Show ere Are the e Record Heads 1 t Big I aDl a ae 5 t e 11 j r ij J q j f 11 j i t r y er x I rA f. f r aa I RECORD P PRONGHORN f J A RECORD N MOOSE a WORLDS RECORD as a BIGHORN SHEEP t i k t e a Ul A 02 O TT METHOD TOR FOR MEASURING t I By fly ELMO SCOTT WATSON III UI S 'S S a big game gume hunt on at nt present Hints Hint's unique In III the annals nil nn- nals of American sport It Isn't n a case of a n hunting party armed with high power rifles rilles and nil all the theother theother other up date up-to-date date to-date equipment with which the lIle modern Nimrod supplies supplies sup sup- plies himself setting out on an nn antl tl z expedition to the remote regions where tua may tuny still be tie found the relatively rein rela lively few survivors of the milf millions millions mil mil- f lions of buffalo moose elk deer antelope mountain sheep and anil mountain goat goul bear henr and mountain lion which once roamed this continent Neither I are these hunters hunter going out with the nun avowed purpose of further decimating the numbers of American big game Instead they are going out nut w with believe Ith believe It or not l t a pe-m pe ensures and pencil anti and paper certainly certainly clr not very nry deadly weapons and they IhlY willbe will willbe willbe be concerned not with killing more big game but with animals that hare already been killed Which Is by way of saying that the purpose of tills this big game hunt Is to find out where are the worlds world's record big game heads who was the hunter who secured these trophies where were wre they secured secured secured se se- cured who ho owns them now how etc ete For four years the New I York Zoological society society so so- has hu curried on an nn active altIe campaign to locate locate lo lo- cate all the largest heads of American game During that time It has established the National I Collection of leads Heads and Horns and nUll has brought together the finest t collection of these trophies In the world housing them therm In a fine line building dedicated to the Vanishing Game of the World In 10 December of last year lIr It published a book called Records of North I American Big Game prepared by a committee composed of Prentiss N N. Ora Gray editor Kermit Roosevelt Madison Grant W. W Redmond Cross George GlOrge Harrison and andU U E. Hubert In compiling this work workmore wore more than questionnaires were wre sent out and the aid old of f more than sportsmen museum mu seum scum and owners of trophies was enlisted A standard method of measurement lIt was developed developed de de- and nod all measurements submitted for Inclusion Inclusion inclusion In In- In the record were required to be he made by one of the operating co-operating museums or a representative representative of the National Collection of leads Heads and Horns Front From the several thousands measured wens meas a total of trophies were sell selected for Inclusion In the record making It a veritable Almanac de Gotha of the Ihl monarchs of the plains and mountains The book was dh l Into 13 sections dealIng deal deal- lag Ing with all varieties of big game on this continent continent conti conti- nent and each section was edited b by ai an authority authority author author- ity on the species among awong them such nationally known krown scientists and sportsmen as Dr hr George Grinnell J. J Ernest t Thompson Seton Dr Ur C C. C Hart Merriam Men Samuel Merrill Wilfred 11 II IL Osgood Os Os- good II II 11 J. J K E Antimony Anthony Madison Grant I K W W. Nelson Nel Nel- son son M MaJ J I IX E. A Goldman Dr Thomas Harbour Barbour Edmund Seymour mour Thierry Mallet and C C. II Townsend The h society Is now planning to 10 Issue another edition of the Records Record tl to bring It II up to 10 date dale and during tine the coming year Its official measurers will spend considerable time In various parts of the country especially In n the Rocky Hork Mountain states visiting every ery town to measure trophies We w know that mall many malty tine line trophies must exist In homes hotels hotel and carts cafes In III the small towns of the Hock Rocky Mountain states and we wish to locate and measure as many man of them as pus pos sible stole says 81 Prentiss N. N Gra Gray editor of the Rec Het It tIft II Is quite quill l possible that among them IU we WIllI find some worlds world's records Such heads head have hll a considerable monetary value and while we have no Interest In purchasing any heads hlad doubtless mall many persons who possess SS trophies hl's large hr enough to 10 be listed tn n n the tho Records would be glad to realize on them or at least to know kno that they thy are valuable