September 24, 2010
890 Rocky Mountain hunters will be awarded Boone & Crockett distinction at the 27th Big Game Awards
MISSOULA, Mont.--Across North America, Boone and Crockett trophy entries have risen 400 percent over the past 30 years, including almost 3,000 entries in the past three years alone. This striking upward trend shows wild, free ranging, trophy animals are more plentiful today than ever before--a tribute to modern conservation and management programs.
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The Rocky Mountain States are a contributor to this continental upswing in trophy production.
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In fact, when the Boone and Crockett Club publishes its upcoming 27th Big Game Awards Book, which will list trophy-class big game specimens taken from Jan. 1, 2007, through Dec. 31, 2009, The Rocky Mountain States will be represented by 890 (Wyoming 205, Montana 142, Colorado 127, Arizona of those nearly 3,000 total entries.
From that giant collection of trophies, the Top 5 specimens from each recognized species and category are being invited to appear in a free public exhibition of world-class antlers, horns, and mounted specimens. This triennial event, the Boone and Crockett Club 27th Big Game Awards, is slated for the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nev., June 22-26, 2010.
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InterMedia Outdoors, publisher of Rocky Mountain Game and Fish, is a sponsor of the event.
"Our exhibition is a tradition that dates back to 1947. That's when we began inviting the public to see the trophies that B&C honors as symbols of conservation success, as well as the hunters that we acknowledge for achievement under the highest tenets of fair chase and hunting ethics," said Eldon Buckner of the Boone and Crockett Club.
This year's ceremony, for the first time, will also honor hunters 16-years-old and under who've entered a trophy into Boone and Crockett's records during the past three years--and there were an amazing 74 of these successful youths in the awards period.
Boone and Crockett Club recognizes 30 hunted big-game categories, including bear (four categories: Alaska brown, black, grizzly, and polar), bison, caribou (five categories: barren ground, central Canada barren ground, mountain, Quebec-Labrador, and woodland), cougar, deer (five categories: Columbia blacktail, Coues' whitetail, mule, Sitka blacktail and whitetail), elk (three categories: American, Roosevelt's and tule), moose (three categories: Alaska-Yukon, Canada, Shiras'), musk ox, pronghorn, Rocky Mountain goat, sheep (four categories: bighorn, desert, Dall's, and Stone's), and Pacific walrus.
Six categories of antlered game are classified as either typical or non-typical.
Here are the Rocky Mountain regions top trophy entries for each species and type taken from Jan. 1, 2007, through Dec. 31, 2009. Listings marked with an asterisk (if any) indicate an overall Top 5 specimen invited to appear at the Boone and Crockett Club awards event in Reno:
ARIZONA COUES' WHITETAIL (TYPICAL)
COUES' WHITETAIL (NON-TYPICAL)
AMERICAN ELK (TYPICAL) 413 2/8Coconino, AZ William R. Dandy Eric Olson 2008
AMERICAN ELK (NON-TYPICAL) 441 3/8 Navajo, AZ William H. Junell 2008 *
MULE DEER (TYPICAL) 203 3/8 Mohave, AZ Michael J. O'Brien 2008
MULE DEER (NON-TYPICAL) 262 4/8 Coconino, AZ Jason G. Carter 2007 *
