B&C Position Statements

Where the Club Stands on Topics Relative to Wildlife, Conservation, and Hunting

B&C Position Statement - Big Game Records Eligibility

First Adopted December 6, 2014 - Revised: November 30, 2022Situational OverviewThe big game records of the Boone and Crockett Club are a set of wildlife and hunting data the Club began to collect over...

B&C Position Statement - The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation

First Adopted August 19, 2014Situational OverviewThe North American1 Model of Wildlife Conservation is a set of principles that represent values toward wildlife and guides how it is to be appropriatel...

B&C Position Statement - Long Range Shooting

Bullets fired from hunting rifles have had the capability of hitting targets at long distances for many decades. Regardless of these capabilities, sportsmen have historically held themselves to an ethical standard of not taking excessively long or risky shots at the big game animals they pursue. New shooting technologies now being developed and promoted for use in hunting are encouraging hunters to shoot at substantially increased distances. These new technologies, while not illegal, are tempting hunters into taking longer and longer shots, which is raising significant ethical questions, including those of Fair Chase and intent.

B&C Position Statement - Defining Wildlife Conservation

First Adopted March 12, 2014 - Revised: 8/19/2014 - Reviewed 7/11/2014Situational OverviewConservation and preservation are two different philosophies. Since the early 20th century, conservation has m...

B&C Position Statement - Second Amendment Rights and Conservation

First Adopted December 1, 2012 - Updated September 27, 2016Situational OverviewAs the oldest conservation organization in North America, the Boone and Crockett Club is often asked to comment on gun co...

B&C Position Statement - Sustainable Use

First Adopted July 27, 2011 - Updated September 27, 2011Situational OverviewTraditional uses of wildlife represent deeply rooted ecological and cultural connections in human history and experience. Th...

B&C Position Statement - Endangered Species Act

The Boone and Crockett Club believes the ESA is a critical tool and supports modernizing the ESA to make it more effective in promoting the active restoration of species. However, there seems to be a reluctance to acknowledge that we can do better (especially by activist organizations that could lose the financial incentives to sue the Act now provides). Since the Act was passed in 1973, the world has witnessed significant technological and scientific advancement in wildlife management. These innovations must be considered and adopted in the implementation of the ESA.

B&C Position Statement - Equal Access to Justice Act

First Adopted September 30, 2011 - Revised December 1, 2021Situational OverviewEnvironmental litigation has become an expensive national policy issue that causes harmful gridlock for the federal agenc...

B&C Position Statement - Animal Welfare and Conservation of Living Things

First Adopted July 27, 2011 - Updated February 5, 2013Situational OverviewThe subject of animal welfare and the proliferation of organizations focused on the subject have prompted much concern and deb...

B&C Position Statement - Climate Change

Carbon emissions are causing rapid warming and altering wildlife habitat and their wildlife populations at a sizeable scale. Understanding about climate change is accelerating. Data in the United States shows that sea level is rising, heat waves and storm events are growing in severity, and various timing cues or ranges for vegetation and wildlife are shifting. Hunters are attuned to fluctuations in and stresses on big game populations and their habitat, and are seeing firsthand significant, negative impacts to our forests, streams, and coastlines. The Club is concerned that wildlife and its habitat may not have the ability to adapt to these observed rapid changes unless action is taken soon.