Those In charge 01 or of the Records have been obliged In the past past and and Its holds good for tor the future also to also to accept only measurements authenticated authenticated au au- by hy recognized natural history museums mu mu- lums or their own representatives This Is not nota a reflection on the honesty of the measurement measurements of ot the owner of tho the trophy but they tarl early discovered discovered dis dis- covered that some over zealous taxidermists mists considered considered con coo It good practice and pleasing r to their clients to t alter trophies In 10 order to Increase measurements They found that moose horns had been steamed or the skulls split and the spread thereby Increased additional points had bad been glued to elk antlers The climax was reached when they discovered one taxidermist who specialized In making record heads One product of his shop a Rocky Hocky Mountain bighorn had been built up of horns horM from three thre separate sheep i Sections were fitted cleverly together and the final product a worlds world's record was sold Old for a fancy price have real ral value alue head listed listed list list- Thus to an any every everT ed I In the Records must be measured by men mn who ulm ho know how and who ho can eun guard against t such pro practices t kes Above Ahoe Is shown t the method of measuring meas wring elk treads heads and deer der heads hads all measurements measurements measure measure- ments to be he made with a steel tape The following following follow follow- ing rules are given to explain and supplement time tile diagrams shown above Deer DeerA A A Length Length on outside curve Measured along the tile main beam from the base pf the burr to the end of the most distant point 11 Circumference U of main beam Taken midway mid mid- way ny between the the snag and the first fork O o- o Circumference C-Circumference of burr D D Greatest Greatest st spread d Measured between perpendiculars perpendiculars per per- at extreme width of horns at right angles to the center line of the skull Points No point shall be counted unless It protrudes at least one inch Remarks State whether the trophy has hns any characteristics which depart from the normal for this species Elk ElkA A Length A-Length Length on outside curve Men Measured along the main beam from the base of the burr to the tip of the most distant point on the main beam n Circumference B-Circumference midway between bez and trez C Circumference C of burr D Greatest D spread Measurement between perpendiculars at right angles to the center line of the skulL Points on each aeh side No point shall be counted unless it protrudes at nt least two Inches Indies Remarks State whether the trophy has any characteristics which depart from the normal for this species Similar charts have hae been devised for other species of big game and the National Collection of Heads mind Horns Is asking anyone anone who has hasa a trophy that exceeds the following measurements measurements measure measure- ments wenta Mule deer length on outside deer length on outside curve curve- Ui BilOn on length on outside curve It Elk Lilt Wapiti length on outside at spread 56 68 Sheep Sheer length on front root curve Goat Goa length on front curve Curve 10 10 Grizzly bear brar length of 01 skull 12 mack Flack b hoar bear r. r length of 01 Mountain lion lion Hon length of 01 skull skull 1 7 1 to submit the record rord of his trophy fe- fe Inclusion In the official Records and also to w it rates with the worlds world's re record ord heads head Incidentally there Is a r. patriotic an angle le to this unique big game hunt for man many of the record rord American trophies are owned In England rather than In this country This Is true of the worlds world's record which was killed In but which Is now owned by an Englishman The la largest elk Ik bead head In the world was killed In Wyoming and Is U today tolay hanging banging in a castle at Horsham t It has a length on the longEst longest longest long long- est horn of 04 t Crib H Inches a spread of 5 52 53 Inches with seven points on one antler and six on the theother other Twenty four of the 40 worlds world's record elk elk- heads are owned by hy Englishmen and only 10 lU lUar ar are owned by Americans It Is Interesting to note that this sort of thing has teen hen going on for tor three thre centuries The first collection of American big game trophies of which we have o record was made by Queen ElizaBeth Eliza Eliza- beth during the Sixteenth century lice Her officials In the transatlantic colonies were wre commissioned to send back balk to Englund the finest ap specimens obtainable In III the New world