Awards

Two-year Award
A Two-Year Awards Program is held for both big game and small game programs. Awards and special recognition are given to the hunters who have harvested by legal means, the three largest animals of each big game species. These trophies must be committee measured (three different measurers at the same time, all agreeing upon the animal’s scores). The Two-Year Awards Program for big game will begin on July 1st and end on June 30th of the even-numbered years. Any applications received after the cutoff date will not be eligible for the two-year competitions. The awards will be presented at a biennial Big Game Awards Banquet held in odd-numbered years.

Bowhunter of the Year
Since the Big Game Club Banquet back in 1981 and every two years since then, The Big Game Club Committee has awarded to one or two individuals the honor of Bowhunter of the Year. These individuals were recognized sometimes for excellence in bowhunting, other times for accomplishments over a period of time, and often simply for a individuals continuing contributions to the California Bowmen Hunters Big Game Club, but always because the membership and the Big Game Club Committee respected the recipient.

Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients
Selecting a Bowhunter of the Year recipient proved to be a difficult task. Voters were torn between honoring a bowhunter for his accomplishments or for an overall archer and their contribution to the sport.

A new award was needed to honor those persons who have dedicated their lives to the support and advancement of archery and bowhunting. A recipient would not be required to be a legendary bowhunter, but quite often a person’s ability to be an ambassador to the sport has a lot to do with their reputation. In other cases, the desire to be a great bowhunter is there, but Lady Luck may not have blessed some of us with the skills and ability to fill up the record book with trophy animals.

In 1999, The Big Game Club Records Committee voted to begin the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award to honor those members who have worked so tirelessly to provide us with the opportunity to bowhunt today.

The Whitney-Hill Award
In 1983, the CBH/SAA Big Game Club conceived the most prestigious bowhunting recognition in the state- The Whitney-Hill Award. The beautiful trophy is named after Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in California, and Howard Hill, one of the best archers in Califona and United States archery history.

To qualify for the Whitney-Hill Award, all animals must be taken within the state of California and must meet all requirements for CBH/SAA Big Game awards. Only Regular or Senior Members of the CBH/SAA Big Game Records Club shall be eligible for consideration for this award. It is strongly felt that Big Game Club membership demonstrates a long-lasting support of CBH/SAA and bowhunting in California in general.

There shall be no time limit set on the number of years that a bowhunter may apply toward the goals of achieving this award. However, a hunter who qualifies under either Category B or C must do so while all of those animals are currently listed in the top fifteen (15) or five (5) respectively at the announced conclusion of a two-year awards competition. Two-year awards competition periods after the creation of the Whitney-Hill Award in 1983 shall be considered in Category B and C. Also, The big Game committee and its discretionary decisions is in all respects final in matters concerning this award.

Qualifications

This award shall consist of obtaining the goals of Category A, B, C, D, or E. Any member of the Big Game Records Club qualifying under either Category A, B, C, D, or E shall be considered for the Whitney-Hill Awards given or the number of Whitney-Hill Awards by the Big Game Records Committee. There is no limit on the number of Whitney-Hill Awards given or the number that any one individual may receive.

A: This bowhunter’s animals must equal or exceed the minimums set forth below:

Black Bear ..............................21-10/16
Typical Blacktail Deer ..............145-0/8
Non-Typical Blacktail Deer........175-0/8
Typical Mule Deer.....................170-0/8
Non-Typical Mule Deer............. 210-0/8
Typical Pacific Hybrid................150-0/8
Non-Typical Pacific Hybrid.........180-0/8
Mainland Hog ..........................41-03/16
Island Hog...............................35-02/16
Catalina Spanish Goat.............107-0/8
Santa Cruz Merino Sheep........134-0/8
Pronghorn Antelope.................83-0/8
Cougar ....................................15-0/16
Desert Bighorn Sheep..............163-0/8
Typical American Elk.................375-0/8
Non-Typical American Elk..........390-0/8
Typical Roosevelt Elk................345-0/8
Non-Typical Roosevelt Elk.........360-0/8
Typical Tule Elk..........................325-0/8
Non-Typical Tule Elk...................340-0/8
Typical Wild Turkey....................15-0/8”
Non-Typical Turkey....................30-0/8”

Only animals harvested while the bowhunter is a current member of CBH/SAA shall be considered for this award, but there is no limit to the number of years that a member may need to gain eligibility by qualifying for Regular Membership in the BGC. Elk and Wild Turkey shall be exempt from this category until sufficient data has been acquired on these species to establish a minimum Whiney-Hill score.

B: Any hunter who takes three animals, of the same species, which place in the top fifteen (15) for that species and are listed in the top fifteen (15) at the same time. The point of time that shall be considered for establishing the top fifteen animals shall be ninety (90) days after the conclusion of the current Two-Year Awards period.

Only animals harvested while the bowhunter is a current member of CBH/SAA shall be considered for this award, but there is no limit to the number of years that a member may need to gain eligibility by qualifying for Regular Membership in the BGC.

Any member who has received the Whitney-Hill Award in Category B must list three different animals in the top fifteen (15) in order to qualify for this award again.

C: Any hunter who lists four (4) different animals in four different species categories in which all four animals rank in the top five (5) for their respective species. All four animals must be listed at the same time. The point of time that shall be considered for establishing the top fifteen animals shall be the ninety (90) days after the conclusion of the current Two-Year Awards period.

Only animals harvested while the bowhunter is a current member of CBH/SAA shall be considered for this award, but there is no limit to the number of years that a member may need to gain eligibility by qualifying for Regular Membership in the BGC.

Any member who has received the Whitney-Hill Award in Category C cannot use any of these award winning animals to obtain another award within this category. This member must use either different species and/or obtain different animals within the same species for which he previously won the award.

D: Any bowhunter who is recognized by the Big Game Club for taking twelve (12) California Big Game species of which ten (10) different species qualify for the California Bowmen Hunters record book. The bowhunter must also have been a member of CBH/SAA for a minimum of five (5) consecutive tears or have taken all of his trophy entries in this category while being a current member.

Category D– Eligible Species

Recipients of this award shall not qualify for a Category E award. In order to qualify for this award a second or third time or more, a hunter must obtain different animals in each species than those used to qualify for any previous award in this category.

* Any Island species harvested after February 10, 1997 shall not be accepted as a record book entry.

** The California legislature ended the sport hunting of the cougar after February 28, 1972.

E: Any bowhunter who is recognized by the Big Game Club for taking nine (9) California Big Game species of which seven (7) different species qualify for the California Bowmen Hunters record book. The bowhunter must also have been a member of CBH/SAA for a minimum of five (5) consecutive tears or have taken all of his trophy entries in this category while being a current member.

Category E– Eligible Species

Recipients of this award shall not qualify for a Category D award. In order to qualify for this award a second or third time or more, a hunter must obtain different animals in each species than those used to qualify for any previous award in this category.