Handgun Hunter Of The Year^TM Award

This program has been postponed until next year due to a lack of industry support and the state of our economy.

Handgun Hunter Magazine has established a Handgun Hunter Of The Year^TM award and will be presenting it for the first time in January, 2010 at the Dallas Safari Club's annual convention and expo in Dallas, Texas. Kicking off the "DRUMBEATS" program for 2009, a distinctive bronze statue will be presented to the recipient of the award during the exhibitor's banquet on the first evening of the convention. The individual selected shall be an avid handgun hunter, an active participant in preserving wildlife and habitat through wildlife management activities, a supporter of hunting and shooting sports, and a contributor to the sport of handgun hunting. This award is meant to be achievable by any individual regardless of means. The award judging period shall be for the 18 months prior to the close date. This year the deadline for applications is Dec. 1, 2009. The award period shall cover the time from May 1, 2007 until December 1, 2009.

Handgun hunting has not yet achieved mainstream status like bow hunting or black powder hunting. These other methods of hunting have roots in traditions that span hundreds of years, even though they too have evolved dramatically in the past thirty years. Many persons involved in the shooting sports or hunting by other methods are not aware handgun hunting is a challenging and viable sport.

Handgun hunting is a relatively new sport only becoming highly feasible in the late 50's and early 60's with the introduction of more powerful handguns and cartridges. It wasn't until the 70's and 80's that optics began to catch up with the capabilities of the guns and elevate handguns to the status of a primary hunting firearm as opposed to simply a "back-up" gun or tool used to quickly finish otherwise mortally wounded game from very close range.

Hunting with a handgun is every bit as challenging as hunting with modern archery gear and more challenging than hunting with a modern muzzleloader. Handgun ownership and the popularity of handgun shooting is experiencing dramatic growth. Handgun hunting is a sport on the brink of exploding in popularity if managed properly but one currently suffering from a lack of exposure in the mainstream.

Create an annual award program as a way to educate and appeal to a broad audience to promote the sport of handgun hunting as a highly rewarding and challenging, mainstream method of hunting.

A distinctive bronze statue is being commissioned specifically for this award. A photo of the bronze will be posted when it becomes available.

The Handgun Hunter Of The Year^TM award will be based on points earned in the following five categories:

1. Game taken with a handgun.
2. Participation in wildlife management activities.
3. Demonstrated support for the hunting and shooting sports.
4. Contributions to the sport of handgun hunting through Handgun Hunter Magazine.
5. Member Votes

The selection committee will provide input in all categories except category number five.
Be sure to read the details of the judging criteria.

1. Download the application package in PDF format to your computer and print it. (Coming Soon)
2. Complete the application and get it back to us by December 1, 2009 along with a $35 processing fee and all supporting documentation. Entries received after the deadline will not be considered. You will need to have your whitetail or mule deer entry scored by an official Boone and Crocket measurer and you will have to submit photos of each animal that you are entering for consideration along with documentation that indicates the date of the kill. Only the entry for whitetail or mule deer is required to be scored. Only those animals taken with a handgun during the award period shall be considered for award points.

Collectively, the individuals on the selection committee have hunted on 6 continents and have taken nearly all game species from elephant and grizzly bear to whitetail and wild hogs. They have been chosen for their integrity, their experiences as hunters and outdoorsmen, and for their commitment to hunting with handguns. Any of them could certainly win this award at any time but they have graciously volunteered to serve as the judging committee for the 2009 Handgun Hunter Of The Year^TM award. The recipient of the award this year will be added to the 2009 selection committee.

Category 1: Game taken with a handgun.

This award is meant to be achievable by an individual of any means thus the points awarded in this category shall have certain restrictions on the way they are awarded. Only game taken with a handgun during the 2009 award period, May 1, 2008-December 1, 2009 is eligible for consideration.

