOLL

Surprise!

B&C PROFESSIONAL MEMBER Photos Courtesy of Author

Beware a miss you didn’t expect. Or a hit.

“Ready.” Prepare your partner for the shot, so he or she has binocular to brow and can see the strike.

18 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

You’ll hit where you look. This moose hunter kept his focus on the ribs, off those eye-popping antlers!

“A shot should surprise you,”

said Earl. “If you know exactly when the trigger will break, you’re apt to jerk it, or flinch.”

So I tried to crush the trigger and to call each shot— predict where the bullet would strike, given the sight picture at firing—accurately.

But in the woods I had to shoot faster and calling shots got harder.

We lads had no real plan for hunting the east woodlot, beyond swarming it and shooting deer that squirted from it. Our swarm numbered from three to six.

T he wood lot compr ised sugarbush and hawthorn thickets and a stand of second-growth pines above a swamp. The deer did not want for cover or exits.

Offsetting our weak strategy and lack of predatory acumen was the boundless ardor of youth.

One morning I eased along the pines to a rusted snarl of barbed wire, divining that here, this day, was a good spot. I hadn’t long to wait. Half the swarm started hollering before they reached the woods. A thump in the pines, and suddenly a deer shot into the air, sun-fishing feet in front of my face. I threw the old .303 to cheek and fired as the animal made its next bound. The deer dropped at the report and lay still. I couldn’t recall a sight picture. But I’d killed a deer!

And look! There were antlers!

Sometimes we miss

when we expect to hit; less often we hit when even hope rolls its eyes.

That buck and my bullet met about 15 feet in front of the muzzle, realistic range for the first shot at a ruffed grouse rocketing from the toe of a Bean’s boot. I’d missed my share of those pokes with 7-1/2s from a 16-bore Remington 870. But I’d tumbled a few birds, too. Breaking that buck’s neck, a wonderful surprise, was no great feat—just the equivalent of centering a grouse in a shot cloud.

Another thing in my favor: The pines aligned my vision along their border. My feet were placed for a comfortable look right where the deer would appear. Bullets, like shot clouds, usually go where you look. If you force a rifle or shotgun off its natural point of aim—determined by feet, hips and shoulders, not hands and arms—you’ll likely miss.

This deer had jumped right in front of my rifle. All I did was fire.

But as close is no guarantee of a kill, neither is a target smack dab in front of your muzzle. n

“Sharpies. You take my shotgun and get two or three.

We’ll make camp.” So Burtt urged Ted to bag their first supper. They had canoed

downriver to a spruce-studded bar at the mouth of a stream that “chuckled down over the rocks” and was just big enough to wet your feet crossing if you weren’t careful. Opposite the bar rose a massive peak “with shoulders like a buffalo rolled up.” Burtt was here to lay in a supply of winter’s meat. In Anchorage, Ted had rented a .30-06. The $3 daily fee was stiff, he whined, for a bird hunter who might see a moose.

T he af ternoon far gone, Ted took the Model 12, slipped a couple of shells into the magazine, and hiked toward the old cabin where Burtt had spied the sharptails. He reached it without bumping a bird. At that instant, from a spruce thicket short steps away, rose a great black bull moose.

Eq ua l ly su r pr ised, the two faced each other long enough for Ted to cheek the trap gun. He fired instantly, without a thought to possible outcomes, and “forgetting I didn’t even want to shoot a moose!”

Ted assumed the bull would drop. Instead, it blew by close enough to poke with the Winchester’s muzzle, a mountain of muscle gone so quickly Ted didn’t trigger a second shot. He ran back to camp and gasped, “I just missed a moose!”

The chorused reply: “With a shotgun?”

All trudged to the cabin. Not a clipped hair nor a spot of blood did they find.

They followed the big splayed tracks a quarter-mile. By all indications, this bull was uninjured. If other hunters had missed moose with shotguns, Ted hadn’t heard of them.

“My friends were sure that distinction was mine alone.” n

I too have muffed shots so easy as to appear unmissable. Hubris once urged me on after sneaking within 50 yards of a bedded mule deer.

How close can you get? The wind was favorable. Quiet as a snake in the fescue, I bellied forward. The buck seemed at peace. Then, as I paused in a depression 14 feet from him, he sensed something amiss.

He rose. Never had a deer towered above me. Never, evidently, had this deer entertained a hunter at bedside.

We stared stupidly at each other as I brought the barrel, slow as sun-up, nearly vertical. The actual angle, determined by the kink in my lumbar spine, was not steep enough. My bullet blasted shards from the basalt ledge between us as the buck fairly flew off the ridge.

It occurred to me later that I’d lacked the will to shoot this deer. At 50 yards,

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 19

my mission had changed.

Before you can hit a target, you must want to. You must act on that desire as soon as you can. Nothing begs a quick, accurate shot more urgently than mortal threat.

Ben saw the bear far off across the ice. Bumped by his partner, it was coming straight on, closing the distance fast. Ben knelt to escape its at tent ion and steady his lever-action .300.

“I fired twice, but to no effect. The range was too long for iron sights. But my third bullet struck. He braked to a stop and spun to bite savagely at the top of his shoulder. The softpoint, I would learn, had driven into the thick layers of fat and muscle there, doing little damage. To my inexperienced eye, however, this animal was about to keel over. I scrambled to my feet for a finishing shot.

“The beast saw me instantly and charged. I fired too fast, and still he came. As the range quickly collapsed, cold fear grabbed me by the throat. I’d loaded five cartridges in the rifle and fired four.

All confidence in my shooting and ammo had evaporated.

“I can’t recall sending that fifth and last bullet— only the whiplash report. The bear dropped as if struck by lightning, tumbling loose like a giant white dishrag, heels over head, skidding to a stop on the ice. Frantically, I fumbled five more cartridges into the Savage….”

The range was 17 paces, a couple of jumps for a polar bear. A neat hole between the eyes would tell of havoc inside the skull—a shot Ben might have worked hard to engineer from a rest at a still target!

Terror can sharpen focus.

Missed twice on the run, this buck caught a third bullet but sped many yards without dropping blood.

Even “out West,” quick shots come in cover. “Get your feet pointed right.

Mind natural point of aim.”

P R IM NG ER2 022 2022 20 FAIR CH A S E | S UM

n

Absent threat, a miss can still be costly. Long odds against another chance add pressure to a shot. As seconds tick by, pressure can bring panic. Muscles quake; pulse quickens; the rifle bobs. Oh, no! He’s gonna leave! Gotta shoot! The trigger won’t budge because the sight is bou nci ng a bout l i ke a blue-bottle f ly in a lampshade. Then: Now! The finger spasms; the barrel jumps before the bullet leaves….

Better that an imperative comes quickly, no hesitation permitted.

In the autumn of 1967, Jim Taffan and a couple of friends traded places at the wheel to motor 27 hours nonstop from their Pennsylvania digs to road’s end at Sept Iles, Quebec. From there, North Shore rails brought them 365 miles up to Schefferville.

Next morning they piled into a twin-engine Beechcraft on floats. A 45-minute flight put them above Lac Champadore and a splash of color: red fuel drums, tents of blue, white and yellow fronting water’s edge and 20-foot freighter canoes.

By most measures, hunting caribou isn’t hard, but the logistical challenges of reaching and living in caribou country deter the faint of heart. Jim and his pals were keen to find big bulls.

Two hard days’ hike through spongy tundra showed them a small herd in a jack-pine thicket. Nobody raised a rifle.

The antlers were average.

Fresh country the following day brought one bull to bag but no other worthwhile sightings. Next morning, quartering toward a ridge flecked with scraggly conifers and aspens, Jim squinted into the gale—and grabbed his guide’s arm. Tall, wide antlers had sprouted from behind a jack-pine just 125 yards off! “Don’t shoot into those branches,” hissed the guide. “Wait!”

T he tension bu i lt.

When at last the bull stepped clear, Jim “couldn’t steady the crosshairs” of his K6 Weaver.

He triggered the Remington 760 anyway—and knew instantly he’d missed. “But buck fever left when that animal shifted into high gear. I’m not going to lose this enormous caribou!” Swinging the muzzle ahead as it raced toward a ravine 200 yards out, he mashed the trigger. At the .280’s blast, the bull folded and tumbled, dead. James Tappan’s caribou antlers scored 394-1/8. n

I seldom fire at running animals now, but back when most rifles still wore iron sights, we lads in whitetail country hung targets on clotheslines rigged with right-angle “tug lines.” We took turns pulling. Such practice helped me tumble my first-ever deer, quartering off at a sprint through open poplars. I must have aimed. At 90 yards, “point and shoot” seldom works.

A lucky hit? Well, yes, if “lucky” means all bets are against a quick repeat. But shooting that begs regular assists from luck won’t take much game. Lucky kills aren’t as common as often claimed.

In Scandinavia, moose are hunted on organized drives. Hunters posted on stands get the shooting. They must first qualify offhand on life-size moose targets run electronically on a track.

Range: 80 meters, if memory serves. It’s no trick, after a few runs, to put most bullets in the chest. After all, a moving moose is the same size as one standing still. Stationary shots, also required, aren’t much easier.

“Why do I hit when I can’t steady the rifle?” The hunter who wondered this aloud the other day has lots of silent company. Even in fine conditions, when you’re not breathing hard or buffeted by wind, keeping the sight on a small mark is hard. The rifle skips and hops to the

tune of quivering muscles and throbbing heart.

Such bumps plague competitive shooters, too.

Black scoring rings cupping the bullseye bound in and out of the front sight, or about the reticle. Ace shooters pressure the trigger when the sight picture is acceptable, hold pressure when it isn’t. Eventually the rifle fires. The shot may not be perfect, but because the sight has spent more time “in the black” than out during the squeeze, the bullet will probably land near point of aim. Hunters using this technique also wring good shots from shaking rifles. Shooters who yield to the temptation to “fire on the fly” as an ever-weaving sight nears the mark do not.

Involuntary tensing of muscles and a quick tug on the trigger move the rifle before ignition. A bad shot results.

Swinging on a moving target, your torso, shoulder and arm muscles are engaged, not quivering. The s w i ng smoot hes pu l se bumps. Because time is often short, you don’t see the sight picture deteriorate, as when you try too hard to steady a stationary rifle for a dead-center hit. Verily, still targets are easier to hit, if you control the trigger and use the same accuracy standards you apply to moving targets. n

In t he st i l l-f rozen North, the month I was born, a grizzly mauled Field Johnson. No human could long endure the thrashing that beast gave the Yukon guide.

Field survived, but never fully recovered.

Five years earlier, in happier days, Field had guided Jack O’Connor on his first Yukon hunt. They found a fine Dall’s ram the second day.

Jack “cut him down on the run.” He’d procured for that trip three permits. Days and steep miles later, in thickening snow, he and Field spied six rams “at what looked like something more than 300

“He braked and spun….” Errant shots waste bullets needed later. Fire only when the sight tells you to.

yards away.” Wiping snow off scope lenses, O’Connor told Field he was about to fire.

Eyes to his binocular, Field nodded.

“The ram with the massive horns was lying broadside. I held about two thirds of the way up his body and eased off the shot. Field called it just below. The ram jumped up [and] ran off about 25 yards…. This time I held what looked to be about 6 inches above his shoulder….”

Field couldn’t see a strike.

Just then the ram collapsed, rolled over and lay still.

“Other ram at top of bunch, right on ridge,” said Field.

O’Con nor again swabbed snow from his scope’s ocular glass. The ram was facing away. Holding the post’s tip even with the top of the horns, he crushed the trigger.

“You broke a leg,” said Field.

Cycling the bolt, Jack aimed well above the ram and triggered the .30-06 once more.

“High!” Field cried.

This hunter declined a long shot to slip within 150 yards, waited patiently for the bedded buck to rise.

At that moment, “a snowflake as big as a rose petal sailed into the tube of the Stith mount and plastered itself all over the objective lens.” By the time Jack could again see through his scope, the rams were gone. The hunters slid down shale, crossed a basin and found both sheep dead. Field’s calls, if not specific, had been helpful. The broken leg was a broken hip. The high shot had grazed the base of a horn.

With no better information at hand, O’Connor had wisely

used his guide’s observations to correct.

A companion who “spots the shot” can make a second poke easier than the first. Savvy spotters place themselves so their line of sight lies close to the bullet’s path. They call by the clock— not “high,” but “eleven o’clock.” The measure of error, in inches from point of aim, is a bonus. n

That Field Johnson story came to mind not long ago, at forest’s edge above the

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 21

apron of Montana foothills.

A wolf, tiny at 8-power, trotted across a shrieking west wind, clouds of swirling snow on its wings. Unlike the wolf, we’d not given up on the elk, a small band hundreds of yards to the north and moving. I dabbed at the glass with a sodden kerchief, tucked both and beckoned to Ray. An hour later we were a quarter-mile closer, shielded in our approach by thickening snow but shy of cover.

We’d hustled to stay on our intercept route. The elk were moving steadily, nosing the snow only occasionally for grass. At the last cedar I dropped to my belly and crawled. When snow and fog erased the elk, I four-legged it to a rock. Ray followed.

“Bull’s on the right,” he rasped. I slid a freezing hand through the sling’s loop.

The sight picture was blank as a bed-sheet. “Still see him?”

Silence. Then, through the wind: “There! Left now.”

A gap in the fog revealed four ghost-images. “Now second from. Figure 250, 300.”

My call, too. I caught a smudge of antler, hung the crosswire high and squeezed

as the storm again buried the lens.

Wind’s wail sucked away the strike as snow shrouded the herd. I cycled the Remington, warmed my finger in my cheek. The elk re-appeared, miniature shadows “Right side now!” Bless you, Ray, and I shifted. Another muted Pop! from my .300. The bull was no longer obscured; he was gone. I scrambled to my feet and wiped the snow-plastered rifle.

We hurried forward, as the tracks were filling fast, and the trail was widely braided. Ray saw the bull first, dead, half-quilted by snow. My Core-Lokts had struck a hand’s-width apart, minced both lungs.

Sur prise hits, you might say, are better than surprise misses. Not according to Earl. “What matters is the call. A surprise, one way or the other, tells you the call was wrong. Besides, by all logic, a shot that doesn’t match your call is more likely to cripple than it is to miss clean or kill.” I can still see him draw on his cigar, thick as a 10-bore shell. “Surprise yourself on the trigger, not after the shot.” n

Assume a hit. Game doesn’t always react to one. A bad shot can kill or maim.

Follow-up is your job.

22 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

This cover screens elk.

Don’t assume a bullet will deflect. Or that it won’t. For a sure hit, find a gap.

45 CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE WILDERNESS WARRIOR SOCIETY

In 1887 Theodore Roosevelt formed a coalition of gentlemen hunters in order to establish the foundation for the world’s greatest wildlife conservation system. Knowing that he could not accomplish this daunting task alone, he invited men of science, business, industry, politics, and public service to join him in forming the Boone and Crockett Club. The results of their commitment and what would ultimately become their conservation legacy is now the highly acclaimed, North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

We still cannot do it alone. We need your help. Please join us in the Wilderness Warrior Society.

The Wilderness Warrior Society is our premier giving society. Contributions are therefore 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. This way you can establish a legacy that will grow and last for generations.

With your gift of $125,000 or more (payable over 5 years), 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 distinctive Hickey-Freeman blazer, and an exclusive event at the annual meeting each year to recognize and honor your special generosity toward wildlife conservation.

Please consider pledging to become a member of the Wilderness Warrior Society today!

R. Terrell McCombs President Boone and Crockett Club Foundation

Trevor L. Ahlberg Lee R. Anderson Sr. James F. Arnold Rene R. Barrientos Marc A. Brinkmeyer Pete R. Brownell Anthony J. Caligiuri Marshall J. Collins Jr. Samuel J. Cunningham William A. Demmer Gary W. Dietrich John P. Evans Michael L. Evans Robert W. Floyd Steve J. Hageman Charles W. Hartford George C. "Tim" Hixon* B.B. Hollingsworth Jr. Ned S. Holmes Andrew L. Hoxsey N. Eric Johanson* Anne Brockinton Lee Tom L. Lewis Jimmy John Liautaud R. Terrell McCombs Marc C. Mondavi David L. Moore John L. Morris Rick C. Oncken Michael J. Opitz Jack S. Parker * Paul V. Phillips Remo R. Pizzagalli Thomas D. Price Edward B. Rasmuson* James J. "Jake" Shinners T. Garrick Steele Morrison Stevens Sr. Benjamin A. Strickling III George C. Thornton Ben B. Wallace Mary L. Webster C. Martin Wood III Leonard H. Wurman M.D. Paul M. Zelisko

* Deceased

Contact Terrell McCombs at 210/818-8363 for more details.

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 23

Jump Into the Mentoring Arena

M E N T O R S H I P

S E R I E S

New hunters need instructors, and Boone and Crockett Club members can fill that vital role For those of us who were raised in a family that hunts, our journey to become a hunter was molded by the experiences of our elders, usually across multiple generations. We were immersed in the culture and learned at their sides even when we weren’t out in the field. Over the years, we absorbed their lessons and built our own innate understanding of wildlife, hunting, conservation, and ethics. Most of us continue to pass those lessons down to our own children and grandchildren.

But what happens if you aren’t raised in a hunting family? The truth is the vast majority of Americans are not raised in a hunting family. According to the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Associated Recreation—a comprehensive report conducted every five years by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Census Bureau—there were 11.5 million adult hunters in the U.S. in 2016 (the last time the survey results were published), a decline of about 2.5 million hunters over the last two decades. The biggest red flag is the recognition that baby boomers and Generation Xers make up well more than half the current hunting population. As they age, it is predicted that hunting license sales could drop an additional 11 percent by 2025.

These factors led the outdoor community to rally around efforts to recruit, retain, and reactivate hunters.

What has become known as the R3 movement has galvanized state fish and wildlife agencies and conservation organizations to work together to reevaluate traditional hunter recruitment efforts. An organizing entity known as the Council to Advance Hunting and Shooting Sports, now led by Boone and Crockett Club member Dr. Steven Leath, supports these efforts by conducting research and connecting R3 providers. In 2016, the partners released an updated and more detailed National Hunting and Shooting Sports Action Plan with strategies and a more disciplined approach.

One specific tactic to provide an immediate uptick in the number of hunters is to target 20- to 40-year-olds who have discretionary funds and time, as well as the independence to make their own decisions about how to spend both of those things. Many millennials have an interest in knowing where their food comes from and are willing and interested in being part of the process of providing their own protein. They are also often concerned about conservation and the environment and are interested in reconnecting to the natural world.

THE PANDEMIC EFFECT

The R3 focus on creating a network of instructors and students will be a clear pathway forward and resources are being developed to help potential instructors become more engaged.

24 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

As partners were ramping up their R3 efforts, in particular the outreach to millennials, along came 2020. The crush of the pandemic left supermarket shelves empty and outdoor recreation became a safe alternative when there was little else to do. To many, hunting became much more interesting.

Digital mapping application onX Hunt saw a 300 percent increase in active users, so the company commissioned research through Southwick Associates. They found that there was a 5 percent increase in the total number of hunting licenses sold in 2020, fueled in large part by a 25 percent increase in new hunters. According to the report,

JODI STEMLER PROFESSIONAL MEMBER Photos Courtesy of First Hunt Foundation

the new participants cited, above anything else, that “COVID afforded them more free time to spend in the field.

This may have been the push they needed—the extra free time and encouragement to be outside rather than inside—to dedicate themselves to the new endeavor.”

Notably, they also found that about half of the new hunters primarily hunted to harvest meat and nearly 20 percent of 2020 hunters took up the pastime to be closer to nature. With those motivations, perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that 62 percent of the new participants were millennials.

If the COVID pandemic kickstarted the new generation of hunters, research

suggests that there are still plenty of potential new participants. Southwick Associates and DJ Case and Associates conducted national surveys and online focus groups for the Wildlife Management Institute in 2020 to gauge overall interest in learning to hunt. They found that nearly 10 percent of respondents had at least a moderate level of interest in learning to hunt which could equate to about 25 million new hunters. However, 37 percent of t hose who

Mentoring as defined by the R3 Community: “One-on-one interaction, either in-person or otherwise, that occurs more than once between the same parties. This would include one-on-one longterm teaching relationships, youth clubs with an education element, summer camps with multiple hands-on opportunities, in-field programs that bring the same students back more than once, electronic mentoring, etc. It would not include one-time fishing derbies, one-day seminars, instructional videos, and marketing campaigns, etc.”

Enjoying the moment and learning the regulations upon harvest

For many of the people interested in learning, it often only takes an offer to spend the day in the field with someone willing to teach them.

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 25

S E R I E S M E N T O R S H I P

expressed interest had previously tried hunting, but they simply didn’t have someone in their social group who could instruct them as they moved forward on the path toward independence.

