Since its beginning in 1970, the Official Records of Arizona Big Game, has been a means to recognize the unique, individual quality of big game animals in the state of Arizona.  Click here to learn how you can get your copy.

2020 Big Game Record Book Awards

Each year there is a competition recognizing unique wildlife entries in a number of categories. All entries received by May 1st following the calendar year the animal is taken are automatically entered in the competition. Entries received after the May 1st deadline are not eligible for the annual competition but will still be entered into the next record book.

The awards for the 2020 and 2019 Big Game Record Book were presented at the Fundraising and Recognition Banquet on June 11, 2022 at the Tempe Embassy Suites.

2020 First Place Awards were presented to:

• William A. Keebler — Turkey, Score 11 14/16
• Bethany Bunger — Cougar, Score 14 11/16
• Kevin Hemmersbach — Black Bear, Score 21
• Joshua R. Budka — Desert Sheep, Score 183 4/8
• Glenn Hall — NT Mule Deer, Score 227
• Mike Golightly — Rocky BH Sheep, Score 170 5/8
• Jason Bond — Typ.Mule Deer Velvet, Score 202 3/8
• Tanner W. Barcom — Typ. Coues Deer, Score 109 2/8
• Marvin N. Zieser — NT Mule Deer Velvet, Score 217 3/8

2020 Honorable Mention Awards were presented to:

• Cameron Lickfeldt — Cougar, Score 14 5/16
• Tessa Lynch — Black Bear, Score 20 8/16
• Gary W. Edwards — Desert Sheep, Score 179 6/8
• David J. Mattausch — Desert Sheep, Score 175 4/8
• James Robert Wendt — Javelina, Score 14 3/16
• Kylee M. Hall — Javelina, Score 14 2/16

Annual Competition

The Annual Competition includes the following species: pronghorn, typical Coues deer, non-typical Coues deer, typical mule deer, non-typical mule deer, typical elk, non-typical elk, desert bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, bison, javelina, black bear, cougar and wild turkey. (The jaguar was put on the protected species list in 1968, and Arizona was included in the area in which jaguars are protected under the Endangered Species Act in 1997).  To learn more click here:  Annual Competition Rules
If you would like to enter your record, you will need to meet these Requirements.

Yearly Awards
2017 Records of Arizona Big Game Entries
2016 Records of Arizona Big Game Entries
2015 Records of Arizona Big Game Entries
2014 Records of Arizona Big Game Entries

Record Hunters Special Awards Program

Beginning with the 1990 edition of Arizona Wildlife Trophies, it was deemed appropriate to recognize dedicated hunters.  Four unique awards were established to reward and encourage those hunters who had consciously chosen to kill less often in a genuine effort to harvest older, more mature and, hopefully, past-prime animals.  Click on the following for rules and requirements for each awards.

Arizona Big Game Award
Arizona Record Horns and Heads Award
Arizona Record Antlers Award
Arizona Record Hunter Award

The Official Scoring System

In 1950 the Boone & Crockett Club devised a system of rating trophies according to overall quality. Since that time, its official scoring system has become the internationally recognized system for ranking North American big game and is the one used in Arizona Wildlife Trophies for listing all trophies except javelina and wild turkey. No system existed for scoring javelina when the first edition of Arizona Wildlife Trophies was being developed. Several alternatives were considered, and the Committee finally decided to use a skull measurement similar to that used by Boone & Crockett for bears and cats, with the exception that teeth were not to be considered part of the skull when measuring length, because javelina are prone to dental malformations which affect scores unjustly. Even though some large javelina have small heads and vice-versa, the skull measurement is still the most accurate and fair way to judge this animal.  We have also added Turkeys to our Record Book and created a score sheet for those since Boone and Crockett does not allow them to be entered into their record book.  

Score Sheets

Official Record Measurers

Bow Measurers