B&C World's Record - Woodland Caribou

The world's record woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) was shot in Newfoundland, by an unknown hunter, before 1910, and donated to the National Collection of Heads and Horns by the late Casmir de Rham.

The hunter who obtained the impressive mahogany-colored antlers probably encountered the bull just before the caribou rut, in late summer or early fall, when its rack become fully developed and hardened. Newfoundland is considered the best hunting grounds for woodland caribou having produced 22 of the top 25 Boone and Crockett bulls.

Weighing upwards of 500 pounds, a particularly impressive woodland caribou may have a rack with as many as 40 points. However, tines and points are extremely difficult to count in the field. So, a hunter who desires a truly outstanding bull must quickly determine other criteria, such as the possibility of rare double shovels (which this record animal exhibits), and the size of a rack in proportion to a caribou's body.

We can only speculate the circumstances when this record bull was taken. We do know, based on the woodland caribou's habits, that this bull probably wasn't difficult to track, as a caribou herd leaves a dark, obvious path on the delicate surface of the barrens. Once the hunter located the herd he may have heard the animals grazing or their ankles clicking. If it was a chilly morning the hunter may have even spotted vapor rising from the herd.

Even so, this bull may not have been easy to kill. Cover on the tundra is minimal and the ubiquitous bogs often make a stalk a cumbersome and wet task. Wind may have provided another obstacle. And, as the bull lowered his head to graze for birch leaves or the caribou's mainstay, lichens, it would have proved difficult for the hunter to pick out the largest trophy without spooking the herd. If these animals detected the hunter they could have moved away at over 30 miles an hour.

Balancing all of these factors, this enormous woodland caribou was taken in a fair -chase manner and represents decades worth of the Boone and Crockett Club’s efforts to record the most impressive big game animals.