At the same time, the onX report found that twothirds of “adult-onset” hunters who began hunting over the last three years tapped into the experience of a spouse/partner or through their network of friends.

Regardless of where they found it, 47 percent of new hunters in 2020 said mentorship had the biggest influence on their success and their experience.

THE INSTRUCTION CONNECTION

Clearly, tapping into the skills of experienced hunters who can share their knowledge through a more

A mentor’s reward, the hunter’s first harvest and making a connection!

26 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

formal coaching process— whether directly with someone they know or connecting with interested students who have no previous connection with hunting—will help transition the necessary field skills, as well as the conservation and fair chase ethic that will bring forward the next generation of hunters.

The R3 focus on creating a network of instructors and students will be a clear pathway forward and resources are being developed to help potential instructors become more engaged. One organization that is helping to bridge the gap is the First Hunt Foundation (FHF). Established in 2015 by retired U.S. Forest Service manager, Rick Brazell, the organization has rapidly grown to have a presence in 35 states with a network of 750 mentors.

While Brazell initially started with a youth focus, he quickly saw an oppor tun it y to also add mentors who could work with every age group. The all-volunteer network has expanded to include programs like Connecting Heroes and Hunters (recall the story in the last Fair Chase written by a veteran who was mentored on a hunt on the Club’s Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch) and recently brought on Anne Beihoffer as the volunteer National Women’s Program Director. The group also has an online Mentor Map that connects prospective new hunters with mentors.

“While other groups include mentoring, we are the only group focused solely on mentoring,” Brazell says. “Our goal is to create thousands of new hunters and to do that we are working to add chapters across the country with hundreds of mentors who can be there to help guide these new hunters on their journey.”

Fred Williams is the Wyoming State Director for FHF and has volunteered for years in introducing new hunters to the outdoors.

Williams plays a key role in the Wyoming Women’s Antelope Hunt and continues that instruction during a follow up Sisters of the Sage hunt near his home in Meeteetse as well as a Beyond BOW (Becoming an Outdoors Woman) workshop and other activities. Each of these events helps provide additional levels of instruction to new hunters as they move toward becoming independent in the field.

“The goal is for the mentor to build a long-term relationship with the hunter with the objective to build the hunter’s self-confidence,” Williams notes. “A mentor is not a guide. They are more like a coach providing instruction and assistance so that the new hunters can ultimately be self-sufficient and enjoy the outdoors on their own. Ideally this is achieved by providing the hunter multiple

Chasing pronghorn is a great way to introduce new hunters to hunting. The Wyoming Women's Antelope Hunt is a guaranteed good time.

opportunities and being available as a coach and ‘cheer leader’.”

Be i hof fer a g r e e s.

“Mentoring is finding a balance between coaching and helping out, while also letting the new hunters follow their own journey and make their own decisions. The key is being there for the long haul and supporting them for the reasons they decided to become a hunter,” he says.

Havely Holt is the first woman to serve as a chapter president for FHF, and her journey as a hunter is very recent, having been mentored on her first hunt in 2017 during the Wyoming Women’s Antelope Hunt. She hunted with Marilyn Kite, one of the founders of the event, and her guide, Kellen.

“Kellen was not there for the harvest. He was there for me and to help me feel comfortable by walking me through how the hunt would go and making sure everything fell into place while Marilyn provided the emotional support,” Holt remembers. “The whole atmosphere took the weight off my shoulders and gave me a wonderful, empowering experience.”

After participating in the Sisters of the Sage hunt the next year, Holt decided to help pass on that mentoring

experience to other people.

“My first hunt experience was life changing for me at a tough time in my life and allowed me to connect with other women who were in the same boat—I wanted to pay that forward to others. My own journey as a hunter is still going on and I don’t pretend to be an expert. But I wanted my kids to see me growing and I wanted to share that with them, and I know others in our community who want to help pass along these experiences.”

While more confident teac h i n g f i s h i n g (s he launched PEAK Fish Camp, a program through FHF that teaches mothers and children how to fly fish), Holt now leads her local FHF chapter and helps coordinate outings with the Sisterhood of the Outdoors. “I started by taking my own kids out on their first hunts, but my role as chapter president has helped provide necessary structure and allowed us to grow our group of mentors.”

BECOMING A MENTOR

Boone and Crockett Club members offer tremendous potential for providing the mentoring experiences that are so important to teaching new hunters. Remember that big group of new hunters identified in the onX research? Sixty percent of them acknowledged that they felt like they were outsiders when

Being a mentor means showing young hunters not just how to hunt, but how to enjoy it after the season is over as well.

they were learning in 2020.

Club members serving as instructors can help introduce them into our hunting traditions in a positive way.

Williams notes that the fair chase and conservation ethic that is ingrained in us is critical to pass on to new hunters who are getting into the field because of their interest in a greater connection with the natural world. “A mentor is an ambassador for hunting and their role includes coaching new hunters on how to talk about hunting in today’s society through various venues including social media, photograph etiquette, and so much more.

This should include teaching the entire experience of hunting—from field to table—and explaining hunting’s role in conservation and as a means of enjoying the outdoors and providing food.”

For many of the people interested in learning, it often only takes an offer to spend the day in the field with you. Accord ing to Holt, “When people ask, ‘How did you get involved in that?’ that’s often a clue that someone is interested, which opens the door to a conversation that often leads to an invitation.”

So, make the invitation—jump into the arena, as Club founder Theodore Roosevelt would say.

“You have no idea how far your reach will be when you mentor,” Beihoffer concludes. “It starts as a ripple, but you don’t know how far that one person will take it when you kindle the flames to their passion for hunting and the outdoors.” n

LEARN MORE

If you are interested in becoming a mentor through the First Hunt Foundation, go to www.firsthuntfoundation.org for more information.

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

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 27

JONATH A N GASSET T WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE B&C PROFESSIONAL MEMBER K R ISTIE R. BLEV INS EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

Hunters’ Opinions and Attitudes towards the Illegal Take of Wildlife in the United States

Modern fish and wildlife conservation is based on the public trust doctrine (PTD), which establishes a trustee relationship whereby the government holds and manages wildlife for the benefit of the public. Fundamentally, it posits that natural resources are universally important, and that the public should have an opportunity to enjoy these resources, including activities such as fishing, hunting, and trapping (Geist et al., 2001; Batcheller et al., 2010). Prior to the adoption of this philosophy, wildlife was often treated as an inexhaustible commodity, with little thought or concern for long term sustainability. As a result, many species suffered under this “limitless supply” philosophy, with some becoming extirpated or even driven to extinction.

The PTD is the foundation of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation (NAMWC) which is viewed as an important construct of law, policy, program framework, and scientific investigation that has led to the conservation and restoration of wildlife populations in the U.S. and Canada (Geist et al., 2001). Managing wildlife through the rule of law is one of the tenets of the 28 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

NAMWC. Wildlife crime, including illegal take, can have deleterious impacts on wildlife populations, the hunting experience, and social acceptance by both hunters and non-hunters. While there is a large body of research that examines the impact of international wildlife crimes, only in the last two decades have researchers taken a serious interest in issues related to domestic wildlife crime. Even fewer studies have directly examined the impacts to conservation and the financial consequences resulting from the illegal take of wildlife.

OUR APPROACH

As one of the oldest conservation organizations in North America, the Boone and Crockett Club (B&C) has long recognized the importance of the PTD and the NAMWC. In 2016, B&C commissioned a study to examine and review state restitution systems for illegal take of big game species, with the intent of assisting state agencies. While the results of this study showed that most states (42 of 50) had adequate penalties, fines, and restitutions that accurately reflected both the severity of the crime and the current values of illegally taken animals, it also found that the judicial systems were the primary obstacle to successfully convicting and punishing poachers. Respondents

(primarily commissioned wildlife officers) from this earlier study felt that judges and prosecutors did not view wildlife crimes as a priority, that the penalties were often applied inconsistently, and that wildlife cases were disproportionately dismissed (Edwards, 2017). The findings of this first study caused B&C to start the Poach & Pay Program, a collaborative effort between B&C and the Wildlife Management Institute (WMI). The program is a comprehensive research effort designed to review, assess, and address the level of illegal take of wildlife in the U.S. with the goal of further describing and reducing the barriers to prosecution identified in the first study. This three-year effort has four phases of research, including: 1. Assessing the levels of detection and conservation impacts associated with wildlife crime.

2. Describing the motivational factors and potential deterrents that influence poachers.

3. Determining the judicial and prosecutorial barriers to enforcing wildlife laws.

4. Providing solutions to improving prosecution and conviction rates of poachers, including an objective, defensible, and proportional framework for poaching penalties and restitution.

In 2021, B&C and WMI began Phase 1 of this critical research, the results of which will be a comprehensive estimate of the rates of undetected, unreported, and unresolved wildlife crimes that will allow us to determine their true impacts to conservation and the public trust agencies.

INVESTIGATING THE “DARK FIGURE”

Previous research into the “dark figure” (undetected level of wildlife crime) provides estimates that are minimal, dated, and based on small sample sizes. Adding to this dark figure are the number of wildlife crimes that are detected by someone, but not reported to law enforcement.

As with any “victimless” crime, accurately estimating the number of undetected and unreported crimes is an arduous process. However, this information is critical to fully understanding the fiscal and conservation impacts that wildlife crimes have on conservation, hunters, and state trust agencies. Impacts of wildlife crimes are also important to understand, not only for the biological functions, but also from the experiential and social impacts to bot h hu nter s a nd t he non-hunting public. By determining hunter perceptions of these impacts, we hope to further determine the true

costs and impacts that these to hunting activities—with HUNTER PERCEPTIONS HUNTER PERCEPTIONS crimes have on wildlife pop- eligible hunters having pur- – GEOGRAPHIC/SCALE – BIOLOGICAL AND ulations, hunter experiences, chased a hunting license for IMPACTS SOCIAL IMPACTS and non-hunter perceptions. each of the five years preced- To geographically determine To evaluate hunter percepIn Phase 1 of the study, ing the survey. the level of concern hunters tions on the biological, expewe distributed surveys to Hunters were sur- have for poaching activities, riential, and social impacts 80,000 resident hunters from veyed extensively as a part of respondents were asked of illegal take, respondents eight subject states (10,000 this research project for sev- their opinions on the im- were asked their opinions on per state). Questions focused eral reasons. Importantly, pacts of wildlife crimes at a several additional factors. on determining hunter per- law-abiding hunters are pri- spatial scale, specifically Questions were designed to ceptions of the biological, marily the “paying” custom- focusing on illegal take at identify concerns with wildexperiential, and social im- ers of the state trust agencies the local, state, and national life population levels, hunt pacts of poaching, as well as charged with wildlife man- levels. Questions were asked quality, hunting opportunity, determining the degree to agement, and therefore they at various scales ranging access to lands, hunter which wildlife violations go are the primary funding from the most local to the self-perception, and public undetected and/or unreport- source for conservation in the most comprehensive. Sum- perception. ed. The eight states were se- U.S. By their actions, hunters marized responses to the Approximately 60-70% lected to maximize variabil- also likely have a vested in- four spatial scales, including of respondents from all reity in location, urban/rural terest and understanding of lands hunted in state of res- gions moderately or strongly makeup, percent of public vs. the subject matter surround- idence, overall state-level agreed that there are signifprivate lands, species compo- ing wildlife crimes. The ac- impacts, lands hunted in icant negative biological, sition, and accessibility and tivities of hunters also place other states, and overall na- experiential, and social imquality of data. States includ- them in situations (hunting, tional-level impacts pacts associated with the iled in the study were Maine, scouting, etc.) that likely alThe additional figures legal take of wildlife. The Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, low them to be familiar with (available online) show a pat- data for this set of questions North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, the timing and circumstanc- tern similar to Figure 1 (be- is available online. The exand Pennsylvania. States es (when and where) associ- low) in that most respondents ception is seen in this queswere also grouped regionally ated with illegal wildlife ac- from all regions viewed ille- tion: do you feel that the illefor analysis, with Oregon and tivities. Finally, while all the gal take at the state level to gal take of wildlife has had a Nevada representing the public suffer losses when be extremely serious or very negative impact on your perWest, Ohio and Michigan rep- wildlife crimes are commit- serious. However, the West sonal perception of hunting? resenting the Midwest, Penn- ted, hunters are most often identified the problem as ex- Approximately 30-40% of sylvania and Maine repre- the tip of the spear for that tremely serious at a signifi- hunters selected moderately senting the Northeast, and impact, frequently being im- cantly higher rate than did or strongly agree on the issue Missouri and North Carolina properly lumped together the other regions. Conversely, of perception of self as imw it h poac her s by t he the Northeast identified the pacted by illegal take. As seen representing the Southeast.

Hunters from the sub- non-hunting public that fre- problem as extremely serious in the geographic scale analject states responded to the quently struggles to differen- for state-level activities at a ysis, hunters in the West felt survey at a rate of 17% (n = tiate lawful hunting from significantly lower rate than that each of these impacts 13,640). Surveys were distrib- illegal acts of poaching. the other regions. were significantly greater (in uted to hunters that were randomly se50% lected from a pool of candidates based on 45% Figure 1: How serious of a problem do you consider the illegal take their relative avidity 40% of wildlife on lands where you hunt in your state of residence?

35%

LEARN MORE ONLINE Visit boone-crockett.org/ poach-and-pay

30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%

A

B

C

B

Extremely serious

A

B

B

Very serious West

See all the data presented from this survey online.

B

A A,B A,B B Somewhat serious Midwest

Northeast

A

B

B

B

Not so serious

A

B

B

B

Not at all serious

Southeast

FIGURE 1 shows that, while most respondents in all four regions felt that illegal take of wildlife was a very serious or extremely serious problem on resident lands where they hunt, respondents from the West chose the very or extremely serious categories at a significantly greater (α ≤ 0.05) level than did respondents from the other regions. Different letter subscripts in all figures indicate a difference within response category (level of seriousness) at the α ≤ 0.05 level.

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 29

the strongly agree response) than hunters in other regions, with the one exception being access to lands for hunting, where the western region responses were not different from the northeast and southeast regions (Figure 8). For all categories except for access to lands for hunting, the Northeast indicated that they strongly agree with the negative impacts at a significantly lower level than hunters from the other regions.

A PATH FORWARD

The initial review of the hunter survey data for the eight subject states indicated that hunters generally feel that illegal take of wildlife has negative impacts at the local, state, regional, and national levels. For states in the West,

this concern was significantly higher than for other regions. While there are several possibilities from which this difference might arise, we suspect that it is due to the perceived or real scarcity of opportunities in most western states. For example, most western states have a quota system for big game species, which may result in hunters having to wait one or more years in between hunting opportunities. Conversely, many states in the other regions offer at least some big game opportunities to be purchased over the counter (without a draw), so hunters can participate each year. This inability to consistently participate on an annua l basi s may cause law-abiding hunters to be more aware of the impacts that illegal take may have on their personal experience. In addition, persons that become frustrated with their drawing success rates may resort to taking wildlife illegally rath-

er than wait their turn.

To many, poaching of wildlife may seem to be inconsequential to the many abundant wildlife populations spread across North America. However, both the removal of animals beyond what is biologically justifiable, as well as the removal of high quality “breeder” animals by illegal means may have significant biological impacts. The hunters surveyed indicated that they strongly agree that poaching has a detrimental biological impact. Likewise, the quality of the hunting experience, in the form of quality of game, abundance of game, availability of hunting lands are all concerns voiced by the hunters in this survey, with the majority either moderately or st rong ly agreeing that poaching has a detrimental impact on these factors.

Finally, the social impacts that result from poaching activities cannot be overstated. While hunters have some concerns about self-perception, they are much more

concerned about how the non-hunting public views these illegal actions. Law-abiding hunters are frequently targeted by anti-hunting organizations, but a greater concern is the inability of the non-hunting public to differentiate between lawful, regulated hunting and poaching.

In conclusion, the expectations of the Boone and Crockett Club, the Wildlife Management Institute, and our partner agencies are high, and a comprehensive study on wildlife poaching is long overdue. Success will be determined by our ability to provide the trust agencies with accurate information with which to better perform their jobs. But ultimately, success will be measured by the ability of those agencies to use this information to reduce the levels of wildlife poaching through targeted actions, increase awareness of the true costs of wildlife crimes, and lower the level of social acceptance of these crimes. It is our hope that this study will help agencies to do just that. n

70% 60%

Figure 8: Do you feel that the illegal take of wildlife has had a negative impact on your access to lands for hunting?

50%

A

B

A,B A

40% 30% 20% A

10% A A A

A

0% Strongly disagree

A

A

A A A Moderately disagree

B

A,B

A

B B A,B

A,BA,B B A

B A,B A Slightly disagree

West

A

Midwest

Not sure Northeast

Slightly agree

Moderately agree

Strongly agree

Southeast

Different letter subscripts in all figures indicate a difference within response category (level of seriousness) at the α ≤ 0.05 level.

Poach and Pay Research Sponsored by:

30 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

Partnering for Conservation

For over 40 years, ATS has designed and manufactured wildlife radio telemetry equipment used by wildlife conservation managers and researchers throughout the world.

We are proud to share support for wildlife management and conservation efforts with the Boone and Crockett Club and its University Programs shown above.

Learn more about what we do at atstrack.com.

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 31

THE B&C CLASSICS SERIES EXCERPT

Dragon Lizards of Komodo W. DOUGLAS BURDEN PUBLISHED IN 1927

INTRODUCTION If any man with sporting tastes and a real interest in natural history were told that true dragons were still living on a remote, little known island of the East Indies, what would he do?

Allow me to answer the question.

With the help of the Dutch Government, Burden and his team were able to safely navigate the 700 miles from Batvia to Komodo.

32 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

First of all, he would try to make sure that the reports were founded on fact, and then, having satisfied himself, he would begin, a little secretly, perhaps, to lay his plans.

A man who has once lived in tropical jungles is a prey all his life, not only to recurring fevers, but to something perhaps more insidious; namely, a desire to return—a desire, I may say, that is difficult to deny. It was three years since I had been in the jungle—time enough to allow the imagination free rein.

So I came home one fine evening not long ago across Central Park and asked my wife how she would like to go dragon hunting. The idea fired her with enthusiasm; and, when I told her that these beasts were the very ones which had given rise to all the dragons of mythology and of the Chinese flag, she succumbed at once, and accordingly we began to concoct our plans.

First of all, I took the matter up with the authorities of the American Museum of Natural History, and such was the enthusiasm and backing of President Osborn and the Museum organization that from the start success seemed assured.

Then I wrote to Defosse, an old friend of mine, who has spent his life in the jungles of Indo­China, whose skill at handling natives, and whose genius in the bush would make him of inestimable value. When this wonderful old hunter agreed to join us at Singapore, there was no longer any question of our being able to capture the animal alive.

It would have been foolish, however, to

limit ourself to a collection of dragons.

Few scientists have been to the Lesser Sunda Islands, the group to which Komodo belongs, and, as there are many geological and zoogeographic problems in this region, our opportunities were exceptional.

The birds of the Lesser Sunda Islands are well known. So, also, are the mammals, but, since only a few collectors of reptiles and amphibians have investigated the region, we determined to make it a herpetological expedition. Dr. E. R. Dunn of Smith College, one of the leading herpetologists of this country, had been dreaming of Komodo for years, so that no persuasion was necessary when we suggested that he accompany us.

The next question concerned motion picture photography. A moving picture record of the largest lizards in the world would make an important and necessary contribution. It soon became evident that a first-class camera man, taken all the way from New York, involved an enormous and quite unnecessary expenditure. Accordingly, with the assistance of Mr. Park of Pathé News, arrangements were made to secure at small expense a Chinese camera man from Pathé Frères, Singapore.

As for still photography, Mrs. B. had been preparing herself for some time past for just such an opportunity, and, under the instructions of a delightful old photographer, Mr. Heim, was already exhibiting unusual skill.

So much for the personnel of the expedition.

Defosse (right) and Burden discussing plans for capturing the dragon lizards alive.

The next question was, how were we to reach Komodo? An examination of some charts revealed an excellent harbor on the east coast of the island, but the sailing directions also spoke of sunken reefs and tidal currents which rendered navigation extremely hazardous. After a careful investigation of transportation facilities, it became evident that it would be essential to secure the cooperation of the Dutch Government. This very important phase of the preparation was taken up by the Hon. Richard Tobin, American Minister to The Hague, and the Hon. Joseph Grew, Under-Secretary of State. These two gentlemen took infinite pains and

The S.S. Dog on which we traveled more the 1,500 miles.

She is seen here putting in her last supplies before leaving Souraboya.

Burden and his wife's home on Komodo.

