MISSOULA, Mont.-More and more prominent big game conservation groups are formally endorsing Boone and Crockett scoring as their standard system for measuring North American big game trophies.

Boone and Crockett scoring originally was developed as a means of recording data on species thought to be going extinct from habitat loss and unregulated harvest. Today, Boone and Crockett Club records remain a classic gauge of successful conservation and management programs. In addition to its prestigious history and tradition, Boone and Crockett scoring is strongly associated with the highest tenets of fair chase and hunting ethics.

Nine organizations have recently adopted Boone and Crockett scoring, including:

Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society
Arizona Deer Association
Dallas Safari Club
Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia
Mule Deer Foundation
Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Texas Bighorn Society
Wild Sheep Foundation

Each organization is now using only Boone and Crockett scoring for its North American award and recognition programs, communications, competitions, trophy exhibits, etc.

"We're pleased to formalize partnerships with these organizations because it strengthens the objectives we all share for conservation as well as hunting ethics in North America," said Eldon "Buck" Buckner, vice president of Big Game Records for the Boone and Crockett Club.

The very first organization to formally adopt the copyrighted Boone and Crockett scoring system was the Pope & Young Club in 1958. Their purpose was to establish a records keeping program strictly for archery taken trophies to counter the claims at the time that bowhunting was not an effective method of harvest and there should not be separate seasons for archers.

A complete list of Boone and Crockett scoring partners can be found on their Web site, www.boone-crockett.org.

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 associated 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, Mont. For details, visit www.boone-crockett.org.