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PGC/POWA BIG GAME AWARD WINNERS

BIG GAME AWARD WINNERS HONORED IN DUBOIS

DUBOIS, Clearfield County - Six Pennsylvania hunters were honored by the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association (POWA) for the top-scoring white-tailed bucks and black bears measured during the 2001 Big Game Scoring Sessions held earlier this year by employees and volunteers of the Game Commission.  Of the six honored at the 2001 POWA/Game Commission Big Game Awards Banquet, two established new state records and three others qualified for the top-ten lists.

"The partnership of celebrating the winners of the Big Game Scoring Program is something that we have shared periodically since 1968," said Game Commission Executive Director Vern Ross.  "While it has been six years since we last gathered to mark such achievements, I hope we can continue to hold this joint event on a more regular basis in the future.

"It's an exciting time to be a Pennsylvania hunter. Our black bear population continues to grow and produce some of the world's largest bears.  Our deer program, under the guidance of Dr. Gary Alt and his team, is being positioned to produce healthier and bigger bucks. And if that's not enough, we are about to hold our first elk hunting season in more than 70 years. As good as Pennsylvania's hunting has been, it's about to get better. And that, my friends, should lead to more big game records."

Categories recognized at the banquet include: typical white-tailed deer harvested with a firearm; non-typical white-tailed deer harvested with a firearm; typical white-tailed deer harvested with a bow and arrow; non-typical white-tailed deer harvested with a bow and arrow; black bear harvested with a firearm; and black bear harvested with a bow and arrow.  Typical refers to antlers that are symmetrical, and non-typical, asymmetrical. 

The award winners, by category, are:

Typical White-tailed Deer harvested with firearm: Ronald J. LaBrosse Jr., of McMurray, harvested a typical antlered deer that scored 172 and six-eighths. He took the deer in Washington County in 1996.  This score just missed qualifying for one of Pennsylvania's top ten typical white-tailed deer harvested with a firearm.  The last time an entry was added to this top-ten list was 1974.

Non-typical White-tailed Deer harvested with firearm: Garry Forgy, of McVeytown, harvested a non-typical antlered deer that scored 197 and three-eighths.  He took the deer in Mifflin County in 2000.  This deer ranks seventh in Pennsylvania's All-Time Big Game Records for this category.

Typical White-tailed Deer harvested with a bow and arrow:  Albert J. Muntz, of Havertown, harvested a typical antlered deer that scored 174 and seven-eights.  He took the deer in Bucks County in 1995.  This deer is a new state record in Pennsylvania's All-Time Big Game Records for this category, and breaks a record that stood for 15 years.

Non-typical White-tailed Deer harvested with a bow and arrow:  Eugene W. Livingston, of Boswell, harvested a non-typical antlered deer that scored 195.  He took the deer in Westmoreland County in 1995.  This deer ranks second in Pennsylvania's All-Time Big Game Records for this category.

Black Bear harvested with a firearm: Joseph E. Mindick, of Warrington, harvested a bear that scored 22 and 13-sixteenths.  He took the bear in Luzerne County in 1998.  This bear is a new state record in Pennsylvania's
All-Time Big Game Records for this category, and breaks a record that stood for 10 years.

Black Bear harvested with a bow and arrow: Richard Fingado, of St. Marys, harvested a bear that scored 19 and five-sixteenths.  He took the bear in Elk County in 2000.  This bear ranks second in Pennsylvania's All-Time Big Game Records for this category.

Since 1965, the Game Commission has periodically held scoring sessions for trophy deer and bear harvested in Pennsylvania as a service to hunters and to expand our database of information on Pennsylvania-grown deer and bears.  This was the agency's 13th measuring session, the first since 1995.

To accommodate Pennsylvania hunters, the Game Commission held nine measuring sessions around the states from March 10-April 29.  For scoring purposes, individuals had to provide information about who harvested the deer or bear, where it was taken in Pennsylvania and confirm that the animal was harvested under the rules of fair chase as defined by the Boone & Crockett Club.  Also, bear skulls or deer antlers and skull plates were intact, cleaned and allowed to air dry for at least 60 days before measuring.

Once the scoring sessions are completed and the records compiled, the top six hunters are invited to attend a banquet hosted by POWA to be recognized.

An updated listing of the top ten entries in Pennsylvania's All-Time Big Game Records can be viewed by going to the agency's website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) and click on "Hunting Information."

The above information was taken for the PGC Press Release.  

I would also like to extend a special thanks to Betty Lou Fegely for the use of her Digital Camera.

Gerald Hetrick