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 33

trouble in our behalf, and as a result of their diplomatic negotiations, the Dutch Government was kind enough to present us with a beautiful little four- hundred-ton steam yacht which carried us not only the seven hundred miles from Batavia to Komodo, but away on out to the Island of Wetar, which lies at the extreme eastern end of the Lesser Sunda chain.

I mentioned above that I had been somewhat secretive with regard to our plans, and yet, while Dr. Noble—curator of herpetology in the American Museum—and I were working over the details of equipment, vague rumors of rival expeditions kept coming to our ears. In spite of all the precaution we took, the reader will be interested to hear that after we left New York no less than three expeditions suddenly announced to the newspapers that they were setting out to capture the huge dragons of Komodo.

I pictured all sorts of unpleasant episodes—Komodo is a small island. Three expeditions working there at the same time might have disastrous results. It was beginning to take on the aspects of a rush—not a gold rush, but a dragon rush.

Before concluding this introductory chapter, I feel that a few words about the dragon lizards themselves are necessary. I have been asked repeatedly if it is really true that these beasts are prehistoric—that favorite epithet of the newspapers, and, for the reason that the term is rather meaningless, I confess to finding the question difficult to answer. In the literal sense, every living organism is prehistoric, for are we not all, man included, the outcome of millions of years of evolution? If, however, the word has come to mean great age with little change, it is correctly applied to these ca r n ivorou s l i za rd s of

Komodo. For the truth is that they are the oldest of living lizards, dating as a genus back to early Eocene time, the beginning of the age of mammals. In other words, the ponderous reptiles that we watched and caught and killed among the volcanic pinnacles of an East Indian island are, with only a few specific differences, exactly the same as those that were crawling around over the face of this earth over sixty million years ago. It is interesting to note, however, that the species komodoensis is not the largest which the genus has evolved. There was one still greater which we know lived during the Stone Age of man, in northern Australia.

This beast was thirty feet long and weighed, it has been estimated, over three thousand pounds. I was glad we did not find them disporting themselves on Komodo.

It may be well to ment ion br ief ly how t hese

Komodo lizards happened to be discovered. Komodo, as I have already stated, is a very small island twenty-two miles long by twelve in width.

Until recently, it was uninhabited, and as it is very difficult to reach, no naturalists, not even A. R. Wallace, the most famous traveller in this region, had set foot on the island. In 1912, some pearl fishermen anchored in a harbor there. These men substantiated native rumors of the dragons, with the result that P. A. Ouwens, of the Zoological Museum at Buitenzorg, Java, sent collectors to Komodo. When these men brought back a few specimens, Ouwens published the first description of the animal, which he called Varanus komodoensis. Then came the war, and the dragon lizards were temporarily forgotten.

Not long ago Dr. Noble told me about Varanus komodoensis, and the island of Komodo. Soon afterwards we

Notice the prominent muscles in the shoulder.

Lizards can be seen prowling over the rugged mountains of Komodo. The lizard below has a whole boar in his mouth.

The tail of the bait is visible under the lizard's neck.

The gorge at Paxanyan where lizards scuttle along the cliffs on either side.

34 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

THE LATEST FROM B&C’S CLASSICS SERIES With a growing library of eight books (all of which are available as eBooks), the B&C Club’s stable of adventure grows every year. Each title in the B&C Classics series is selected by a committee of vintage hunting literature experts and is authored by a Boone and Crockett Club member. Books in the B&C Classics series have been meticulously converted from the originals, resulting in high-quality, digitally remastered eBooks and paperback editions. Many are complete with vintage photos and drawings not found in other editions.

This attention to detail helps transport readers back to a time when hunting trips didn’t happen over a weekend, but were adventures that spanned weeks, months, or even years.

Mrs. Burden with one of the smaller lizards that she shot.

CAMP-FIRES ON DESERT AND LAVA

BY WILLIAM T. HORNADAY

were making our preparations for departure.

My wife and I sailed from San Francisco for China, where we expected to join Dr. Roy Chapman Andrews, and with him to go for a few days up into the Gobi Desert to see the wonderful work that the Central Asiatic Expedition was doing there. Dr. Dunn was sailing by way of the Indian Ocean. We parted company in New York and set out in opposite directions to meet on the other side of the world.

The Expedition was successful in its purpose of securing, dead and alive, a representative series of these antediluvian monsters. We brought home fourteen specimens, two living ones for the Bronx Zoo, and twelve dead animals for an exhibition group in the American Museum of Natural History.

Yet many interesting questions relative to Varanus komodoensis remain unanswered. In spite of a careful study of these lizards—or dragon lizards, as they are called, for they are the largest lizards in the world—we still have much to learn. We do not know, for example, what age they attain. Whether the two beasts that reached the zoo were ten years old or a hundred, we have not the

slightest idea. Moreover, it is a curious fact that Komodo is geologically recent. Thus, we have a very ancient animal living on a young island: that is, an island that has recently risen above the level of the sea. How did he get there?

Whence did he come? Why is he restricted to Komodo and a few small neighboring islands? What conditions have enabled him to survive in this isolated district? The journey to a distant land often entails unsought adventures and strange experiences. Travel in the Far East is always thrilling, but when the Far East is at war, the excitement is redoubled.

With this brief introduction, let us turn, therefore, to the adventures that even made the outward trip to Java unusually fascinating. n

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FAIR FAIR CHASE CHASE | | S SU U MME MME R R 2 20 02 22 2 35 35

FAMILY TIES Courtney Hatley grew up within proximity of a big city. She was raised by a family deeply rooted in the outdoors and interactions with nature. With adulthood still in its early innings, family customs, traditions, and faith all play strong roles in her approach to life and her experiences.

Readers have long known that the moving panorama of civilization blurs lines between city and open country, between the secular world and mother nature’s abundance. Change is a constant. It’s almost impossible to ignore encroachment upon places that in a lifetime’s memory were far more open and wild.

Visit the Hatley family homestead, not far from that even bigger city and you find a pond, hardwoods, rolling terrain, farm animals, a shop, and a very warm sense of home. Courtney’s father Bobby traces his roots back through his own parents and grandparents. This clear sense of place and tradition is a breath of fresh air on this remnant island of calm.

What brings us here to

speak with the Hatleys? Well, Courtney’s a young lady who hunts, and she has hunted with her dad and fished with her grandfather since she was a very young child. This is a family that understands and deeply respects the best of these outdoor pursuits.

Bobby and his wife Lisa have two daughters. Although they were not blessed with a son, Bobby quickly realized that his two daughters are not incompatible with adventures in the woods or near the water! Courtney and her older sister Kyndall started going on hunts with their dad at a very young age.

Initially they were observational in their roles. Bobby, though, knew right off the bat that the girls were engaged and soaked in the wonders of entire days.

T he Hat leys were raised to understand and appreciate all that comes from the world around us. Whereas John Muir may have marveled predominantly at the trees and the terrain, nature’s myriad other inhabitants provide so much of the feature show in life’s daily performance. Whether the animals involved are pets, livestock, or managed wild

species, respect for their care and their lives comes naturally to Courtney and Kyndall.

In addition to being surrounded by animals, the family’s home offered room to roam and explore. Courtney says that while growing up, many of her city friends found a new world of opportunity and occasional escapes from indoor-only living. Playing outside and camping were built-in features at the Hatley house. Both Bobby and Courtney laugh when thinking and talking about those times.

Through their grandfather and father, the girls learned about ethical behaviors and safe practices afield.

A strong sense of respect for their quarry demands the minimization of inf licted suffering and the full use of harvested game meat. Tasteful field photos and quality taxidermy mounts round out this rich experience and family inheritance.

Both Hatley girls harvested their first deer at the age of eight. Along with their father, they have hunted in both Carolinas, as well as Ohio. Courtney is accomplished with firearms and crossbow. To date, she has taken five deer and two

gobblers. She’s recently been drawn to skeet shooting, and duck hunting is what she’d like to take on next. In addition to box stands, she’s also experienced with ground blinds, self-climbing stands, and ladder stands. Courtney also knows to text her dad once she’s safely in a stand— otherwise he’d show up to check on her!

QUICK STUDY SOUTHPAW

This brings us to a fatherdaughter hunt in November 2020. Bobby and several close friends belong to a hunt club in southeastern Ohio. The property encompasses some 1,500 acres of hardwood-studded rolling hills interspersed with ag fields. Situated along the Ohio River, it’s prime whitetail and turkey habitat.

The members practice a hunting ethic that includes identifying bucks at a young age through sightings and trail cam images, and then attempt to follow them to maturity. In this heavily-hunted whitetail country, they all know there are no guarantees any of them will successfully harvest one of the bucks. Despite the challenges and variables involved, they adhere

Courtney (left, after a successful turkey hunt) is accomplished with firearms and crossbow.

To date, she has taken five deer and two gobblers.

Courtney and her older sister Kyndall started going on hunts with their dad at a very young age.

The Hatleys were raised to understand and appreciate all that comes from the world around us.

36 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

This column is dedicated to the system that supports the public hunting of public wildlife for all fair chase sportsmen, and the stories and trophies that are the result. Theodore Roosevelt strongly believed that self-reliance and pursuing the strenuous activities of hunting and wilderness exploration was the best way to keep man connected to nature.

We score trophies, but every hunt is to some extent a way of measuring ourselves.

to a hunting standard focused on older age-class bucks with antlers scoring 130 or more.

The state’s extensive archery season runs from late September to early February and permits the use of both traditional archery equipment and crossbows. Most of the Hatley’s deer hunts have occurred between Thanksgiving and the opening of the first one-week gun season.

During the fall of 2020, after several years of observing one of the older bucks, Bobby knew what time of year a really big buck started to prowl the daylight hours.

After Thanksgiving, Bobby and Courtney drove the six hours to the hunt club’s property. Bobby decided that Courtney would hunt out of his climbing stand, and he’d stay back to check in with the landowner. He also let her hunt with his new crossbow, which she hadn’t used before. After a quick operation and safety drill, it was off to the woods.

Bobby got her situated in the stand at 2:30 p.m. It was a sunny afternoon with virtually no breeze. The temperature was about 40 degrees. The first 90 minutes in the stand passed without even

a squirrel moving. That changed abruptly as Courtney caught sight of a deer moving toward her location. It was about 60 yards distant over her right shoulder.

Before she could adjust her position, the deer stepped into some thick vegetation at 25 yards. At that point only its antlers were visible. Familiar with whitetails and their habits, Courtney knew the deer could easily evaporate back into the timber. It didn’t.

As luck would have it, the buck moved out of the thicket and stopped broadside at 30 yards. It was standing behind a large tree, but its vitals were exposed just enough for a clean shot. As she gained her composure and made the move to line up her shot, her life of woodlore and family-inspired confidence came together. Her shot felt good, and she was confident the buck wouldn’t go far.

After contacting her dad who was startled by a phone cal l so soon af ter leaving his daughter in the stand, the buck was quickly recovered. Any skepticism that Courtney had connected on a different buck was immediately dashed when

Bobby saw the giant lying on the ground.

Clearly, this hunt came together remarkably well.

What has not been mentioned so far, however, is that Courtney is left-handed. That may be the primary reason she was able to turn at the waist and take the shot without having to reposition and risk spooking the deer.

But maybe not. Courtney had lost her beloved grandfather (Bobby’s father) just a month earlier. She’s convinced he played a part in this family affair, and she told her father this. Proud, tender, and bittersweet memories collided on that day. It’s tough to imagine those memories and feelings will ever fade.

Back at camp, Courtney was already something of a legend with club members. During two prior seasons, she took bucks on her first trips out of camp, and neither of those deer had been seen by any of the other members until then. Although her 2020 buck was known to all, the female hunting legend had returned and dashed the dreams of the fellas. Good natured ribbing followed in abundance. All we can say is, go girl! Go family! n

BEYOND THE SCOR E

Hanspeter Giger

Photos Courtesy of Author

By the time Bobby had reached out to have Courtney’s buck officially measured, a story was already in the works for North American Whitetail magazine. It was published in the November 2021 issue.

In addition, as of this writing, Bobby and Courtney are anticipating a trip back to Ohio for the Buckeye Big Buck Club’s awards. It is likely that she took the largest buck harvested by a female with crossbow in 2020.

ABOVE: Courtney with her buck.

BELOW: Official Measurer Hanspeter (far right) enjoyed meeting the family when he scored Courtney's 164-4/8-point whitetail.

Courtney and her dad practice a hunting ethic that includes identifying bucks at a young age through sightings and trail cam images, and then attempt to follow them to maturity.

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 37

Building

a

Sustainable Future

RUSS MASON AND JOHN ORGAN B&C PROFESSIONAL MEMBERS

FOSTERING ACCEPTANCE AND SUPPORT FROM THE NON-SPORTING MASSES IS KEY TO THE FUTURE OF HUNTING AND FISHING When it comes to hunting and fishing, new approaches that generate resilient public support for these consumptive uses are needed. While strategies to enhance recruitment, retention, and reactivation of hunters—known as R3— have been (and will continue to be) important, they are not designed to engage the general, non-hunting public, nor foster a cultural Zeitgeist that supports hunting and fishing as legitimate and productive conservation strategies.

When it comes to active participation, the evidence is clear: hunting and fishing are well on their way to becoming eddies off the mainstream of our evolving culture. The explanations proffered are familiar—daily life is increasingly busy, opportunities to participate are scarce, and on and on.

Yet none of these explanations explain much of anything; they’re really just descriptions encapsulating the realities of life in the twenty-first century. The more fundamental issue is that American culture is evolving away from consumptive uses like hunting and fishing. Just as cohort effects generated positive views of hunting and fishing among the baby boomer generation, so too, they’re now driving other (and frequently unflattering) conceptions of hunting and fishing today.

A cursory review of the statistics is sobering. For instance, here are some numbers from a recent study in Michigan: n

25 percent of Michiganders don’t know if hunters generally follow the regulations; another 8 percent

38 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

n

n

n

don’t believe that they do.

39 percent either don’t know or don’t think hunters are responsible people.

61 percent either don’t know or do not believe that wildlife requires management to thrive.

45 percent believe that legal regulated hunting can lead to the extinction of species.

and anglers to the protection and enhancement of fish and wildlife and their habitats.”

The Society was an outgrowth of Colorado’s successful “Hug A Hunter” marketing campaign that significantly increased public support for hunting (and against anti-hunting ballot initiatives).

In Michigan, they encouraged the establishment of the Wildlife Council. This citizen-based effort partnered with the Department of Natural Resources to deploy a targeted advertising campaign that has positively affected public attitudes. Using a one dollar surcharge included in the 2014 hunting license increase, their carefully crafted messaging shifted attitudes toward wildlife health, habitat management, wildlife conflict mitigation, and responsible hunting.

More recently, the NRA Hunter’s Leadership Forum collaborated with polling firm Responsive Management to produce a book, How to Talk About Hunting, based on more than 30 years of survey research, focus groups, and other data that reflect American attitudes toward hunting, the use of animals, and other related topics. The text is available at no charge from t he N R A . T he aut hor s

convincingly argue that the future of hunting depends on social acceptance by the non-hunting, non-shooting public and the text shows how language can be used to appeal to non-hunters.

Support within the conservation institution is not assured either. A recent study being conducted at Michigan State University indicates newcomers into the wildlife profession are mixed in their support for hunting.

Fortunately, a program called Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow (CLf T), is making inroads into fostering positive attitudes toward hunting among wildlife professionals.

A companion program, Hunting for Conservation, is an on-line curriculum using CLf T instructors to educate university students about the history, legacy, and benefits of hunting.

In the end, an enduring value of hunters is our explicit desire to assure that opportunities and traditions remain available for future generations. To assure that the legacy is sustained, our community would be well-advised to recognize that general public sentiment toward wildlife and hunting is at least as important as efforts to stimulate direct participation. n

Borrowing from 12step ideologies, recover y depends on a clear admission of the problem. Because the most probable trajectory for hunter and angler numbers is negative, new approaches are needed to sustain hunting and fishing traditions. New perspectives, approaches, and realities need consideration.

The good news is that despite naivete and general misunderstandings, public support for hunting and fishing remains strong. Nationally, approval ratings are consistently in the 70 to 80 percent range. Perhaps it’s time to augment R3 and implement strategies that take advantage of general public support and strengthen it.

Organizations like the Nimrod Society and the NRA’s Hunter’s Leadership Forum are looking to expand generic support for consumptive use among the non-hunting public.

The Nimrod Society hunting and fishing are well aims to encourage state and federal wildlife management their way to becoming eddies agencies to “adopt self-sustaining revenue models to off the mainstream of our fund ongoing and comprehensive media-based educa- evolving culture tion campaigns targeted at the genera l pu bl ic ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: and to f ur ther How to Talk About Hunting: www.nrahlf.org pu bl ic u nder Nimrod Society: www.nimrodsociety.org standing of the Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow: www.clft.org contri but ions Read the complete study here. made by hunters

.

on

The Boone and Crockett Club is accomplishing incredible things that would not be possible without your support.

We hope you have enjoyed your association with the Boone and Crockett Club and have been able to see what B&C is doing to protect hunting, promote wildlife conservation, and educate the public.

Anyone who is interested in providing greater support to B&C’s endowment and helping to further the work of our mission-based programs—like hunter ethics, conservation education, big game records keeping—should considering signing up. The cost is a one-time fee of $1,500* with $500 of that going directly into the endowment.

Please take this opportunity to join our group of dedicated, ethical hunters whose common interest and participation in their sport demands the respect of everyone who takes to the field.

PLEASE WELCOME OUR NEWEST B&C LIFETIME ASSOCIATES: 1239. Jack Daniel McCarthy - New Canaan, CT 1240. J. William Hofsink - Smithers, BC 1241. Brian D. Patterson - Greig, NY 1242. Chris J. Thayse - Show Low, AZ 1243. Nicholas Cianciara - Austin, TX

BENEFITS OF THE LIFETIME ASSOCIATES PROGRAM n

Access to Big Game Records Live (one year)

n

Lifetime Subscription to Fair Chase magazine

n

Lifetime shirt with B&C logo

n

Hat with embroidered B&C logo

n

Lifetime Associate plaque

n

20% discount on select books

n

Significant Tax deduction

n

Invitations to special events

n

Yeti Rambler (36 oz. bottle, graphite)

BIG GAME RECORDS LIVE Every big game animal entered and accepted into the Club's Records Program from 1830 to present are available through this searchable database. Whether you are looking for a particular entry or doing your homework to find out which areas are producing trophyclass game you will find this database easy to navigate and loaded with options to find exactly the information you are looking for.

Search by species, score, rank, location, date, range of dates, specific measurements, hunters name - this list of query questions is endless. Big Game Records - LIVE! also includes links to thousands of field photos, portrait photos, and vintage images from B&C's Archives. New photos are added on a regular basis.

Call 406/542-1888 to speak with a Lifetime Associates Program specialist. *Payment plans are available for Lifetime Associates. If you are 65 and over and would like to become a Lifetime Associate you can support the Boone and Crockett Club at the discounted rate of $1,250.

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 39

SHOP BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB KERSHAW COMEBACK 1887

A classic drop point blade pocket knife featuring our B&C 1887 logo laser engraved on the handle.

The Comeback’s look is so clean that, at first glance, you won’t notice how different it really is. For instance, there are no screws visible from the front. All you see is the sweep of the blade and handle, the oversized, concave pivot, and the handle insert with its subtle, debossed Kershaw logo. The knife opens smoothly with the KVT ball-bearing system. A sturdy frame lock secures the blade safely open during use. Try it once and you’ll “comeback” for more.

– 8Cr13MoV blade steel offers edge-holding capability, strength, and hardness; stonewashed finish hides use scratches – All-steel handle features oversize pivot, inset logo, decorative backspacer, and unique pocketclip – Manual opening with a flipper for easy, one-handed opening – Measurements: Blade 3 inches; Closed 4.25 inches; Overall 7.5 inches AHNEH | $ 85 ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $68

NATIONAL COLLECTION OF HEADS AND HORNS T-SHIRT - CHADWICK RAM EDITION

Commemorating Boone and Crockett Club’s National Collection of Heads and Horns, as well the Chadwick Ram, harvested by L.S. Chadwick.

The Chadwick Ram represents the Holy Grail of the sporting community. Taken in 1936, it remains the number one Stone’s sheep in the Boone and Crockett Club’s record book. Its horn lengths and size, its beauty and symmetry, and its B&C measurements put it so far above any other Stone’s sheep ever collected that sportsmen and scientists both suspect another of its size and beauty may never be seen again. The Chadwick Ram is a major part of B&C’s National Collection on display at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium.

