Missoula, Mont. – [January 15, 2026]—The Boone and Crockett Club wishes to remind the hunting community of the foundational principles that govern its records program. For over a century, the Club’s records have served as a benchmark of conservation success and habitat health. To maintain the integrity of this dataset, the Club remains steadfast in its requirement that only native, wild, and free-ranging big game are eligible for entry.
Maintaining these rigorous standards is essential to protecting our hunting heritage. As hunting remains under increased scrutiny, the Club believes that maintaining the highest ethical standards is the best way to protect hunting’s future and ensure the records—as a tool for game management, research, and conservation—remain available to wildlife managers. Strict adherence to these requirements leaves no room for the principles of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation to be undermined.
The Club’s Big Game Records Program, featuring a database of nearly 60,000 entries, serves as a testament to these standards.
“The sanctity of the record book relies entirely on the authenticity of the pursuit,” said Mike Opitz, Vice President of the Club’s Big Game Records Committee. “When a hunter submits an entry, they are contributing to the legacy of Fair Chase and the future of conservation. It is essential that we honor the animal and the records by ensuring every entry comes from a truly wild and free-ranging environment.”
The Club’s position on ‘canned shoots’ and animals hunted in controlled or escape-proof environments is clear: animals taken under such conditions are ineligible for the records. In addition, animals raised in captivity, transplanted, and/or released solely for the purpose of a commercial shooting operation are ineligible for entry into the records book. This policy also applies to animals that have escaped from commercial shooting operations or high fence facilities. Entries resulting from official government agency-led reintroductions or population augmentations remain eligible, as these animals represent legitimate conservation efforts to establish wild, free-ranging herds and provide vital data for population analysis.
This policy is not a commentary on the value of the individual animal, nor is it intended to criticize a hunter’s personal choices. Rather, it is a necessary safeguard to ensure unbiased scientific application of the records dataset. Maintaining an absolute distinction between wild, free-ranging game and those from controlled environments ensures that the record book remains a credible and reliable tool for wildlife managers and conservationists.
The Club reminds hunters, guides, and outfitters of their shared duty to research the environment, origin, and management of game; however, the ultimate responsibility for the hunt rests with the hunter. In an era where artificial confinement and the translocation of species can blur lines, the burden of proof regarding an animal’s wild and free-ranging status rests with the hunter.
The Boone and Crockett Club reserves the right to accept or reject any entry based on its established guidelines, ethics, and criteria. As stated in the official entry affidavit, the Club “may exclude the entry of any animal that it deems to have been taken in an unethical manner or under conditions deemed inappropriate by the Club.”
By voluntarily submitting an entry, hunters acknowledge the Club’s role as the steward of the standards that define a record-book animal. This rigorous screening process ensures that every animal listed in the Boone and Crockett records was taken in the spirit of Fair Chase, honoring both the hunter and the hunted.
The Boone and Crockett Club’s website includes more information on the Club’s position statements regarding canned shoots, record-book eligibility, and Fair Chase.
About the Boone and Crockett Club
Founded by Theodore Roosevelt in 1887, the Boone and Crockett Club promotes guardianship and visionary management of big game and 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, Montana. Click here to learn more about the Boone and Crockett Club.
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