records of north american mule deer
DESCRIPTION
The definitive history book for trophy mule deer, Columbia blacktail, and Sitka blacktail in North America! This first-ever records book dedicated to mule deer and related subspeciesTRANSCRIPT
Records of North American Mule Deer is the definitive history book for trophy mule deer, Columbia blacktail, and Sitka blacktail in North America. This first-ever records book dedicated solely to mule deer and blacktail deer features:n Over 4,500 listings of mule deer, Columbia
blacktail, and Sitka blacktail from the Boone and Crockett Club’s Records Program dating back to the late 1800s up through January 31, 2009.
n Over 28 new state and provincial records.
n Geographic analysis from the lower 48 states including detailed county maps and corresponding tables.
n Individual state and provincial lists for typical and non-typical mule deer, Columbia blacktail deer, and Sitka blacktail deer.
n Informative chapters from today’s top outdoor writers, plus the Mule Deer Foundation.
published by the boone and CroCkett Club250 Station Drive, Missoula, MT 59801
ADDITIONAL SPECIES RECORDS BOOKS AvAILABLE FROM B&C:
Records of North American Elk, First Edition
Records of North American Whitetail Deer, Fourth Edition
Visit our official web site for a complete list of available books:www.booneandcrockettclub.com
see over 40 portrait images of state and provincial records, like the current Colorado state record and current World’s record typical mule deer (top). also included is a special bonus section featuring dozens of color field photographs.
Cover Photo by Donald M. Jones preview
Records of North American Mule DeerFirst EditionFirst Printing
Copyright © 2009 by the Boone and Crockett Club.All rights reserved, including the right toreproduce this book or portions thereof in any formor by any means, electronic or mechanical, includingphotocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Boone and Crockett Club.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2009907361 ISBN Number: 978-0-940864-67-2Published September 2009
Published in the United States of Americaby the Boone and Crockett Club250 Station Drive, Missoula, MT 59801406/542-1888406/542-0784 (fax)www.booneandcrockettclub.com
Records ofNorth American
Mule Deerfirst edition
A book of the Boone and Crockett Clubcontaining tabulations of Mule Deerand Blacktail Deer of North America as compiled from data in the Club’s
Big Game Records Archives
Edited by Jack Reneau and Howard P. Monsour, Jr.
BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUBMissoula, Montana
2009
12 boone and crockett club
Courtesy of remington Arms CompAny
Remington’s meaningful links with, and support of, the Boone and Crockett Club and conservation stretch back for decades. Not surprisingly, the company’s partnership with those
who hunt the wonderful big game animals of the American West has endured even longer.
13records of north american mule deer ■ first edition
CHAPTER 1: The Remington StoryBy Jim Casada
For almost two centuries, from the company’s founding in 1816 to the present, Remington Arms Company runs as a bright thread through the fabric of American sporting history. An integral and important part of that ongoing legacy has been production of big-game rifles. As the country expanded westwards, Remington rifles went along. Then, as subsistence hunting increasingly gave way to pursuit of game for sport, Remington led the sport hunting industry with its cutting-edge guns and ammunition.. By the time Theodore Roosevelt, George Bird Grinnell, Gifford Pinchot, and a score of other visionaries—determined to protect the country’s great sport-ing legacy and present a sound conservation ethic for posterity—created the Boone and Crockett Club, Remington was already well-established as a gun of choice for a nation of hunters.
In the aftermath of the Civil War, Remington made the transition from manufacturing arms and ammunition for military forces to serving the sportsman, with a notable milepost: the launch of the rolling block sporting rifles in 1868. By the time the Boone and Crockett Club was founded, the Remington Arms Company was already solidly focused on the sporting market. However, as Roy Marcot indicates in The History of Remington Arms, whenever the threat of war called for America to supply quality arms to equip our men, Remington was there. This was particularly the case in the two world wars, with Remington making upwards of a million and a half Enfields in the Great War and then in World War II, redesigning the Springfield to make it lighter and more functional.
Some late 19th century long guns even had names which made their sporting purpose manifest—among them, the “Buffalo Rifle,” “Deer Rifle,” “Hunter’s Rifle,” and “Black Hills Rifle.” With the development of smoke-less powder in the 1890s this era spawned the modern cartridge. From that point forward, Remington rifles have become, for generations of devoted big-game hunters, almost an extension of the hunter’s body. Now, as then, they treat their guns with much of the same affection pioneers held for the early Pennsylvania or Kentucky rifles.