– Long-sleeve heavyweight blended fabric (50/50 Cotton/Poly) – Vintage Navy Heather – Full back silkscreen art – Sizes M through 3XL ATNNC | $ 30 ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $24

NAVY ELK HUNTER CAP

Vintage brushed chino cap by Richardson, featuring front embroidery design of an elk hunter.

– – – – –

High quality Structured, six panel cap Pre-curved visor Low profile Adjustable cloth hook and loop back strap.

AHNEH | $ 35 ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $28

OTHER B&C CLASSICS BOOKS AVAILABLE

Each title in our B&C Classics Series of hunting and adventure books was selected by a committee of vintage hunting literature experts and is authored by a Boone and Crockett Club member. Readers will be transported back to a time when hunting trips didn’t happen over a weekend, but were adventures that spanned weeks, months, or even years.

All books are paperback, and also available in eBooks.

BCWUY | $ 24.95

BCCCR | $ 24.95

BCHWA | $ 24.95

BCAGT | $ 24.95

ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $19.95

ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $19.95

ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $19.95

ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $19.95

Visit www.Boone-Crockett.org to see a complete list of the books, hats, shirts, and gifts available, or call 888/840-4868 to order over the phone.

40 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

SAVE 40% ON ALL ITEMS LISTED IN THE CLEARANCE SECTION 29TH AWARDS BLACK T-SHIRT

30TH AWARDS WOMEN'S SWEATSHIRT

29APTSB | SALE PRICE $7.50

30SWHB | SALE PRICE $ 37.50

REGULAR PRICE: $20

REGULAR PRICE $62.50

FAIR CHASE HUNTER GAITER

29TH AWARDS WOMEN'S T-SHIRT

This commemorative t-shirt was featured at our 29th Big Game Awards Banquet in Springfield, Missouri, during the summer of 2016.

Designed exclusively for Boone and Crockett Club's 30th Big Game Awards Program, this relaxed fit, fleece wideneck sweatshirt is made of 8.2 oz., laundered 50/38/12 polyester/ combed ring spun cotton/ rayon tri-blend sponge fleece. Features ribbed cuffs and waistband.

Can be used as a bandanna wristband, scarf, face covering, neck gaiter and more!

– 100% Cotton – Junior sizing, runs a bit small

AFHW | SALE PRICE $ 6 REGULAR PRICE $10

29TP | SALE PRICE $ 6 REGULAR PRICE: $20

B&C VINTAGE PHOTO BOOKS

Old hunting photos are a special window into a bygone era.

Hours of research has gone into curating these collections.

VINTAGE HUNTING ALBUM HUNTING THE AMERICAN WEST BPVFP | $ 29.95

A MULE DEER RETROSPECTIVE

AN AMERICAN ELK RETROSPECTIVE

ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $23.96

BPHAW | 49.95

BPMDR | $ 34.95

BPAE R | $ 34.95

ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $39.96

ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $27.96

ASSOCIATES PAY ONLY $27.96

SHOP AT WWW.BOONE-CROCKETT.ORG FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 41

Looking back, I thought the season was a good introduction.

It was just the right amount of reality mixed with creature comforts—and many laughs.

I hunted alone during the remaining few days, and I missed his company.

© SHAWN LENTZ

DIY -Video Games to Big Game pg. 50

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FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 43

IDENTIFYING TOMORROW’S WILDLIFE SCIENCE NEEDS TODAY Science offers us a useful set of tools and approaches for asking and answering questions about the world. At the same time, philosophers, politicians, and the general public have raised and continue to raise important questions about the role of science in the broader society. For example, as we watch the decline of the latest wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, our society is engaged in an intense debate about the roles of medical and public health science, relative to other societal needs and interests. What does it mean, for example, for policy-makers to “follow the science,” and how do we apply science in public policy settings when scientific data and information change rapidly, or when studies are not yet complete, or when the results are inconclusive?

In the field of wildlife management, our Nor th American Model of Wildlife Conservation enshrines the importance of science and scientific management of wildlife resources in its seventh pillar or principle. As stated by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies on their website, “Scientific management is the proper means of wildlife conservation.” In this model, therefore, science is foundational to the entire enterprise of wildlife management and wildlife conservation.

The North American Model also emphasizes the importance of public engagement and democratic rule of

44 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

law. Wildlife managers are ultimately responsible to the public for the management and conservation of species that are managed “in public trust” for the benefit of society and future generations.

In turn, the science that wildlife managers rely on must be responsive to these needs as well. The tenets of the North American Model thus challenge scientists to engage more effectively with managers in order to understand their needs as well as the needs of the broader public and the resource itself.

But how then do scientists know which research questions to pursue, and how can scientists work most effectively with managers to provide the information and data needed for the scientific management of wildlife and their habitats? The program that I currently administer, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Program (Coop Unit Program), was created by Boone and Crockett Club Honorary Life Member Jay “Ding” Darling and colleagues in the 1930s to address exactly these questions. Darling and colleagues recognized the need for establishing scientific research programs where scientists could collaborate directly with state and federal wildlife managers on research projects addressing their highest priority management needs. At the same time, the scientists in the Coop Unit Program work directly with the professional staff at wildlife agencies to provide assistance on urgent technical matters. And by basing the individual programs at host universities, the Coop Unit

Program scientists have the opportunity to train the next generation of conservation professionals through formal graduate programs, while at the same time offering technical assistance to wildlife managers and other natural resource professionals.

Traditionally each of our 41 individual units has identified management needs and research questions at an annual coordinating meeting where all of the partners— USGS, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the state fish and wildlife agency, the host university, and the Wildlife Management Institute—come together to review progress and chart the course for the year ahead. However, with the fast-paced nature of modern life, urgent questions and critical information and research needs can seemingly arise at any time.

Thanks to our programs’ long-term partnership with the Wildlife Management Institute (WMI, ably led

by Boone and Crockett Club Professional Member Steve Williams), the Coop Unit Program is moving into an exciting new phase of identifying and addressing the highest-priority management needs of our agency partners.

Beginning in 2022, Boone and Crockett Club Professional Member Jen Mock Schaeffer will be reaching out directly to staff at state and federal wildlife management agencies to identify their highest priority needs for scientific research, training, data management, decision-making, and technical assistance in an increasingly complex and dynamic environment. Jen has worked closely with state fish and wildlife agency staff

SCIENCE BLASTS

JONATHAN R. MAWDSLEY B&C PROFESSIONAL MEMBER Chief of the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units

for much of her career, including a 19-year stint at the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies where she was most recently the government affairs director. Jen brings a wealth of connections and experience to this effort. Most importantly, she has strong working relationships with the state fish and wildlife agencies, which enable her to communicate effectively with agency leadership and staff to identify their highest priority scientific and technical needs.

We expect the information that Jen will provide through this project to be transformative for our program and for the research we conduct. With clear priorities identified by state agency directors and their leadership, our scientists will be able to conduct research and create tools that directly address those priorities, and truly meet the most urgent needs of wildlife managers. Most excitingly, our scientists will have the benefit of establishing longer-term research partnerships—“co-creating” programs of scientific inquiry that will continue to provide much-needed data and information to state wildlife managers on an ongoing basis.

But all of this would not have been possible without Jen, Steve, and myself recognizing a critical error, a fundamental flaw in our

ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ELENA GOOSEN

With clear priorities identified by state agency directors and their leadership, our scientists will be able to conduct research and create tools that directly address those priorities, and truly meet the most urgent needs of wildlife managers.

original study design for this project. Originally, we thought that we wanted to build an integrated data management system for the state fish and wildlife agencies, a central database and analytical tools that would combine data from multiple sources and allow managers to conduct certain analyses about population status and trends. While such a database would undoubtedly be interesting to many (and was actually discussed by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies in 2014 and 2017), we realized that none of our state agency colleagues had identified this database as their highest, greatest need for scientific research or information management. Now, it is true that the subject of information and data management was identified as a priority “scientific need” on surveys conducted by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Science and Research Committee (ably chaired

by Boone and Crockett Professional Member Dr. Russ Mason), but we recognized that we were jumping to conclusions in identifying a solution as this one “super database,” what one USFWS colleague called “the one database to rule them all.”

And so we decided to start with a series of conversations with state agency directors, wildlife chiefs, and other program staff, to engage them in discussions to identify their most pressing needs—research and decision-science, analytical tools, training, technical assistance—that could be met through the Coop Unit Program.

Rather than focusing our efforts on bu i ld i n g a beaut i f u l d at a

management system that no-one may actually want or use, we will be able to address the needs that our state agency partners actually have. In doing so, our scientists may not necessarily build the most elegant data storage architecture, but we will be able to help meet the expressed needs of our state agency partners, thereby providing the scientific underpinnings necessary to advance conservation decisions that are vital to our broader interests of adaptable and sustainable fish and wildlife conservation and management.

And this is one way how the scientific enterprise can work, at its best, to truly address the needs of managers and other groups within society. Public engagement is critical, as is effective and ongoing communications between scientists and those such as wildlife managers who hold responsibilities “in public trust” for the broader society. We are fortunate in the field of wildlife management that we have visionaries such as Jay “Ding” Darling who had the foresight to think creatively about how scientists, managers, and others could collaborate most effectively to support the conservation of wildlife, habitats, and other natural resources.

We are excited about this new phase of engagement between the Coop Units and our management partners, and we look forward to sharing the outcomes and successes of this enhanced collaboration with you. n

In the News

USDA Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Homer Wilkes, Ph.D., provided the keynote address during the Boone and Crockett Club’s spring meeting. The meeting was held in mid-March in conjunction with the 87th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference. Wilkes thanked the Club for its role in conservation policy, recognizing that the Club was essential in establishing the U.S. Forest Service that he now oversees.

After the keynote address, Club conservation policy committee members Tom Price and Jimmy Bullock along with Club President Jim Arnold presented two important awards to partners within the conservation community.

The prestigious Conservation and Stewardship Award is presented to the individual or organization that best exemplifies the core values of the Boone and Crockett Club and its founder, Theodore Roosevelt: Conservation—acts of guarding, protecting, developing, and using natural resources wisely and sustainably; and Stewardship—planning for and managing natural resources responsibly. This year the award was presented to the Mule Deer Foundation for their leadership on habitat restoration on forests and rangelands across the West to improve habitat for mule deer and blacktail deer.

In addition, the National Conservation Leadership Institute (NCLI) recognized Dr. Steve Williams, President of the Wildlife Management Institute, for his role in helping to found and provide direction as the inaugural Chair of NCLI’s Board of Directors.

Read the Full Story Online

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 45

EDUCATING THE

B&C UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS

NEXT GENERATION OF

CONSERVATION LEADERS The Boone and Crockett Club University Programs is designed to provide science-based knowledge from seasoned wildlife professionals and educators to college graduates in the wildlife field to better prepare the graduates for the responsible and wise management of wildlife in the future.

FROM:

SPONSORED BY

B&C Fellows at the 87th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference

At the Boone and Crockett Club's 2022 Spring meeting, in conjunction with the Wildlife Management Institute’s 87th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in Spokane, Washington, four of our B&C University Programs Fellows presented at the luncheon on Thursday, March 17.

One of the presenters was 2021 Outstanding Boone and Crockett Fellow Award winner Ellen Pero of the University of Montana. Ellen presented research from her dissertation, “Integrated Ecology of a Reintroduction: Management of Restored Elk in Missouri.”

Growing up, Ellen spent summers on the lake and in the woods of Michigan, developing an eagerness to spend her life working with and for the natural world.

She received her bachelor’s degree in Fisheries and Wildlife from Michigan State University and her master’s degree from the University of Manitoba, where she studied the behavioral ecology of a threatened ground squirrel. At the University of Montana, Ellen is focusing on how elk population dynamics, physiological stress, movement and resource selection, and reproductive behavior interact and progress following reintroduction to a new landscape. Ellen aims to obtain a research biologist position with a state or federal agency where her work can inform wildlife management, conservation, and policy. n

A group photo of the presenting B&C Fellows along with their advisors. LEFT TO RIGHT: B&C Professional Member and Boone and Crockett Club Professor of Wildlife Conservation at the University of Montana, Josh Millspaugh; B&C Fellow Jonathan Karlen; B&C Fellow Noelle Thompson; B&C Fellow and 2021 Outstanding Boone and Crockett Fellow Award winner Ellen Pero; B&C Fellow Charlie Booher; B&C Professional Member and Interim Director of the Boone and Crockett Quantitative Wildlife Center at Michigan State University, David Williams.

After receiving her award, Ellen presented her research titled, "All in due time: Multi-trait assessment of elk response to translocation.

46 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

NOELLE THOMPSON

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY PH.D. STUDENT

Equipping the Honest Broker: A New Frontier for Assessing CWD Policy and Management Noelle grew up in the Chicagoland area, which provided her the opportunity to assist with various wildlife research projects occurring within the region’s many forest preserves. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and their chronic wasting disease (CWD) lab. For her MS, she assessed the effects of a long-term deer management program on deer habitat use, spatial structure, and potential disease spread. Noelle’s doctoral project focuses on building a model that projects indirect and direct transmission of CWD across space and time. She is using this model as a tool to assess fine-scale management strategies that can be implemented by state agencies.

In 2021, as she completes her dissertation writing, Noelle took a job as the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources’ wildlife disease biologist.

CHARLIE BOOHER

UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA M.S. & MPA STUDENT

State-Based Conservation Revenue: How States Pay for Conservation Charlie Booher is currently pursuing an M.S. in wildlife biology, a master's in public administration, and a certificate in natural resource conflict resolution at the University of Montana as a Fellow in the Boone and Crockett Wildlife Conservation Program. He holds degrees in fisheries and wildlife conservation (B.S.) and public policy (B.A.) from Michigan State University and is a consultant at Watershed Results who works on behalf of several clients to improve conservation policy for the 21st century. Charlie has previously served in communications and government relations roles for The Wildlife Society, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, and Michigan United Conservation Clubs and worked in the Executive Office of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department on state wildlife research, management, and governance issues. Charlie is an Associate Wildlife Biologist©. Outside of the office, you can find Charlie hiking in the mountains of western Montana and re-learning how to hunt and fish in the Northern Rockies.

JONATHAN KARLEN

UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA MPA STUDENT

Passing Legislation to Make Hunting Accessible to College Students in Montana and Beyond Jonathan is a Boone and Crockett Club Wildlife Conservation Fellow at the University of Montana (UM). He has served as a William A. Demmer Scholar with the Congressional Affairs Office of the U.S. Forest Service, a Max Baucus Leader with the U.S. Senate Majority Leader, was appointed by the Missoula City Council to the Energy and Climate Team, and is a candidate for the Montana State Legislature. Jonathan earned a B.S. in wildlife biology with a minor in climate change studies from UM in 2021 and will complete a master's in public administration (public policy concentration) in spring 2022. He is beginning a master's in wildlife biology with the UM Boone and Crockett Program focused on evaluating policies related to the North American Model of Conservation.

Learn more about the B&C Fellows.

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 47

Vintage Hunting Gallery B&C

PRESENTED BY

Old hunting photos are a special window into a bygone era. Take a peek into B&C’s vast archive of historic images.

Ladies in the Field When the Boone and Crockett Club was first created, the two dozen men agreed that the first purpose of the Club would be “to promote manly sport with a rifle.” Today, that dog doesn’t hunt as more women take to the field and forest (with or without their husbands). Today, entries into the Boone and Crockett records by female hunters are commonplace—and they have been for a while. We sifted through the records and Boone and Crockett publications to bring you some of the highlights from more than a century of ladies getting it done out there.

TOP LEFT - COLORADO 1956

MONTANA, CIRCA 1900

With her Model 1866 Winchester, Finetta Lord poses next to the black bear she killed—and she looked darn good doin’ it, too.

Tipping the score charts at more than 200 points, Marguerite Hill’s Chaffe County mule deer is about as awesome as they come.

When it was first scored in 1963, it measured 197-7/8. When the score chart was misplaced, the typical rack was scored again decades later, and it actually scored higher at 200-5/8.

RIGHT - NEW MEXICO 1963

Celia Garcia was hunting with her husband near Chama when she shot this beast of a typical mule deer, which scored 192-3/8. The circumference on the bases alone taped at six inches each. Joseph, her husband, shot a massive nontypical mule deer himself.

48 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

COLORADO, CIRCA 1895

BELOW - ARIZONA 1931

There is no record of what this deer scored, but it’s likely Augusta “Gusty” Wallihan cared little about that. Chances are she cared more about her floralembroidered gauntlets and Remington-Hepburn rifle.

Eleanor O’Connor, wife of legendary hunter and writer Jack O’Connor, was quite a hunter herself. She killed this great mule deer (her first deer) on the Kaibab.

RIGHT - WYOMING 1951

Near Cow Creek in Wyoming’s Bear Lodge Mountains, Thelma Martens shot this recordbook non-typical whitetail. To this day, it still ranks in the top 20 for Wyoming non-typicals.

see more online LEFT - WYOMING 1965

Mary Jane Rickman took this great typical elk while hunting Park County, Wyoming, in the fall of 1965. It scored 377-2/8, and it ranks as 79th in the state.

Interested in more vintage photos?

Go to page 41.

See the rest of the ladies in the field, as well as more Vintage Hunting Galleries FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 49

SH AW N LEN TZ Photos Courtesy of Author

your pa d th in

ad

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ts

f

DIY

VIDEO GAMES TO BIG GAME

n t u r e awa

i

Rain was bouncing off the top of our

ground blind with a calming frequency— nature’s metronome setting the rhythm for the opening morning of late-season archery in Washington. On the heels of heavy storms and severe flooding in our county, it was wet and miserable. But that didn’t change my love for the anticipation of first light and the deer activity that would hopefully come during the magical hour.

My 13-year-old son loves video games. How can I get him to have that same passion about the outdoors?

The first step simply is to take him hunting.

50 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

I was excited for the last remaining blacktail deer hunts of 2021. Truth is, I’m always excited about hunting, but this year was special. This year would be my son’s first big game season since passing hunter education.

For the first time, he’d be in the shooter’s seat instead of his gamer’s chair.

We started my son, Jordan, in the outdoors at a young age.

Over the years, he’s come with me and my wife Sara on long hikes, trail camera checks, and a few family scouting trips gone awry. On our first elk scouting trip with him, I carried the weary five-year-old out the last halfmile because he couldn’t walk anymore.

As he’s gotten older, Jordan has become a great help

hauling gear and prepping hunting sites with us. More recently, he’s practiced and become proficient with the compound bow I bought him almost six years ago.

DON’T FORGET THE SNACKS

It hasn’t always been easy going.

Getting Jordan in on the action through short hunting trips hasn’t worked out well in the past. When he was seven years old, we took him on his first turkey hunt. He was excited to wear camo while walking around in the turkey woods. When it came time to plop down against a tree, sit still, and call in a bird, though, he wasn’t having it.

The situation only worsened when mom and dad forgot to bring enough snacks. Never

From the cozy confines of the hunting blind, compromises have to be made.

underestimate the power that a grade-schooler’s stomach has over them. Just one hour into the day, we had a bird coming in, spitting and drumming the whole way.

This is exactly what I had hoped would happen.

Jordan couldn’t have cared less. He stood up from his turkey lounger, choked up on a nearby stick like it was a Louisville slugger, and with all his might he swung it against the trunk of a nearby Gary oak. The impressive swing sent pieces of wood flying. Our would-be tom ran for thick cover. It was apparent that my efforts to get him hunting were still a bit too early.

COMPROMISE

Fast-forward six years to our deer hunting blind on that rainy late-season day. After hiking the short distance to the blind, Jordan and I were settled in. Outfitted in blackclad face coverings and outerwear, I had conveyed the importance of blending in with the background of our blind. I sat there sipping my coffee, trying to warm up a bit in the near darkness of the early morning. The only light was coming from Jordan’s smartphone.

With his bow in his lap, Jordan was punching away ferociously on his phone, playing one of a dozen games he alternates between when he doesn’t have anything else to do. He’s been a student of video games since he was three years old.

As a parent, you can’t help but compare your childhood to that of your own child’s. We had Atari and those little hand-held electronic football games. I had Pac-Man fever as much as the next ‘80s kid, but there was a big difference. When I was his age, I was perfectly content to be in nature without having a gaming console glued to my face. Of course back then, you couldn’t simply just put video games in your coat pocket either. When I was camping with the family or out fishing, I was absorbed in that.

The twenty-first century is such a different beast, and digital addiction is at an all-time high. Even as a hunting family that derives 90 percent of our meat from hunting, we are not immune.

Not many of us can escape the trappings of today’s technology and video games. And that’s okay.

No time for video games when you're hiking down the trail.

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ABOVE: Sign of good times along the trail.

LEFT: This year would be Jordan's first big game season in the shooter's seat since passing hunter education.

Nothing wrong with a little practice.

