MISSOULA, Mont. (April 14, 2025) – The Boone and Crockett Club is proud to announce Buck Knives as the Jack Steele Parker Generation Next Youth Awards presenting sponsor at the 32nd Triennial Big Game Awards. The event honors young hunters (ages 16 and under) who have had an animal accepted into the Boone and Crockett Club’s Records of North American Big Game from 2022 to 2024. The Generation Next banquet, presented by Buck Knives, will be welcomed by Buck Knives’ CEO CJ Buck and emceed by Into High Country’s Jason Matzinger. This year more than 40 youth will be recognized at the banquet, which will be held in the ballroom of the White River Conference Center in Springfield, Missouri the evening of July 25, 2025.
“We are incredibly honored to support the Jack Steele Parker Generation Next Youth Awards and celebrate the young hunters who embody the spirit of conservation and ethical hunting,” said CJ Buck, CEO of Buck Knives. “At Buck Knives, we are deeply committed to inspiring the next generation to uphold the traditions of Fair Chase and wildlife stewardship, which brought so many species from early 1900’s scarcity to present day abundance. Partnering with the Boone and Crockett Club allows us to champion these values and recognize the achievements of youth who are shaping the future of the great outdoors.”
The Boone and Crockett Club has been measuring the antlers, horns, and skulls of North American big game since 1895 with the original vision of creating a record of what was thought to be the vanishing wildlife in the country. Conservation efforts initiated by sportsmen helped to recover species and records-keeping helps to document these conservation successes. The Boone and Crockett Club’s Records of North American Big Game was first published in 1932 and, now in its 15th edition, serves as a vital record of biological, harvest, and location data on hunter-taken and found big game species based on the principle that the existence of mature male specimens is an indicator of overall population and habitat health. The 32nd Big Game Awards recognizes the most impressive heads, horns, and antlers accepted into the Boone and Crockett Club’s record book over the past three years and is a celebration of Fair Chase hunting and conservation of North American big game. As part of this, the Generation Next event is critical to ensuring that young hunters understand this conservation history and the role they play in the future of our wildlife and wild places.
“The Jack Steele Parker Generation Next Youth Awards shine a spotlight on the importance of younger generations in continuing the critical work of conservation and protecting our hunting heritage,” said Boone and Crockett Club records committee chairman Mike Opitz. “We are proud to partner with Buck Knives, whose dedication to the outdoors mirrors our own. Together, we can inspire and celebrate these outstanding young hunters who share in the stewardship of wildlife and our great outdoors.”
The Generation Next display will open on May 1st as part of the 32nd Big Game Awards exhibit in the Bucks and Bulls Hall of Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium. The display will provide Wonders of Wildlife attendees an unparalleled opportunity to view this collection of wildlife and conservation success that will only ever be seen all together in this display.
The 32nd Big Game Awards culminates July 24-26 with the Generation Next event on July 25th and the Big Game Awards banquet sponsored by the Wild Sheep Foundation on July 26th. For updates and ticket information, visit the Boone and Crockett Club’s website at www.boone-crockett.org/big-game-awards.
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.
About Buck Knives
Founded in 1902 and still family-owned, Buck Knives is an American icon in knife making—trusted for generations and proudly headquartered in Post Falls, Idaho. We design and build premium knives for hunters, adventurers, tradesmen, chefs, collectors, and everyday users who demand performance, durability, and timeless quality. Each Buck knife reflects our legacy of craftsmanship and our commitment to getting the job done right. Learn more at www.buckknives.com.
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