Millions of people worldwide are engaged in hunting and consider it their main hobby. They produce thousands of trophies every day, each of which is unique. Various competitions and exhibitions are held annually to identify the best of the best in this business. Their winners receive well-deserved awards that they will be proud of all their lives.

Ways to evaluate the success of hunters

Hunting is an ancient craft that was vital to man many centuries ago. Over time, its purpose has changed, and today it is an exciting entertainment. It is practiced by many people who want unforgettable emotions and to get closer to nature for a few hours.

For a long time, people needed to think about observing the rules of hunting and were not going to compare the obtained trophies with each other. However, from the middle of the 19th century, hunters began to examine their prey comprehensively. Initially, they did this to study changes in animal populations and, after a few decades - to compete with each other. This circumstance led to the fact that the work of hunters began to be evaluated, and various awards were given out for it. In subsequent years, hunting became a favorite pastime, and a detailed study of new territories allowed expanding the list of trophies. At this time, various associations of hunters began to appear. Often they were called clubs, associations, and federations. Members of such organizations competed with each other, and the best of the best received valuable awards. The latter was awarded for hunting achievements, from capturing the most significant trophy to killing the enormous fowl.

Today the situation has changed a little. Representatives of environmental organizations intervened in the work of various hunting clubs and federations. They forced the hunters to reconsider their attitude to their favorite pastime, adding certain obligations to the wild. Among the latter, there are most often restrictions on killing certain types of animals or a complete ban on shooting a particular fowl. This approach slightly changed the ways of hunting (for example, some species can now only be shot at night, using various night vision priors to achieve the goal) and assessing the activity of hunters. Now their results should not only be the best among competitors but also comply with specific rules (for example, a trophy will be removed from the competition if its dimensions are more/less than the maximum allowable). Some hunting organizations even give individual awards for developing conservation projects to increase trophy animal populations.

Status hunting organizations

Hundreds of notable organizations are involved in evaluating the success of hunters. Each has its own history and hierarchy, but it adheres to the general principles of hunting activities. Most clubs, federations, and associations establish their awards, presented to the most successful hunters. The most valuable are prizes awarded by status organizations that are known all over the world.

Status hunting organizations:

1. Boone & Crockett Club. This oldest hunting club in the world appeared at the end of the 20th century. Its main task was to maintain the habitat of trophy animals and encourage people to engage in and promote private hunting. The club got its name in honor of the pioneers of North America. Among his boats were such famous personalities as T. Roosevelt, D. B. Grinnell, and M. Grant. In our time, the club has retained its high status. He keeps track of large fowl populations and gives out numerous awards to the best hunters. Some of the established awards are the oldest in the world, and everyone dreams of receiving them.
2. Safari Club International. This status club appeared relatively recently (in 1972). The main goal of this organization is to preserve wildlife and protect trophy animals from illegal destruction. Despite this, its members are tens of thousands of hunters worldwide. The club is also engaged in issuing a considerable number of awards for various achievements in hunting. This organization cooperates with many wildlife conservationists. Together with them, she creates multiple educational programs on environmental protection and conducts hunting courses. The latter participants are taught how to hunt appropriately without harming animal populations.
3. National Rifle Association. This organization is a significant force in the hunting business. It advocates for the removal of bans on various types of hunting. Also, it teaches its members how to properly handle weapons, choose ammunition, and use night vision devices and other equipment. About 5 million people are members of this association, which supports dozens of hunting clubs from different parts of the world. All of them favor legal hunting, which will benefit hunters, profit the state, and not harm wildlife.
4. Sportsman's Alliance. This organization, founded in 1977, deals with sport hunting. She is actively fighting to expand the geography of this occupation and increase the territories where you can legally shoot fowl. Every year, the organization encourages distinguished hunters who are its members, giving them valuable prizes. The alliance also promotes the idea of using dogs for hunting.
5. Club Grand Slam. This independent organization is one of the leading partners of Safari Club International. Their cooperation allows the implementation of various joint projects affecting nature conservation and hunting activities. Grand Slam is a relatively young organization. Despite this, the awards it gives out have a high status worldwide. Most prizes are established for the extraction of certain types of trophies. The club also gives a special prize to the most versatile hunter, able to handle different kinds of weapons, day and night optics, and, with their help, kill a variety of fauna.
6. Dallas Safari Club. This well-known organization brings together hunters, photographers, and wildlife conservationists. It promotes fair hunting, during which the environment and animal populations that live in a particular area are not harmed. Most of the DSC awards are named after famous hunters who have been club members. They are awarded for various hunting achievements of amateurs and professionals. A separate award is given to photographers who take high-quality pictures of fauna representatives.
7. Ducks Unlimited. An organization with such an exciting name deals exclusively with bird hunting. She actively cooperates with the Boone & Crockett Club, which allows her to find funds to implement various projects. DU encourages hunters who kill large numbers of waterfowl. The latter's population is constantly increasing, creating problems for some regions' ecosystems. The established prizes encourage hunters to shoot waterfowl, gradually improving North America's situation. In addition, DU is protecting birds beloved by hunters, whose population is declining. To do this, the organization seeks to allocate new territories for nesting birds and include these areas in the list of protected sites.
8. Quality Deer Management Association. This renowned organization was founded in 1988. It has offices in 50 US states and offices in several other countries around the world. Association members are 60 thousand people. They all deal with the problems of hunting deer and protecting these animals from excessive destruction. QDMA develops and implements many promising projects. Some of them are already showing results. For hunters, membership in this organization provides an opportunity to receive training in the correct hunting of various deer and participate in activities to control the population of competing species (for example, shooting predators that kill most of the deer). A bonus for QDMA members is various awards for the best hunters.

