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Top 125 Trophy Counties

October 30, 2012

In commemoration of its 125th anniversary, Boone and Crockett Club has released an historic list of the Top 125 trophy counties across the U.S.

The list is based on Boone and Crockett big-game records--trophy data going back to 1830 and long used by conservationists to gauge outstanding habitat, strong recruitment of game animals into older age classes, sustainable harvest objectives and other elements of sound wildlife management and fair-chase hunting.

"Consistent trophy production over time is proof that conservation measures are working exceptionally well, and the 125 counties on this list stand out as historic models of success," said Boone and Crockett Club President Ben Wallace. "But the good news extends well beyond the list. Trophy production appears to be trending upward with many species and across much of North America. In fact, last year our records program had 979 new entries, compared to 372 just 30 years ago."

He added, "That kind of growth is gratification for hunters, whose leadership, funding and hard work have been the driving force behind conservation since Theodore Roosevelt founded Boone and Crockett Club back in 1887."

A few counties are recognized on the list for multiple categories of trophies.

Boone and Crockett Club’s Top 125 trophy counties:

1. Wyoming, Carbon County—282 pronghorn in B&C records
2. California, Mendocino County—190 typical Columbia blacktail deer in B&C records
3. California, Trinity County—185 typical Columbia blacktail deer in B&C records
4. Wyoming, Sweetwater County—183 pronghorn in B&C records
5. Wyoming, Fremont County—153 pronghorn in B&C records
6. Nevada, Clark County—142 desert sheep in B&C records
7. Wyoming, Natrona County—142 pronghorn in B&C records
8. Montana, Granite County—134 bighorn sheep in B&C records
9. South Dakota, Custer County—134 bison in B&C records
10. Montana, Sanders County—132 bighorn sheep in B&C records
11. Arizona, Coconino County—128 pronghorn in B&C records
12. New Mexico, Socorro County—117 pronghorn in B&C records
13. Nevada, Washoe County—114 pronghorn in B&C records
14. New Mexico, Rio Arriba County—113 typical mule deer in B&C records
15. Wyoming, Teton County—108 Shiras’ moose in B&C records
16. Texas, Hudspeth County—106 pronghorn in B&C records
17. California, Humboldt County—100 typical Columbia blacktail deer in B&C records
18. New Mexico, Mora County—99 pronghorn in B&C records
19. Oregon, Jackson County—93 typical Columbia blacktail deer in B&C records
20. Arizona, Pima County—92 typical Coues’ whitetail deer in B&C records
21. Arizona, Yavapai County—92 pronghorn in B&C records
22. Nevada, Humboldt County—89 pronghorn in B&C records
23. Wisconsin, Buffalo County—86 typical whitetail deer in B&C records
24. New Mexico, Catron County—79 pronghorn in B&C records
25. New Mexico, Colfax County—79 pronghorn in B&C records
26. Montana, Blaine County—73 bighorn sheep in B&C records
27. Oregon, Clackamas County--70 typical Columbia blacktail deer in B&C records
28. Arizona, Yuma County--67 desert sheep in B&C records
29. Colorado, Eagle County--67 typical mule deer in B&C records
30. New Mexico, Lincoln County--67 pronghorn in B&C records
31. Wyoming, Teton County--67 bison in B&C records
32. California, Siskiyou County--66 typical Columbia blacktail deer in B&C records
33. Wyoming, Sublette County--61 Shiras’ moose in B&C records
34. Montana, Fergus County--54 bighorn sheep in B&C records
35. Idaho, Idaho County--53 cougar in B&C records
36. Minnesota, St. Louis County--53 typical whitetail deer in B&C records
37. Oregon, Harney County--51 pronghorn in B&C records
38. Arizona, Coconino County--50 typical American elk in B&C records
39. Arizona, Mohave County--50 desert sheep in B&C records
40. Texas, Webb County--49 typical whitetail deer in B&C records
41. Washington, Lewis County--48 typical Columbia blacktail deer in B&C records
42. Wyoming, Lincoln County--48 typical mule deer in B&C records
43. Arizona, Gila County--47 black bear in B&C records
44. California, Humboldt County--47 Roosevelt’s elk in B&C records
45. Colorado, Mesa County--47 typical mule deer in B&C records
46. Oregon, Lake County--47 pronghorn in B&C records
47. Texas, Dimmit County--47 typical whitetail deer in B&C records
48. California, Tehama County--46 typical Columbia blacktail deer in B&C records
49. Montana, Deer Lodge County--46 bighorn sheep in B&C records
50. Montana, Missoula County--46 bighorn sheep in B&C records
51. Nevada, Nye County--46 desert sheep in B&C records
52. Texas, Maverick County--46 typical whitetail deer in B&C records
53. Colorado, Moffat County--45 pronghorn in B&C records
54. Colorado, Garfield County--44 typical mule deer in B&C records
55. Oregon, Clatsop County--43 Roosevelt’s elk in B&C records
56. Arizona, Coconino County--41 typical mule deer in B&C records
57. Arizona, Pima County--41 desert sheep in B&C records
58. Oregon, Lane County--41 typical Columbia blacktail deer in B&C records
59. Oregon, Linn County--41 typical Columbia blacktail deer in B&C records
60. Montana, Ravalli County--41 bighorn sheep in B&C records
61. Montana, Lewis & Clark County--40 bighorn sheep in B&C records
62. Texas, La Salle County--40 typical whitetail deer in B&C records
63. Utah, Weber County--40 Shiras’ moose in B&C records
