2024 SCORING SESSION

Our antler and skull scoring session will take place on Sunday, April 14th, from 9am to 4pm, at the Towanda Gun Club. Hunters who have harvested exceptionally large specimens are encouraged to attend the event to have them scored. Four Boone & Crockett and Pope & Young measurers will be on hand to conduct the scoring procedures. There is no fee to have antlers and skulls measured, and those trophies that meet or exceed any record book minimums can be entered into the respective organizations at the trophy owners discretion. Official measurements cannot be verified until the antlers and skulls have air-dried at normal room temperature for 60 days after the animal was harvested. Questions about this scoring session can be directed to Roger Kingsley at 570-297-2489 or Mark Madden at 570-637-2735.

 

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Troy township cornfield produces two record book black bears

When a group of hunters surrounded a cornfield in Troy Township on November 21, 2016, they were not prepared for what the field would yield. When the drive was over, two of the hunters in the group had tagged black bears that would qualify for the all-time record books. Roger Strobridge and John Brown both of Troy were the lucky hunters. The Strobridge bear weighing in at a whopping 523 pounds, and scoring 21-2/16, ranks No. 10 in Bradford County, and earned a permanent spot in not only the state record book, but Boone & Crockett all-time. John Brown’s bruin tipped the scales all the way to the 442 pound mark, while scoring 19-8/16 in the PA Record Book. “This group is the hardest hunting and most unselfish bunch of fellas that I know.” said Brown.

 

Forensic aging confirmed that the Strobridge bear was 6 yrs. 10 mo. old, while Brown’s was 2 years younger.

 

The Chad Reed black bear taken in Monroe Township in 1991 continues to secure the No. 1 spot in the Bradford County Black Bear Gun category at 22-11/16. The 604 pound bruin—a previous state record—now ranks No. 8 in the PA Record Book Black Bear/Firearm category among 869 entries. 54 of those entries are Bradford County listings.

 

A 638 pound Ulster Township black bear taken by Jeff Fassett in 2011 is still the heaviest bear ever officially recorded in Bradford County. Skull scoring ranked the bear No. 3 in Bradford County and No. 75 in the PA Record Book at 22-11/16..

 

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March - The Shed Hunter's Month

The month of March is the best time to start looking for shed antlers. With a few exceptions, most antlers will be dropped by then. Start searching to early and you could push bucks off your property where they may shed the antlers that you want to collect. Also, you could push those deer out of critical winter cover. Finding an antler will reveal an obvious piece of information right off the bat--a buck stood in that precise spot when the antler hit the ground. Take note of such locations because that could mean you've discovered the home turf of that particular animal, and he could very well occupy that same general area when hunting season arrives.

 

 

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FOOD PLOT MANAGEMENT

FORAGE BRASSICAS

A wide variety of seeds, plants and services are available to landowners interested in building up the habitat diversity on their properties. Food plots have especially gained acceptance, not only for their nutritional benefits, but for their hunting aspect as well.

 

Plots designed to be hunted over should consider stand placement as priority number one. Besides quick, quiet access to the stand, concealment and wind direction while the stand is occupied, are key components to it's effectiveness.

 

Forage brassicas including rape, kale and turnips are used extensively by landowners to provide a fast-growing, high-yielding crop for nutrition and attraction in the late summer and fall months. Depending on soil fertility, brassicas can achieve crude protein levels in the 15 to 30 percent range.

 

The benefits of planting corn:

1)  High fat and carbohydrate food source when deer need it most.

2)  Shade and security during the summer from heat and pesky flies.

3)  Deer don't burn up calories digging in deep snow because grain stays well above ground.

4)  Food source for many species of wildlife.

5)  Grain is a prime food source during hunting seasons.

 

 

 

FORAGE SOYBEANS get 5 stars each for both nutrition and attraction.  These high protein plants are developed for tall, leafy growth in addition to a bonus crop of beans consumed by deer, turkeys and other wildlife.  Because of their high attraction, soybeans are vulnerable to overgrazing unless planted in large fields or by utilizing repellents.  Thanks to the enclosure that was erected, the picture on the left clearly illustrates the severe beating that the deer have dealt this soybean plot.

 

An excellent resource for food plot management is Quality Food Plots published by the Quality Deer Management Association. Contact them at 800-209-3337 or QDMA.com and ask about this outstanding guide.

 

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RECORDS OF NORTH AMERICAN BIG GAME

The 14th Edition of the Records of North American Big Game contains nearly 1000 pages of trophy listings, entertaining stories and spectacular color photos of the greatest big game ever taken. It's the latest volume in a series of record books published by the Boone & Crockett Club since 1932. Trophy listings include both net and gross scores, detailed measurements, plus hunter information, location and year taken. This edition includes four new World’s Records and 5000 more trophies than the previous edition. A wonderful book for the coffee table or camp. Copies available at 888-840-4868 or
www.boone-crockett.org

 

 

 

 

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DOES YOUR BEAR MAKE THE BOOK?

 

The 2020 PA black bear harvest now ranks No. 6 all-time with a total harvest of 3608 bears. Bears were taken in 59 of the state’s 67 counties with Potter, Lycoming, Tioga, Clearfield, and Monroe ranked 1-5 respectively as the top bear harvest counties. The two-year old muzzleloader/special firearms October season accounted for 1038 bears, while archery hunters posted a record-breaking harvest of 948. Hunters participating in the 4-day November firearms season tagged 1170. Additionally, 432 bears were taken during the extended season running from November 30 – December 12 depending on WMU. A female hunter in Fulton county using a crossbow, arrowed the season’s largest specimen at 719 lbs.

 

The 2020 black bear age data is currently unavailable, but the largest bear taken in Bradford County during the 2019 seasons had an estimated live weight (ELW) of 525 lbs., was confirmed to be 8 yrs. 10 mo. old and was taken by a hunter on the opener of the extended season.

 

Bradford County ranked 6th in the Northeast region harvest with 82 bears checked in. If you or someone you know has taken a bear in Bradford County that qualifies for our skull or weight categories, contact the Club for Record Book entry details.

 

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Antler Scoring Contest Fun

Be sure to brush up on your Boone & Crockett scoring skills prior to our Awards Banquet. That way you can "take a shot" at guessing the Boone & Crockett score of our lineup of contest deer.. We know what the official score is, but you have to guess by field judging only. Closest scores will harvest some neat prizes!

 

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