Boone and Crockett Club Exhibition of North America's Top Trophies Set for Reno

A celebration of conservation, hunting and extraordinary big game trophies is set for June 24-26, 2010, in Reno, Nev. Hosted by the Boone and Crockett Club, the event is a free public exhibition of world-class antlers, horns and mounted specimens from across North America.

Free attractions include displays of Top 5 trophies taken during the past three years in 36 categories of native North American big game species, plus a variety of seminars and exhibits.

Registered attendees also can enjoy raffles, an auction featuring hunts in top trophy regions across the continent and an awards banquet and ceremony on June 26.

The entire triennial event, the Boone and Crockett Club 27th Big Game Awards, is slated for the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno.

For registration and more event information, visit www.biggameawards.com.

“This tradition dates back to 1947. That’s when Boone and Crockett Club began inviting the public to see the trophies that we honor as symbols of the world’s most successful model for wildlife conservation,” said Eldon Buckner, chairman of the Club’s Records of North American Big Game Committee.

“The exciting fact is that we are receiving four times the trophy entries that we received 30 years ago. This means wild, free ranging, trophy class animals are more plentiful today than ever before. And that is a tribute to those who manage our wildlife and the sportsmen who participate in that management,” added Buckner.

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 hunting. Science-based conservation efforts led and funded by license-buying hunters brought those species from vanishing to flourishing.

Major outdoor news outlets are picking up on this conservation success story. InterMedia Outdoors, which owns Sportsman Channel and several publications including Petersen’s Hunting, is the Boone and Crockett Club’s media partner for the event.

“InterMedia Outdoors is proud to be a part of this story about conservation success and history,” said Jeff Paro, president of InterMedia. “We want to make sure our audience of avid sportsmen and women know about this celebration and the critical role they have played in the most successful wildlife management system in the world.”

Boone and Crockett records remain a classic gauge of habitat and management programs.

In addition to its prestigious history and tradition, the Boone and Crockett scoring system is strongly associated with the highest tenets of fair chase and hunting ethics.


About the Boone and Crockett Club
Founded by Theodore Roosevelt in 1887, the Boone and Crockett Club promotes guardianship and visionary management of big game and associated wildlife in North America. The Club maintains the highest standards of fair-chase sportsmanship and habitat stewardship. Member accomplishments include protecting Yellowstone and establishing Glacier and Denali national parks, founding the National Forest Service, National Park Service and National Wildlife Refuge System, fostering the Pittman-Robertson and Lacey Acts, creating the Federal Duck Stamp program, and developing the cornerstones of modern game laws. The Boone and Crockett Club is headquartered in Missoula, Mont. For details, visit www.boone-crockett.org

North America’s Hottest Trophy Areas

MISSOULA, Mont.-Which areas of North America have produced the most Boone and Crockett trophies so far in the new millennium?

With appearances in 9 categories of big game species and subspecies, Alaska is tops and easily guessed. Longtime trophy mainstays like Colorado for mule deer and Montana for bighorn sheep also remain at their lofty spots. But even the most discerning hunter might be surprised at other states on the list.

Illinois, for example, is out to a big jump on record-class whitetail deer. Utah is the new pistol-hot destination for monster elk. Nevada has emerged as No. 1 for desert sheep and, amazingly, also makes the list for trophy mountain goats.

"Boone and Crockett records have always been a classic indicator of habitat quality and on-the-ground performance of conservation and management programs. The states and provinces on this list are the best of the best right now," said Eldon Buckner, chairman of the Boone and Crockett Club's Records of North American Big Game Committee. "We congratulate these respective wildlife agencies and hold up their work as a model for conservation and game management in the 21st Century."

Here are the top 3 trophy producing areas, by type. The number in parentheses is actual entries into Boone and Crockett records (typical and non-typical combined, where applicable) since 2000.

Bear
Alaska brown-Alaska (195), n/a, n/a
Black-Wisconsin (238), Pennsylvania (118), Alaska (97)
Grizzly-Alaska (88), British Columbia (50), Yukon Territory (5)

Bison-South Dakota (42), Wyoming (36), Utah (17)

Caribou
Barren ground-Alaska (55), Yukon Territory (8), n/a
Central Canada barren ground-Northwest Territories (74), Manitoba (19), Newfoundland (1)
Mountain-British Columbia (48), Northwest Territories (44), Yukon Territory (29)
Quebec-Labrador-Quebec (113), Newfoundland (10), n/a
Woodland-Newfoundland (89), n/a, n/a

Cougar-Idaho (36), Alberta (31), Colorado (31), Montana (31)

Deer
Columbia blacktail-California (155), Oregon (76), Washington (20)
Coues' whitetail-Mexico (117), Arizona (60), New Mexico (6)
Mule-Colorado (234), Saskatchewan (88), Wyoming (67)
Sitka blacktail-Alaska (54), n/a, n/a
Whitetail-Illinois (523), Wisconsin (442), Iowa (339)