As a result tine five great moose heads hads were shipped to 10 England and found a place of honor In the till threat Great Hall of Hampton Court Cout palace o er the dais here bere w a II succession of ot British hover hover- has dined on un state slate occasions The present day visitor will r. r them with so-ne so difficulty difficulty dim culty CUlly for tl the officers of the queens queen's household evidently l' had little faith In the taxidermists of f g 1 K r r i t P v i t t S P. M v l S Sf 1 a f A RECORD their time and no scruples scruplE's against nature fak fak- ing The horns were affixed to carved wooden replica of Cervus us cia ph us the European red deer the game animal with which the English wood carvers of the day were sere most familiar Another American trophy owned by bT British royalty Is a magnificent pair of moose horns which was presented to the prince of Wales later Inter King Edward VII VU during his visit to America Amer ica In the Seventies The weight of the dried skull and horns Is said to have been 50 00 pounds and the time antlers had a spread of 70 Inches Inc In 10 an nn American Trophy exhibition was held In London and among the exhibits there was an elk head shown by A A. A L L. Tullock Esq which had bad been killed In Montana In 1883 1833 Of this trophy It has been belli written Most judges give the palm In beauty to this superb point 20 head Its size and points have bave been exceeded but Its massive beams perfect symmetry and wonderful wonder wonder- ful are so far for unrivalled As early us liS 1850 ISM titled Englishmen were coming coming com com- ing to this country for big game hunting and andIn andIn andin In an article which appeared In the June 1894 1804 Issue of the old Cosmopolitan magazine under the title of Famous Hunting Parties of the Plains Co Col W W. F. F Cody Buffalo Bill tells teU of some of them as follows The first great grEnt hunter rho ho came to this country country coun couo- try In search of big game gawl of whom I have knowledge knowledge knowl knowl- edge was Sir George GlOrge Gore I was a boy at Fort Leavenworth In 1853 13 when he be arrived there from London and fitt fitted d out his expedition At that time buffalo elk deer and antelope were so numerous upon the plains and all through the nod mountain region that we frontiersmen were er naturally somewhat surprised to find that nn an English gentleman would come all aU the way waT the ocean ocon and make the tedious Journey from the seaboard to the frontier with no other end In ire view clew than the chase chose Sir Sh John Watts Watta Garland was another great English huntsman He lie came over o here about At different points on the plains and In the mountains he established camps and built cabins to which he be would return regularly about once every two years In his absence his horses and dogs were left at these camps In charge of men employed for that purpose The third of the great hunters whom I have known was Lord Adair who is now the earl carl of or Dunraven owner of the famous Valkyrie He lie came carne with Doctor KIngsley a brother of Charles the well known author and arrived at Fort McPherson on the Platte river about eighteen miles from the town towo of North Platte Lord Adair was the first of these sportsmen that I remember to have had a military mill mill- tary escort Garland and Gore provided their own Later Inter he purchased a hunting park of his hi own Being Interested In only sport such hunters as Sir George Georga Gore Core and Sir John Johll Garland larland were willing to stay In the field long enough nough to get really good heads They had a better hetter chance than the present day hunter to fine find a record rord head hlad b because the herds of elk Ik had not been so badly shot hot up no or their winter range so 80 restricted that It was necessary to winter feed them them- l i heads were common as the animals w we e I e stronger and more rugged The Tho Englishman knew the value of record heads and he carried back balk his own trophies plus the best heads he could purchase for resale sale st t borne home Therefore today tolay the collections of l rime game trophies In J. J England contain the very best e examples EX ex- amples of our American on big game but in Th the words of sponsors of the present big biz Mm hunt now being conducted under the game of the New v York Vork auspIces Zoological society We u want to return t record of both elk III and aM deer to the United States anti and It Is probable that In attic or home bome In the tho Rocky Mountain some seine states statts the th worlds world's record rord can be found lei C O by N Ne Newspaper w pap aper r Volon |