Prestigious hunting prizes

The successes of hunters on the plains, mountains, and forests materialize in various awards and prizes. They are distributed by almost every organization dealing with hunting issues. However, the most prestigious are awards issued by status clubs, federations, and associations.

Most prestigious hunter awards:

1. Big game awards. This award is the oldest in the world. Therefore, it is rightfully considered the most prestigious. It is awarded to the Boone & Crocket Club every three years, which only increases its value. To have a chance to receive such an award, you must obtain a trophy that meets the pre-specified requirements, as well as become a member of the club (pay an entry fee of $40). The oldest members of the club carry out evaluations of all received applications. The results are announced at the general meeting, and the winner's name is entered in the Club Book of Records. Also, the best hunter receives one of the special prizes (ring, tablet, buckle, etc.), proving his result.
2. Sagamore Hill Award. This special award was created by Boone & Crocket Club in honor of the organization's most famous member, T. Roosevelt. It is awarded by representatives of the family of the 26th President of the United States in the form of two prizes, independent of each other. The first is given out as devotion to hunters who have been club members for several decades. The second reward is provided for a hunter who has obtained a unique trophy that no one has shown before (for example, massive horns or skin of a non-standard color).
3. Major award. Any organization member can receive an award established by Safari Club International. Trophies that take the first 20 places in each category participate in the competition. They are re-examined by the jury members, after which the best one is determined. In this case, they are guided even by such trifles as the complexity of the hunt, the number of awards the hunter has, and the quality and significance of the prey. The prize for the winners is a mention in the club magazine and a record of the result in the SCI trophy book. Initially, such rewards seem like they could be better, but they automatically increase the hunter's status to the maximum.
4. Pantheon. This relatively young but very prestigious award is given jointly by the SCI and the Grand Slam Club. To obtain it, hunters must collect all the so-called "grand slams" installed by both organizations. These prizes are given out for notable achievements, ranging from trophies of each type of big game to killing animals of a specific category. The owner of the Pantheon does not receive any monetary bonus or other reward but becomes one of the best representatives of the hunting profession. This is much more important than financial or other rewards for many hunting enthusiasts.
5. Dr. Bob Speegle Outstanding Hunting Achievement Award. This award is the most prestigious award given by the Dallas Safari Club. To get it, the hunter needs to become the owner of each trophy from the list of "29 species of animals of North America", contact the "great helmet of Africa," and "12 rams of the world". It is as difficult as possible to do this, so there are always quite a few applicants for this award. After the results are announced, the winner is presented with a small bronze figurine and a unique nameplate. The latter is housed in the DSC office and remains there forever. An essential feature of the prize is that it can be received only once, even if all the necessary conditions are met again.
6. Peter Hathaway Capstick Hunting Heritage Award. This renowned award from the DSC is presented annually to the hunter who makes the maximum contribution to maintaining the population of certain species of animals. To participate, it is enough to be a member of the club and support the hunting heritage.
7. Colin Caruthers Young Hunter Award. Another status award is given to the best young hunter. Its founder is DSC, and a beautiful bronze figurine is used as a prize. All participants seeking this award must be under 18 and have foreign hunting experience (hunting at least twice outside the US). A point system determines the winner, assigning a specific number of points to a particular trophy. The results are summed up, and they pick the primary prize winner.
8. World Hunting Award. This award from SCI is considered one of the most prestigious in the club and the world. It is issued to the hunter, who can get the top trophies in a certain period. Special judges check the latter and are often rejected due to non-compliance with the standards of a particular type of animal. However, the main problem for many participants is not this circumstance but the need to pay a registration fee, which is 200-1600 dollars (depending on the initial level of the hunter and the category of animals used for trophies).
9. World Hunting Award ring. This prize from SCI belongs to the elite category. It is awarded to hunters who have made a significant contribution to the protection of wildlife. It must be completely legal and not harmful to the population of certain species of animals. To participate, you must provide evidence of implementing projects in different countries to introduce fair hunting.
10. C.J. McElroy Award. The award in honor of the founder of Safari Club International is also considered one of the most prestigious. It is issued to people who are actively involved in developing sport hunting and have specific achievements. Participants who want to receive such a prize must demonstrate their devotion to the club's ideas and show all their skills.

Hunting is not just a hobby but a way of life for many people. It gives them unforgettable emotions and allows them to become successful. Fans of this occupation often join hunting clubs and other organizations. They try to preserve centuries-old hunting traditions and bring any event to a new level. Conducted competitions allow identifying the best hunters who thoroughly know all the process details. Prizes, bonuses, and other awards are given as an incentive for further improvement and development of the proper hunting methods that can bring pleasure and not harm wildlife.