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My generation (Generation X) knew a time before everyone had a smartphone in their pocket, but many of our kids don’t. Through years of frustration and irritation with Jordan’s gaming, I’ve come to realize I have to meet him halfway—even if that means keeping him entertained with video games while trying to teach him how to fill the freezer.

Besides, if things are too serious or if I get too cranky, it isn’t going to be a fun learning experience for either of us. The last thing I ever want to do is turn him off to hunting altogether. I do, though, stress the importance of paying attention to the primary task at hand—the hunt.

KEEP IT COZY

When legal light finally showed, the rain picked up with a vengeance. The temperature was dropping, and I knew we needed to keep things tolerable. The warm orange glow of the Heater Buddy overtook the burner and seeped into our bones almost immediately.

I had a lot of faith in the area we had picked. There was heavy deer activity and a meaty 3x3 buck kept making an appearance along with several does. It was big-bodied w it h deep maroon branched antlers situated perfectly; this buck was awesome. In these parts, this is an excellent blacktail buck, and I hoped Jordan would be the one to put his tag on him.

A couple of days before opening day, we had made a family scouting trip to scour the site and get boots-on-theground intel. Sara has an excellent eye for sign, and we both went to work showing Jordan what to look for. It didn’t take long to find multiaged rubs, tracks, and super fresh scat.

The area looked great when we scouted, but by 8 a.m. on the day of our hunt, there was no sign of the gray ghost. A couple of blows on

the grunt tube and some flips of the bleat broke the hours of silence. By 10:30, we called it to go home and help with Thanksgiving dinner.

The next day was a rough one. We waited for our tryptophan comas and the driving rain to subside, which meant we didn’t get into the blind until 10 that morning. With coffee and chocolate muffin breakfast, we were ready to get started with this hunt. After getting in the blind and giving the area a half-hour to settle, I started a rattling sequence while Jordan battled never-ending waves of bogeys on his phone. Eventually, I gave him the can, and we rounded out the rattling sequences with intermittent bleats and grunts. Nothing. After seven total hours of father and son bonding, we went home empty-handed once again.

To our credit, we both were back in the blind at 6 a.m. sharp the following morning. This would be our last hunt together for the year. The pounding rain was punctuated by periods of perfect drizzly blacktail hunting weather. We bleated. We grunted. We rattled. But the heavy 3x3 never showed despite our best attempts to entice him. I was bummed for Jordan but also proud. I know a few die-hard hunters that would agree to be cold and miserable for hours on end— but not many.

THEY NEED SOME ACTION

A couple of weeks prior to our rainy ground blind bonding adventure, Jordan and I hunted the San Juan Islands where I had a draw-only antlerless deer permit. Of course, two nice bucks appeared 20 feet from our blind on the second morning. When they did, I quietly tapped Jordan on his leg and whispered, “We can’t take him, but there’s a buck, buddy.”

He slowly looked up in time to see the second buck

walk up to join the first. If only this were the general season, I thought. The look in his eyes was priceless. He saw first-hand just how quickly the hunting game can turn around. Unfortunately, those were the only deer we saw that whole weekend on public land.

Looking back, I thought the season was a good introduction. It was just the right amount of reality mixed with creature comforts—and many laughs. I hunted alone during the remaining few days, and I missed his company.

It’s hard to say what the future holds for Jordan’s evolution as a hunter. Will he continue hunting after he’s on his own? Like his buddies and many other kids his age, he’s so entrenched in games, TikTok, and YouTube. Will he outgrow this stuff and embrace the North Cascade foothills where he lives?

Video games, and certainly technology, are not

going away anytime soon. My goal is to keep exposing Jordan to hunting, fishing, and other outdoor pursuits. Leading by example, I want to show him the importance of self-reliance and a field-totable lifestyle. Fostering a sense of pride and the immeasurable lessons that accompany those pursuits are lessons worth teaching.

Sara and I won’t know the impact we’ve had on Jordan’s desire to be afield until much later down the road.

He’s part of an entire digital age of kids who will either continue the hunting heritage or find other interests. For the sake of hunting’s future, I hope they come to know that indoor and outdoor lifestyles don’t have to be mutually exclusive. We can lead the proverbial horse to water, and it is my hope they will gulp it down by the mouthfuls. Ultimately, though, it will be up to them whether they choose to drink. n

“When some of my friends have asked me anxiously about their boys, whether they should let them hunt, I have answered yes – remembering that it was one of the best parts of my education – make them hunters.”

– Henry David Thoreau

Kids are great at making noise.

Why not put them to work?

diy checklist: WASHINGTON RESIDENT DEER LICENSE: $44.90 YOUTH (UNDER 16) DEER LICENSE: $21.80 NON-RESIDENT DEER LICENSE: $434.30

GEAR: DIAMOND INFINITE PRO COMPOUND BOW CABELA's STALKER EXTREME 500 7.3 GPI YOUTH ARROWS RAGE HYPODERMIC 100 GRAIN BROADHEADS AMERISTEP DOGHOUSE GROUND BLIND ALLEN COMPANY MOSSY OAK CAMO TARP 8’x 10’ – BREAKUP COUNTRY MR. HEATER BUDDY 4000-9000 BTU COLEMAN 16 OZ PROPANE CYLINDERS PRIMOS “THE ORIGINAL CAN” PRIMOS RATTLING ANTLERS KNIGHT AND HALE GRUNT CALL ANKER PORTABLE POWER BANK (CELL PHONE CHARGING)

If you have any DIY hunts you would like to see featured in the column, please email Karlie Slayer, Karlie@Boone-Crockett.org for details.

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 53

Your sneak Peek

This summer, Springfield, Missouri, will host some of the most impressive big game specimens ever to roam North America. You’ll see massive Dall’s sheep from the rugged mountains of Alaska, world’s record musk ox from the Arctic tundra, whitetail deer with racks so big they will haunt you every fall—and many, many more.

At the 31st Big Game Awards, the Boone and Crockett Club will honor these trophies and the hunters who braved the elements to bring them home. These animals are a true testament to our conservation legacy, and we want you to celebrate with us. Keep in mind, the trophies on the following pages are just a small sampling of those that will be on display this summer at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium in Springfield. Bring the family and celebrate with us July 21-23.

MUSK OX

Bush pilot Alex Therrien and his buddies were asked to check in on a lodge near Aylmer Lake. On the way in they could tell there were musk on in the area. The next day, Therrien climbed a small hill and spotted a herd about three miles away. Closing the distance a lone old bull stood on the outskirts offering an ethical shot. With his buddies and the plane loaded down, did they make it out? To see how the story ends - and how they thwarted hungry bears - check out the rest of the story.

Read the whole story!

B&C SCORE: 130-4/8 points LOCATION: Aylmer Lake,

Northwest Territories YEAR TAKEN: 2020 HUNTER: Alex M. Therrien

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TULE ELK

This bull was taken by Cory Smith on a sunny, 60-degree day in Mendocino County, California, in late August 2021. California is the only state where all three elk species (Rocky Mountain, Roosevelt’s, and tule) reside. There are currently around 5,700 tule elk throughout the state.

B&C SCORE: 369-1/8 Points LOCATION: Mendocino County, California YEAR TAKEN: 2021 HUNTER: Cory J. Smith

See more trophies like these in our More to the Score Gallery

non-typical whitetail deer

If you’re scoring a deer like this, it’s best to just clear the calendar and put on a pot of coffee. Brian Butcher had been hunting the same property for 13 years, and in April 2019 his trail camera snapped a photo of this creature. In the fall, Butcher returned to hunt in his treestand on the edge of a CRP field when the buck returned. At 25 yards, Butcher released an arrow. And it was all over—except the scoring, of course. That took a little while.

B&C SCORE: 321-3/8 points LOCATION: Chase County, Kansas YEAR TAKEN: 2019 HUNTER: Brian R. Butcher

These trophies will be verified by teams of Official Measurers at the 31st Big Game Awards Judges Panel. Read more about the Judges Panel on page 62.

dall's sheep

B&C SCORE: 184-1/8 points LOCATION: Chugach Mountains, Alaska YEAR TAKEN: 2020 HUNTER: Louis W. Breland

Please note this issue was produced prior to the Judges Panel. Some scores may change.

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 55

grizzly bear

B&C SCORE: 26-8/16 points LOCATION: Shaktoolik River, Alaska YEAR TAKEN: 2019 HUNTER: Robert D. Griego

The Boone and Crockett Club gives special recognition to the hunters who were 16 or younger when they harvested a Boone and Crockett record-book animal at the Jack Steele Parker Generation Next banquet. Any trophy entered over the last three years taken by a youth is invited to put their trophy on display in the Generation Next section of the exhibit.

typical whitetail deer B&C SCORE: 175-6/8 points LOCATION: Ellsworth County, Kansas YEAR TAKEN: 2019 HUNTER: Josey A. Norris

B&C SCORE: 161 points LOCATION: Ellsworth County, Kansas YEAR TAKEN: 2020 HUNTER: Josey A. Norris

Josey A. Norris is all smiles with her second Boone and Crockett whitetail entry for the 31st Big Game Awards.

These whitetail racks were taken in back-to-back seasons

by Josey A. Norris of Kansas. It's one thing for any hunter to make the Boone and Crockett records. But two before the age of 16? Well, that's pretty amazing. Both deer will be on display in Springfield.

You are invited - register today!

Springfield, Missouri - July 21-23, 2022

Bass Pro Shops

Johnny Morris' Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium 56 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

Nucleus collection Six of the big game animals currently on display in the National Collection exhibit at Johnny Morris' Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium are from the original Nucleus Collection formed by William T. Hornaday over 100 years ago.

This mule deer on the right should be should be nicknamed the boomerang buck. Let us explain. Back in 1909, members of the Lawyer’s Club of New York donated the original mount to the National Collection.

At the time, little was known about the buck, other than it was killed sometime before 1909. While housed at the Bronx Zoo, the head was among 12 others stolen in November 1974.

Fast-forward a good 25 years. That’s when Harry Barschelet, Jr. phoned the Boone and Crockett Club to say that he might have something that once belonged to the Club. After numerous conversations and photo exchanges, he gave the buck back to the Club. According to Boone and Crockett records, Harry didn’t say where he’d found the buck. Once receiving the mount, it was re-measured. Because of an original miscalculation, it actually scored higher on the second round of measuring. In 2022, it sits at number 17 overall and fourth in Colorado.

A.S. Reed was an Engishman who lived in Victoria, British Columbia from 1896 to 1902. His passion was hunting Alaska’s big game—from moose and caribou in the late-fall and early winter to bears just as they emerged from their dens in the spring. Reed’s taxidermist was one of the best in the business at the time, and he mounted a number of the finest specimens, including massive Alaska-Yukon moose, caribou, sheep, Alaska brown bear, and walrus.

As for the moose heads in the collection, Hornaday wrote, “Thus far the largest Moose and the largest of all Moose antlers have come from the Kenai Peninsula. It was there that Mr. Reed hunted Moose in September and October, 1900, and shot the six specimens whose heads now form the most imposing feature of his collection.” At the time, only one of the moose heads had been mounted, but the skins belonging to the other five heads were a part of the collection. In Hornaday's opinion, those moose antlers in the National Collection are “...the finest pair in the world.”

East of the Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories, there is a place called the Barren Grounds. It is a place of tundra and rivers and wolves and caribou. Change of any kind keeps its distance here, which is why seeing musk ox on the horizon is like peering back tens of thousands of years. Very little is known about this musk ox that is featured in the National Collection of Heads and Horns. We do know that it was a gift from H. Casimir de Rham who was an associate founder of the Club, as well as a member of the board of managers for the New York Zoological Society. He presented it to the Club in 1910, and it hails from the Barren Grounds of the Northwest Territories. For a time, this old bull stood at the top spot in the records. Today, it sits far down the list at 153.

Non-typical mule deer Andrew Daum 304-5/8 points

Alaska-Yukon Moose A.S. Reed 240-7/8 points

Musk ox H. Casimir de Rham 113-2/8 points

Read more about the Nucleus Collection.

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 57

BEST IN THE WEST One. That’s how many Rocky Mountain goat tags an Oregon hunter can draw in their lifetime to hunt goats in their home state. At only 14, I never dreamed I would draw the tag. In 2020, 533 hunters applied for one East Hurricane Creek goat tag, and I drew it.

I have lived my entire life in the small town of Warrenton, Oregon. Coming from a long line of commercial fishermen and hunters, I have been chasing game around the woods before I could walk. So when I received notice that I drew a tag for this hunt, it was like winning the lottery. Not only did I draw the tag, but it was the hardest hunt of my life. Plus, I ended up taking the number one Rocky Mountain goat in the

58 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

state of Oregon, which also holds the number one spot in the lower 48, scoring 54-6/8.

From the moment my dad Dennis and I found out in June that I had drawn the tag, we got to work researching and learning everything we could to make this a successful fall hunt. My family spends the summers in Sitka, Alaska, working on a salmon tender boat. Because of the shoddy internet, living on a boat, and being away from home, it was often difficult to do everything we truly wanted to do to prepare. I’ll never forget sitting in the captain’s chair of the Maverick, watching videos about Rocky Mountain goats.

As the boat sat in the middle of the Sitka Sound, I learned how to tell the difference between a nanny and a billy on my breaks between unloading fish holds of salmon. In doing

our research and speaking with the local biologist, we realized that our best chances of finding a goat would be after packing in at least eight miles. We were confident we could successfully hunt these goats on our own. We weren’t as confident in our ability to pack gear and ourselves eight miles on steep terrain.

We set out to find a packer/guide that was within our budget. Many of the area guides only offered fully-guided services. We were looking for someone to do a drop camp and help get us familiar with the area. One of the guides my dad spoke with referred us to Barry Cox of Del Sol Wilderness Adventures. After speaking with Barry, we felt like he was exactly who we were looking for. Barry would have his horses pack us in, and he offered to stay and help us if needed.

When we returned home from Alaska, we had one month to get ourselves into goat hunting shape. We knew we had some rough terrain ahead of us, and we wanted to be ready. We took advantage of western Oregon’s archery elk With his dad by his season to prepare and found ourselves side, this 14-year-old hiking up and down hunter overcame the every mountain we could. Time seemed draw odds, altitude to go so quickly that the next thing I knew sickness, a migraine, it was the end of September, and we were and a grueling pack loading up the truck out—all to put his and heading to Joseph, Oregon. name next to one of the Our first stop was to meet Barry biggest Rocky Mountain and make a plan. We goats in the Lower 48. ate a good dinner and rested for a hunt that I would never

RY DER ST URGELL Photos Courtesy of Author

forget. We met Barry, his wrangler Shay, and the horses at the trailhead of Hurricane Creek. I have done a lot of things in my life but riding a horse is not one of them.

Both nervous and excited, I packed my stuff into the panniers and up the trail we went. As we rode up the trail, I was looking at the beautiful Rocky Mountains of the Hurwal Divide, and I was beginning to realize what we were in for.

After about five hours of riding, we found an open field next to a little creek. It was the perfect spot to set up camp. By midafternoon we had finished setting up camp.

Shay and the horses left and would return when we messaged her on the inReach satellite communicator. We decided to venture around some of the area and see if we could spot any goats. As we sat there glassing the mountainside, we spotted four mule deer bucks and eventually saw our first goat. After setting up the spotting scope, we saw the goat stretching its back legs to urinate like a billy, which is one of the easiest ways to tell the difference between a billy and a nanny.

Darkness came quickly, and we headed back to camp to have dinner. My dad makes a mean elk cube steak and corn.

I woke up the next morning just as daylight was breaking over the mountain.

We started our hike on foot up the divide in no hurry.

Unlike most animals, goats like staying out all day. We got to the top of the divide midday, and there was quite a bit of wind with patches of snow on the ground. We sat down to glass and immediately spotted a few goats a couple hundred yards away. After watching them for a while, we determined these were small billies and nannies.

Ryder with his Rocky Mountain goat. He will be recognized at the 31st Big Game Awards during the Generation Next Youth Banquet.

We decided that we should head in the direction we saw the billy the night before. As I crested the peak of the mountain at 9,800 feet, I started feeling bad. No amount of running through the woods during elk season on the Oregon Coast could have prepared me for this hike. Altitude sickness was heading my way. We made it over the next ridge and immediately spotted a lone goat bedded among the rock.

With me not feeling well and the midday heat waves making it challenging for us to get a good look at the goat, we decided to take a rest and just watch.

I had been asleep for about an hour when my dad noticed two more billies join the original goat. The three goats were down a steep ridge on the other side of the Hurwal Divide from our camp, making it a difficult choice whether we would put the hunt on them or not. Dad finally got a good look at the original billy and determined that it looked like a nice one.

Barry, with his hat pulled down over his face, was still resting when my dad said, “I think we should go after them.” Without lifting his hat

from his eyes, Barry replied, “I was afraid you were going to say that.’’ We knew if I took this goat it was going to be a lot of work and a long night.

These bi l l ies were 1,500 yards down steep, slippery shale. At this point we thought it would be best to lighten our packs in a pile of gear at the ridge top. We downhilled it over 1,000 yards to a rock outcropping that was within rifle range.

As my dad was ranging the goats and trying to determine which one of the three was the biggest, I was working on getting a comfortable rest to make a good shot. My dad told me the biggest one was on the left and 360 yards away. As I looked through the scope I could hear my dad say, “Take your time and make a good shot.” I took a deep breath, slowly squeezed the trigger, and down went the goat. I could easily tell it was a great shot—his bright white fur stood out laying next to the brow n rock s. We were pumped and all high-fived and hugged. The real work was about to begin.

It was 5:15 p.m. by the time we reached the goat. We were amazed at how big and beautiful it was. We set up for

a bunch of good pictures before skinning and quartering it. About this time, a full on migraine started to set in. I get these when I’m dehydrated. And coupled with altitude sickness, it was a doozy. I brought my migraine medication, but, of course, I left it back at camp. Just as I was telling Dad a migraine was kicking in, I started vomiting.

Barry and Dad gave me a pack that they thought I could handle and sent me on my way back to the ridge where we had left the rest of our gear. Before I knew it, they were already on my heels. I stopped every 30 minutes to vomit and found myself more and more fatigued.

We reached our gear around 9 p.m., and I immediately laid down, trying to convince them to just sleep right there on the mountain. They were not into that idea. After about 20 minutes of rest, we started down the dark hillside. It was so steep that at times it was easier to slide down. Dad and I ripped out the seats of our pants—good thing we had thick underwear on. Barry, who had new pants and wasn’t about to rip them, refused to slide.

B y t he t i me we reached the bottom of the hill it was about 11:30. I was still vomiting every 30 minutes, and I was out of water.

When I heard the trickle of a creek, I dropped my backpack, ran to the sound of the water, got down on my hands a nd k nees, a nd d ra n k straight out of the creek. The rest of the way to camp was flat ground and felt like a breeze. When we reached camp about 12:30 in the morning, I took my medication and went straight to bed.

Barry and Dad got to work hanging the meat and hide.

Oregon hunters are required to schedule a biologist check-in after taking a goat. While I was sleeping off my migraine, my dad was on the inReach trying to schedule a check-in. The only

available meetings were at 1 p.m. or the following day at 5 p.m. Shay and the horses were unable to pick us up from camp until the next day, and we would not be able to make the one o’clock meeting if we waited for the horses.

We were worried about preserving the goat meat and hide, and we did not want to lose our one shot to get this check-in done. So we opted to load up all of the meat, the hide, my rifle and a change of clothes and hike our way back down the trailhead to meet with the biologist. We made it! By the time he was done taking all of his measurements and had a full green score, he told us he thought my goat was at least in the top three all-time for the entire state of Oregon. If we weren’t already excited, this news put my dad and me on cloud nine.

On the way home we made multiple phone calls trying to find a great taxidermist. We found Jim August in Portland, and we were able to drop the goat off on the way home. We had to wait 60 days for the horns to dry before it could be officially scored. I couldn’t wait for that day to come, hoping that it would at least be in the top five in Oregon. On December 22, 2020, the wait was over when we met with official Boone and Crocket t Measu rer T i m Brown. When he measured it at 54-6/8, my dad and I immediately looked at each other knowing that it was the number one goat in the state. We called all of our family and friends to tell them the exciting news.

Today as I look at the half-body goat mount in our living room, I am reminded of a hunt that I will remember for the rest of my life. I am so thankful for my dad and all his hard work that made this hunt possible. I am lucky to have so many people who support my passion for hunting and their willingness to help along the way. n FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 59

KING OF THE TAPE

PJ DELHOMME Crazy Canyon Media

31ST AWARDS OFFICIAL MEASURER PROFILE Armed with score sheets, calipers, and measuring tape, Official Measurers are the Boone and Crockett Club’s volunteer army, embodying our mission across the country. Now, we invite you to meet one of the best ambassadors the Club has ever had.

