Arizona Big 10?

[Black Bare]

I hope somebody might shed some light on the Arizona Big 10 Award. I have heard rumors but can't find any good literature on the subject. I am curious what agency or group gives the award and how I can find a list of folks who have won it in the past. Please fill me in if you have any details. This would be a great thing for my 1 year old nephew to start thinking about.

Thanks....

[CouesWhitetail]

I thought it was the AZ Wildlife Federation that did the award, but when I went to their website, they listed this as the Big Game Award and you only have to take 9 species.

 

http://www.azwildlife.org/big_game_award.html

 

Bill Quimby will know the answer since he has taken all 10 and then some.

 

Amanda

 

[billrquimby]

Some history:

 

The Arizona Big Ten Award began in the 1950s with the now defunct-magazine Arizona Wildlife Sportsman magazine under its then-editor Bob Housholder, who also founded the Grand Slam Club. Fewer than thirty hunters, including two women, I believe, received the award and were featured in articles in the magazine.

 

In the late 1960s, Bob Hirsch replaced Housholder at the magazine and dropped the award as the failing magazine attempted to bring "general outdoor enthusiasts" into its readership by calling itself Arizona Wildlife & Travelogue Magazine and reducing emphasis on hunting and fishing.

 

In the late 1990s, the various Arizona chapters of Safari Club International picked up the award and sent out requests for candidates. More than two dozen people immediately qualified and were presented plaques engraved with their names and artwork of the ten Arizona big game animals. There was (and probably still is) a fee for applying.

 

Unlike the AWF's Big Nine Award, there is no prohibition on using guides, dogs or "electronic devices." The only stipulation is that the animals be taken legally within the state of Arizona. The ten animals that qualify for the Big Ten Award are: Coues whitetail, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, elk, bison, bear, mountain lion, javelina, wild turkey and bighorn (either desert or Rocky Mountain).

 

Other than moderating a seminar for first-time hunters in Africa at its conventions, I have not been active in SCI issues for a long time but I assume the chapters in Arizona still are presenting the award.

 

As for a list of everyone who has received the Big Ten Award since the 1950s, I don't know if such a list exists.

 

As I remember, Bob Hirsch knew of 27-28 people and I passed their names on to the SCI chapter in Tucson, but Bob wasn't certain whether his list was complete or not.

 

Since then, I'd guess that another 30-35 people have qualified, which means there probably are fewer than 75 people who have taken all ten animals in Arizona over the past sixty years or so.

 

The last I heard, each SCI chapter held award ceremonies for qualifying hunters residing in its area. I would hope that someone is keeping a master list.

 

Bill Quimby

[Outdoor Writer]

There are (were?) actually two versions.

 

As Amanda mentioned, the AZ Wildlife Federation has one, but it's known as the Arizona Big Nine award because it doesn't include bison. This is one originally started in the 1960s by the Mesa Varmint Callers club. The AWF took it over sometime in the late 1980s or early 1990s. Far as I know, it still exists.

 

The Big Nine has somewhat structured requirements where the hunter uses no dogs, guides or electronic callers to kill the critters. Some of the animals also have minimum standards, i.e measurements that they must meet, and I think at least one must meet the minimum to make the AWF record book. At the time the Big Nine program began, the only bison hunts were conducted in pens and were made notable in the movie, "Bless The Beasts and The Children."

 

The original AZ Big Ten award, which did include bison, was started in the 1950-60s by one of the state's earliest outdoor magazines. I believe it was called Arizona Wildlife Sportsman or such. I don't recall if he started it, but the late Bob Hirsch was its editor for a long time. I don't remember the specifics, but the requirements were minimal -- just legally tag one of every species on the list. Of course, the magazine is long gone, and I don't believe anyone has continued this award program except as noted above with the AWF.

 

These are the critters on the original Big Ten list:

 

pronghorn, black bear, buffalo, desert bighorn sheep, elk, javalina, turkey, mountain lion, mule deer, and Coues deer.

 

When both of these programs came into being in the 1960s, there were no RM bighorns or Gould's turkeys in the state. Now that they both are legally hunted, the list should probably be updated to the Big 12.

 

Edited to add: you posted while I was writing, Bill.

[billrquimby]

Hi Tony.

 

Again, it's great to have you back on this forum.

 

I, for one, would vote against making it the "Big 12," if it ever came to a vote. Since the 1950s, it has been the Big Ten, based on ten species.

 

If all subspecies were counted, we'd need a much higher number to include the various subspecies of mule deer, mountain lions, bighorns, turkeys, pronghorns and, who knows, maybe bears found within our borders.

 

Bill Quimby

[Outdoor Writer]

Since then, I'd guess that another 30-35 people have qualified, which means there probably are fewer than 75 people who have taken all ten animals in Arizona over the past sixty years or so.

 

Bill Quimby

 

Bill,

 

Yeah, you're probably right about keeping it at 10. That way I might make it before I die if I ever draw a sheep and bison permit.

 

I'd guess the number a bit higher than 75, probably more like 125-150 by now. I know of at least two that did it fairly recently, and both of them killed all 10 with a BOW!! They are Cindi Richardson (Corky's wife) and Brian Ham.

