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The Boone and Crockett Club - Overview
If you’ve been involved in big game hunting for a while now, you’re probably familiar with the Boone and Crockett Club. Being named after two of the most iconic American figures amongst outdoorsmen, Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett, those who hear of the Boone and Crockett Club are often intrigued to learn more.
What is the Boone and Crockett Club?
The B&C Club is the oldest conservation organization in America. Established over 130 years ago in 1887 by President Theodore Roosevelt and anthropologist, George Grinnell, the B&C Club was one of many actions taken by the 26th president of the United States to help preserve the amazing wildlife of the country. The club consisted of many hunters that also had substantial political influence.
Because of their political power, members of the Boone and Crockett Club were able to pass legislation that helped fund the sustainment of wildlife in America. Legislations such as the Lacey Act (1900), Migratory Bird Treaty Act (1918), Wildlife Restoration Act or Pittman-Robertson Act (Read our post about this here), and the Federal Duck Stamp Act (1934) are some of their substantial legal actions.
Other actions taken by members of the Boone and Crockett Club led to the development of many national parks such as Yellowstone, Denali, Grand Canyon, and Glacier. Along with national parks, they have helped develop other conservation organizations aside from their own. Members of the Boone and Crockett Club have helped develop the New York Zoological Society (1895), Wildlife Management Institution (1911), Ducks Unlimited (1937), and more.
The Boone and Crockett Club has a very clear mission statement “It is the mission of the Boone and Crockett Club to promote the conservation and management of wildlife, especially big game, and its habitat, to preserve and encourage hunting and to maintain the highest ethical standards of fair chase and sportsmanship in North America.” (Boone Crockett Club)
For many hunters, when they hear about the Boone and Crockett Club, they often think about giant bucks and bulls and the scoring system they have put in place. This is just another action that the Boone and Crockett Club has taken to continue the conservation effort while at the same time, creating a sense of competition that any big game hunter, no matter where they hunt, can participate in
If you’re sitting in the stand and set your eyes on the biggest buck you’ve ever seen, make a clean shot, and harvest that beauty, you can take specific measurements (found here) and score your buck to potentially be a Boone and Crockett Club record holder. While that may sound fun and all, it’s not easy to break some of the amazing records set by North American hunters.
For example, the B&C world record Alaskan Brown Bear was taken back in 1952 on a scientific expedition and hasn’t been broken since. While every hunter may not be a Boone and Crockett Record holder, they have set a standard for every hunter to be able to score and compare their harvested game.
Joining the B&C Club
Another great part about the Boone and Crockett Club is that anyone can become a member. Whether you’re a seasoned big game hunter with many hunts under your belt, or a new hunter passionate about the outdoors, the Boone and Crockett Club offers memberships ranging from as little as $35 all the way up to $1,500. When becoming a member of the Boone and Crockett Club, you become more than just a member, you become a hunter-conservationist who cares for maintaining the tradition of big game hunting and strives to help the conservation effort on a daily basis.
For more information on the Boone and Crockett Club, visit their website to see all the great content they produce, the current record for all big game animals, and become a B&C member today!
