Cut short by a very special family reunion that I couldn’t miss, I made a 400 mile detour to attend Boone and Crockett Club’s 26th Big Game Awards Program Banquet at Cabela’s Fort Worth, Texas.

PLEASE NOTE THIS IS NOT AN ANNUAL EVENT. It happens every three years and just happened to be in Texas this year.

The Awards Program Banquets were begun by B&C in 1947 to honor the finest big-game trophies ever taken by modern-day hunters; recognize the hunters for their singularly unique achievements; and celebrate the conservation successes of sportsmen that were begun by Theodore Roosevelt in December 1887 when he founded the Boone and Crockett Club.

I had less than one day in DFW to mix, mingle, photograph, and video interview a handful of people. The video will be published later, but for now, these are the highlights.

This years trophies include two new potential World’s Record musk oxen taken by Jim Shockey along the Coppermine River, Nunavut, Canada, on the same hunt in April 2006. Another amazing trophy was Andrew Seman, Jr.’s 2005, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, black bear, scoring 23-3/16. It ties with the largest hunter-taken black bear ever recorded by Boone and Crockett Club.

Two of the most outstanding trophies ever taken by women were present. The first is a non-typical mule deer taken by Catherine Keene during the 2004 season in Fremont County, Wyoming. It scores 285 points. The second is a typical mule deer, scoring 210-2/8 points, that was taken by Myra Smith in Sonora, Mexico, in 2006.

If you would like to watch a great Historic Overview Presentation of the Boone & Crockett Club's Big Game Awards, CLICK HERE

I would like to say "Thank You" to Jack Reneau, Director of Big Game Records, for his time walking me around the displays, telling stories of each animal.

I would also like to say "Thank You" to Keith Balfourd and Ryan Hatfield of B&C. Keith provided TexasHuntFish.com a Media Pass and made sure I knew who to talk to, while Ryan was knowledgable and helpful in any way possible.

It was a pleasure meeting other Outdoorsmen and some of the Award Winners, like Val Olenski from California with the Tule Elk and Brad Jerman from Ohio with the Typical Whitetail, not to mention a very interesting hunter named Tony Spriggs from Wyoming with his Musk Ox.

Images and Files: View all 37 photos / videos here.