The Boone and Crockett Club has reached a significant milestone in its ongoing efforts to support science-based wildlife management in higher education. Thanks to more than a decade of fundraising and support led by Club member Johnny Evans and other key contributors, the wildlife conservation program at Clemson University has reached its $5 million endowment goal.
In recognition of the generosity of Johnny Evans, the program has been renamed the John P. Evans ’75 Boone and Crockett Wildlife Conservation Program at Clemson University. Both Evans and his wife, Kristen, are Clemson graduates.
“Some of the most important lessons of my life have come from time spent outdoors on the land, around water, watching wildlife, and learning that what we enjoy is also something we are called to care for,” said Johnny Evans. “Kristen and I are grateful to Clemson University, the Boone and Crockett Club, the faculty, students, landowners, and the many families whose generosity helped establish this program.”
The Boone and Crockett Club's University Programs places faculty and fellows at universities across the country to connect academic research with practical wildlife policy. Clemson is part of the Club’s national network that includes the University of Montana, Michigan State University, Texas A&M University, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, University of Wyoming, Oregon State University, and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Through these endowed chairs and professorships, the Club helps prepare future wildlife managers, policymakers, and communicators for careers in natural resource management. Importantly, the Clemson program strengthens this network's presence in the Southeast.
Founded by Theodore Roosevelt in 1887, the Boone and Crockett Club promotes science-based management of wildlife and natural resources. The Clemson program aligns with this mission by focusing heavily on wildlife conservation on private lands, which account for approximately 90 percent of the land base and wildlife habitat in the southeastern United States.
Since its inception, the partnership between Clemson and the Boone and Crockett Club has produced field research on regional wildlife species, including whitetail deer, coyotes, feral hogs, bobcats, elk, beavers, and bobwhite quail. Faculty and researchers study complex predator-prey dynamics in the Southeast, while also participating in research on rangeland management and bison restoration in the West. Dr. David Jachowski, recipient of Clemson's 2026 Godley-Snell Award for Excellence in Agricultural Research, serves as the program's director.
The growth of the endowment will directly support additional graduate-level research. Current initiatives include:
- Black bear population modeling: Boone and Crockett doctoral fellow John Nettles is researching camera-based density-estimation methods to provide the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources with passive monitoring tools.
- Invasive species interactions: Boone and Crockett doctoral fellow George Goto is utilizing experimental predator exclosures to study how feral pigs and coyotes interact with whitetail deer populations at the Savannah River Site.
Boone and Crockett Club President Mary Webster added, “By integrating the Boone and Crockett Club’s science and policy-driven focus with Clemson’s land-grant mission, we are preparing students to handle complex natural resource challenges. In reaching this milestone to fully fund the program’s endowment, we are ensuring long-term support for research that serves both public wildlife resources and private landowners, while at the same time creating the wildlife conservation leaders of tomorrow.”
