Along with my fellow colleague, wildlife biologist Justin Bryan, I attended the Boone and Crockett Club’s 26th Big-Game Awards Banquet in Fort Worth, Texas in late June. Initiated in 1947, this event was designed to recognize the finest big-game trophies taken by modern day hunters, recognize the fortunate individuals for their unique achievements, and celebrate the conservation hurdles successfully achieved by sportsmen. It is the consummate event in the big-game hunting world.

Fellow biologist Macy Ledbetter and I share a moment among the largest whitetails taken over the last three years.

The event recognized the top trophies of all big-game animals taken over the last three years.

All trophies were displayed at the Cabela’s Fort Worth store in two separate expansive rooms, one downstairs and one upstairs, a fact I was unaware of as I visibly feasted on huge elk, bear and musk ox in the lower room. Admiring the amazing trophies, I anticipated seeing the animals I drove 375 miles across Texas to view—whitetail and sheep—but upon completing the loop tour inside the expansive room; I saw not a single whitetail or sheep. Fortunately, we decided to walk around and see the amazing mounts displayed throughout the store when I noticed another Boone and Crockett sign designating the location of an additional display room located on the second floor. Inside the room the top three typical and top three nontypical whitetails and mule deer were eloquently hung on the walls. With whitetails on one side and mule deer on the opposing side of the expansive room, I paused momentarily before gravitating to the whitetails.

The whitetails were represented by six phenomenal specimens--two typicals and four nontypicals. The largest typical was taken in Warren County, Ohio by Bradley S. Jerman scored 201 1/8. The first award for nontypical whitetail was shared by two uniquely different antlered bucks which scored an identical 295 3/8 inches. Scott R. Dexter shot his massive beamed deer in McDonough County, Illinois in 2004. Jonathan R. Schmucker met up with his wide-horned nontypical in Adams County, Ohio in 2006.

Three of the top entries were taken in Ohio and three from Illinois. Digesting the site of these monsters confirms in my mind that the good ole days of hunting are right now, and with the conservative harvest practices employed by modern day hunters, it will only get better.

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Turning my attention to mulies, I viewed two magnificent animals, both of which were taken by lady sportsmen. Myra S. Smith took the top typical with a deer she shot in 2006 scoring 210 2/8 inches. The Sonora, Mexico brute displayed an inside spread of 28 6/8 inches. Catherine E. Keene took her outstanding mulie in Freemont County, Wyoming in 2004. With an inside spread of 27 2/8 inches decorated with 33 picturesque points, it scored 285 4/8. Visiting with Catherine, I found out that she missed the monster the first time she saw it, but with a great shot several days later, she took a deer most of us can only dream about.

Viewing all the antlers, horns and skulls of the animals was a privilege, but the opportunity to meet these lucky sportsmen and ladies at the awards banquet was the highlight of the event.

The display of these high country inhabitants was a visual feast.

Andrew Seman, now the holder of the world's record black bear he took in Fayette County, Pennsylvania proudly celebrates this event with his family.

One of my personal highlights was to visit with Guy Eastman. Guy’s 382 3/8-inch barren ground caribou placed third. I knew Guy when he was a youngster back in the late 1980s when his grandfather, the late Gordon Eastman, was filming me in Whitetail Country, one of Gordon’s epic video productions.

My personal highlight was the chance to meet fellow Pennsylvanian Andrew Seman, Jr. Andrew took a black bear in Pennsylvania in 2005 that presently reigns as the new world’s record. More amazing is that fact that he shot the bear in the county I grew up in, Fayette, where bear were nonexistent when I was a kid. This is just another accommodation for the efforts of wildlife management and conservation that continue to insure us that our grandchildren will enjoy one of our most cherished resources—wildlife.