Elk
American-Utah (120), Arizona (86), Montana (47)
Roosevelt's-Oregon (54), California (50), British Columbia (19)
Tule-California (28), n/a, n/a

Moose
Alaska-Yukon-Alaska (158), Yukon Territory (30), Northwest Territories (7)
Canada-British Columbia (117), Maine (39), Alberta (25)
Shiras'-Wyoming (84), Idaho (70), Montana (62)

Muskox-Nunavut (56), Alaska (34), Northwest Territories (31)
Pronghorn-Wyoming (339), New Mexico (207), Nevada (102)
Rocky Mountain goat-British Columbia (107), Alaska (52), Nevada (24)

Sheep
Bighorn-Montana (220), Alberta (32), Oregon (29)
Dall's-Alaska (59), Northwest Territories (26), Yukon Territory (20)
Desert-Nevada (61), Arizona (53), Mexico (41)
Stone's-British Columbia (30), Yukon Territory (4), n/a

Walrus
Atlantic-Nunavut (2), n/a, n/a
Pacific-Alaska (11), n/a, n/a

Complete Internet access to the Boone and Crockett Club's trophy records database is available via subscription to Trophy Search. Records from 1830 to the present may be searched by species, locations, years and more. An annual subscription is $50 (Boone and Crockett Club members receive a discount). Order at www.boone-crockett.org or by calling 888-840-4868.

New Pipeline Delivers Water to Arizona Elk Country

MISSOULA, Mont.—Elk and other wildlife on the parched Arizona landscape now have six new, reliable watering sources thanks to a landmark pipeline project spearheaded by the Arizona Game and Fish Department and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The partly buried 1½-inch pipe, 12 miles long, delivers useable wastewater from the City of Tusayan to areas south of the Grand Canyon—Arizona’s famous Unit 9 hunting area.

As part of this project, seven stand-alone water catchments also were built in the area.

The Elk Foundation expended $348,000 on this project using contributions from donors, proceeds from Arizona hunting permit raffles and grants from RMEF banquets and other fundraisers across the state. The Arizona Game and Fish Department provided $520,000. Other groups supported the project with volunteer labor and in-kind services.

Across the Southwest, water often is the missing ingredient for healthy habitat. In an average year, conservation agencies and organizations in Arizona annually spend over $100,000 hauling water into elk country. Severe drought can drive expenses way up.

“It took six years to design, facilitate and build this pipeline system but the valves are now open and water is flowing. From now on, in all but the most extreme drought years, we shouldn’t have to haul water into this region,” said Clair Harris, an RMEF member from Flagstaff, Ariz., who helped organize volunteer labor for the project.

Harris said more than 100 volunteers from every RMEF chapter in Arizona helped build the pipeline and catchments.

Over the years, RMEF funds and volunteers have been involved in the construction or renovation of over 30 watering sources across Unit 9. With the new additions, biologists agree the area now has a good minimum supply of water.

“Wildlife in this area is absolutely tied to these water developments and the new pipeline provides an efficient, reliable distribution system that will be beneficial for many species including elk, deer and other big game,” said John Goodwin, habitat specialist with the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Goodwin said the pipeline is supplied from a runoff pond at the Tusayan water treatment plant, supplemented with reclaimed effluent, snowmelt and rain. The pond is heavily used by local wildlife. A pump moves surplus water through high-density plastic pipe that won’t crush beneath vehicles, break from freezing or degrade in sunlight. The line is buried where soils are deep and runs along the surface where the ground is rocky. Water flows into six strategically located, fiberglass storage tanks averaging about 7,000 gallons each. Each tank is then connected to an auto-fill drinking device accessible to wildlife.

Stand-alone catchments are designed to collect rain and snowmelt on site, store water in 20,000-gallon holding tanks, and dispense water into drinkers.

The Kaibab National Forest approved the project after lengthy environmental analyses.

Goodwin credited the Elk Foundation and especially Harris as “a tremendous asset for coordinating progress on the ground and rallying volunteer labor so the project didn’t have to rely on contractors or paid employees.”

Rifle Buck Deer Hunt Tips to Get Prepared

Utah’s most popular hunt -- the general rifle buck deer hunt --
begins Oct. 17.

If you’re one of the lucky hunters who obtained a permit for the
hunt, getting prepared now -- by gathering materials and gaining
knowledge -- are the key to a safe and successful hunt. And while
taking a deer is usually the highlight of any deer hunt, make sure you
take advantage of all the experiences deer hunting offers.

“Don’t be so focused on taking a deer that you miss out on
everything deer hunting has to offer,” says Gary Cook, hunter
education coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources.
“Camping with your family and friends and enjoying Utah’s
wildlife and the beautiful state we live in are all things you can enjoy
during your time afield.”

Cook provides the following tips for an enjoyable and safe hunt:

Personal preparation:

* be familiar with the area you’re going to hunt. If possible, scout
the area before the hunt. “Knowing the area and the habits and
patterns of the deer that live in the area is vital for success,” Cook
says.

