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Vintage Hunting Gallery - Volume 3

Ladies in the Field 

When the Boone and Crockett Club was first created, those two dozen men agreed that the first purpose of the Club would be “to promote manly sport with a rifle.” Today, that dog doesn’t hunt as more women take to the field and forest (with or without their husbands). Today, entries into the Boone and Crockett Records by female hunters are commonplace—and they have been for a while. We sifted through the records and Boone and Crockett publications to bring you some of the highlights from more than a century of ladies getting it done out there.

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1 of 15 — New Mexico 1963

Celia Garcia was hunting with her husband near Chama when she shot this beast of a typical mule deer, which scored 192-3/8. The circumference on the bases alone taped at six inches each. Joseph, her husband, shot a massive non-typical mule deer record-book mule deer himself.

 

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2 of 15 — Wyoming 1961 

When she was 12 years old, Lavonne Bucey-Bredehoeft took this non-typical mule deer with her .30-06 Springfield. When field-dressed, the buck weighed 357 pounds. She submitted the trophy 41 years later in 2002, and it scored 269 points. The buck sits at number six for Wyoming, according to Big Game Records LIVE.

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3 of 15 — Wyoming 1951

Near Cow Creek in Wyoming’s Bear Lodge mountains, Thelma Martens shot this record-book non-typical whitetail. To this day, it still ranks in the top 20 for Wyoming non-typicals, according to Big Game Records LIVE.

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4 of 15 — Alaska 1956 

With a guide near Olga Bay on Kodiak Island, Alaska, Texan Gloria Zerega killed this Alaska brown bear, which scores 28-8/16 points.

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5 of 15 — Arizona 1931

Eleanor O’Connor, wife of legendary hunter and writer Jack O’Connor, was quite a hunter herself. She killed this great mule deer (her first deer) on the Kaibab. Jack is pictured standing in front of his forked-horn muley. Was that on purpose?

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6 of 15 —Idaho 1966

Wearing a most awesome Christmas sweater, Mrs. E. LaRene Smith killed this Bonneville County bull, which scores 381.

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7 of 15 — Colorado, circa 1895 

There is no record of what this deer scored, but it’s likely Augusta “Gusty” Wallihan cared little about that. Chances are she cared more about her floral-embroidered gauntlets and Remington-Hepburn rifle.

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8 of 15 — Utah 1971

With a greatest spread of more than 30 inches, Phyllis Crookston’s San Juan County typical mule deer gave her something to smile about. With her .308, she shot this deer at less than 50 yards. With a score of 199-1/8 points, it ranks just shy of the top 50 for Utah’s typical mule deer, according to Big Game Records LIVE. 

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9 of 15 — Wyoming 1965 

Mary Jane Rickman took this great typical elk while hunting Park County, Wyoming, in the fall of 1965. It scored 377-2/8, and it ranks as 79 in the state, according to Big Game Record LIVE. 

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10 of 15 — Arizona 1955

With about 45 inches of abnormal points, Virginia Huth’s North Kaibab buck from a hunt in 1955 is the definition of non-typical. With 24 scorable points, her deer tallied a final score of 212-1/8. 

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11 of 15 — Colorado 1956

Tipping the score charts at more than 200 points, Marguerite Hill’s Chaffe County mule deer is about as awesome as they come. When it was first scored in 1963, it measured 197-7/8. When the score chart was misplaced, the typical rack was scored again decades later, and it actually scored higher at 200-5/8.

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12 of 15 — Montana, circa 1900 

With her Model 1866 Winchester, Finetta Lord poses next to the black bear she killed—and she looked darn good doin’ it, too.

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13 of 15 — Oregon 1950
More than 50 years after Nancy McCrae shot this non-typical muley in Oregon’s Wallowa County, her son Norman entered the buck into the Boone and Crockett records. With 23 scorable points with a total of 51-2/8 non-typical inches, Nancy’s buck sits at 28 for Oregon’s non-typical mule deer, according to Big Game Records LIVE.

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14 of 15 — Arizona 1967 

Near Tonto, Lake Arizona, Louise F. Campbell took this massive typical elk, scoring 375-1/8 points.

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15 of 15 — Colorado 1949

With her .257 Roberts, JoReva Beane Wellborn took a bead on this typical mule deer at around 200 yards. Her shot connected, and her buck scores 194-7/8 points. If you’re wondering, the greatest spread on that deer is 31 inches, and yes, her hairdo is most certainly the other trophy. 

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Interested in more vintage photos?

Check out these books published by the Boone and Crockett Club: 

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Vintage Hunting Album

$29.95 

 Buy Now

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Hunting the American West

$49.95

Buy Now 

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A Mule Deer Retrospective

$34.95

Buy Now 

BPAER.jpg

An American Elk Retrospective

$34.95

Buy Now 

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