Within the hunting world, there are several scoring and record keeping systems available to the hunter, among them is the distinguished Boone & Crockett (B&C), the legendary Pope & Young (P&Y) the respected Buckmasters, and the well-known Safari Club International (SCI). These are just a few of the more traditional and accepted scoring and record keeping systems currently in place. Trophy scoring systems have been around for many decades. Each one of the previously mentioned systems has its followers and its critics. This article is solely intended to introduce its readers to the development of a new and separate scoring system called World Classics. You will also notice in this article that World Classics propose that all hunters pursue having their trophies scored and registered with any and all of the systems that your trophy may qualify.
World Classics Scoring System started with a light bulb moment for its founder. While attending the ATA (Archery Trade Show) four years ago Dan Stapleton an archery shop owner from Ohio started a conversation with a representative of one of the booths at this show. The booth was for handicap hunters, while Dan was thumbing through some of the photos that this man had of his impressive harvests. He asked the fateful question. What did these trophies score? The reply from the hunter was "they scored nothing, they are not allowed in the record books because I took them with a crossbow due to my handicap" that short statement started the wheels in motion in Dan’s mind. Dan had a similar story of his own and he could relate to this hunter and soon the personal experiences that he had while growing up with a brother who had a handicap started going through Dan’s mind. Dan simply thought that there had to be some way of including ALL hunters that bagged trophy deer and turkey into a scoring system that was fair and current with modern trends. Dan immediately realized that there was a "void" within the traditional scoring systems and soon his excitement was too much to keep bottled up. Dan started sharing his ideas of a new scoring systems, first with his wife and then with his brother. Dan would quickly gather from others that this idea’s time had come. Dan and his brother immediately started working together to develop a new system. Dan’s brother would help with the financing while Dan’s job was to develop a system and then to promote this new system. Unfortunately, Dan’s brother passed away before he could see Dan’s vision become a reality. However, Dan thinks his brother would be proud of the role that World Classic is playing in many hunters’ lives.
With that said World Classics has discovered that there is a void in some of the conventional scoring systems. Countless advancements to firearms and archery equipment have been made and will no doubt continue to be made through modern technology, World Classics is a system that is interested in keeping up with these advancements while also recognizing trophies taken with primitive and antique weapons as well. For example, majority of modern compound bows now have a high let-off percentage, P&Y recently decided that this high let-off issue is something that needed to be addressed, with that in mind they have made some changes to their rules books to allow for this newer higher let-off bows. Currently Crossbows are making a strong comeback; many states now offer a crossbow season to qualified hunters. In addition traditional weapons such as the long bow and recurve bow along with primitive firearms are also seeing a renewed interest, therefore creating various weapon choices that are now available for the sportsman or woman.
However, the true sportsman or woman, will tell you that hunting is not just about harvesting a big one, or making the record books. Nevertheless, if luck and hard work does pay off in the form of a trophy animal most sportsmen and women would not hesitate to have that trophy mounted and then displayed on their living room walls. Many of those same hunters also pursue having their trophy scored and recorded in the appropriate record keeping system. World Classics have developed a scoring and recording keeping system to allow for just about every weapon and every hunter.
Dan knew that building a new scoring system would not be easy, there was and still is a great deal work to do. Tireless, thankless work, but work that Dan Stapleton considers worthy enough to consume all of his free time and worthy enough for him to shoulder the many critics that he would encounter along the way. With his brother's spirit to encourage him, Dan has set out to conquer the tasks of creating this organization. One of the many challenges Dan faces is simply "getting the word out" and getting people to listen to his proposal. Mention scoring systems to any serious hunter and your likely to get an earful of opinions, not all of those opinions are encouraging, positive or supportive of World Classics efforts to develop a new system. Dan patiently listens to the opponents and then waits for his turn to share the vision of World Classics. He makes no attempt to discredit or takeaway from the scoring systems that are the foundations of twentieth century record keeping for hunters, in fact World Classics stresses that if your trophy is eligible for other records books, then enter them. However, creating a modern system that allows for the continued development of modern weapons is a benefit to many hunters. By creating a system that encourages hunters with handicaps to get out there and hunt is worth a serious look. Developing a system that strongly encourages women and youth to hunt is keeping in step with current trends in the hunting industry. (Women and youth are the fastest growing segment of the hunting population.)
World Classics allows for all methods of harvest as long as they are legal and are done under Fair Chase. World Classics currently has the following categories: Whitetail deer (Typical and Non-Typical), Coues Deer, Turkey (Eastern, Osceola, Merriam’s and Rio Grande) with the following divisions: Firearms (Antique, Primitive, Modern), Archery (Primitive, Modern and Crossbows) Special mention categories for: Men, Women, Youth and Handicap. Also there are additional subcategories for Piebald Species, and Velvet Species. All deer must have a minimum gross score of 120 inches. Under World Classics scoring there are no deductions, as they believe that there is no perfect set of antlers. The gross score plus the outside spread will be the score for deer. For Turkeys, all Toms must have a minimum beard of eleven inches and both of the spurs must be a minimum of 1 1/4" most states do not weigh a turkey so weight will not be factored in. Dan encourages all hunters that have a deer or turkey to contact him about getting that animal scored. World Classics also knows that there is usually a story behind that trophy hanging on your wall, they invite the hunter to tell their stories so that we can all enjoy in a hunters success.
World Classics is growing at a steady pace and is adding additional scorers for their system on a regular basis. There is a need for more volunteer scorers, visit their website to find out more on volunteering.
Dan hopes that if you have a trophy hanging on your wall that you would like scored you will give World Classics a call. The cost is twenty-five dollars ($25) to have your trophy scored, what do you get for twenty-five dollars ($25)? You will receive a Membership certificate for a One-Year membership, a World Classics hat, and a One-Year subscription to our newsletter and of course get your trophy scored. The record holder hunter will be entered into the Lifetime Records System, along with his or her picture of their entry along their story that will be entered in the "Gallery", a Record certificate, and a One Year membership, a World Classics hat and a One Year prescription to our newsletter.
By becoming a member, you can be assured that part of your membership fee is going to fund one of the most important causes for World Classics. World Classics is committed to helping handicapped or terminally ill children through Education Scholarships, Outreach Hunting Grant Programs, and Conservation Grants Programs.
Dan Stapleton has followed his heart in creating a new scoring system without deductions and more importantly a system that includes hunters for all methods of legal hunting. World Classics is making an effort to "fill the void".
World Classics
1-937-452-7236
Or visit their web site at
www.worldclassics.org