* put a survival kit together. The kit should include:

1) a small first aid kit;

2) three ways to make a fire (e.g. matches, a cigarette lighter,
fire starters);

3) quick-energy snack foods;

4) a cord or rope;

5) a compass;

6) a flashlight;

7) an extra knife and;

8) a small pad of paper and a pencil (so if you become lost, you
can leave information at your last location about yourself and the
direction you’re traveling).

Preparing your firearm:

* be as familiar as possible with your firearm -- know how to load and
unload it, and where the safety is and how to operate it.

* make sure the barrel of your firearm doesn’t have any obstructions
in it.

* make sure you have the correct ammunition for your firearm.

* sight-in your firearm before the hunt.

Firearm safety:

* controlling your firearm’s muzzle is the most important part of
firearm safety. Never let the muzzle of your firearm point at anything
you do not intend to shoot. That includes not pointing the muzzle at
yourself.

* never carry a loaded firearm in your vehicle.

* don’t put your finger on the trigger until your firearm’s sights
are on the target.

* before shooting, make sure of your target and what’s beyond it.

Vehicle preparation:

* make sure your vehicle is in good mechanical condition.

* make sure you have a shovel, an ax, tire chains, jumper cables and a
tow chain in your vehicle.

* if you experience mechanical problems with your vehicle or become
snowed in, stay with your vehicle -- don’t leave it.

Before leaving on your trip:

* let someone know where you’re going and when you expect to return.

While in the field:

* never hunt alone.

* wear proper safety clothing: 400 square inches of hunter orange on
your back, chest and head.

Field dressing your animal:

* use a sharp knife. A sharp knife does a better job of cutting than a
dull knife does and is safer to use.

* cut away from you -- never bring a knife blade towards you while
cutting.

Your physical well-being:

* know your physical limitations, and don’t exceed them.

* prepare yourself for weather changes by dressing in layers. Dressing
in layers allows you to regulate your body temperature by adding or
removing clothes as needed.

* drink plenty of water, no matter how cold it is. “You can become
dehydrated, even in cold weather,” Cook says.

* hypothermia (the loss of body temperature) can occur in temperatures
as warm as 50 degrees.
Be aware of the signs of hypothermia. Some of the first signs are
violent shivering, stumbling or becoming disoriented. “When you
notice these signs, sit down immediately and build a fire,” Cook says.
“Get yourself warm and dry.”

* frostbite. If you’re hunting in cold weather, watch for signs that
you’re getting frostbite. White spots on your skin are the first
sign. Check your face, feet and hands regularly. You’ll notice the
first signs of frostbite on your face sooner if you’re hunting with a
companion who can alert you.

If you get lost:

* don’t panic. Sit down and build a fire, even if it isn’t cold.
“A fire is soothing. Building a fire will help you relax and think
clearly,” Cook says.

After calming down, try to get your bearings and think your way out of
the situation. If you think you know which direction you need to
travel, get the pad of paper and pencil out of your survival kit and
leave a note at your location. Indicate on the note who you are and the
direction you’re traveling. If you find other hunters, don’t be
embarrassed to ask them for directions and help.

If you don’t know which direction you should travel, stay at your
camp and build a shelter several hours before sundown, if possible.
Build a smoky fire (this type of fire can be spotted from the air) or
build three fires (a distress signal that can also be spotted from the
air).

Remaining at your camp is usually a good option. “If you have to,
you can live without food and water for several days,” Cook says.

Alcohol and firearms don’t mix!

* do not handle a firearm if you’ve been drinking alcohol.

* do not give alcohol to someone who’s cold. Instead of warming the
person, alcohol will actually make them colder.

Missouri Dove hunters asked to report banded birds

JEFFERSON CITY—Missouri dove hunters have a chance to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, garnering hunting trophies while helping ensure good management of mourning dove populations.
The Missouri Department of Conservation is among 34 states participating in an effort to gather practical information about the nation’s most popular game bird. The agency is placing leg bands on approximately 2,500 mourning doves annually at 15 conservation areas. Hunter reports of taking banded doves will add to scientific understanding of how many doves there are and how hunting affects dove numbers.
“Birds are so mobile, and it is impossible to count them directly,” said Resource Scientist John Schulz. “Instead we capture a relatively small sample of the entire population and band them. Then we compile reports of banded birds taken by hunters and analyze information about where and when they were taken. The resulting statistics reveal a surprising amount of useful information.”
Schulz noted that hunters’ participation is critical to good dove management. He asks hunters who take banded doves to report their finds, using information printed on the bands.
The Conservation Department traps doves using wire cages baited with grain and fits the birds with leg bands before releasing them. Banders average around 100 doves per site, but as many as 600 doves may be banded on some areas.
Hunters can report banded birds by calling 800-327-2263, or online at reportband.gov/. Regardless of the reporting method, hunters provide the band number, and where and date the bird was killed.
“The better we understand mourning doves’ biology and population dynamics, the better job we can do managing them,” said Schulz. “The hunter’s role is an important one.”