“A peculiar virtue in wildlife ethics is that the hunter ordinarily has no gallery to applaud or disapprove of his conduct. Whatever his acts, they are dictated by his own conscience, rather than by a mob of onlookers. It is difficult to exaggerate the importance of this fact.”
Aldo Leopold
Boone and Crockett Club member
When we first start hunting, usually in our youth, we are interested only in the catch . The hunt is the means to the end. As hunters mature, we educate ourselves about the quarry. What types of foods does it eat and at what times of the year? How does it respond to various weather situations or even the phases of the moon? We learn its actions during the rut. We learn how to try to predict the animal. As we go through this process we learn to love the animal as well. We want it to survive and proliferate. We want to improve the animal’s habitat to achieve this end. In essence, we become conservationists. Somewhere in this maturing process we start to make the hunt the most important part of the process, which leads to making the catch more challenging. In doing this, the hunt becomes more arduous, more challenging, and more enjoyable. Some will take up muzzleloaders, or the bow and arrow to add to this challenge and enjoyment. All of us inevitably start to look for a more mature animal. The first reason is that with maturity comes wisdom. Some might say the animal becomes more cunning but in reality it hones its survival instincts and becomes much harder to catch. The hunt gradually becomes dominant. This book is dedicated to those of us that are on this quest.
Don’t mistake this book for a “How to Get a Trophy” book. At the Boone and Crockett Club, we recognize that the mature animal in the best habitat produces the greatest measurements. The production of these magnificent specimens is a celebration of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. This book will help you to be able to judge the animal when your hunt nears its finality. With the knowledge contained in this book you may chose to let more, “less” mature animals go. But I guarantee, when your arduous quest and skill puts you into the position to take that magnificent specimen, you will recognize it with the help of the knowledge in this book. You will learn to make well-informed decisions about the quality of the game animals while out in the field. You will learn the techniques for scoring the big game you harvest. This new edition updates the latest information from the Boone and Crockett Club’s Records Program. We have also endeavored to make this a sturdier book that you can take into the field.
Good luck in your hunt . ■
Howard P. Monsour, Jr.
Chairman, Publications Committee