W hen Steve Fel i x pulled up to his taxidermist with a big elk—big as in the number four typical elk of all time big—near Bozeman, Montana, there was only one person to call. That was Fred King. Fred lived close by, and when it comes to scoring trophies, the guy is tough to beat.

He’s been a Boone and Crockett Club Official Measurer since 1984 and became a professional member in 1994. As a member of the records committee since 1994, Fred has served on nine judges panels, serving as the chairman of

the panel at the 24th Big Game Awards in 2001.

But t here’s plent y more to Fred than just knowing how to score a trophy.

“Fred came right over and took one look at the elk and said, ‘oh my,’” recalls Felix.

“While we watched him work, he was telling us stories about being on the panel that scored Milo Hansen’s buck [world record typical whitetail] and the Spider Bull [world record non-typical elk]. All the while, Fred’s getting bigger numbers. He was super professional and funny—always telling us stories about elk.”

As you will come to understand, Fred is an educator, a story-teller, and a preacher of the conservation gospel.

In 1946, Fred was born in southwestern Pennsylvania where, as a kid, he desperately wanted to work for t he Pen ns ylva n ia Game Commission.

Hunting small game and deer was a way of life passed down from his father and grandfather. In junior high and high school, he shot trap and some big bore

competitions. After graduating high school in 1965, he still wanted to pursue a career that involved working with wildlife, and he shifted his sights west.

In January 1968, he was accepted into a two-year program at Northern Montana College. When he got off the train at 10 p.m. in Havre, Montana, it was -10. He asked a guy at the train station how far it was to school, which happened to be a few miles.

Fred started to put on every piece of clothing that he had in preparation for an evening walk. The same guy offered to give Fred a ride to campus.

“That was my first experience with people in Montana, and it’s been my experience ever since,” says Fred.

That same year, Fred would marry his neighborhood sweetheart Jennifer and move her out to Montana.

Fred graduated in January 1972 from Montana State University with a bachelor’s in wildlife management.

During college, he had been working on everything from fisheries to game check stations, and in 1975, Fred was hired as the wildlife area manager for Region 3 in southwestern Montana.

In that position, Fred managed nine game ranges.

For the next 34 years that was Fred’s job, and he loved it. “I never wanted to change jobs,” he says. “I was responsible for more than 125,000 acres of wildlife management areas. It was the greatest freedom a professional could ever have.” In December 2009, Fred retired from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks after 41 years.

Early on, Fred and his wife Jennifer put roots down in Gallatin Gateway, Montana. In 1969 they bought what Fred laughingly calls a “little 10-acre turd pile” on which they still call home. He became a certified volunteer hunter education instructor in 1976, and he’s been bringing his stories and expertise to Montana’s young hunters ever since. “He teaches with a smile, and you can feel that enthusiasm,” says Morgan Jacobsen, information and education program manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks in Bozeman. He’s full of stories and oftentimes he will bring his own hides, skulls, antlers and things he’s found over the years. It makes for a very unique experience for the kids. He’s captivating.”

Fred's first Judges Panel was for the 22nd Big Game Awards in 1995. He has served on nine judges panels and will be serving on this year's 31st Big Game Awards Judges Panel.

ABOVE: October 1958, Monroeville, PA Fred (12), along with his Dad Joe holding Jaggers and his Grandfather Raymond holding Nifty, are getting ready for the opening day of the Pennsylvania small game season. The shotgun is a single-shot Savage Model 220, hammerless 20 gauge with a modified choke.

60 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

education instructor. Now, he and Jennifer chase the sun and head south to Arizona for a few weeks every winter. But he’s never far from his measuring kit should the call for his skills come in—like the time Steve Feli x called him to measure his new archery world record. In fact, after the drying period, Fred and Jennifer drove from Bozeman to Seeley Lake and met Felix (and many of Felix’s friends) at his house for an official scoring session. The mood was jovial, and Fred was in his element. After the scores were tallied, the party moved to the garage where there were a couple coolers of beer and stacks of shed antlers.

The stories continued well into the evening.

“What was cool about it was that he was representing the Boone and Crockett Club,” says Felix. “He told everyone why we recognize the trophy and how the scoring system is a way to honor the animal. He’s just an awesome rep for both Pope and Young and the Boone and Crockett Club.”

If you ask Fred, it’s all a labor of love. “The opportunity to become an Official Measurer for Boone and Crockett has helped me become a part of people’s lives and listen to their hunting stories,” says Fred. “We talk about their hunting, and I get to talk with them about what their trophy means in the bigger picture of conservation.” n

Steve Felix (left) with Fred King, who confirmed the final score of the bull in 2017.

After the scoring session Fred hung out with Steve and his friends telling stories and talking about the importance of the Boone and Crockett Club.

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WRITER POSTSCRIPT I have to apologize to Fred for this abbreviated profile.

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Distilling nine pages of notes from two hours of truly fun conversation doesn’t do Fred justice. If you happen to see him at the 31st

TROPHY DISPLAY SECTION SPONSORS E TH

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Elk display

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Mule Deer display

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F O R O E X P L A

to some great stories.

R V A T S E I O BERT M .

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dar and be prepared to listen

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clear your evening’s calen-

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Awards, introduce yourself,

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It helps that Fred knows how to hook his audience immediately. “When I talk to the young adult hunter education students, the first thing I say in my speech is that ‘after tonight your life is going to change.’ Then I take a long pause and say it again. ‘In case you didn’t hear, I want you to know that after tonight your life is going to change.’” Fred then explains to the class that after they successfully complete the hunter ed course and pass the test, they can buy a hunting license at age 12, pick up a hunting rifle or shotgun, head afield and then use that firearm as any adult would.

“I tell them, ‘The state of Montana is telling you one simple thing— you’re not a child anymore.’ I tell you what, you could hear a pin drop in that classroom.”

In those four decades teaching hunter ed, Fred says he’s seen changes in his students. First, the number of students has increased dramatically over the years. The number of young female hunters has increased as well. And being the father of two daughters himself, that makes Fred smile. “As the numbers increased, I could see that there were some different faces out there, and it was pleasant to see. And those new faces, those young ladies, became nearly half the class. We’ve seen hunting as a male-dominated sport, and now it’s an opportunity for all.”

In February 2022, Fred retired from his role as a hunter

North American Caribou display

Bear/Cat display

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 61

REFLECTIONS ON THE JUDGES PANEL Boone and Crockett Judges Panels began at a time when the event was called Big Game Competitions, first held in 1947. The purpose was to judge all trophies in attendance and select place awards, with the best in show receiving the Sagamore Hill Award.

After the first competition, it became clear that an equitable method of scoring needed to be adopted to address the arbitrary nature of the awards.

In conjunction, scientific management of wildlife was being developed and adopted throughout North America. The original purpose of the records program shifted from a way to collect the top trophies for display in a museum (National Collection of Heads and Horns) to a system of monitoring conservation successes and failures.

What was originally thought to be a last-ditch effort to preserve museum specimens of

species that would soon be extinct, shifted to a collection of biologic data. With this change in focus, much of the system needed to be refined.

In 1971 the name of the event was changed from Competitions to Awards to better reflect the purpose of the gathering. In 1976, a standardized training of all Official Measurers was adopted.

Wit h standard ized scoring methods being utilized, errors detected by panel measurers began to drop.

One problematic observation the committee had to deal with was that scores were dropping at panel due to natural shrinkage. In some cases, the original measurer of the trophy was on the panel, though not on the team to verify, so it was confirmed that the original scoring was done correctly.

In 1998, the records committee reviewed the cases of confirmed shrinkage and adopted a shrinkage allowance to be considered

TROPH Y TA LK

when verifying a score. This allowance is unique to each species. For instance, a bighorn ram will not express the same amount of shrinkage as a caribou taken earlier in the season in full velvet that was stripped for entry. In 2007 the committee reviewed and updated 16 of the categories where it was deemed the original approved shrinkage was insufficient.

Today the judges panels are still an integral part of the records program and an invitation to participate either as an invited trophy, judge, or a consultant is not only an honor but also a necessity for the success of the program.

The current format for judging takes place in the spring following the completion of the awards program.

The 31st Big Game Awards Judges Panel was held April 19-24, 2022. The awards program’s final day for entry was December 31, 2021.

The Official Measurers selected to serve as the judges get an invite first by notifying the records office of their interest to participate.

Those Official Measurers’ names are then forwarded to the records committee chairman and the vice-president of big game records. These two work with staff to select an appropriate number of judges for the trophies being sent. Invitation is based on service to the Club and representation of experts in all categories and regions. We always have at least two Canadian representatives and

JUSTIN SPRING B&C PROFESSIONAL MEMBER Director of Big Game Records

are currently in the process of getting more representation from Mexico that will hopefully be able to participate in future panels. Club policies limit the number of times an Official Measurer can participate as a judge to three. They can also serve one additional time as a panel chairman.

Once those limits are met, they can return as a consultant at the discretion of the records committee leadership. The panel chairman can elect to have these consultants actively score if the number of judges is not sufficient to get through all trophies in a reasonable time.

The panel chair can also elect to have them serve purely in an advisory role. For at least the last four panels, consultants have been asked to participate in scoring.

The panel chairman is tasked with assigning teams each day of the panel. Newer judges are teamed with more experienced judges, and in many cases teams are specifically created to verify complex trophies where extensive expertise within the category is required. A team consists of two judges or a judge and a consultant. Every trophy sent in will be scored independently by two teams.

In the case of an especially

For the first time, former Director of Big Game Records, Jack Reneau will hold the title of Chairman of the 31st Big Game Awards Judges Panel.

He has been involved with every Judges Panel since he started working for the Club in 1983. He is pictured here at the 30th Judges Panel with the highest scoring non-typical whitetail deer and sheep that were on display, including the World's Record bighorn.

62 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

NEW! For Official Measurers!

Retro OM Scoring Apron difficult trophy, the two teams may meet beforehand to discuss a particular point designation or ruling, but each scoring is completed i ndependent ly i nclud i ng baseline assignment.

All measurements are completed by both teams including supplementary data such as tip-to-tip spread.

While these are not factored into the final score, they can become especially important when trying to determine the original measurer’s designation of beams. The re-creation of the original designation is necessary during the next phase of the panel verification.

Once the two scorings are completed, records staff verifies the math completed by the measurers, then the director of records reviews the two panel charts compared to the original with the panel chairman. Each original measurement is reviewed and compared to the verifying sheets. If any of these numbers are significantly off from the original, the panel chairman and records director will try to re-create the error made by the original measurer on the trophy to ensure the verifying panels did not overlook something.

In nearly all cases, as much of the original score chart that can be confirmed is. A

trophy may have a score change on an error of a single measurement but all the rest of the original measurements that can be verified will. If the correction of the single m i sta ke a nd necessar y change to the original entry score leaves the final score within the allowance, the rest of the score is verified. In the case of a trophy that falls well outside the allowance and no individual definitive error can be identified, the entire original score may have to be replaced with a panel score if none or very few measurements can be verified. This is rarely the case. Even if the baseline assignment was off for all tines, either too high or too low, circumferences and spreads can generally be confirmed where applicable.

Many hunters are hesitant to participate in the process as they are concerned that a score

Full length canvas two-pocket scoring apron with the B&C logo silkscreened on the front. Modeled after the apron worn by the judges during the 14th Big Game Competition. The OM Apron is just over 30 inches long and only comes in one color. n n n n

8.5-ounce, 100% cotton canvas Contrast 100% cotton webbing neck and waist ties Antique brass metal grommets and neck adjuster Two patch pockets with antique brass metal rivets

OMAPR | $ 40 AVAILABLE FOR OFFICIAL MEASURERS ONLY

The 14th Competition Judges Panel shown sporting their scoring aprons. Left to right: Unknown, Peter Haupt, B.A. Fashingbauer, George T. Church Jr., Philip L. Wright, Ova Uggen, Frank Cook (Chairman), Arnold O. Hauen, and Donald S. Hopkins. The 14th Competition was held at the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1971. It was the last time this event would be called a competition. The following entry period would be renamed an Awards Program.

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 63

may drop. Statistically speaking, over the last few panels completed by both Boone and Crockett and Pope and Young, over 50 percent of those trophies submitted have had the entry score confirmed. Of those that don’t, an equal percentage of the final scores go up as go down. Unless the trophy was mis-scored to begin with, a trophy owner has no reason to be concerned. If there was a mistake, they are just as likely to get back a higher score than a lower score.

As I mentioned earlier, this process is important to the overall success of the program as it allows us to analyze where mistakes are being made. Any trophy that has a mistake detected will have a follow up with the original measurer explaining where the error was found. This prevents the mistake from happening again in the future.

In addition, it allows us to confirm all the trophies at the top of the category are correctly scored. Ideally, we would like to have as many of the trophies panel verified as possi ble t hough t his isn’t feasible. We have undertaken efforts with other

organizations such as Pope and Young and Wisconsin Buck and Bear Club to honor their panel scores under an MOU. As long as the same process and rules are followed as a Boone and Crockett panel, and we have the opportunity to participate, we will honor these scores.

The key requirement is that the panel serves to verify a score and appropriate scoring procedures. This means only assigning a new score to a trophy if originally measured incorrectly.

Any Official Measurers interested in participating as a panel judge should notify the records office in Missoula ahead of the 32nd Judges Panel that will be held in the spring of 2025. Also, if you are involved with any trophies invited to this special event, please do all you can to ensure participation. The event is built around recognizing conservation successes. The more participation we have the stronger this message is. We hope to see all of you reading this in Springfield this summer. n

Associate Sign-Up Incentive Program Leader Board *As of April 11, 2022

CONGRATS TO OUR TOP 10 PRIZE WINNERS! 1. Philip A. Herrnberger – 181 2. Stanley Zirbel – 144 3. Bucky Ihlenfeldt – 139 4. Ken Witt – 113 5. Dale Weddle – 60 6. John Bogucki – 46 7. Jerry E. Lunde – 41 8. Robert Wood – 32 9. Eric Stanosheck– 25 10. Charlie Adams – 23

SEE THE COMPLETE LISTING IN THE COMMUNITIES SECTION AT BOONE-CROCKETT.ORG

Each time an OM signs up a B&C Associate we’ll put a credit by their name.

HERE’S THE BREAKDOWN 3 Associates – $25 off any item in the B&C store 5 Associates – Buck Knife 10 Associates – B&C Boyt sling 25 Associates – OM Wool Vest 50 Associates – SITKA Gear (value up to $350) 75 Associates – YETI cooler and rambler package

(value up to $500)

100 Associates – KIMBER RIFLE 150 Associates – $800 Gift card to BASS PRO SHOPS/CABELAS! 200 Associates – VORTEX OPTICS GEAR! (value up to $1400)

The Judges Panel from the 30th Big Game Awards in Spring field, Missouri, 2019

Want to Become an Official Measurer? Fill out the Official Measurer Application at Boone-Crockett.org!

64 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

Current Associates! Would you like to give an Official Measurer credit for your renewal? Let them know when it is your time to renew and they will provide their OMID number to include with your renewal so they will receive credit.

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 65

JACK STEELE PARKER

GENERATION

NEXT FINAL SCORE

GROSS SCORE

BLACK BEAR 21 6/16

21 4/16 21 4/16 20 8/16

HUNTER

LOCATION

DATE

MEASURER

Lake of the Evan W. Kohlert 2021 H. Dreger Prairies, SK Spirit River, AB Caul R. Burns 2021 D. Skinner Big Shell Lake, SK Owen I. Hamoline 2021 M. Buller Sawyer Co., WI Declan D. Oens 2021 M. Siekierski

The Boone and Crockett Club celebrates 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 31st Big Game Awards Program, 2019-2021, 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 Spring 2022 issue of Fair Chase was published.

GRIZZLY BEAR 25 1/16 Clearwater Robert C. Bondy 2019 S. Kleinsmith

Creek, AK

COUGAR 14 10/16 Jefferson Co., MT Jenna H. Smith 2019 R. Spring NON-TYPICAL AMERICAN ELK 406 3/8

418 1/8

Carbon Co., UT

Danica M. Adams

2021

D. Nielsen

TULE ELK 291

297 6/8

Lake Co., CA

Bentley D. Wright

2021

H. Wilson

NON-TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER 201 2/8 201 200 5/8 188 4/8 186 4/8

211 3/8 209 5/8 213 7/8 196 3/8 191 5/8

Union Co., SD Major Co., OK Pepin Co., WI Washington Co., IL Todd Co., KY

TYPICAL COUES’ WHITETAIL DEER 106 2/8 109 3/8

Cochise Co., AZ

Kade C. Bohan Emma S. Morrison Justin A. Bergmann Kayla L. Cowell Joseph W. Joiner

2020 2019 2021 2021 1973

J. Weltz W. Free K. Rimer M. Umbdenstock K. Morphew

Ashlyn T. Vario 2020 P. Dalrymple

PRONGHORN 82

82 7/8

BISON

115 5/8 Uintah Co., UT Sydney J. Negus 2020 W. Goring

115 4/8

Sublette Co., WY

Stetson D. Hogge

2021

J. Wall

ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT 47 6/8 48

Tatsamenie Lake, BC

DESERT SHEEP

Otero Co., NM Tanner Whitaker 2020 C. Ebbers

175 5/8

176 1/8

66 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

Ronald D. May

2019

J. Hooten

Evan W. Kohlert Kayla L. CowelL

Bentley D. Wright

Tanner Whitaker Ashlyn T. Vario

Emma S. Morrison

Declan D. Oens

Stetson D. Hogge FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 67

RECENTLY ACCEPTED TROPHIES The following pages list the most recent big game trophies accepted into Boone and Crockett Club’s 31st Big Game Awards Program, 20192021, which includes entries received between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2021.

All of the field photos in this section are from entries that are listed in this issue and are shown in bold green text.

This listing represents only those trophies accepted since the Spring 2022 issue of Fair Chase was published.

Bradley W. Seyfert was on a hunt in Lincoln County, Montana, when he harvested this Rocky Mountain goat scoring 49-2/8 points. He was shooting a 6mm Remington.

68 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

31 BIG GAME AWARDS ST

LISTING AND PHOTO GALLERY

TOP TO BOTTOM

Ronald B. Kehler took this black bear, scoring 22-7/16 points, in 2021 while on an archery hunt near Telford Lake, Manitoba.

