Boone and Crockett: The Gatekeeper of Fair Chase and Keeper of the North American Big Game Records

By Denny Quaiff for Whitetail Times

The Boone and Crockett Club (B&C) was founded in 1887 by Theodore Roosevelt and George Bird Grinnell. They named their new organization after Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett, two legendary pioneer hunters and renowned American backwoodsmen.

After the Civil War and prior to the creation of B&C, professional market hunters had slaughtered millions of western big game animals. Roosevelt and his newly formed club could see that a system of regulated hunting with enforced game laws had to be established. B&C took the leadership role to initiate a deep-rooted change in American attitudes that would govern game laws throughout the country for the next 10-plus years. Their commitment proved to be the key to the long-term conservation of big-game animals and their natural habitats that we know and enjoy today.

One of B&C’s greatest achievements in those early years was the protection and expansion of Yellowstone National Park. B&C was also instrumental in the creation of the National Parks system, National Forest Service, and National Wildlife Refuge system. B&C also helped create a system of funding for conservation that has resulted today in what is known as the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. The Club is the oldest and most successful wildlife conservation system in history.

Fair Chase

B&C is the official North American “gate keeper” for fair chase and sets ethical standards for the hunting community to follow. The fifth article of the club’s constitution adopted the fair chase policy in February 1888. During this era, there were very few game laws that managed hunting and the taking of game animals, and there was literally no enforcement of those few laws that did exist. This is the earliest known record for fair chase guidelines and the benchmark that the club stands behind.

Wikipedia defines fair chase as a term used by hunters to describe an ethical approach to hunting big game animals. B&C defines fair chase as the ethical, sportsmanlike, lawful pursuit and taking of any free-ranging wild game animal in a manner that does not give the hunter an improper or unfair advantage over the game animals. “Wild” refers to an animal that is naturally bred and lives in nature. “Free-ranging” means an animal is not confined by artificial barriers.

In 1990, Virginia introduced a statewide special muzzleloader season. I have been fortunate to take four bucks over the last 34 years with a muzzleloader that qualified for the Long Hunter Society Record Book. The Long Hunter Society follows the B&C guidelines for fair chase that required me to complete their entry fair chase affidavit.

The purpose of the Boone and Crockett statement is to determine if any of the methods listed below were used to harvest the animal, which would make the entry ineligible. This is also used by the Pope and Young organization.

Boone and Crockett Fair Chase Affidavit:

1. Spotting or herding game from the air, followed by landing in its vicinity for the purpose of pursuit and shooting;
2. Herding or chasing with the aid of any motorized equipment;

III.          Use of electronic communication devices (2-way radios, cell phones, etc.) to guide hunters to game, artificial lighting, electronic light intensifying devices (night vision optics), sights with built-in electronic range-finding capabilities (including smart scopes), drones/unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), thermal imaging equipment, electronic game calls or camera/timers/motion tracking devices that transmit images and other information to the hunter;

1. Confined by artificial barriers, including escape-proof fenced enclosures;
2. Transplanted for the purpose of commercial shooting;
3. By use of traps or pharmaceuticals;

VII.        While swimming, helpless in deep snow, or helpless in any other natural or artificial medium;

VIII.       On another hunter’s license;

1. Not in full compliance with the game laws or regulations of the federal government or of any state, province, territory, or tribal council on reservations or tribal lands.

When hunting free-ranging whitetails, the thing that always comes to my mind is that hunters must consider their state game law regulations for a “fair chase” hunt. Hunters are in the watchful eye of public opinion and ethical hunting practices start by following game laws. Today, less than five percent of the population hunts. It’s critical for hunters to set and maintain high ethical standards. Today, hunters are a small and shrinking minority. The approval of the non-hunting public is a must for our long-term future hunting.

The Boone and Crockett Scoring System

Most deer hunters recognize the B&C name because of B&C’s North America Big Game Scoring and Records program. The Club’s first involvement measuring big game animals was in 1895 at the Sportsmen’s Exhibition in New York City at Madison Square Garden. Theodore Roosevelt and other club members started scoring heads for the public. The current B&C scoring system was first developed in 1947 and revised in 1949. Pope and Young, who keep records for bow hunters, was founded in 1961 and the Long Hunter Society also uses the B&C scoring system.

The deer scoring competitions found at outdoor shows and expos throughout the country today are a major draw for show promoters. These events find show attendees roaming the isles to see the big bucks on display. Nearly all are based on the B&C scoring system.

Matt Knox has been an official measurer for the Boone and Crockett Club for more than 30 years. He is pictured here measuring the Donald Doyle Buck in February 2024 and throughout the years, Knox has scored hundreds of whitetail antler racks for both the club and at outdoor show contests. When Matt refers to a buck that makes the B&C Record Book he said, “These are not big antlered deer. These are gigantic antlered deer.” Photo by Denny Quaiff

Matt Knox, retired deer project leader for the Department of Wildlife Resources and a B&C Official scorer for more than 30 years provided valuable insight. I asked Matt, “What is B&C looking for when you measure whitetails?”