 

Ironically, they both completed the Big Ten with their bison on the SAME hunt at Houserock. Here's a photo of them all with Ham's bull.

 

Cindi, 2nd from left and Brian, 3rd from left

 

 

 

A photo of Cindi in the Richardson trophy room:

 

[Non-Typical Solutions]

Interesting info and man.......what a trophy room......

[youngbuck]

I guess I have something to set my sights on. Ive always heard of the big 10 and knew what it included. I never know the list of members was so sparce. I also agree it would be difficult to include both species of sheep and turkey. Im sure the gould tags are in extremely high demand with an extremely limited number of tags, as are both sheep. Maybe Ill get my tags one of these years and have a chance at filling the bill. Thanks for the info Bill and Tony.

[Outdoor Writer]

Interesting info and man.......what a trophy room......

 

That one photo shows only a small portion of it. I have a bunch of pix of the whole room from several angles.

If there's any interest, I can post them in another thread.

 

 

I guess I have something to set my sights on. Ive always heard of the big 10 and knew what it included. I never know the list of members was so sparce. I also agree it would be difficult to include both species of sheep and turkey.

 

Yup, the major difficulty is getting the permits. I have several of every species from AZ except bear and lion. I have one of each of those two, which was enough for me.

 

I've applied for sheep for more than 35 years, but lost some points when I moved to Colorado for a few years. Now I'm back up to 19 BPs. I didn't apply for a buff permit while the hunts were in the pens or in the pastures. So I just started applying for a permit about 8 years ago.

[HaYen]

LOVIN the trophy room!!!!! Thanks for sharing

[Non-Typical Solutions]

I wouldn't mind taking a peek at more show room photos.......if that is ok....

[billrquimby]

Tony: I drew my sheep tag after applying 39 consecutive years, so there's hope for you. That trophy room (rooms) is impressive, but you should see the one I've been working in recently with a client in Utah. He has more than 300 heads and full mounts in a single room that must be about 40 feet wide, 80 feet long, and 24 feet tall -- with a balcony/loft. It does not include the 150 or so lifesize mounts in his open-to-the-public wildlife museum.

 

Several years ago, I visited other rooms in Houston and in a village about an hour from Mexico City that were even larger and more impressive. The Houston hunter's entire home was a trophy room, and it was built in octagonal segments, each connected with hallways. As we walked through his 25,000 square-foot home, lights would come on ahead of us. His library of rare hunting books was to die for.

 

The Mexican hunter had THREE rooms close to the size of the McElroy room at the wildlife museum in Tucson. One was strictly for the sheep and goats of the world, another was for Africa, and the third was for the game animals from the rest of the planet. His 33,000 square-foot home was decorated with colonial antiques, and every one of his hundreds of animals was mounted lifesize.

 

Youngbuck: There are only ten species of big game animals in Arizona. The desert and Rocky Mountain bighorns are two subspecies of the same species. The same is true of our turkeys -- one species, two subspecies. There are at least two subspecies each of mule deer, pronghorn antelope, and mountain lions in Arizona, also.

 

Incidentally, species and subspecies are both singular and plural. "Specie" refers to coins.

 

Bill Quimby

 

 

 

 

 

[krp]

My Dad had two hunting buddies and one had the Az big ten from when I was a kid so probably finished in the sixties sometime, ironically the toughest one for him to get was an elk at that time. His bear story was the best, he and my Dad hiked our Mule into the Mazatzals, he shot the bear and it fell over an embankment, He was so excited he rushed to the edge and trip over it landing on the bear 10 ft below. My Dad looks over and Ray is clawing his way back up and he tells him it's all right, the bear is dead... He placed water all over the mountain before his sheep hunt so he didn't have to leave the mountain once up there and could move around... He killed his lion spotting during a deer hunt I think. It went into a boulder pile and died. He had to go back to town and since he was an engineer, my Dad was also, he was able to buy dynamite and they blasted the cat out.

 

He is gone now but a great guy and huge influence on me. I doubt he ever applied for an award, just not that kind.

 

I long ago decided I would settle for 8, sheep and buff are just something I haven't ever applied for, I will leave them for those that really want them. I've taken my big 8. I still think of Ray and how he made me a special dinner in camp after I took my first deer, a forky and how he bragged on my accomplishment because I walked out of camp on my own and did it myself.

 

Kent

 

 

[Chef]

Bill, Do you remember the last name of the hunter in Mexico?

[hunter74]

My goal has always been to take the big ten with a bow and as with most hunters 2 have been a problem and that is sheep and buffalo and those are the last 2 i need to finish this feat. but i have started to take the sub species as well as far as the ones you can hunt, bill i don't mean to correct you but there is 3 species of turkey in Arizona now and i am hearing that it wont be long until a few permits will be offered to hunt them, and that is the Rio's up on the strip. I have been working on my deer slam as well as i have only one left to take and that is the sika black tails in Alaska. bow hunting in Arizona records also gives out these awards for any bow hunters out there. i have never been a person stuck on or ever entered an animal but i believe soon i will enter them all to go ahead and hope soon i will be able to accept this prestigious award in our great state of Arizona. for me the people that have pushed me to want this feat more then ever have been Corky and Cindy Richardson giving me the drive to set a lofty goal and complete it.