One of the longest running public celebrations of wildlife and conservation will be in Springfield in 2016.
The Boone and Crockett Club's 29th Big Game Awards is a triennial trophy exhibit and gala that has been taking place at various sites around the country since 1947.
Three partners recently announced the event would be in Springfield: organizer Boone and Crockett Club, host Wonders of Wildlife and logistics coordinator Bass Pro Shops.
Dana Maugans, group sales director at the Convention & Visitors Bureau, said she’s thrilled Springfield was selected for the event.
“Springfield is a perfect backdrop for conservation-related events,” said Maugans who worked with the organization on site selection. “The NRA National Sporting Arms Museum, the National Archery Hall of Fame, the reopening of Wonders of Wildlife, Missouri Department of Conservation facilities and natural scenic beauty can help generate attendance for events.”
The Boone and Crockett exhibit is a public-welcome display of World Record and other recently taken record-book big-game specimens from North America. Over a hundred were highlighted in Reno, Nevada, at the 28th Awards in 2013. Each trophy is a symbol of success in wildlife conservation and management. Wonders of Wildlife, an iconic conservation museum now undergoing renovation, will be open to host the display from April through July 2016.
"A cornerstone of conservation is public ownership of wildlife,” said Rob Keck, chairman of the board for Wonders of Wildlife. “We're thrilled to host an exhibit designed to help the public understand what legal, ethical hunting contributes to keep their wildlife populations and habitats healthy."
Using its store-to-store transfer network, Bass Pro Shops will coordinate and ship trophies from their owners’ locations across North America to and from Springfield, home of the company's flagship store and headquarters operations.
"Bass Pro Shops has a long tradition of sharing conservation success stories with our customers through in-store displays,” said Johnny Morris, president of Bass Pro Shops. “It's an honor to help bring the Boone and Crockett display to Springfield for all to see."
"It's always been important to the club that as many sportsmen as possible have the opportunity to see the results of a conservation system that's been proving its mettle for more than a century,” said Tony Schoonen, chief of staff for Boone and Crockett. “Thanks to our new partners in Springfield, sportsmen in the Midwest will have their chance in 2016."
Morris, Keck and Schoonen, each a member of Boone and Crockett Club, made the announcement at the recent Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies conference in St. Louis.
In addition to the trophy display, the Boone and Crockett Club 29th Big Game Awards will include banquets, presentations and auctions. Dates, details and registration information will be posted in coming months at www.boone-crockett.org.
Event sponsorships are available. For more information, contact Boone and Crockett at 406-542-1888, ext. 208, or keith@boone-crockett.org.
Boone and Crockett was founded by Theodore Roosevelt, along with other visionaries in 1887 over the concerns that we might someday lose our hunting privileges and the wildlife populations for future generations. The Boone and Crockett Club is more than just big game records - the Club and its members are responsible for a long list of activities that either created or preserved the hunting opportunities we enjoy today.
The Big Game Awards is one of many events, conventions and amateur sports events brought to Springfield through efforts of the Convention & Visitors Bureau, a nonprofit marketing organization dedicated to improving the local economy through growth in travel and tourism