BEAR & COUGAR FINAL SCORE

GROSS SCORE

LOCATION

HUNTER

DATE

MEASURER

BLACK BEAR - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 23-10/16 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 20 22 7/16 Telford Lake, MB Ronald B. Kehler 2021 J. Hayduk 22 6/16 Gunnison Co., CO Picked Up 2019 E. Foster 22 2/16 Clark Co., WI Andrew M. Swain 2019 P. Jensen 22 1/16 Garrett Co., MD Albert L. Lankford 2012 S. Keithley 21 12/16 Bedford Co., PA Michael L. Truax 2013 J. Mock 21 12/16 Lycoming Co., PA James M. 2019 D. Lynch

Fenstermacher 21 12/16 Montezuma Co., CO Ronald A. Higman 2020 J. Gardner 21 11/16 Duck Mountain, SK Chris Chutskoff 2021 H. Dreger 21 11/16 Rusk Co., WI Stacy M. Westphal 2021 J. Lunde 21 11/16 Otter Lake, BC Timothy M. Brassard 2021 L. Verbaas 21 11/16 Barron Co., WI Nicholas D. Parenteau 2021 J. Lunde 21 10/16 St. Croix Co., WI Mitchell L. Steffen 2021 J. Lunde 21 9/16 Clear Creek Co., CO Adam L. Thorson 2021 B. Smith 21 9/16 Lenoir Co., NC Timothy L. Custis 2020 D. Weddle 21 6/16 Menominee Co., MI James D. Piatt 2020 D. Wellman 21 5/16 Patrick Co., VA Brian F. Harbour 2020 J. Allen 21 5/16 Hancock Co., ME Dennis A. Soper 2021 T. Montgomery 21 5/16 St. Croix Co., WI Corey L. Kohls 2021 J. Lunde 21 4/16 Prince of Wales Markus P. Mitchell 2021 A. Jubenville

Island, AK 21 4/16 Spirit River, AB Gerard P. Van 2021 D. Watson

Den Boogaard 21 4/16 Polk Co., WI Todd E. Olson 2021 J. Lunde 21 3/16 Saddle Hills, AB D. Brent Watson 2021 D. Skinner 21 1/16 Pine Co., MN Jared S. Orn 2021 R. Berggren 21 1/16 White Mountain Joe Rushing 2021 R. Grace

Apache Res., AZ 21 1/16 White Mountain Jacob Smitheal 2021 R. Grace

Apache Res., AZ 21 Lycoming Co., PA Tadd J. Henninger 2019 D. Lynch 21 Trinity Co., CA David R. Landis 2020 S. Boero 21 Carbon Co., PA Brian J. Borosh 2019 P. Sussenbach 21 Washburn Co., WI Michael F. Piel 2021 T. Heil 20 15/16 Little Swan Jillian H. 2021 K. Somogyi

River, SK Lubachowski 20 15/16 Flathead Co., MT Darrin J. Care 2021 J. Williams 20 15/16 Marathon Co., WI Salvatore Panetta 2021 T. Heil 20 14/16 White Mountain Clayton A. Colson 2021 R. Grace

Apache Res., AZ 20 13/16 Somerset Co., ME Patrick D. Allen 2020 T. Montgomery 20 13/16 Barron Co., WI Chad M. Smith 2021 K. Zimmerman 20 11/16 Benton Co., MN Paul A. Kieffer 2020 D. Ohman 20 11/16 White Mountain Abby Shepherd 2021 R. Grace

Apache Res., AZ 20 8/16 Marathon Co., WI Megan E. Radtke 2021 S. Zirbel 20 7/16 Washburn Co., WI Jacob R. Damaske 2021 J. Lunde 20 7/16 Garrett Co., MD Picked Up 1998 S. Keithley 20 7/16 White Mountain David Thompson 2021 R. Grace

Apache Res., AZ 20 6/16 Wyoming Co., PA Joseph D. Carichner 2020 V. Rosa 20 6/16 Madison Co., AR Franklin T. Brewer 2020 G. Davis 20 6/16 Cameron Co., PA Chad M. Wagner 2021 M. Weinzen 20 4/16 Tyrrell Co., NC Kenneth W. Pekrun, Jr.2020 J. Turner 20 3/16 White Mountain Michael C. Turner 2021 R. Grace

Apache Res., AZ 20 3/16 Marinette Co., WI Michael P. England 2018 C. Gallup 20 3/16 St. Croix Co., WI Joseph J. Mattison 2021 K. Rimer 20 2/16 Kuiu Island, AK Weston E. Kolste 2021 T. Mortenson 20 2/16 Dunn Co., WI Brian J. Hoyt 2021 K. Rimer 20 1/16 Bronson Forest, SK Colby L. Gervais 2021 A. England 20 Parsnip River, BC Jocelyn E.M. Peel 2020 D. Cropley 20 Saddle Hills, AB D. Brent Watson 2021 D. Skinner 20 St. Croix Co., WI Lukas J. Hawkins 2021 K. Rimer 20 Grant Co., OR Hannah E. Mabbott 2021 R. Stahl

This grizzly bear, scoring 25-10/16 points, was taken by B&C Associate Sonny E. Busch while hunting near the Innoko River, Alaska, in 2021. He was shooting a .300 Winchester Mag. John F. Bottomley took this Alaska brown bear, scoring 26-4/16 points, in 2014 while hunting near Contact Point, Alaska. He was shooting a .375 H&H.

GRIZZLY BEAR - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 27-13/16 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 23 26 9/16 Ikpek Lagoon, AK

25 10/16 Innoko River, AK 25 3/16 Boston Creek, AK

Wesley A. 2021 J. Peterson Pootoogooluk Sonny E. Busch 2021 D. Brimager Jacob T. Slingsby 2019 A. Jubenville

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 69

ALASKA BROWN BEAR - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 30-12/16 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 26 28 8/16 28 4/16 27 12/16 27 12/16

27 5/16 26 4/16 26 3/16 26

Uyak Bay, AK Kodiak, AK Swanson River, AK Mother Goose Lake, AK Olsen Bay, AK Contact Point, AK Lake Iliamna, AK Togiak Bay, AK

Chad K. Glanzer Dan Evenson Christopher S. Gorr Michael S. Drinnin

2021 2021 2018 2021

L. Gunner S. Godfrey T. Spraker S. Kleinsmith

Fred J. Regenfuss John F. Bottomley Jerry G. Schaus Gary B. Mefford

2021 2014 2021 2021

B. Tessmann D. Powell B. Ihlenfeldt M. Jones

Jack C. Suggett Terry L. Schoon Kristopher B. Ortega Nathan A. Ogle Brandon C. Smith Whitney L. Robinson Brent E. Murphy Allison M. Piccinini

2020 1992 2018 2020 2020 2020 2020 2021

D. Watson S. Ogilvie W. Goring J. Kolbe J. Spring T. Humes C. Collins T. Humes

HUNTER

DATE

MEASURER

COUGAR - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 16-4/16 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 14-8/16 15 9/16 15 14 14/16 14 10/16 14 10/16 14 8/16 14 8/16 14 8/16

Castle River, AB Fremont Co., CO Fremont Co., ID Meagher Co., MT Lake Co., MT Elko Co., NV Grand Co., CO Pershing Co., NV

ELK & MULE DEER FINAL SCORE

GROSS SCORE

LOCATION

TYPICAL AMERICAN ELK - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 442-5/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 360 405 3/8 399 2/8 392 3/8 392 1/8 390 5/8 386 5/8 385 5/8 383 6/8 382 7/8 377 3/8 369 6/8 368 365 6/8 365 6/8 361 6/8

431 3/8 422 3/8 402 5/8 395 6/8 402 4/8 402 3/8 396 5/8 397 1/8 388 1/8 392 5/8 385 1/8 372 6/8 378 4/8 373 2/8 376 4/8

Kern Co., CA Robert Cevasco, Jr. Judith Basin Co., MT Wade W. Wagoner Pike Co., KY R. Todd Ayers Powell Co., MT Bret J. Lotzer Box Elder Co., UT Chad C. Karls Park Co., WY Gregory S. Herbert White Pine Co., NV Shelly D. Sayer Gila Co., AZ Clinton P. Lindstrom Kittitas Co., WA Kenneth B. Morris San Juan Co., UT Daniel P. Cowley Greenlee Co., AZ Rick E. Jones Grand Co., CO Cody D. Dettmann Greenlee Co., AZ Joe M. VanderPoel Huerfano Co., CO T. Nyle Maxwell, Jr. Lincoln Co., NE Dan L. Neal

2019 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2019 2021 2021 2014 2021 2019 2021 2020

J. Bugni L. Coccoli R. Pflanz A. Sternagel M. Miller D. Nielsen R. Atwood W. Bowles R. Spaulding C. Byers D. May M. Moline J. Bugni D. Brimager R. Dierking

NON-TYPICAL AMERICAN ELK WORLD'S RECORD SCORE 478-5/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 385 442 403 2/8 389 4/8 385

460 410 6/8 406 6/8 390 2/8

Greenlee Co., AZ White Pine Co., NV Kittitas Co., WA Unknown

Jimmy J. Liautaud Douglas A. Sayer Jonathan J. Soulier Unknown

2020 2021 2021 2014

W. Bowles R. Atwood S. Duchow D. Boland

ROOSEVELT’S ELK - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 419-6/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 275 391 6/8 401 6/8 Lane Co., OR 335 4/8 344 4/8 Del Norte Co., CA 318 355 1/8 Memekay River, BC

302 315 5/8 Kunnum Creek, BC 281 1/8 286 Tillamook Co., OR

Matthew S. Collver 2021 Mackenzie A. Ruthman 2020 Jackson A.M. 2021 Leidenfrost Ryan N. Hartling 2020 Darrin A. Schiel 2021

D. Heffner D. Sudduth F. Pringle D. Milton M. Carroll

TULE ELK - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 379 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 270 320 6/8 325 7/8 Mendocino Co., CA Frederick J. 2020 R. Skinner

Sweisthal, Jr. 311 6/8 318 7/8 Mendocino Co., CA M. Blake Patton 2019 G. Hernandez 308 2/8 316 6/8 San Luis Justin N. Trail 2020 T. Bartoskewitz

Obispo Co., CA

TOP TO BOTTOM:

Nathan A. Ogle took this cougar, scoring 14-10/16 points, in 2020 while bowhunting in Meagher County, Montana.

In 2021, B&C Lifetime Associate T. Nyle Maxwell, Jr. harvested this 365-6/8-point typical American elk while on a hunt in Huerfano County, Colorado. He was shooting a .300 Weatherby.

This Roosevelt's elk, scoring 302 points, was taken by Ryan N. Hartling while on a hunt near Kunnum Creek, British Columbia, in 2020. He was shooting a .300 Winchester Short Mag.

70 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

TYPICAL MULE DEER - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 226-4/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 180 192 5/8 192 5/8 192 3/8 192 3/8 191 7/8 191 1/8 190 1/8 187 2/8 186 182 6/8 182 1/8

206 4/8 224 7/8 197 3/8 206 7/8 203 2/8 201 201 4/8 196 191 1/8 214 1/8 185 7/8

Duchesne Co., UT New Mexico La Plata Co., CO Eagle Creek, SK Kearny Co., KS Oregon Idaho Carbon Co., UT Delta Co., CO Huerfano Co., CO Platte Co., WY

James B. Deering III Unknown John L. Gardner Devin J. Yelle Ralph J. Holsclaw Unknown Unknown Jordin D. Hufstetler Darrin A. Dalpiaz David R. Watts Terry M. Mayhall

1974 1948 2016 2021 2021 1922 1966 2021 2021 2021 2020

M. Demick D. Boland J. Willems D. Pezderic D. Hart D. Boland D. Boland J. Wall E. Foster D. Brimager R. Walter

NON-TYPICAL MULE DEER - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 355-2/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 215 250 5/8 255 2/8 240 2/8 246 5/8 238 3/8 240 1/8 238 1/8 244 5/8 235 2/8 242 3/8 231 240 6/8 229 1/8 240 7/8 225 2/8 234 5/8 224 230 3/8

218 6/8 231 3/8 217 4/8 220 5/8 217 1/8 221 6/8 216 2/8 222 6/8

Idaho Idaho Red Deer River, AB Colorado Harney Co., OR Missoula Co., MT Kayville, SK Humboldt Co., NV Boundary Dam Reservoir, SK Lincoln Co., CO Teton Co., WY Bruno, SK Gallatin Co., MT

Paul Hunt 1988 Unknown 1944 Cole R. Johnson 2020 Unknown 1950 Thomas Ruhberg 1925 John E. Winsett 2020 Kale J. Nimegeers 2020 Paul Carbone 2020 Timothy J. 2021 Katsantonis Max T. Grogan 2021 Richard C. Kester 2019 Tyler J. Dust 2020 Frank Doney 1942

D. Boland D. Boland C. Walker D. Boland S. Nasby S. Thao K. Kozij T. Humes M. Halirewich R. Rockwell L. Meduna B. Reiter A. Hayes

TOP TO BOTTOM:

This non-typical mule deer scoring 238-3/8 points, was taken by Cole R. Johnson while on a 2020 hunt near Red Deer River, Alberta.

In 2021, B&C Associate Clark D. Lundeen harvested this 127-5/8-point typical Columbia blacktail deer while hunting in Napa County, California. He was shooting a .30-06 Springfield.

B&C Lifetime Associate Allen Bolen took this typical Sitka blacktail deer, scoring 108-4/8 points, in 2020 while on an archery hunt on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska.

TYPICAL COLUMBIA BLACKTAIL DEER - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 182-2/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 125 150 2/8 143 6/8 143 1/8 142 3/8 138 137 3/8 136 3/8 136 1/8 128 5/8 128 5/8 127 5/8

157 5/8 153 3/8 156 145 2/8 148 6/8 146 1/8 139 7/8 140 141 133 4/8 128 2/8

Harrison Lake, BC Douglas Co., OR Mendocino Co., CA Mendocino Co., CA Lincoln Co., OR Humboldt Co., CA Douglas Co., OR Siskiyou Co., CA Humboldt Co., CA Napa Co., CA Napa Co., CA

Picked Up 2021 R. Berreth Kyle J. Winter 2021 D. Heffner Ricardo H. Duenas 2020 S. Hooper Richard L. Valladao 2021 T. Humes James Lally 2019 R. Krueger Erik M. Matson 2020 G. Hooper Kyle R. Seals 2021 S. Nasby Saxon J. Schultz 2019 K. Evanow Garrett M. Glidden 2021 G. Hooper Timothy B. Mailliard 2021 J. Onysko Clark D. Lundeen 2021 J. Onysko

TYPICAL SITKA BLACKTAIL DEER - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 133 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 100 108 4/8 115 5/8

107 2/8 119 102 6/8 113 7/8

Prince of Allen Bolen Wales Island, AK Larsen Bay, AK Charles E. Horton III Annette Island, AK Nicholas L. Yliniemi

2020 D. Smith 2021 R. Burnham 2015 J. Baichtal

WHITETAIL DEER FINAL SCORE

GROSS SCORE

LOCATION

HUNTER

DATE

MEASURER

TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 213-5/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 160 199 1/8 205 5/8 Kansas Unknown 1990 D. Boland 192 5/8 203 4/8 Maverick Co., TX Terry C. 2020 D. Brimager

Clingingsmith II 187 3/8 211 4/8 Wisconsin Unknown 1975 D. Boland 187 2/8 193 1/8 Texas Unknown 2000 D. Boland 185 6/8 194 7/8 Portage Co., OH Kevin J. Miller 2021 E. Feron 185 194 6/8 Minnesota Unknown 1989 D. Boland 184 4/8 203 7/8 La Salle Co., TX Walter C. Cadwallader 2021 J. Stein 181 6/8 192 3/8 Kansas Unknown 1990 D. Boland 179 3/8 201 5/8 Guthrie Co., IA Collin M. Willenborg 2020 R. Bergloff 179 1/8 183 2/8 Missouri Unknown 1990 D. Boland 178 6/8 194 2/8 Webb Co., TX Unknown 1962 R. Bierstedt 178 6/8 194 5/8 Berks Co., PA Benji L. Adam 2020 C. Scott 178 5/8 184 6/8 Swift Current Tanner M. Neu 2020 A. Hill

Creek, SK 178 1/8 180 6/8 Kennebec Co., ME Richard J. Vigue 2018 A. Wentworth 176 7/8 179 South Dakota Unknown 2000 D. Boland 176 3/8 185 3/8 Buffalo Co., WI Michael E. Manske 2021 J. Lunde 176 1/8 187 4/8 Texas Unknown 2005 D. Boland 175 3/8 184 5/8 Carroll Co., IL Jeffrey A. Hartman 2020 B. Mormann 175 1/8 197 6/8 Aroostook Co., ME Jody Spiers 2005 D. Boland 174 4/8 206 6/8 Bradford Co., PA Scott D. Norton 2019 R. Kingsley 174 4/8 180 5/8 Waldo Co., ME Zachary W. Fields 2020 T.

Montgomery 174 203 4/8 Jasper Co., IL Marlin G. Seider 2019 S. Moore 173 7/8 201 4/8 Sumner Co., KS Leander W. Greene 2020 A. Austin 173 4/8 183 7/8 Manitoba Unknown 1999 D. Boland 173 179 Montgomery Co., IN Kyle L. Bowers 2019 J. Moore 172 7/8 189 7/8 Kleberg Co., TX Ronald C. Hall 2021 S. Fuchs 172 6/8 187 5/8 Idaho Unknown 1993 D. Boland 172 176 7/8 Kosciusko Co., IN Dale A. Parker 2020 S. Werstler 171 4/8 181 2/8 Alberta Unknown 1999 D. Boland 171 3/8 178 3/8 Iowa Co., WI Ryan P. Cresson 2019 A. Crum 171 1/8 194 Iowa Unknown 1990 D. Boland 171 184 7/8 Marshall Co., IN Kyle D. McAvoy 2020 R. Karczewski 171 178 1/8 Notukeu Lake, SK Russel L. Monette 2020 R. Allemand

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 71

TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER CONTINUED 171 175 3/8 Wright Co., MN

171 205 Waldo Co., ME 171 177 6/8 Coshocton Co., OH 171 191 6/8 Carroll Co., IN 171 175 1/8 Richland Co., ND 170 6/8 173 7/8 Oconto Co., WI

170 2/8 177 New Brunswick 170 2/8 198 Washington Co., MN 170 1/8 180 3/8 Muscatine Co., IA 170 1/8 190 2/8 Alberta 170 200 5/8 Iowa 169 173 2/8 Nuevo León, MX 168 4/8 175 3/8 Otoe Co., NE 167 3/8 176 4/8 Polk Co., WI 166 6/8 177 3/8 Jackson Co., MI 166 6/8 180 6/8 Carroll Co., NH 165 7/8 168 5/8 Laurens Co., GA 165 5/8 177 6/8 Butler Co., OH 163 6/8 170 4/8 LaSalle Co., IL 163 3/8 173 6/8 Jackson Co., MI 163 2/8 175 3/8 Coahoma Co., MS 162 7/8 179 2/8 Henry Co., IN 162 2/8 165 2/8 Wood Co., OH 161 4/8 166 6/8 Prince

Georges Co., MD 161 2/8 188 3/8 Anticosti Island, QC 161 1/8 168 3/8 Pike Co., KY 161 169 5/8 Coos Co., NH 160 6/8 185 2/8 Unknown 160 5/8 196 5/8 Morrison Co., MN 160 4/8 168 2/8 Nicholas Co., WV 160 2/8 167 6/8 Maverick Co., TX

Andrew P. 2021 Christensen Unknown 1990 Duane E. McElhaney 2020 Ross Larimore 2020 Trevor Krause 2021 Angelynn K. 2020 Frewerd-Grulkowski Unknown 1989 Nicole A. Frogner 2021 Andrew Chelf 2001 Picked Up 1979 Unknown 2005 Timothy R. Pask 2021 Neil T. Johnson 2018 Kenneth S. Fehlen 2021 Aidan S. Navarre 2020 Joseph B. Wasson 2020 Stevie L. Drew 2020 David L. House 2020 Randall M. Butzen 2016 Kevin D. Luke 2020 D. Caleb Poe 2021 Caleb A. Armstrong 2020 Justin Pickerel 2017 Matthew T. Houchens 2020

J. Lunde

Jonathan Pelland Cody J. Spears Corey L. Mason Unknown Anthony G. Swanson Richard F. Bailey Steve E. Holloway

A. Beaudry J. Lacefield B. Emerson J. Lunde T. Rogers G. Surber J. Stein

2021 2020 2021 2021 2021 2021 2020

D. Boland E. Robinson R. Graber J. Schneider P. Gauthier D. Boland J. Lunde D. Boland D. Boland D. Boland M. Opitz S. Cowan J. Lunde B. Hagy R. Blaisdell J. McEver R. Wood E. Randall J. Knevel W. Walters T. Wright B. Nash S. Keithley

NON-TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 333-7/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 185

TOP TO BOTTOM:

B&C Associate Jordin S. Hufstetler took this typical mule deer, scoring 187-2/8 points, in 2021 while hunting in Carbon County, Utah.

She was shooting a .300 Ultra.

In 2021, B&C Associate Walter C. Cadwallader harvested this 184-4/8-point typical whitetail deer while on a hunt in La Salle County, Texas.

This Alaska-Yukon moose, scoring 226 points, was taken by Jim Shockey while on a hunt near the Rogue River, Yukon Territory, in 2021.

72 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

275 5/8 280 3/8 Richland Parish, LA Brennan T. Morris 254 1/8 267 3/8 Dorchester Co., MD Picked Up 246 1/8 253 5/8 Franklin Co., OH Picked Up 240 6/8 250 7/8 Illinois Unknown 238 4/8 256 3/8 Iowa Unknown 232 239 5/8 Manitoba Mr. Funk 228 1/8 237 3/8 Iowa Unknown 223 7/8 228 3/8 Clinton Co., IL Edward J. Nold 221 7/8 226 5/8 Wisconsin Unknown 220 3/8 230 Leslie Co., KY John Morgan 220 227 6/8 Aroostook Co., ME Joseph Violette 217 4/8 228 7/8 Burlington Co., NJ Norman Taylor 217 2/8 222 2/8 Clarke Co., IA Ted W. Miller 216 4/8 223 3/8 Pike Co., IL Jay M. Culpepper 214 7/8 222 5/8 Indiana Picked Up 213 2/8 221 6/8 Kansas Unknown 212 2/8 218 Livingston Co., MO John S. McFadden 212 218 4/8 Saskatchewan Unknown 211 6/8 221 7/8 Texas Unknown 211 3/8 216 3/8 DeKalb Co., MO Chad D. Utt 211 3/8 219 2/8 Winnebago Co., WI Jayme R. Prey 209 5/8 222 4/8 Tuscarawas Co., OH Leo L. Keim 208 5/8 216 6/8 Edmonson Co., KY James Peterson 208 2/8 210 4/8 Illinois Unknown 208 1/8 212 5/8 Cook Co., IL Joseph Licatesi 207 6/8 214 5/8 Manitoba Unknown 207 5/8 210 4/8 Washington Co., OH Dominick B.

