Review by
Larry S. Sterett
Contributing Editor
COLORADO’S BIGGEST BUCKS AND BULLS, by Susan Campbell Reneau and Richard R. Reneau. ©2013. Published by Colorado Big Game Trophy Records, or CBGTR, Dept. TGM, 5425 Skyway Drive, Missoula, MT 59804. Price: $35.95, plus $7.00 shipping and handling. Visit www.coloradosbiggestbucksandbulls.com to order electronically, or phone 719-661-4037.
This 416-page hardbound volume is unique. Bound in brown simulated leather with the title and a bugling elk in 24k gold leaf on the cover, it is loaded with photographs and stories. (The endpapers consist of a two-page spread illustrating 20 skull or antler mounts on the side of a building, with two trophy-size head mounts in the center, eight hunters seated beneath. One of the hunters—rancher Ernest Scherer—is holding a massive set of antlers, and their clothing and the snow on the ground and their boots indicates the photo was taken in the winter. Actually, the photo was taken on March 18, 1962, in Middle Park, CO, by Paul F. Gilbert, a longtime employee of the Colorado Division of Wildlife, and an official measurer for many years for both the Boone and Crockett Club and the Pope and Young Club in Hot Springs, CO.)
This is the third edition bearing this title, the first originating back in 1981, and the author plans on a fourth edition in ten or fifteen years, with a possible fifth edition by her sons or grandchildren in about three decades. Following a couple of great introductions, acknowledgements and a prologue, this book features 14 chapters. They range from Deer Hunting in Colorado to Big-Game Trophy Listings from Colorado, with the last current through January 14, 2016. Between chapters include Colorado Typical (and Non-Typical) Mule Deer, Elk Hunting in Colorado, Shiras Moose in Colorado, Other Great Colorado Big Game, and Your Odds for a Trophy, to name a few.
Each chapter is lavishly illustrated with black and white photographs, both historical and modern. Those illustrating the harvest in a deer camp of the past are always interesting, such as the early 20th century shot of ten hunters with 20 bucks. (Beginning in 1903, a deer license for resident hunters cost $1, and for non-residents, $25. Hunters were limited to ‘bucks only,’ and the success ratio was 15% for 1903. (The highest success ratio was 89% in 1957, but that includes bucks, does, and fawns.) In the period 1970 to 1999, the lowest harvest success ratio was 28% in 1997. (A table of the deer harvest—mule and
whitetail—for the years 1949-2012 is provided, with numbers of bucks, does and fawn listed, along with the number of licensed hunters and the harvest percentage.)
The bulk of this gem of a book consists of interesting stories of individual trophies. Some of the stories are full page; others are captioned photos, eight per page. Each story is unique, and while some readers may cringe at a cartridges being called a bullet, or a rifle being called a .30-06 Remington, a .270 Remington, .270 Springfield Express, .308 Springfield, etc., and not .30-06 chambered Remington rifle or a Remington rifle (Model 700?) chambered for the .270 Winchester cartridge, etc., it happens. It doesn’t make the stories less interesting. The full-page stories include the name of the hunter, location of and year trophy was taken, score, and current owner if not the original hunter. The captioned photo sections feature slightly less data.
It is always interesting to learn what caliber rifle and cartridge was used to bag the trophy big game. These were not always mentioned but among those cartridges noted were the following: .243 Winchester, .25-35 Winchester, .25-06 Remington, .250-3000 Savage, 6.5×55 Mauser, .264 Winchester Magnum, .270 Winchester, .280 Remington, .280 Ackley Improved, .284 Winchester, .303 Savage, .30-.308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .30-06 JDJ, .30 Gibbs, .300 H & H Magnum, .300 Weatherby Magnum, .300 RUM, .300 Winchester Magnum, .300 WSM, .30-378 Weatherby Magnum, .338 Winchester Magnum, .340 Weatherby Magnum, .348 Winchester, .270 Weatherby Magnum, 7x57mm Mauser, 7mm Remington Magnum, .41 Remington Magnum (Ruger Blackhawk handgun), and at least one .50-caliber and one .54-caliber T/C Hawken muzzleloader. (One combination mentioned with which this shooter is not sure was a “turn of the century .30-405 Winchester, with custom action, from 1812 (Yes, that’s 1812.)—and a 180-grain Barnes bullet”. Possibly, a .30-caliber ‘wildcat’ based on the .405 Winchester case. However, the 1812 poses a real question.)
If a particular cartridge was more popular than any other it would probably have to be the .30-06 Springfield, possibly followed by other .30 calibers. The .30-30 Winchester was not mentioned as often as might be expected, nor was the 7mm Remington Magnum. Other than the .30-06, other military cartridges used included the .30-40 Krag, .303 British, 6.5mm Mauser and 7mm Mauser. No hunters were noted as having used the 8mm Mauser cartridge. Seldom heard of anymore, but good in the right hands were the .25-35 Winchester, .303 Savage, .32-40 Winchester, .32 Winchester Special, and the .348 Winchester. It tends to prove, it’s the man, or woman, behind the rifle that counts.
Chapter IV, Elk Hunting in Colorado, begins with a 19th century photograph of mounted elk heads that would make any hunter drool and wish for yesteryear, circa 1894. None of the heads have ever been officially scored, but a couple, including the one shown on the far right, reminds this shooter of photos of the extinct Irish elk. Chapter V is devoted to stories of Typical and Non-Typical Elk hunts, and the photographs and stories are outstanding.
Hunters often tend to think of moose hunting being farther north, including Canada, but Colorado has a good Shiras Moose population. This volume has the stories and photos to prove it. The state also has deer—whitetail and mule—Bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain goats, pronghorns, cougars, and black bear.
There are a few of what appear to be typos, such as Sayko (SAKO?), and Mosler (Nosler?) on brand names, but considering the magnitude of this volume, extremely few. There is no .364 Winchester Model 7 known to this shooter, nor is he aware of a Remington Purina 180-grain bullet. (Purine used to be a feed firm, as ‘Ralston-Purina,’ but who knows.) And, the Model 64 Winchester used to be a lever action rifle, chambered for rimmed cartridges, such as the .30-30, but never for the rimless .270 Winchester cartridge. When you record someone’s story, you record what they tell you.
This is an outstanding volume and one of the most interesting hunting books this shooter has reviewed. It is not just one story, but many, and the illustrations are superb. The author and her son did a great job. It’s worthy of space on any hunter’s bookshelf.
