On rare occasions, a trophy will be rejected for entry into the Boone and Crockett Club’s big game records. The reasons aren’t as juicy as you might think.
In 2023, the Boone and Crockett Club Records Department, which consists of Kyle Lehr (director) and Jennifer Schwab (assistant director), processed and recorded 1292 entries. They rejected 141 of them for an acceptance rate of 89 percent.
Lehr and Schwab are assisted by an army of Official Measurers (OMs) who volunteer their time and expertise to meet with hunters who think they have an animal with horns, antlers, tusks, or skull large enough to meet the minimum requirement of the record book. These OMs are tasked with scoring the trophy based on the Club’s scoring system. The hunters or the OMs then submit it to Club headquarters in Missoula. Once submitted, Lehr and Schwab go through that paperwork to ensure every entry meets the Club’s basic requirements for entry into the records. Most times, entry packets are complete and make it to the finish line. The hunter’s trophy is ranked and placed among more than 58,000 existing records. Other times, there’s a problem.
“Sometimes we might need a signature, or maybe there are a couple of pieces of missing documentation,” Lehr says. “If a trophy qualifies for the record book, we want it to be in the records. We are happy to follow up with hunters and trophy owners to make sure they get recognition.” Then again, it doesn’t always work out.
Top Reasons Why Entries Get Rejected
1. Failure to Complete Entry Requirements
Every entry has essentially the same requirements, which can be found in complete detail HERE. The shortlist includes a $40 entry fee, score chart, photographs, copy or verification of a valid hunting license, hunt info form, and a Fair Chase entry affidavit that promises the animal was taken under the principles of Fair Chase. If any of these items are missing or incomplete, Lehr says that the Club attempts to contact them three times. If there is no response, the entry is rejected. “We encourage our OMs to help the hunters in the process but it’s ultimately on the trophy owner,” Lehr says. “If we’re missing one item, we’re likely missing more than one.” Even if the trophy is rejected for failure to meet entry requirements, the entry can be “reactivated” by the trophy owner. There is no deadline for completion.
2. Scoring/Math Error
The Club offers all the resources to score your trophy: downloadable score charts, how-to scoring instructions, and even scoring kits to help with the scoring process, but mistakes can happen—even with trained OMs doing the scoring. Lehr says one of the biggest mistakes is point designation. “With the sheer number of whitetails that we see go through the scoring process, we see a lot of antler variation and creativity going into growing some of those racks,” he says. Sometimes, it’s tough to classify an antler point as abnormal or normal. If classified incorrectly, it throws off the entire score.
3. Violation of Fair Chase Methods
Not every hunter is familiar with the concept of Fair Chase, which is “The ethical, sportsmanlike, and lawful pursuit and taking of any free-ranging wild game animal in a manner that does not give the hunter an improper or unfair advantage over the game animals.” While that statement might be subjective, there are some specific cases in which a big game animal may not be eligible for the records. For instance, trail cameras that supply real-time data and initiate a real-time response cannot be used to take an eligible entry. Laser range-finding scopes are also not allowed. In other words, Lehr says that technology shouldn’t be the reason animals are harvested.
4. Owner Request
Sometimes, owners have a change of heart and pull their trophy from entry. Why would someone pull their trophy? “We don’t ask why people pull it,” Lehr says. “I can only speculate, but maybe they entered it and then realized not all of the conditions and methods for Fair Chase were met. Or maybe they disagree with the Club on a policy issue. We just ask that they make the request in writing if they wish to remove the entry.”
Lehr encourages hunters to reach out to their local OMs. If you don’t know where one is, then you can use this handy locator map to find one. “Please, enter your trophy,” Lehr says. “We’re cool. We don’t bite.”
When you enter your trophy into the Boone and Crockett system, you aren’t just honoring the animal and its habitat. You are participating in a data collection system that started in the 1920s and was refined by Club members in 1950. Today, there are nearly 60,000 trophy records. By establishing a records database more than 70 years ago, the Boone and Crockett Club established a scientific baseline from which researchers can use to study wildlife management. If you’re still on the fence about entering your trophy, we encourage you to read Why Should I Bother to Enter My Trophy .… Read More
Entry requirements for Boone and Crockett Trophies
Current original score chart, signed and dated by a B&C Official Measurer.
The $40 entry fee, which is nonrefundable, is payable in cash, personal check, money order, credit card, etc.*
Clearly focused photographs of trophy front, right side, and left side of horns or antlers. For skull, include photographs of front, top, right side, and left side.
Entry Affidavit** or Materials Release Form***
Hunter, Guide, and Hunt Information Form**
Copy of hunting license/big-game tag/salvage permit used to take or possess the trophy.**
A narrative including pertinent information about how the trophy was acquired, condition of trophy (if found), dates, bills of sale, etc.***
* Measurers, museums, Game and Fish agencies, etc. are exempt from paying the entry fee.
** Does not apply to trophies of unknown origin or picked-up trophies.
*** Applies only to trophies of unknown origin or picked-up trophies.