BLACK BEAR 22 6/16 Gila, AZ Adam R. Powers 2009
COUGAR 15 Apache, AZ Todd Kokaly Bill Brown 2007
PRONGHORN 91 6/8 Coconino, AZ Reid Rush 2008 *90 4/8 Coconino, AZ Jack K. Himes 2007 *
BIGHORN 194 3/8 Greenlee, AZ Edward L. Turner 2007
DESERT BIGHORN 178 7/8 Pima, AZ Sarah Dawe 2007
BISON 125 Coconino, AZ Patrick Cooley 2007
COLORADO WHITETAIL (TYPICAL) 173 3/8 Prowers, CO Kathryn K. Sanner 2007
AMERICAN ELK (TYPICAL) 400 4/8 San Miguel, CO Dillon Z. Sanders 2007
MULE DEER (TYPICAL) 203 Montrose, CO Kenneth W. Canterbury 2008
MULE DEER (NON-TYPICAL) 306 3/8 Douglas, CO Kyle Lopez 2007 *
BLACK BEAR 22 9/16 Mesa, CO Donald W. Foster 2007
COUGAR 15 10/16 Rio Blanco, CO Greg Wisener 2008 *
PRONGHORN 86 Park, CO Norman S. Cavanaugh 2009
BIGHORN 189 6/8 Huerfano, CO Douglas L. Weller 2007
SHIRAS' MOOSE 182 2/8 Larimer, CO Rylan Rudebusch 2007 *
ROCK MOUNTAIN GOAT 51 2/8 Clear Creek, CO Donald E. Perrien 2007
IDAHO WHITETAIL (TYPICAL) 170 4/8 Shoshone, ID George F. Bourgeois III 2007
AMERICAN ELK (TYPICAL) 375 1/8 Bear Lake, ID Friend C. Estus 2007
AMERICAN ELK (NON-TYPICAL) 398 Cassia, ID K.C. A. Ramsey 2008
MULE DEER (TYPICAL) 190 4/8 Shoshone, ID Justin W. Wilbur 2007
MULE DEER (NON-TYPICAL) 249 6/8 Bonneville, ID James C. Smith 2007
COUGAR 15 14/16 Idaho, ID Rod E. Bradley 2007 *
PRONGHORN 84 6/8 Blaine, ID Robert L. Hartwig 2008
BIGHORN 184 7
/8 Nez Perce, ID Tamara M. Coleman 2008
SHIRAS' MOOSE 178 Caribou, ID Susan A. Remer Shappart 2007 *
MONTANA WHITETAIL (TYPICAL) 165 1/8 Rosebud, MT Patrick J. Bannon 2007
WHITETAIL (NON-TYPICAL) 195 3/8 Valley, MT Sue A. Kinney 2008
AMERICAN ELK (TYPICAL) 391 6/8 Big Horn, MT Salvatore Blancato 2008
AMERICAN ELK (NON-TYPICAL) 407 7/8 Custer, MT Timothy M. Donnelly 2008
MULE DEER (TYPICAL) 196 1/8 Missoula, MT Brink W. Kuchenbrod 2007
BLACK BEAR 20 2/16 Gallatin, MT Steve R. Kuchinsky 2008
COUGAR 15 8/16 Lincoln, MT Mel K. Siefke 2008
PRONGHORN 87 6/8 Carter, MT Patrick R. Hansen 2008
BIGHORN 204 2/8 Fergus, MT Toni L. Sannon 2008 *
SHIRAS' MOOSE 160 7/8 Beaverhead, MT Kurt D. Rued 2007
ROCK MOUNTAIN GOAT 52 Chouteau, MT David J. Muckey 2007
BISON 120 Big Horn, MT John L. Lundin 2008
NEVADA AMERICAN ELK (TYPICAL) 397 6/8 Lincoln, NV Brandon L. Fordin 2007
AMERICAN ELK (NON-TYPICAL) 386 6/8 White Pine, NV Garth Carter 2008
MULE DEER (TYPICAL) 191 4/8 Lincoln, NV Kaylee C. Teel 2008
MULE DEER (NON-TYPICAL) 221 5/8 Lincoln, NV Tyler D. Kearney 2007
COUGAR 14 10/16 Washoe, NV Todd D. Hoftiezer 2008
PRONGHORN 88 4/8 Humboldt, NV Maria A. Gaspari-Crawford 2007
BIGHORN 196 Elko, NV William R. Balsi, Sr. 2009
DESERT BIGHORN 182 2/8 Nye, NV Joseph L. Maslach 2008 *
ROCK MOUNTAIN GOAT 53 4/8 Elko, NV Don J. Dees 2007 *
NEW MEXICO COUES' WHITETAIL (TYPICAL) 114 Hidalgo, NM Roger A. Roan 2007
AMERICAN ELK (TYPICAL) 376 5/8 Catron, NM Debra A. Jameson 2007
AMERICAN ELK (NON-TYPICAL) 403 6/8 Mora, NM Zane T. Streater 2008
MULE DEER (TYPICAL) 203 2/8 Rio Arriba, NM Rod Pinkett 2007
MULE DEER (NON-TYPICAL) 241 3/8 Rio Arriba, NM John J. Gisi 2008
COUGAR 15 5/16 Rio Arriba, NM James S. Davis 2009
PRONGHORN 90 4/8 Otero, NM Donald E. Perrien 2008 *
BIGHORN 184 2/8 Taos, NM Greg A. Strait 2009
UTAH AMERICAN ELK (TYPICAL) 397 4/8 San Juan, UT Kelly L. Beckstead 2007
AMERICAN ELK (NON-TYPICAL) 478 5/8 Piute, UT Denny Austad 2008 *
MULE DEER (TYPICAL) 209 Garfield, UT Del R. Brady 2008 *
MULE DEER (NON-TYPICAL) 238 6/8 Emery, UT Guy C. Webster 2007
BLACK BEAR 21 Garfield, UT Merlynn K. Jones 2007