Military men’s experience with Remington products in the two world wars was unquestionably a factor in the Remington being a gun of choice for soldiers as they returned home after the conflicts. In the aftermath of each war there was a significant upsurge in hunter numbers and interest in hunting. The Remington Model 30 bolt-action rifles, introduced in 1921, are a prime example. Originally chambered for the .30-06 cartridge, the
14 boone and crockett club
MORE ON THE REMINGTON STORYMost aspects of the Remington story have been well documented. For the
legions of hunters for whom “Big Green” has long been the go-to source for guns and ammunition, the Remington Society of America (RSA) is, in what amounts to a mission statement, “an organization dedicated to the collection and study of Remington firearms, ammunition and history.” Members of the RSA delve into the most obscure aspects of Remington’s past. They seem able to provide answers to every imaginable question related to the company’s prod-ucts, even as the society serves as a forum and place for meeting individuals with shared interests and enthusiasm. Full details on the RSA can be found on its web site, www.remingtonsociety.com.
Also, thanks in large measure to one individual’s farsightedness and de-votion to the Remington story, a trilogy of books, all beautifully illustrated,
delve into the Remington leg-acy from various perspectives. Art Wheaton, whose
career with Remington spanned more than three decades, was the driving force behind the publication of these works.
The first to appear was Tom Davis’s The Art of Remington Arms (2003), a lavishly illustrated book featuring paintings from the company’s impressive art collection featuring originals by renowned wildlife artists such as B&C professional member Bob Kuhn. Most of these paintings were acquired in connection with advertising campaigns connected with artwork for calendars, promotional materials, and the like. The second book in the trilogy, The History of Remington Firearms: The History of One of the World’s Most Famous Gun Makers (2005), features the research and writing of Roy Marcot, a noted authority on historical arms who started his long stint as editor of the RSA Journal, which is published quarterly, in 1991. The work opens with a histori-cal overview of the company and then devotes separate sections to pistols and revolvers, rifles and carbines, and shotguns. Finally, Jim and Ann Casada’s The Remington Cookbook (2006) promotes ethical sport through an eat-what-you-kill approach involving scores of game recipes along with appropriate illustrations from the company’s art collection.
14 boone and crockett club
15records of north american mule deer ■ first edition
Model 30s utilized Enfield parts and design and spawned a whole series of guns in various calibers. The Model 30 design would, for a generation, be one of the company’s key offerings.
Eventually, in the 1940s and 1950s, a series of new models would supersede the Model 30. This began with the introduction of Model 720 bolt-actions just before the outbreak of World War II, followed over the next decade and a half by Model 721, 722, 740, and 760 rifles (the first two were bolt-actions, the third an autoloader, and the latter a slide-action). This ongoing evolution in sporting firearms culminated in the Model 700, which has to be reckoned the most popular high-power bolt-action rifle the world has ever known. First introduced in 1962, the Model 700 really dated back to the 1940s and the design work of Merle Walker and others who worked with him in creating the Model 721 and 722 bolt-actions. Over the ensuing years there have been enough grades, calibers, special designs, custom models, and variants of the Model 700 to challenge the memory bank of even the most picky gun enthusiasts. For present purposes
Courtesy of remington Arms CompAny
Remington Arms Company combines a corporate conscience and a core belief in ethical hunting with practical recognition that dedication to the future of sport also
figures prominently in the company’s future.
16 boone and crockett club
though, suffice it to say that Model 700s, in one caliber and design or the other, has been an enduring favorite among elk and mule deer hunters for almost half a century.
Since this work and its companion piece provide records of those two big-game species, and given the enduring popularity of the Model 700, perhaps sharing a personal anecdote regarding mule deer is permissible. Sometime in the mid-1990s, after a day of fishing Montana’s Musselshell River, I stopped at a restaurant/bar in the tiny town of Martinsdale for a brew and burger. To my amazement, trophy mule deer heads, dozens of them (many of which would have scored high enough to qualify for the pages of this book), adorned the establishment’s walls. They dated from the late 1950s and 1960s, and after wandering around the room admiring the mounts, a chat with a couple of local old-timers brought a telling comment: “There were big muleys everywhere around here in those days,” one of them said, “and those old boys farming in these parts killed some mighty fine bucks with their Remingtons.”
The taxidermy work surrounding us as we conversed may have been somewhere between mediocre and miserable, and the setting seemed to me an unlikely one. Yet the racks I was exposed to in this delightful moment of serendipity were astounding. Similarly, mention of the Remington brand in a casual fashion suggesting the company’s guns were standard equipment among local hunters told an interesting tale of brand loyalty. Mind you, this was a single small community in the rural West, but similar scenarios and shining moments in the sporting sun have been an ongoing, integral part of the lasting love affair between elk and mule deer hunters and their Remington rifles.