Omspach 207 2/8 212 5/8 Athabasca River, AB Larry L. Weishuhn 206 2/8 218 2/8 Milam Co., TX Caleb S. Melde 205 4/8 213 1/8 Ohio Unknown 205 2/8 220 2/8 Iowa Unknown 205 1/8 211 3/8 Wood Co., OH Andrew J. Caputo 204 5/8 212 3/8 Assiniboine Douglas A. Schultz

River, SK 203 3/8 205 4/8 North Travis C. Poletz

Saskatchewan River, SK 203 2/8 213 1/8 Mercer Co., OH Kenneth M. Wenning 201 7/8 209 7/8 Kleberg Co., TX Shane J. Spader 201 7/8 212 Nova Scotia Unknown

2020 2005 2021 1995 1989 1998 2010 2020 1995 2007 1936 1945 2020 2020 2018 1989 2020 1997 1973 2020 2021 2019 1980 1999 1998 2000 2021

J. Hanks R. Newman R. Huffman D. Boland D. Boland D. Boland D. Boland J. Mraz D. Boland D. Boland D. Boland J. Pierson G. Salow C. Neill D. Boland D. Boland T. Lake D. Boland R. Bierstedt J. Martin A. Sternagel R. Pepper D. Boland D. Boland D. Boland D. Boland R. Huffman

2019 2019 2007 1998 2021 2021

J. Baker G. Pleasant D. Boland D. Boland B. Nash R. Soyka

2021 D. Pezderic 2020 W. Baker 2020 S. Fuchs 1999 D. Boland

NON-TYPICAL WHITETAIL DEER CONTINUED 200 6/8 203 7/8 200 3/8 209 7/8 199 4/8 208 7/8

199 4/8 211 199 2/8 208 7/8 199 203 4/8 199 205 6/8 198 7/8 202 7/8 198 3/8 208 5/8 198 2/8 213 6/8 198 1/8 217 2/8 197 2/8 207 5/8 196 7/8 209 1/8 196 2/8 200 7/8 196 1/8 203 4/8 195 6/8 199 7/8 195 2/8 202 1/8 195 2/8 198 7/8 193 6/8 197 4/8 192 1/8 195 5/8 191 4/8 198 6/8 190 3/8 194 4/8 190 2/8 198 4/8 190 1/8 202 7/8 186 6/8 188 5/8 185 2/8 191 185 1/8 196 5/8

Saskatchewan Wilkin Co., MN Montgomery Co., OH Hopkins Co., KY Miami Co., IN Little Loon Lake, SK Maverick Co., TX New Brunswick Kansas Texas Miami Co., OH Missouri Illinois, IL Darke Co., OH Tompkins Co., NY Biggar, SK Lee Co., IL Missouri Soda Lake, SK Ontario Co., NY Buffalo Co., WI Adair Co., MO Bath Co., KY Guernsey Co., OH Brazos Co., TX Licking Co., OH Hughes Co., OK

Otto Lee 1958 D. Boland Lance R. Leinen 2020 J. Zins Thomas S. Lindsay II 2020 M. Hentrick Ricky W. Daugherty Picked Up Garnet D. Funk Steve E. Holloway Unknown Unknown Unknown Benjamin R. Hetzler Unknown Unknown Austin J. Bruner Robert D. Straw Kyle M. Pickett David G. Spohn Unknown Kevin D. Kohlert Paul F. Sinack Lucas W. Karls Nathan S. Kelsey Douglas W. Kauffman Picked Up George S. Paterson Danielle T. Thomas Shawn R. Boyd

2021 2020 2021 2021 1993 1995 1973 2018 1995 1999 2019 2020 2020 2020 1995 2021 2020 2021 2020 2021 2019 2020 2021 2017

K. Morphew R. Graber B. Seidle J. Stein D. Boland D. Boland R. Bierstedt W. Baker D. Boland D. Boland W. Baker M. Cooper D. Pezderic A. Shofner D. Boland H. Dreger D. Briggs M. Miller R. Garver J. Creamer R. Huffman B. Lambert M. Olson G. Moore

TOP TO BOTTOM:

This non-typical whitetail deer, scoring 207-2/8 points, was taken

by B&C Professional Member Larry L. Weishuhn while on a hunt near the Athabasca River in Alberta, in 2019. He was shooting a .300 Winchester Mag. In 2021, Daniel T. Farrow harvested this 189-2/8-point Canada moose while bowhunting in Essex County, Vermont.

Douglas R. Bode took this Shiras' moose, scoring 157 points, in 2020 while hunting in Grand County, Colorado. He was shooting a .50 Cal. muzzleloader.

TYPICAL COUES' WHITETAIL DEER - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 144 1/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 100 116 4/8 123 6/8 Sonora, MX R. James Molina 113 5/8 115 6/8 Sonora, MX Raymond E. Axner 107 2/8 117 7/8 Catron Co., NM Devin U. Beck 103 5/8 111 1/8 Sonora, MX Anthony J. Caligiuri 103 5/8 112 Pima Co., AZ Keith R. Johnson

2021 2021 2021 2017 2020

R. Tone S. Boero P. Dalrymple R. McPherren P. Dalrymple

NON-TYPICAL COUES' WHITETAIL DEER - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 196-2/8

116 5/8

120 7/8

Santa Cruz Co., AZ

MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 105

Gregory W. Garde

2020 R. Tone

HUNTER

DATE

MOOSE AND CARIBOU FINAL SCORE

GROSS SCORE

LOCATION

MEASURER

CANADA MOOSE - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 242 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 185 211 6/8 219 3/8 Williston Lake, BC Larry R. Ford 2021 R. Berreth 209 212 7/8 Stikine River, BC Mike C. Bruns 2021 L. Verbaas 189 2/8 200 2/8 Essex Co., VT Daniel T. Farrow 2021 C. Smiley 187 1/8 197 2/8 Iosegun Lake, AB Gary J. de Jong 2020 D.

Bromberger

ALASKA-YUKON MOOSE - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 266-4/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 210 239 1/8 244 1/8 237 2/8 242 5/8 233 4/8 238 3/8 227 2/8 236 5/8 226 233 1/8 224 5/8 226 5/8 221 4/8 226 4/8

221 4/8 224 2/8 220 4/8 228 3/8

211 5/8 220 3/8

Fortymile River, AK Kokwok River, AK Yukon River, AK Unalakleet River, AK Rogue River, YT Innoko River, AK Kuskokwim River, AK Alaska Range, AK Lower Yukon River, AK Huslia River, AK

Paul D. Bulawa Peter F. Barsargin Jeffrey T. Sterner Michael L. Edwards Jim Shockey Donald R. Corrigan Kylee A. Renken

2019 2021 2019 2021 2021 2021 2021

Dean U. Thibodeau Jeffrey R. McCrary

2020 P. Nelson 2020 T. Rozewski

Adam Weatherby

2020 G. English

SHIRAS’ MOOSE - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 205-4/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 140 187 4/8 187 4/8 173 5/8 167 2/8 165 4/8 164 6/8 160 7/8 160 3/8

188 6/8 192 3/8 177 6/8 172 6/8 168 3/8 166 7/8 165 1/8 162 1/8

Teton Co., WY Franklin Co., ID Madison Co., MT Glacier Co., MT Idaho Co., ID Larimer Co., CO Shoshone Co., ID Grand Co., CO

Picked Up Raymond Wheeler Derald D. Ross, Jr. Rodney R. Gervais Martin Desapio Thomas J. Diesing Jacob W. Koski Larry Dominguez

C. Brent D. Poole D. Ehrig F. King F. Pringle R. Novosad T. Spraker

2000 1932 2021 2020 2021 2021 2020 2021

L. Gorchesky D. Boland F. King L. Coccoli K. Lehr E. Lowery P. Gardner J. Legnard

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 73

SHIRAS’ MOOSE CONTINUED 159 1/8 166 4/8 Teton Co., MT R. Craig Madsen 2020 F. King 158 1/8 163 3/8 Larimer Co., CO Alexander G. 2021 B. Smith

Rodriguez 157 5/8 160 7/8 Cache Co., UT Matthew C. Peterson 2021 D. Nielsen 157 159 Grand Co., CO Douglas R. Bode 2020 L. Guldman 155 6/8 163 4/8 Park Co., CO Michael J. Pucherelli 2021 J. Legnard 155 5/8 162 1/8 Sanders Co., MT Joe S. Vanderburg 2021 D. Conrad 142 2/8 146 2/8 Ferry Co., WA Carlee J. Burgin 2019 D. Sanford

MOUNTAIN CARIBOU - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 459-3/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 360 407 399 5/8 397 2/8 394 3/8

428 2/8 415 2/8 409 1/8 409 5/8

Cassiar Mts., BC Arctic Red River, NT Cranswick River, NT Stoneaxe Lake, YT

Jared Radsma Greg B. Buck John N. Stainton Alan W. Dabb

2020 2019 2021 2020

F. Pringle D. McBride L. Rayment R. Wiens

WOODLAND CARIBOU - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 419-5/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 265 370 3/8 313

375 1/8 328 3/8

Sam’s Pond, NL Jeffrey T. Hubbard Buchans Plateau, NL Lloyd W. Schaut

2021 G. Surber 2021 P. Gauthier

BARREN GROUND CARIBOU - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 477 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 375 407 7/8 417 1/8 390 3/8 402 4/8

Alaska Range, AK Kenai Mts., AK

Charles K. Kahahawai 2021 R. Deis Eric F. Hershey 2015 G. BeVan

HORNED GAME FINAL SCORE

GROSS SCORE

LOCATION

HUNTER

DATE

MEASURER

PRONGHORN - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 96-4/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 80 95 6/8 89 88 2/8 86 6/8 86 2/8 85 6/8 85 4/8 85 84 6/8 84 6/8 84 2/8 83 6/8 82 6/8 82 4/8 82 4/8 82 4/8

97 2/8 90 4/8 88 6/8 87 87 3/8 87 86 7/8 85 6/8 85 5/8 86 2/8 85 1/8 84 1/8 83 3/8 83 7/8 83 4/8 84 1/8

Grant Co., NM Luna Co., NM Socorro Co., NM Bingham Co., ID Fremont Co., WY Natrona Co., WY Elko Co., NV Carbon Co., WY Las Animas Co., CO Lincoln Co., WY Lassen Co., CA Coconino Co., AZ Lake Co., OR Torrance Co., NM Lander Co., NV Lewis and Clark Co., MT 82 2/8 82 5/8 Chaves Co., NM 82 82 5/8 Modoc Co., CA 82 82 6/8 Carbon Co., WY 81 4/8 82 1/8 Sublette Co., WY 81 81 7/8 Lincoln Co., WY 81 82 4/8 Bitter Lake, SK 80 6/8 81 2/8 Garfield Co., MT 80 4/8 82 Cassia Co., ID 80 4/8 81 2/8 Weld Co., CO 80 4/8 80 6/8 Fremont Co., WY 80 2/8 83 2/8 Lake Co., OR

Peter Gallo Brad DeSaye Garland E. Sawyers Hailey E. Pratt Bryant J. Jones Eli A. Grimmett John R. Sustacha Brian J. Strachota Mystee D. Pryor Melvin C. Rising David E. Evanow Darren McDowell Wesley T. Hall John C. Vanko Wade E. Walls Jay Sherley

2019 2021 2021 2021 2020 2006 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2019 2021 2021 2020

R. Stayner R. Stayner R. Stayner R. Atwood K. Balfourd R. Stayner L. Clark M. Miller E. Stanosheck M. Cupell K. Evanow R. Grace H. Wilson R. Stayner J. Knevel J. Reneau

James E. Schmid Stephen D. George Larry S. Hicks Justin Furse Eric B. Pickard Jeffrey M. Chinski Daniel J. Schwab Alberto Hernandez Joe Bradley Aidan A. Peters Bryce Purtzer

2021 2016 2021 2021 2021 2020 2021 2020 2021 2021 2020

R. Stayner K. Evanow B. Wilkes R. Stayner R. Stahl K. Kozij K. Lehr B. Penske P. Farni D. Pawlicki T. Rozewski

BISON - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 136-4/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 115 125 125 6/8 115 6/8 116 3/8

Garfield Co., UT Thomas V. Hatch Uintah and David F. Myrup Ouray Reservation, UT

2019 B. Christensen 2008 B. Capes

TOP TO BOTTOM:

ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 57-4/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE

Jared Radsma took this mountain caribou, scoring 407 points, in 2020 while hunting in the Cassiar Mountains in British Columbia. He was shooting a .300 Winchester Short Mag.

54 54 1/8 52 4/8 52 5/8 52 2/8 53

52 52 3/8 50 2/8 50 3/8 50 2/8 50 2/8 50 2/8 50 7/8 49 2/8 49 6/8 48 6/8 49 1/8 47 6/8 48

This barren ground caribou, scoring 407-7/8 points, was taken by B&C Associate Charles K. Kahahawai while hunting in the Alaska Range in Alaska, in 2021.

In 2008, B&C Lifetime Associate David F. Myrup harvested this 115-6/8-point bison while on the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in Utah.

He was shooting a .50 Cal. muzzleloader.

74 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

Wallowa Co., OR Utah Co., UT Revillagigedo Island, AK Skeena River, BC Yellow Lake, BC Carbon Co., MT Flathead Co., MT Lincoln Co., MT Gallatin Co., MT Cascade Creek, AK

Brent R. Glidden Kevin S. Koss Jimmy C. Sites

2021 H. Wilson 2021 B. Capes 2020 B. Layton

Nolan Osborne Alan D. Brimacombe Shawn M. Mains Trevor W. Motichka Bradley W. Seyfert Skyler T. Douma Kimberly K. Hanisch

2019 2020 2021 2021 2015 2020 2021

R. Wiens B. Ryll B. Zundel C. Wenger K. Vaughn F. King S. Kleinsmith

TOP TO BOTTOM:

This pronghorn, scoring 80-2/8 points, was taken by Bryce Purtzer while hunting in Lake County, Oregon, in 2020. He was shooting a 7mm Remington Mag. Jimmy C. Sites took this Rocky Mountain goat, scoring 52-2/8 points, in 2020 while on a hunt on Revillagigedo Island, Alaska.

MORE TO THE SCORE You wouldn’t know it by looking at this photo, but when Virginian Jeff Hubbard woke up to hunt this woodland caribou in late October, the wind was screaming at 80 mph, blowing the snow sideways. He was the only hunter to leave camp that day. “I had a warm fire, biscuits and gravy, and hot coffee in camp. And I’m asking myself why I was going to go out in this,” he says. The guide said the bulls would be moving, and he was right. Hubbard bellycrawled 220 yards, but when he got into range, the snow from his frozen beard had melted onto his scope, filling the ocular lens with water. He frantically wiped it clean and made a great shot on this Newfoundland woodland caribou, which is the ninth largest in the records. Wearing his grandfather’s wool hat from 1958 and his dad’s flannel shirt, Hubbard was elated. “It’s one of those trips my dad and grandfather always wanted to do, but they never got a chance to go,” he says. After the shot, the sun came out for literally 10 minutes— just long enough to snap this great field photo.

B&C SCORE: 370-3/8 points

Hubbard's caribou is the largest woodland caribou to be entered in the 31st Big Game Awards Program.

Jimmy C. Sites

LOCATION: Sam’s Pond, Newfoundland YEAR TAKEN: 2021 HUNTER: Jeffrey T. Hubbard

Read more online.

FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 75

ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT CONTINUED 47 6/8 48 3/8 47 2/8 47 3/8

47 2/8 47 3/8

Spatsizi River, BC Lake George Glacier, AK Utah Co., UT

Stuart J. Farnsworth 2021 F. King Frank S. Noska IV 2021 C. Brent Tracy L. Otterness

2021 B. Capes

MUSK OX - PENDING WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 130-4/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 105 130 4/8 119 107 6/8 106 6/8 105 2/8

131 3/8 119 6/8 110 2/8 108 6/8 106 1/8

Aylmer Lake, NT Contwoyto Lake, NU Cape Corwin, AK Nunivak Island, AK Nunivak Island, AK

Alex M. Therrien J. Douglas Giffin Alexandru S. Bias Casey L. Dinkel Thomas C. Manning

2020 2019 2020 2021 2021

D. Bromberger J. Kinsey D. Poole C. Brent T. Boudreau

BIGHORN SHEEP - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 216 -4/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 175 194 5/8 190 189 187 184 7/8 183 2/8 182 7/8 181 7/8 181 2/8 180 4/8 180 3/8 176 3/8 176

196 191 189 4/8 187 3/8 185 2/8 184 4/8 183 5/8 182 3/8 181 3/8 181 5/8 180 4/8 176 7/8 176 2/8

Wallowa Co., OR Blaine Co., MT Chouteau Co., MT Nez Perce Co., ID El Paso Co., CO Taos Co., NM Pennington Co., SD Chouteau Co., MT Fergus Co., MT Chouteau Co., MT Las Animas Co., CO Chouteau Co., MT Owyhee Co., ID

Henry G. Raats Robert E. Wahl III Barrett L. Haugan Shelly D. Sayer Picked Up Alicia E. Rock Christopher W. Lane David L. McKay Jesse R. Ott Jared T. Wiltse Anthony J. Caligiuri Daniel J. Weigand Brian N. Beisher

2021 2021 2020 2021 2020 2021 2020 2021 2021 2021 2020 2021 2021

V. Trujillo F. King K. Balfourd R. Atwood R. Long S. Kirkland M. Mauney H. Wilson B. Zundel K. Lehr R. McPherren F. King G. Mefford

DESERT SHEEP - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 205-1/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 165 180 2/8 180 4/8 Coahuila, MX Anthony J. Caligiuri 2018 R. McPherren 179 6/8 180 1/8 Dona Ana Co., NM Tayne A. Peterson 2020 B. Ward 179 3/8 179 5/8 Sonora, MX Timothy J. Vance 2020 F. Noska 174 174 2/8 Sonora, MX Kenneth W. Boedeker 2017 J. Newport 173 7/8 174 4/8 Coahuila, MX Anthony J. Caligiuri 2017 R. McPherren 173 7/8 174 1/8 Sonora, MX Kenneth S. Jackson 2017 J. Newport 173 1/8 174 1/8 Yuma Co., AZ Jamie VanderPoel 2020 J. Bugni 168 1/8 169 5/8 Esmeralda Co., NV Ronald R. Ricks 2018 L. Clark 167 6/8 168 3/8 Brewster Co., TX Brenton L. Scott 2021 J. Legnard

DALL’S SHEEP - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 189 6/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 160 172 2/8 165 4/8 164 3/8

172 6/8 165 6/8 165 1/8

Chugach Mts., AK Skookum Mt., YT Charley River, AK

Kevin T. Klumper Seth S. Carey Frank S. Noska IV

2021 S. Kline 2021 C. Walker 2021 C. Brent

STONE'S SHEEP - WORLD’S RECORD SCORE 196-6/8 - MINIMUM ENTRY SCORE 160 175 3/8 172 3/8 170 3/8

175 6/8 172 6/8 170 7/8

Richards Creek, BC Anthony J. Caligiuri Prophet River, BC Kevin T. Klumper Prophet River, BC Jordan Olson

2018 R. McPherren 2017 M. Conci 2020 R. Wiens

TOP TO BOTTOM:

In 2021, Robert E. Wahl III harvested this 190-point bighorn sheep while hunting in Blaine County, Montana. He was shooting a 7mm Short Action Ultra Magnum.

This desert sheep, scoring 173-1/8 points, was taken by Jamie VanderPoel while hunting in Yuma County, Arizona, in 2020. She was shooting a 6.5-284 Norma.

RIGHT:

B&C Regular Member Anthony J. Caligiuri took this Stone's sheep, scoring 175-3/8 points, in 2018 while hunting near Richards Creek, British Columbia. He was shooting a .300 Winchester Mag.

76 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

Share your field photos with us! @BooneAndCrockettClub #BooneAndCrockettClub

THE ALL-NEW

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FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 77

CAUGHT ON CAMERA TR A IL CA MER A PHOTOS FROM BOONE A ND CROCK ET T CLUB’S THEODOR E ROOSEV ELT MEMOR I A L R A NCH Dupuyer, Montana

watch the videos online

TRAIL CAMERA PHOTOS © 2021 THE UNIVERSIT Y OF MONTANA

78 FAIR CH A S E | S UM M ER 2022

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www.elkhorncoffeeroasters.com FAIR CHASE | S U MME R 2 0 2 2 79

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50 Yards/2750 fps Bullet upsets captured from 200-grain 300 Win. Magnum load, P300WTA1

400 Yards/2350 fps

1050 Yards/1660 fps

1250 Yards/1480 fps

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