To brag IMO........I think mounts and pictures are more for others then ourselves as most people try to claim. Let's face facts.......one of the biggest joys most hunters get from killing a big buck is showing everyone else what they got. Talk to any taxidermist and you will hear stories of big bucks that come in with hair falling out and half rotten because the guy was driving it around in his truck all weekend getting free drinks [8D] Why does everyone run to the internet and post pics on the "bragging board" of every sporting goods store out there??........To basically say "Look what I shot" The honoring the animal bit is a little bit of a stretch when most guys get their biggest satisfaction when other guys say "WOW.......nice buck"

I'm not saying it's 100% for that reason........but I think it is a BIG part. I am in no ways innocent of the above either as I have a buck mount on my wall as well. I think we all know what I mean........there are plenty of guys out there that get more enjoyment from showing others what they shot then actually shooting it........the pics come out like lightning before the first beer is even empty.


I feel the same way, only I keep photo albums..........If I can share that stuff with my family I will be happy. I couldn't care less if some stranger on the other side of the country is reading my name.

Your post was worded very well though.

[quote]ORIGINAL: GR8atta2d

That is freakin' great

[quote]ORIGINAL: HuntinGUS

.

Gr8 already quoted it so I cannot deny it now. WOW that argument went to He!! quickly.

I am exiting now!
[/quote


Do you mean excited?

Still waiting......

Quote:

quote:

ORIGINAL: HuntinGUS


[blockquote]quote:

Uh no not really[/blockquote]
.

Gr8 already quoted it so I cannot deny it now. WOW that argument went to He!! quickly.

I am exiting now!
[/quote


Do you mean excited?

Still trying to figure out how I did that.......................The d is nowhere near the p![:@]

And for the recordI am not excited. I think it is either GERM or GMMAT that like to Spoon anyway.

Spooning has nothing to so with you liking "dics", so keep me out of this one please. You are on your own!!

OK OK OK.

Can we not get back to the subject here........please!!![&:]

Membership
The Pope and Young Club is a membership based organization of dedicated bowhunters and conservationists. There are three levels of membership: Associate, Regular, and Senior. All new members must join the Club as an Associate. The only requirement to join as an Associate Member is to be a bowhunter and have pursued the challenge long enough to have harvested at least one adult North American big game animal with the bow and arrow (not necessarily of record class size). The Associate Membership is unlimited in number to qualified individuals. Membership in the Pope and Young Club is entirely separate from the Records, which is one of the programs maintained by the Club.

Entry Requirements
The Records Program maintained by the Club is open to anyone. A successful bowhunter does not need to be a member of the Club to honor an animal with a listing in the Records. Animals must be taken with a bow and arrow under the rules of Fair Chase during legal hunting seasons, as well as in accordance with the controlling hunting regulations.
The Club maintains a staff of certified official measurers throughout North America. These trained volunteers, numbering over 935, provide this valuable public service and are the backbone of the organization's Records Program. A list of official measurers in each state or province is available upon request from the Club's central office in Chatfield, Minnesota, or can be found in the "Find a Measurer" portion of this site.
An animal's antlers or horns (or skull in the case of bear or cougar) must dry, at room temperature and normal atmospheric humidity in an unaltered state, for a period of at least 60 days after the date of harvest to be officially measured. If the final score meets or exceeds the established minimum score requirements for that species, the following materials are required to submit the entry for possible inclusion in the Bowhunting Big Game Records of North America:
[ol][*]Scoring form completed by the official measurer[*]Fair Chase Affidavit completed by the hunter[*]Three photographs of the antlers, horns, or skull. A front view, a view from the left side, and a view from the right side. A field photo, if available, is beneficial to include.[*]$25.00 recording fee, payable to the Pope and Young Club. [/ol]
The fee is for the entry into the book to be one of your highlights of the hunt if you so chose. Membership is anyone if they chose once harvested a animal with a bow as a accomplishment for the hunter.
Chose is the keyword here.

Now after reading some post there are some great points and after further thoughts on this one key thing that stuck out was harvest in different states. P&Y is in general for bow hunting as a whole and does not discriminate against states. Some states have their own scoring records like Wisconsin. (Wisconsin Buck & Bear Club) So I originally voted yes but since have changed that to a no to part of this reason.
In closing it all comes down to choice and how you want to honor your animal and what way you do this. Its your choice and thats what is great about it.

Lets keep united because hunting needs it.
Tony

So does the $25 you give them for an entry go towards conservation in any way or does it simply cover the costs of producing the books?

All of the above!