Remington has also been keenly aware of the needs of those who hunted these species. While it is appropriate to think of whitetails first and foremost when considering modern Remington rifles and ammunition, it should also be remembered that most of those same guns and bullets were equally effective for mule deer. Similarly, the company has long been at the forefront in developing rifles, chamberings, and loads suitable for elk. Remington’s meaningful links with, and support of, the Boone and Crockett Club stretch back for decades. Not surprisingly, the company’s partnership with those who hunt the wonderful big game animals of the American West—elk and mule deer—has endured even longer.
reminGton and conserVationRemington Arms Company combines a corporate conscience and a
core belief in ethical hunting with practical recognition that dedication
17records of north american mule deer ■ first edition
to the future of sport also figures prominently in the company’s future. The company has long played a prominent role in supporting organiza-tions devoted to conservation. From waterfowl to wild turkeys, from the Boone and Crockett Club to the U. S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, Remington has always supported the conservation cause with its voice and its dollars. Ample evidence of that commitment is demonstrated by Remington’s on-going support of the two non-profits connected with the big-game animals covered in these pages. The Mule Deer Foundation has benefited from monetary support, donations of guns for auctions, and in other ways. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has enjoyed similar backing and produc-tion of a series of Model 700 commemorative rifles. Since this is a Boone and Crockett Club publication, it is also worth noting that Remington has a Model 700 Boone and Crockett series with a wide range of chamberings available at most fine sporting good stores.
ABOUT THE AUTHORJim Casada, who was born on January 28, 1942, is a son of the Smokies. He
grew up in Bryson City, N. C. and cut his sporting teeth hunting and fishing in
and around this small mountain town. He says that “a corner of my heart” still
belongs to the high country. Casada is the author of more than 3,500 magazine
and newspaper articles and columns on hunting, fishing, firearms, conservation
and other outdoor-related tops. Author of a number of academic books and more
than 100 articles in scholarly journals. Senior Editor and Book Columnist for Sport-
ing Classics magazine; Editor-at-large for Turkey & Turkey Hunting magazine;
Contributing Editor for Petersen’s Hunting, Sporting Clays, Whitetail News, The
Hunting Magazine and Tennessee Valley Outdoors magazines; Field Editor for
Cabela’s Outfitter Journal; Editor of the Outdoor Tennessee Series (University of
Tennessee Press) and the Firearms Classics Series (Palladium Press). Casada is
also a regular contributor to dozens of regional and national magazines.
52 Color field photographs
ABOVETypical Sitka Blacktail DeerScore: 100 7/8
Location: Prince of Wales Island, AKHunter and Owner: James F. Baichtal Date: 2004
OPPOSITE TOP LEFTTypical Sitka Blacktail DeerScore: 1166/8
Location: Wild Creek, AKHunter and Owner: George R. Gonsalves Date: 2003
53reCords of North ameriCaN mUle deer ■ first editioN
TOP RIGHTTypical Mule DeerScore: 183 4/8
Location: Coconino Co., AZHunter and Owner: Gene A. Perry Date: 1994
ABOVENon-Typical Mule DeerScore: 2304/8
Location: Harney Co., ORHunter and Owner: Mitch S. Crouser (R) Date: 1998
54 Color field photographs
TOP LEFTNon-Typical Mule DeerScore: 2373/8
Location: Yuma Co., COHunter and Owner: Kerry S. Smith Date: 2003
TOP RIGHTNon-Typical Mule DeerScore: 236 1/8
Location: Gove Co., KSHunter and Owner: Matthew C. Palmquist Date: 2006
55reCords of North ameriCaN mUle deer ■ first editioN
OPPOSITE BOTTOmTypical Mule DeerScore: 1852/8
Location: Gunnison Co., COHunter and Owner: James P. Graf Date: 2004
ABOVETypical Mule DeerScore: 2035/8
Location: Ravalli Co., MTHunter and Owner: Keith Balfourd Date: 2005
60 boone and crockett club
250 Station DriveMissoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-1888
Records of North American
Big Game
BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB®BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB®
OFFICIAL SCORING SYSTEM FOR NORTH AMERICAN BIG GAME TROPHIES
CopyRiGhT © 2009 By BooNe AND CRoCkeTT CluB®
MiniMuM ScoreS
AwArdS All-tiMe