Matt explained, “The B&C scoring system primarily selects for beam and tine length, beam mass, and symmetry. Of these three, length is the most critical.”

I asked Matt if when he measures antlers, does he produce the typical and non-typical score, along with the overall gross score for hunters? “Yes. When I score a deer head for a deer hunter, I typically provide them with the B&C typical gross score, the B&C typical net score, the B&C nontypical net score, and a nontypical gross score (no deductions),” Matt said. “Of course, only a B&C typical net score of >=160 inches or a B&C nontypical net score of >=185 inches qualify for the B&C record book. These are not big antlered deer. These are gigantic antlered deer. Over the last 30 years, Virginia deer hunters have entered 118 deer into the B&C record book. On the basis of this average of about four Virginia B&C entries per year, I estimate the current chances of a Virginia deer hunter killing a B&C buck at one in 47,000 annually.”

One February, Matt measured a big buck for a VDHA member that fell short of making the record book. The antler rack was unusual, and after talking with the B&C Director of Big Game Records, Matt finalized the score. I asked him how he would rank that trophy? “It was a deer of a lifetime, and it was also very unique,” Matt said. “Scoring 177-4/8 inches net nontypical it only missed the B&C record book by 7-4/8 inches. The unique aspect was that it had a split left main beam. In 30 plus years of scoring countless deer heads, I have only seen this a couple of times. Its nontypical gross score with no deductions was almost 190 inches. That is a very big deer.”

Donald Doyle took this Amelia County giant during the 2023 rifle season. The buck is truly a once-in-a-lifetime trophy with a gross Boone and Crocket score of 189 non-typical. Any whitetail taken in North America of this caliber is a testimonial to how modern day wildlife conservation has become a focal point of whitetail hunters throughout the country! Photo by Josh Rudd

I also asked Matt if over the years of working the trophy deer competition at the sportsmen shows, what he’s seen regarding the quality and how would he explain any change? “Simple. More and bigger over time,” Matt said. “I attribute this trend to two factors. First, to the increase in interest in Quality Deer Management (i.e., deer hunters passing up young small antlered bucks) and second, to a decline in the number of deer hunters and hunting pressure. I can almost guarantee that both these trends will continue into the future.”

The Virginia Deer Hunters Association’s trophy deer contest was established in 1988 at the Virginia Outdoor Sportsman Show, and we continued using the Virginia Scoring System for 20 years. However, in 2009, the contest took a new shape when the VDHA began using the B&C scoring system. We recognized that this was the standard for identifying the true score of the whitetail that the hunting community could relate to nationwide. When we reach across state lines and brag about our Virginia trophy bucks, it’s the B&C score that draws attention.

Considering the role social media has played in the last 30 years in highlighting deer hunting, I asked Matt what he thinks about social media. “I think like most things, social media is a two-edged sword,” he said. “If big buck photos are shared with close family and friends, I think that is great. I send photos of bucks I kill to close friends and relatives only, and I always include ‘please do not share.’ However, I think the posting of photos of big bucks on the Internet for everyone is ill-advised.

“First, it gives the impression that deer hunting is primarily about big bucks and trophy hunting, which is not true at all,” Matt continued. “Secondly, I believe it increases the chances of big bucks being poached.”

Hunters are proud of what we stand for and Facebook has provided a big stage for our passion. Hunters posting pictures on their personal Facebook page for their Facebook friends to see has become a common practice. The thing that I find most disturbing is when others share these pictures without permission. Social media posts should always follow permission and respect for our fellow hunters and should never be taken for granted.

In Conclusion

Record keeping and scoring of North American Big Game Animals is how B&C is widely recognized by hunters. When hunters talk about a big buck, they often get caught up in the score and forget about the true experience we all live for. When I look at my trophy mounts, each one has a story that represents a lifetime of chasing wild free-ranging whitetails that I treasure. My memories that follow the hunts are what I find to be most meaningful.

We are grateful to the B&C Club for their promotion of fair chase hunting and their record keeping of North American Big Game Animals and proudly support their mission. The guidelines for fair chase ethics are well established. It is our obligation to see that they remain in place.

Teddy Roosevelt and all the B&C club founders were way ahead of their time. The thing that is most amazing to me is that over 137 years ago, the B&C Club could see the “handwriting on the wall,” and they acted. The early days of legislation that followed the B&C Club has proven to be the framework of what we stand for today!

©Virginia Deer Hunters Association. For attribution information and reprint rights, contact Denny Quaiff, Executive Director, VDHA.