Whitetail & Mule Deer

One of the most popular game animals is the whitetail deer and his western counterpart, the mule deer. Any mule deer or whitetail taken with a handgun in a low-fence area will receive a score based on the Boone and Crocket scoring system. A copy of the score sheet along with supporting photographs must be submitted with the application; there shall be a 175-point cap on the number of points awarded for either species. Only one entry, selected by the applicant, will receive the full score up to the 175-point maximum. The other entry, if provided, shall fall into the category of "Other North American Game" and will be limited to an award of 25 points. Any whitetail or mule deer taken behind a high-fence shall be limited to 130 points.

Other North American Big Game

Species of North American big game taken with a handgun, other than those classified above shall be awarded 25 points per species. There shall be no cap on the number of points awarded with one exception. Any big game animals, other than deer species mentioned above, taken behind high-fence will be subjected to the rules governing points awarded for exotics.

Exotics

Any species of exotic animal, such as aoudad, blackbuck, various sheep and goats, etc. shall be awarded 10 points per species with a 50-point cap. In the case of "exotics" taken in a free-range environment, the judging committee as described below, may award additional discretionary points for the difficulty of the hunt.

International Game

Game taken outside of the United States shall be awarded 20 points per species with a 180-point cap. In the case of a hunter collecting one or more of the big-5, an additional 50 points shall be awarded bringing the total to a maximum of 230 points.

Selection Committee Discretionary Points

Each member of the committee shall be given 100 points maximum that they may award to each applicant. These 100 points shall be at their complete discretion but the consideration shall be based on the difficulty and sportsmanship of hunts listed for consideration and for the quality of animals collected. This will allow each committee member to distinguish between differing hunt qualities for animals that are subjected to point limits. For example, a judge might award an additional 10 points for a spike or cow elk while an additional 100 points might be awarded for a 7x7 bull. The discretionary points awarded shall be the average calculated by the total points awarded to each applicant divided by the number of selection committee members.

Category 2: Commitment to Wildlife Management

If the applicant is engaged in wildlife management activities they may be awarded a maximum of 50 additional points as determined by the selection committee. Such activities might be memberships in wildlife management organizations including volunteer work for organizations such as the Dallas Safari Club, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the National Wild Turkey Federation, etc. It shall be up to the applicant to signify the relevance and extent of their participation in this category. The number of points awarded to each individual shall be the average calculated by the total points awarded to each applicant divided by the number of selection committee members.

Category 3: Demonstrated Support For Hunting And Shooting Sports

The applicant may be awarded a maximum of 50 additional points for support and participation in activities, which promote the sport of hunting and shooting. These types of activities might include being an NRA firearms instructor, a hunter education instructor, active involvement in programs such as Friends of the NRA, or a competitor in formal shooting disciplines such as IHMSA or USPSA matches. It shall be up to the applicant to signify the relevance and extent of their participation in this category. The number of points awarded to each individual shall be the average calculated by the total points awarded to each applicant divided by the number of selection committee members.

Note: In addition to the recognition by the selection committee, categories 4 and 5 are designed to reward individuals who actively participate in the Handgun Hunter Magazine website (www.handgunhunt.com) and who are recognized by their peers in that community. A web page will be created for each applicant to illustrate the applicant's accomplishments as those accomplishments relate to the application process and categories 1 through 4.

Category 4: Contribution To The Sport Of Handgun Hunting Through Handgun Hunter Magazine

The applicant may be awarded a maximum of 50 additional points for contributing to Handgun Hunter Magazine in the form of member articles. (These are not the paid articles appearing in the interactive edition.) A maximum of 10 points for each article submitted shall be awarded. The articles shall be reviewed by the committee and points awarded based on the overall quality of the article including supporting photographs. The number of points awarded to each individual shall be the average calculated by the total points awarded to each applicant divided by the number of selection committee members.

Category 5: Member Votes

The applicant may be awarded a maximum of 50 additional points by receiving votes from the members at Handgun Hunter Magazine. The actual number of points shall be based on the percentage of total votes cast that the applicant receives during the voting period. For example, if 1000 votes are cast and Joe Sixguns receives 800 of those votes then he receives 80% of the 50 possible award points. The voting period shall run for 15 days after the list of applicants has been officially posted and the application period has closed.