North American big game records
How Boone and Crockett scoring works.
Boone and Crockett measures eligible native North American big game through repeatable physical measurements. Antler, horn and skull measurements are used because another measurer can check them later.
From early records to the modern system
The Boone and Crockett Club began developing a measurement and record-keeping programme in 1902. Its first book of big game measurements appeared in 1906. After the Second World War, a committee developed the objective system adopted by the Club in 1950. The first Records of North American Big Game volume using that system followed in 1952.
The Club's records programme was built around more than rankings. It collected harvest, biological and locality information at a time when wildlife managers had little comparable data on big game populations.
What goes into the score
| Eligible game | The programme covers qualifying native North American big game under the Club's rules and categories. |
|---|---|
| Measurements | Species sheets use relevant enduring characteristics such as beam or horn length, circumference, tine length, spread or skull dimensions. |
| Typical categories | Typical antler and horn categories reward the usual configuration for the species. Differences between left and right can become deductions. |
| Non-typical categories | Antlers with abnormal material can be entered in separate non-typical categories, where those points are treated differently. |
| Official status | An official score chart is not authenticated until it is signed and dated by a certified Boone and Crockett Official Measurer, then accepted by the Club where required. |
Gross score, net score and the number on your print
Gross score is the sum of the measurements before deductions. In many typical antler and horn categories, the final net score accounts for differences in symmetry. Both figures can be interesting, but they are different figures. Use the official final score as the main number when your poster says Boone and Crockett. Put a gross score in the notes only when it is clearly labelled.
A poster is a good place to preserve the species, date and location alongside the figure, but it does not put a trophy into the Boone and Crockett records programme. Official entry has its own eligibility, documentation and verification rules.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Boone and Crockett for a non-native species?
Do not assume so. Use the official category and eligibility guidance before calling a score Boone and Crockett. If the score came from another system, select that system instead.
Can I put an unofficial estimate on a poster?
Yes, as a personal measurement or estimate, provided it is labelled honestly. Do not call it an official Boone and Crockett score without an authenticated score chart and any required acceptance.