I try to support conservation, hunting and second amendment type organizations when I can, both international and local.
One of the organizations i support, by being a life member, is SCI. I think they are in a position where they can do a lot of good for conservation, wildlife and hunting on the global scene. However, me personally am not interested in this scoring of trophies and the different awards and so in. To each his own, I do not mind if others find joy in this.

By chance, paging through this year's "Awards" issue of SCI's Safari Magazine, I noticed a short piece written by a Mr. Welker covering the Methuselah Award. It caught my interest.

Apparently, the criteria for this award are age and that the trophy animal is past its prime. I guess the scoring is subjective but you have to submit photo documentation of things like body condition, teeth wear, horn mass, horns showing wear/brooming/breakage and so on. If possible, also include documentation of official age estimate from Game Department or similar. Any game species can be entered if I'm not mistaken.

I find this an interesting shift in focus, away from maximum scores towards instead targeting animals precenting an equally hard and rewarding hunt but also in no way negative in terms of conservation and game management. Perhaps it takes away the element of competition regarding highest scoring trophies but I personally would not mind that.
I am surpriced I have not heard of this award and I can not find any posts discussing it here on AR.

A link with some more info and a few pictures of animals taken.
https://safariclub.org/sci-methuselah-award/

What are your thought on this?

The idea sounds noble.

But, if it is a competition, it will be worthless!

Especially administered by SCI!

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
The idea sounds noble.

But, if it is a competition, it will be worthless!

Exactly. A Good Example was the Rigby Buffalo Award

I like the idea of some inner circle SCI person paying big bucks for a buffalo held in a pen and sustained on antibiotics and supplements until age 20. Or perhaps they'd get a younger one and just drug it occasionally so they could take a belt sander to the horns and knock out some teeth. They could even hang weights on the horns to accelerate drop.

Sandyhunter, There will be people in South Africa reading your post with great interest!

I can hear it now: "Boet, that's a great idea! Maybe we can package it with one of these lions.
We're gonna need extra ketamine this year!"

I think I said it elsewhere that these 'anti-trophies' will be come a new trophy. Viola! Here we are...

It's still a competition, still stupid to compete by killing animals. I don't even think the idea is 'noble' - it's simply another way to for people to fight about who is better, etc. Maybe people could just post the paid bills from their safaris so we can see who spends the most? That's some one-upmanshipping I'd like to see...

If there is any Methuselah, it's these competitions - they are well past done...

I am going to have to say that I think this is not only wrong, but antithetical to everything that I value in hunting.

I am an SCI Life Member, BTW.

Hunting is not, and should not be perverted into becoming, a competition.

Hunting is an intensely personal thing, at least for me.

I post photos of my animals on AR only; my outfitters are free to and have posted my photos on their websites and in their hunting reports; I show my face, and insist that my outfitters show my face, in all of them; I will not hide; but I do not, and will never, enter any of my animals in any kind of trophy book.

I like the general idea of honoring and encouraging taking old animals, but agree on the negative effects of a competition. But why have to crown a "winner"? I love seeing the old guys, especially with buffalo, but all animals. Why not have people make nominations and publish all that qualify as "honorable mentions"?

With pictures of course, because I love looking at pictures of the old guys.

For example, last year, I shot one of the ugliest buffalo you could find. About a third of his boss on one side was totally gone. He wasn't very wide, certainly under 40" although I never pulled out a tape. He was skin and bones. And I'm as happy with that buffalo as any I've ever shot.

I kind of admire those guys that will pass up the big 'trophy' animals and go for the most mature one in the area.
that takes some serious self control.
and a lot of knowledge of the animals in the area.

most of us are lucky to even see an animal that qualifies as a tag filler, or food as it's know around here.
passing up a mature anything that's legal would probably get you slapped by an in-law [aka the wife]

Stop making fun of our friends in South Africa1

I actually admire them.

They have brought up lots of animals that might have gone off.

Of course, we also have some very crooked South Africa professional hunters who devoted their lives to catering for the stupid idiots who wish to be in SCI Inner Circles!

Perhaps I am misreading this. I don’t see it as a competition. If I am reading this correctly, there will be awards given to those meeting the criteria . There is not a single winner .

Personally, I have not heard of it before. It does seem to be an interesting departure from the normal awards .

I wouldn't accept a reward from that corrupt organization if they paid me!

Problem with SCI is the never ending stories we keep hearing that they are on the mend.

Sometimes a decent person might get into management position, but the signs they are never given the time of day, and SCI carries on with their convoluted ways as they have always done.

For as long as I can remember, every time a new person is at the top, we are promised "changes".

Never happened, and probably never will.

Just as bad as trying to make an honest politician!

.

NAPHA Namibia has an interesting medal being the Conservation Medal, awarded for very old or broken / deformed horns. Its a personal thing if you want to apply for one or not and NAPHA will issue it along with a certificate. The funds for the medal are ploughed back into the industry. Not a bad thing.

.

Fundamentally all of the SCI awards are a fund raiser for SCI.

I do support SCI, and think their mission is worthy.

That said, it’s not the most efficient organization.

Some chapters and national groups can be said to be rather cliquey.

So, if you feel donation to the organization has some value, and you want to have a piece of paper or plaque that says that a group of people agree that your old animal truly was an old animal, then getting your animal verified as a methuselah award might have some value.

As long as you remember that the purpose of this is to generate funds for SCI, you won’t be upset (unless they disagree that your animal qualifies, anyhow…)

quote:

Originally posted by crbutler:
Fundamentally all of the SCI awards are a fund raiser for SCI.

I do support SCI, and think their mission is worthy.

That said, it’s not the most efficient organization.

Some chapters and national groups can be said to be rather cliquey.

So, if you feel donation to the organization has some value, and you want to have a piece of paper or plaque that says that a group of people agree that your old animal truly was an old animal, then getting your animal verified as a methuselah award might have some value.

As long as you remember that the purpose of this is to generate funds for SCI, you won’t be upset (unless they disagree that your animal qualifies, anyhow…)

Bloody hell!

I did not know that.

Some chapters have their own inner circles of LOOK AT ME snowflakes?

Does anyone wonder?

Can one just pick up a skull off of the ground and enter that in the Methuselah book?

Can't get much older than already dead.

Saeed,

Sounds like Congress!

Found out that a group of monkeys are called a CONGRESS!

Fits perfectly!

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Found out that a group of monkeys are called a CONGRESS!

Fits perfectly!

I thought it was baboons?

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana338:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Found out that a group of monkeys are called a CONGRESS!

Fits perfectly!

I thought it was baboons?

Who cares?

Same same!

I am certain if Trump and Biden were baboons they would be kicked out of the CONGRESS!