mule deer 180 190 Columbia blacktail 125 135 Sitka blacktail 100 108
Abnormal points Right Antler left Antler
SuBToTAlS
ToTAl To e
Detail of point Measurement
TYPICALMULE DEER AND BLACKTAIL DEER
e
e
Bc
d
kind of deer (check one)
mule deer
Columbia blacktail
Sitka blacktail
G4
G3 G2
H3
H4
H2
H1
G1
f
A. No. points on Right Antler No. points on left Antler Spread Credit Right Antler left Antler Difference
B. Tip to Tip Spread C. Greatest Spread
D. inside Spread of SpReAD CReDiT MAy equAl BuT D. Main Beams NoT exCeeD loNGeR MAiN BeAM
e. Total of lengths of Abnormal points
F. length of Main Beam
G-1. length of First point, if present
G-2. length of Second point
G-3. length of Third point, if present
G-4. length of Fourth point, if present
h-1. Circumference at Smallest place Between Burr and First point
h-2. Circumference at Smallest place Between First and Second points
h-3. Circumference at Smallest place Between Main Beam and Third point
h-4. Circumference at Smallest place Between Second and Fourth points
ToTAlS
Column 1 exact locality Where killed:
ADD Column 2 Date killed: hunter:
Column 3 Trophy owner: Telephone #:
Subtotal Trophy owner’s Address:
SuBTRACT Column 4 Trophy owner’s e-mail: Guide’s Name:
Remarks: (Mention Any Abnormalities or unique qualities)
finAl Score
S e e o T h e R S i D e F o R i N S T R u C T i o N S ColuMN 1 ColuMN 2 ColuMN 3 ColuMN 4
oM i.D.Number
6 5
28 5/8
30 7/8 30 1/8
33 2/8
30 1/8
30 1/8
2 3/8
28 6/8
2 6/8
1 3/8
22 4/8
14 2/8
22 3/8
14 3/8
3 2/8
3/8
14 6/8
5 2/8
13 6/8
5 3/8
1/8
1 0/8
4 4/8 4 4/8
1/84
4 2/8
4 1/8
4 4/8
30 1/8
102 0/8
100 4/8
232 5/8
Dolores County, Colorado
6 1/8
226 4/8
october 19, 1972 Doug Burris, Jr.
Cabela’s, inc. (2002)
102 0/8 100 4/8
2 5/8
1/8
2/8
6 1/8
2 5/8
2 5/8
2 5/8
WORLD’S RECORDTypical Mule DeerScore: 2264/8
Location: Dolores Co.Hunter: Doug Burris, Jr.Owner: Cabela’s, Inc.Date: 1972
61records of north american mule deer ■ first edition
STReeT ADDReSS CiTy STATe/pRoviNCe
i certify that i have measured this trophy on
at
and that these measurements and data are, to the best of my knowledge and belief, made in accordance with the instructions given.
Witness: Signature: i.D. Number
i, , certify that i have measured this trophy on
at
and that these measurements and data are, to the best of my knowledge and belief, made in accordance with the instructions given.
Witness: Signature: i.D. Number
INSTRUCTIONS FOR MEASURING TYPICAL MULE AND BLACKTAIL DEER
All measurements must be made with a 1/4-inch wide flexible steel tape to the nearest one-eighth of an inch. (Note: A flexible steel cable can be used to measure points and main beams only.) enter fractional figures in eighths, without reduction. official measurements cannot be taken until the antlers have air dried for at least 60 days after the animal was killed.
A. number of Points on each Antler: To be counted a point, the projection must be at least one inch long, with length exceeding width at one inch or more of length. All points are measured from tip of point to nearest edge of beam. Beam tip is counted as a point but not measured as a point. Point totals do not add into the final score.
B. tip to tip Spread is measured between tips of main beams. Tip to tip spread does not add into the final score.c. Greatest Spread is measured between perpendiculars at a right angle to the center line of the skull at widest part, whether across
main beams or points. Greatest spread does not add into the final score.d. inside Spread of Main Beams is measured at a right angle to the center line of the skull at widest point between main beams.
enter this measurement again as the Spread Credit if it is less than or equal to the length of the longer main beam; if greater, enter longer main beam length for Spread Credit.
e. total of lengths of all Abnormal Points: Abnormal points are those non-typical in location such as points originating from a point (exception: G-3 originates from G-2 in perfectly normal fashion) or from bottom or sides of main beam, or any points beyond the normal pattern of five (including beam tip) per antler. Measure each abnormal point in usual manner and enter in appropriate blanks.
f. length of Main Beam is measured from the center of the lowest outside edge of burr over the outer side to the most distant point of the Main Beam. The point of beginning is that point on the burr where the center line along the outer side of the beam intersects the burr, then following generally the line of the illustration.
