Boone and Crockett Club’s Big Game Records Committee shows no signs of slowing down in 2025.

Planning and preparation for the 32nd Big Game Awards is the main focus for the records team. With invitations sent and all trophy owners mailed, emailed, and called, we have thus far confirmed that around 100 invitees (top 5 of each category) are sending their trophies for display. Additionally, we currently have just under 50 youth participating in the event. Our Judges’ Panel will take place in Springfield, Missouri, in late April. After the Judges’ Panel, a group of staff and volunteers will begin setting up the display in the Bucks and Bulls room of Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium. This display will be open to the public from May until the conclusion of the banquet in July. The Big Game Awards Banquet will take place July 24 – 26, 2025, in Springfield; B&C members are highly encouraged to attend this triennial event.

Saturday night’s Big Game Awards banquet will be named the Buck Buckner 32nd Big Game Awards Reception and Banquet. On Friday, during the Field Generals Luncheon honoring our dedicated team of Official Measurers, we will present the Jack Reneau Official Measurer Award of Excellence to an OM or OMs who have consistently represented the Club as true ambassadors. The 32nd Big Game Awards Record book is scheduled for release this fall in time for Christmas.

BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB ENTRIES PER AWARDS PERIOD

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We will have three new World’s Records on display. They include a Rocky Mountain goat with a score of 60-4/8, a musk ox scoring 131-4/8, and Roosevelt’s elk scoring 455-2/8. These have all been confirmed by a Special Judges Panel. In addition to these World’s Records, we have many categories with entries in the top 10 all-time, including a Pacific walrus that was acquired with the help of Regular Member Dave Rippeto from the Alaskan office of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and donated to our National Collection of Heads and Horns. We worked with a longtime friend of the Boone and Crockett Club, Shawn Andres, with Alpine Artistry, who graciously donated his time to mount the tusks into a walrus hide that was part of the original collection. Here's a photograph of Jack and Kyle picking up the walrus from Shawn’s. Once the event concludes in July, we will hang the walrus in the collection.

Mike Opitz, Kyle Lehr, and Jennifer Schwab attended the Pope and Young Club Judges Panel in February in Phoenix, Arizona. Under the leadership of Richard Hale, B&C’s relationship with P&Y continues to grow in a very mutually beneficial manner. While at their panel, we welcomed five new Official Measurers. These individuals are longstanding Pope and Young Club Official Measures and will be a welcome addition to our ranks. Kyle will represent us at their convention in April with a booth and conduct another abbreviated OM workshop.

Our Boone and Crockett Club Official Measurer numbers remain strong. We currently have the highest number of measurers representing the Club. So far this year, we have certified 29 new OMs with a workshop in College Station, Texas, held in conjunction with a Pope and Young Club Bowhunters Bash. Five OMs were added at the Pope and Young Judges Panel abbreviated workshop in February, and 11 will be added at the Pope and Young Convention abbreviated workshop in April. This will bring our OM numbers to approximately 1,650. Since this is a convention and awards year, no other workshops are scheduled for 2025. Next year is booking fast with confirmed workshops in Oklahoma (2), Nebraska, and potentially workshops in Tennessee and Alberta.

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During the Club’s Annual Meeting in December in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Records Committee voted to create a javelina category and expand the Shiras’ moose and bison boundary. With the creation of the javelina category (something that has not happened in 23 years), the committee used the time between the Annual Meeting and the first quarter meeting to develop a minimum entry score and scoring procedures. The committee plans to release this information later this spring in time to begin accepting entries after this year’s hunting season. The committee would like to recognize the team that made this possible:

Nicole Tatman – Professional Member, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
James Heffelfinger – Professional Member, Arizona Game and Fish Department
David Brimager – Professional Member, Texas Wildlife Association
Alan Cain – Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Froylan Hernandez – Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Emilio Rangel-Woodyard – Regular Member, Mexico
Emilio Rangel Espino-Barros – Regular Member, Mexico

Also at the meeting, the Shiras’ moose boundary was expanded to include the state of Nevada, and the bison boundary was expanded to include the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. 

The records team is excited for the 32^nd and looking forward to a productive 2025.

Signed,

Richard Hale
Mike Opitz
Kyle Krause
Kyle Lehr
Jennifer Schwab
 

Hunting is the Bedrock of Conservation