COUGAR 14 15/16 Utah, UT Robert M. Heiner, Jr. 2008
PRONGHORN 83 6/8 Carbon, UT Boyd R. Roberts 2007
BIGHORN 193 4/8 Uintah, UT Mike Kemery 2007
DESERT BIGHORN 168 Garfield, UT Paul C. Anderson 2008
SHIRAS' MOOSE 173 1/8 Weber, UT Lawrence M. Kochevar 2007
ROCK MOUNTAIN GOAT 51 Summit, UT James N. McDonald 2007
BISON 121 4/8 Grand, UT Mike Coelho 2008
WYOMING WHITETAIL (TYPICAL) 167 6/8 Natrona, WY Darrell R. Hartsell 2007
WHITETAIL (NON-TYPICAL) 196 6/8 Goshen, WY Joseph M. Mladenik 2007
AMERICAN ELK (TYPICAL) 386 Johnson, WY Charlie Carter 2008
AMERICAN ELK (NON-TYPICAL) 413 6/8 Sheridan, WY Gary D. Schock 2008
MULE DEER (TYPICAL) 196 4/8 Lincoln, WY Jack T. Kendall 2009
MULE DEER (NON-TYPICAL) 243 6/8 Wyoming Unknown William D. Lancaster 2008
BLACK BEAR 20 10/16 Teton, WY James J. Farmer 2009
COUGAR 15 Carbon, WY Dean R. Parker 2007
PRONGHORN 91 2/8 Natrona, WY Michael J. Wheeler 2008 *
BIGHORN 182 1/8 Park, WY Susan B. Smith 2007
SHIRAS' MOOSE 171 Teton, WY David F. Bishop 2008
BISON 133 2/8 Teton, WY Edward D. Riekens, Jr. 2007 *
"The states and provinces on this list are producing the best of the best right now. Boone and Crockett records are an indicator of habitat quality and on-the-ground performance of conservation and management programs, so we congratulate these respective wildlife agencies and hold up their work as a model for the 21st Century," said Buckner.
About the Boone and Crockett 27th Big Game Awards As a testament to the success of our systems of conservation and game management, the Boone and Crockett Club recognizes outstanding examples of native North American big game and tho se fair chase sportsmen and sportswomen who have participated in these systems at the Club's Triennial Big Game Awards programs.
The event starts with a free public exhibition featuring the top 5 records book trophies in 36 categories from across North America that were entered and accepted between 2007 and 2009 plus a variety of seminars, other exhibits, and awards presentation banquet. The 27th Big Game Awards, hosted by the Boone and Crockett and InterMedia Outdoors, is set for June 24-26, 2010, in Reno, Nev.
This tradition of celebrating excellence in public wildlife managed by state, provincial, and federal agencies on behalf of its citizens dates back to 1947 and is cause for celebration. The Boone and Crockett Club is annually receives four times the number of records book qualifying trophies today than it did 30 years ago. This means wild, free ranging, trophy-class animals are more plentiful today than ever before.
The Boone and Crockett system of scoring big game trophies originated in 1906 as means of recording details on species thought to be disappearing because of rampant habitat loss and unregulated market and subsistence hunting. Science-based conservation efforts led and funded by license-buying hunters brought those species from vanishing to flourishing. Boone and Crockett records remain a classic gauge of the success of habitat and management programs. In addition to its prestigious history and tradition, the Boone and Crockett Club's scoring system is strongly associated with the highest tenets of fair chase and hunting ethics.
Registered attendees can also enjoy raffles; an auction featuring top quality hunts in top trophy regions across the continent, and an awards banquet and ceremony on June 26.To learn more visit www.biggameawards.com
