Recognizing The Real Trophy in Trophy Hunting
Blizzard Hunter3
Now this is the kind of trophy recognition that trophy hunting has been needing for a long, long time. Anyone who's paid his dues -- suffered through wind, freezing rain, howling blizzards and towering mountains -- knows the real reward in hunting comes when you play the game fairly, endure the hard luck and hard times and emerge with not only your trophy, but your integrity. The Boone & Crocket club calls it Fair Chase, a concept Theodore Roosevelt pushed more than 100 years ago to counter the "poacher takes all" ethics of the market hunting era. With ever increasing technology, fair chase is as relevant than ever. But how do we honor it? How do we even recognize it? We can touch, see, measure and photograph antlers and horns, skulls and hides. We tape and add inches, print certificates and publish record books. But what of hunting ethics? How can we honor them? According to the news release below, B&C and Hunting GPS Maps has found a way.
MISSOULA, Mont.--The name Boone and Crockett is synonymous with trophy records, conservation and fair chase hunting. Trophies have long been honored with awards, books, exhibitions and events. Now, the Club's new Hunt Fair Chase Award is helping bring equal weight to the other half of the B&C brand.Boone and Crockett's inaugural Hunt Fair Chase Award was sponsored by Hunting GPS Maps and presented as part of Club's recent 28th Big Game Awards in Reno, Nev.Matt "Rip" Rippentrop of Oelrichs, S.D., was honored for extraordinary ethics in a hunt that ultimately produced a massive bighorn ram scoring 203-6/8.Well-known hunting writer and television personality Craig Boddington presented the award to Rippentrop before a banquet crowd of 450. Boddington told the audience:"Fair chase is just two words, but their meaning has deep significance to everyone who hunts and teaches young people about hunting. This was not an easy call to make, but of all the accounts of hunts from these 28th Awards, Rip's story read 'fair chase' from beginning to end. A 38-day, out-of-state, do-it-yourself campaign was certainly the way to honor a once-in-a-lifetime sheep tag."The Hunt Fair Chase Award reads, "In recognition of a hunt that best represents the determination, self-reliance, and respect for the game that embodies the tenets of fair chase set forth by Boone and Crockett Club founder Theodore Roosevelt.""We're honored to sponsor the Hunt Fair Chase Award," said Jason Ritthaler of Hunting GPS Maps. "All of us at Hunting GPS Maps are deeply grateful for the Club's work in conservation and fair chase across North America. We are happy to participate in this tradition by sponsoring an award that represents the tenets of hunting with determination, self-reliance and respect for the game. It is these ethics that Hunting GPS Maps works to pass on to the next generation of hunters."Hunting GPS Maps personnel joined the Boone and Crockett Records Department and others in judging for the award a number of written descriptions of hunts that exemplify the term "fair chase."Learn more about Hunting GPS Maps at https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/app.
About the Boone and Crockett ClubFounded by Theodore Roosevelt in 1887, the Boone and Crockett Club promotes guardianship and visionary management of big game and associated wildlife in North America. The Club maintains the highest standards of fair-chase sportsmanship and habitat stewardship. Member accomplishments include enlarging and protecting Yellowstone and establishing Glacier and Denali national parks, founding the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and National Wildlife Refuge System, fostering the Pittman-Robertson and Lacey Acts, creating the Federal Duck Stamp program, and developing the cornerstones of modern game laws. The Boone and Crockett Club is headquartered in Missoula, Mont. For details, visitwww.boone-crockett.org.
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