dgibson
New member
At the risk of starting another pissing match...has everyone seen this? <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>World’s Record Grizzly Disqualified
March 17, 2003
By Records Department
In an unprecedented move and after careful deliberation of all the facts at its disposal, the Boone and Crockett Club’s Records Committee recently removed David F. Malzac’s World’s Record grizzly bear from its records. Mr. Malzac’s trophy, which scores 27-5/16 points, was announced as the new World’s Record grizzly bear June 16, 2001, at the Boone and Crockett Club’s 24th Big Game Awards Program held at Bass Pro Shops, Springfield, Missouri. Mr. Malzac’s grizzly, which was taken on the Toklat River, Alaska, in 1998, exceeded the previous World’s Record (three-way tie) by a whopping 3/16 of an inch.
Shortly after the announcement and the close of the 24th Awards Program, the Club’s Records Office received information that Mr. Malzac’s hunting party had violated Alaska law while operating two "swamp buggies" on their moose hunt near the confluence of the Toklat and Sushana Rivers. Both rivers are protected and listed as Anadromous Waters where motorized land vehicle traffic is restricted. Alaska Hunting Regulations notify hunters that it is illegal to drive a motorized land vehicle across or through a river in which salmon spawn, rear, or migrate. Two of Mr. Malzac’s hunting companions, who each owned and admitted operating the vehicles in the prohibited waterways were charged with the crime, plead no contest, and were convicted.
Since it’s not clear if Mr. Malzac himself ever drove either of the vehicles in the prohibited areas, Mr. Malzac was never charged with a crime. Tire tracks caused by the hunting group’s daily use of one or two buggies in crossing the many braids, sloughs, or springs of the Toklat and Sushana Rivers, plus traveling up and down in the waterways for many days while they hunted the area alone were well documented. That extensive use became a major consideration in the Records Committee’s conclusion that Mr. Malzac would not have taken his trophy without the illegal use of his friends’ vehicles in violation of the Fair Chase Ethic of the Boone and Crockett Club. Accordingly, the World’s Record status is once again accorded to the three grizzly trophies that score 27-2/16 points.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> http://boone-crockett.org/news/news_dc.asp?area=news
An article in OL quotes Mr. Malzac as saying that he didn't know they were violating the law, and that he told a local biologist about the plan beforehand and was told it was no problem.
MY OPINION: The law is the law. It's too bad, but I can't blame B&C for enforcing their rules.
March 17, 2003
By Records Department
In an unprecedented move and after careful deliberation of all the facts at its disposal, the Boone and Crockett Club’s Records Committee recently removed David F. Malzac’s World’s Record grizzly bear from its records. Mr. Malzac’s trophy, which scores 27-5/16 points, was announced as the new World’s Record grizzly bear June 16, 2001, at the Boone and Crockett Club’s 24th Big Game Awards Program held at Bass Pro Shops, Springfield, Missouri. Mr. Malzac’s grizzly, which was taken on the Toklat River, Alaska, in 1998, exceeded the previous World’s Record (three-way tie) by a whopping 3/16 of an inch.
Shortly after the announcement and the close of the 24th Awards Program, the Club’s Records Office received information that Mr. Malzac’s hunting party had violated Alaska law while operating two "swamp buggies" on their moose hunt near the confluence of the Toklat and Sushana Rivers. Both rivers are protected and listed as Anadromous Waters where motorized land vehicle traffic is restricted. Alaska Hunting Regulations notify hunters that it is illegal to drive a motorized land vehicle across or through a river in which salmon spawn, rear, or migrate. Two of Mr. Malzac’s hunting companions, who each owned and admitted operating the vehicles in the prohibited waterways were charged with the crime, plead no contest, and were convicted.
Since it’s not clear if Mr. Malzac himself ever drove either of the vehicles in the prohibited areas, Mr. Malzac was never charged with a crime. Tire tracks caused by the hunting group’s daily use of one or two buggies in crossing the many braids, sloughs, or springs of the Toklat and Sushana Rivers, plus traveling up and down in the waterways for many days while they hunted the area alone were well documented. That extensive use became a major consideration in the Records Committee’s conclusion that Mr. Malzac would not have taken his trophy without the illegal use of his friends’ vehicles in violation of the Fair Chase Ethic of the Boone and Crockett Club. Accordingly, the World’s Record status is once again accorded to the three grizzly trophies that score 27-2/16 points.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> http://boone-crockett.org/news/news_dc.asp?area=news
An article in OL quotes Mr. Malzac as saying that he didn't know they were violating the law, and that he told a local biologist about the plan beforehand and was told it was no problem.
MY OPINION: The law is the law. It's too bad, but I can't blame B&C for enforcing their rules.