64. Wyoming, Lincoln County--40 Shiras’ moose in B&C records
65. Arizona, Apache County--39 typical American elk in B&C records
66. Montana, Lincoln County--39 Shiras’ moose in B&C records
67. Colorado, Gunnison County--38 typical mule deer in B&C records
68. Montana, Rosebud County--38 pronghorn in B&C records
69. Nevada, Elko County--38 Rocky Mountain goat in B&C records
70. Wisconsin, Price County--38 black bear in B&C records
71. Idaho, Bonneville County--37 Shiras’ moose in B&C records
72. Minnesota, St. Louis County--37 non-typical whitetail deer in B&C records
73. Utah, Garfield County--36 bison in B&C records
74. Wisconsin, Trempealeau County--36 typical whitetail deer in B&C records
75. Colorado, Montrose County--35 typical mule deer in B&C records
76. Arizona, Coconino County--34 non-typical mule deer in B&C records
77. Colorado, Delta County--34 typical mule deer in B&C records
78. Colorado, Jackson County--34 Shiras’ moose in B&C records
79. Iowa, Allamakee County--34 typical whitetail deer in B&C records
80. Washington, Pierce County--34 typical Columbia blacktail deer in B&C records
81. Wisconsin, Bayfield County--34 black bear in B&C records
82. Wisconsin, Sawyer County--34 black bear in B&C records
83. Wyoming, Campbell County--34 pronghorn in B&C records
84. Colorado, Montezuma County--33 typical mule deer in B&C records
85. Wisconsin, Buffalo County--33 non-typical whitetail deer in B&C records
86. Washington, Pend Oreille County--32 Shiras’ moose in B&C records
87. North Carolina, Hyde County--32 black bear in B&C records
88. Wyoming, Albany County--32 pronghorn in B&C records
89. Arizona, Gila County--31 typical Coues’ whitetail deer in B&C records
90. Illinois, Jo Daviess County--31 typical whitetail deer in B&C records
91. Montana, Beaverhead County--31 Shiras’ moose in B&C records
92. Montana, Flathead County--31 Shiras’ moose in B&C records
93. New Mexico, Rio Arriba County--31 non-typical mule deer in B&C records
94. Oregon, Columbia County--31 Roosevelt’s elk in B&C records
95. Oregon, Marion County--31 typical Columbia blacktail deer in B&C records
96. Wyoming, Park County--31 typical American elk in B&C records
97. Iowa, Clayton County--30 typical whitetail deer in B&C records
98. Oregon, Wallowa County--30 bighorn sheep in B&C records
99. Wisconsin, Baron County--30 black bear in B&C records
100. Wyoming, Carbon County--30 typical mule deer in B&C records
101. Arizona, Maricopa County-- 29 desert sheep in B&C records
102. Colorado, Rio Blanco County--29 cougar in B&C records
103. New Mexico, Rio Arriba County--29 cougar in B&C records
104. New Mexico, Taos County--29 bighorn sheep B&C records
105. Utah, Kane County--29 typical mule deer in B&C records
106. Washington, Clallam County--29 Roosevelt’s elk in B&C records
107. Illinois, Pike County--28 non-typical whitetail deer in B&C records
108. Nevada, White Pine County--28 typical American elk in B&C records
109. Illinois, Fulton County--26 non-typical whitetail deer in B&C records
110. New Mexico, Catron County--26 typical American elk in B&C records
111. Minnesota, Itasca County--25 non-typical whitetail deer in B&C records
112. Arizona, Apache County--24 non-typical American elk in B&C records
113. Arizona, Pima County--24 non-typical Coues’ whitetail deer in B&C records
114. Illinois, Adams County--24 non-typical whitetail deer in B&C records
115. New Mexico, San Juan County--24 typical American elk in B&C records
116. California, San Bernardino County--23 desert sheep in B&C records
117. California, Solano County--23 tule elk in B&C records
118. California, Trinity County--20 bighorn sheep in B&C records
119. Iowa, Van Buren County--19 non-typical whitetail deer in B&C records
120. Wyoming, Teton County--19 typical American elk in B&C records 
121. Montana, Park County--17 bison in B&C records
122. Texas, Culberson County--16 desert sheep in B&C records
123. Washington, Chelan County--15 Rocky Mountain goat in B&C records
124. Washington, Okanogan County--15 Rocky Mountain goat in B&C records
125. Idaho, Caribou County--1 grizzly bear in B&C records (1900) 

 

FS125_jaredmason_32936.jpg
Jared J. Mason with a trophy pronghorn taken in Carbon County, Wyoming, in 2004. The buck has a final score of 84-6/8 points.

 

 

 

 

 

FS125_jelindotiberti_32805.jpg
Jelindo A. Tiberti III (left) was hunting in Nevada's Clark County during the 2005 season when he harvested this desert sheep. The ram has a final score of 174-5/8 points.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FS125_markaweber_39736.jpg
This typical whitetail deer scoring 183-1/8 points was harvested in Wisconsin's Buffalo County by Mark A. Weber. 

 

 

 

 

 

Native North American big game species tracked by Boone and Crockett Club but not included in the Top 125 counties include Alaska brown and polar bear; barren ground, central Canada barren ground, Quebec-Labrador, mountain and woodland caribou; Dall's and Stone's sheep; Alaska-Yukon and Canada moose; Sitka blacktail deer and muskox. These species are recorded by geographic location rather than by county.

The Top 125 list is based on "Trophy Search," a searchable online database available to subscribers. Users can sort B&C archival data in infinite ways to identify trophy trends and locations. An annual subscription is $50. Boone and Crockett Club Associates can receive a discount. Order online at www.boone-crockett.org or by calling 888-840-4868.