G-1-2-3-4. length of normal Points: Normal points are the brow tines and the upper and lower forks as shown in the illustration. They are measured from nearest edge of main beam over outer curve to tip. lay the tape along the outer curve of the beam so that the top edge of the tape coincides with the top edge of the beam on both sides of point to determine the baseline for point measurement. Record point lengths in appropriate blanks.
H-1-2-3-4. circumferences are taken as detailed in illustration for each measurement. if brow point is missing, take h-1 and h-2 at smallest place between burr and G-2. if G-3 is missing, take h-3 halfway between the base and tip of G-2. if G-4 is missing, take h-4 halfway between G-2 and tip of main beam.
pRiNT NAMe
B&C oFFiCiAl MeASuReR
ENTRY AFFIDAVIT FOR ALL HUNTER-TAKEN TROPHIES For the purpose of entry into the Boone and Crockett Club’s® records, North American big game harvested by the use of the following methods or under the following conditions are ineligible: i. Spotting or herding game from the air, followed by landing in its vicinity for the purpose of pursuit and shooting; ii. herding or chasing with the aid of any motorized equipment; iii. use of electronic communication devices to guide hunters to game, artificial lighting, electronic light intensifying devices (night
vision optics), sights with built-in electronic range-finding capabilities, thermal imaging equipment, electronic game calls or cameras/timers/motion tracking devices that transmit images and other information to the hunter;
iv. Confined by artificial barriers, including escape-proof fenced enclosures; v. Transplanted for the purpose of commercial shooting; vi. By the 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; ix. 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; i certify that the trophy scored on this chart was not taken in violation of the conditions listed above. in signing this statement, i understand that if the information provided on this entry is found to be misrepresented or fraudulent in any respect, it will not be accepted into the Awards program and 1) all of my prior entries are subject to deletion from future editions of records of north American Big Game 2) future entries may not be accepted. i also certify by my signature that the information i have provided on this form is accurate and correct. i also understand that all my entry materials, including photographs, as well as any additional photographs taken by Boone and Crockett (our representatives or agents) during Awards programs or Judges panels, or likenesses rendered from these photographs become the property of the Boone and Crockett Club and may be used to promote the Club, and its records-keeping activities. FAiR ChASe, as defined by the Boone and Crockett Club®, is the ethical, sportsmanlike and lawful pursuit and taking of any free-ranging wild, native North American big game animal in a manner that does not give the hunter an improper advantage over such game animals. The Boone and Crockett Club® may exclude the entry of any animal that it deems to have been taken in an unethical manner or under conditions deemed inappropriate by the Club.
Date: Signature of hunter: (SiGNATuRe MuST Be WiTNeSSeD By AN oFFiCiAl MeASuReR oR A NoTARy puBliC.)
Date: Signature of Notary or official Measurer:
MATERIALS RELEASE FORM FOR ALL NON-HUNTER-TAKEN TROPHIESi certify by my signature that the information i have provided on this form is accurate and correct. i also understand that all my entry materials, including photographs, as well as any additional photographs taken by Boone and Crockett (our representatives or agents) during Awards programs or Judges panels, or likenesses rendered from these photographs become the property of the Boone and Crockett Club and may be used to promote the Club, and its records-keeping activities.
Date: Signature of Trophy owner:
M M / D D / y y y yArnold o. haugen 02/27/1974
Records of North American Mule Deer is the definitive history book for trophy mule deer, Columbia blacktail, and Sitka blacktail in North America. This first-ever records book dedicated solely to mule deer and blacktail deer features:n Over 4,500 listings of mule deer, Columbia
blacktail, and Sitka blacktail from the Boone and Crockett Club’s Records Program dating back to the late 1800s up through January 31, 2009.
n Over 28 new state and provincial records.
n Geographic analysis from the lower 48 states including detailed county maps and corresponding tables.
n Individual state and provincial lists for typical and non-typical mule deer, Columbia blacktail deer, and Sitka blacktail deer.
n Informative chapters from today’s top outdoor writers, plus the Mule Deer Foundation.
published by the boone and CroCkett Club250 Station Drive, Missoula, MT 59801
ADDITIONAL SPECIES RECORDS BOOKS AvAILABLE FROM B&C:
Records of North American Elk, First Edition
Records of North American Whitetail Deer, Fourth Edition
Visit our official web site for a complete list of available books:www.booneandcrockettclub.com
see over 40 portrait images of state and provincial records, like the current Colorado state record and current World’s record typical mule deer (top). also included is a special bonus section featuring dozens of color field photographs.
Cover Photo by Donald M. Jones