Pope & Young Gives Alberta Hunters the Shaft? -posted 04/08/03
It is no secret that Alberta is pumping out some huge trophy animals.  Is this a problem for Pope & Young club?  Wayne Zaft arrowed a monster whitetail typical buck in 2001 that was officially scored by a P&Y scorer at 206 6/8 net typical.   This would easily break the world record (204 4/8), but would have to go through the panel score.  In 2002, Brent Kuntz arrowed a monster bull elk in 2002 that was officially scored after the 60-day drying period at 422 4/8 net non-typical by a P&Y scorer.  Brent's bull surpassed the world record (419 5/8) but again would have to go to panel score to become the official world's record.  Both animals were pending world records and scored by well-respected P&Y scorer Dave Paplawski.

Wayne Zaft - Alberta Whitetail

What happened at the panel held spring of 2003?  Both animals got the shaft.  Wayne Zaft's whitetail buck was knocked down from a 206 7/8 net typical to a 172 5/8 net typical!  The three panel judges determined that one of the points was coming off from another point instead of the main beam, therefore being counted as a non-typical point.  This killed his net score and actually has a better non-typical score of 210 1/8 net.  This point was never an issue and was cleared until the panel scoring.  Wayne has decided to pull his buck out and will not enter the buck in either the Pope & Young or Boone & Crockett record books. (the point in question can be seen from the left photo - the right-side G-3 point was determined that is was not coming off from the main beam)

Brent Kuntz - Alberta Elk

Brent Kuntz's bull went to panel (same panel as Wayne) and instead of becoming the new world's record, was dropped from a 422 4/8 score to a 414 5/8 net score.  Granted, Brent's bull had a lot of mass which can lose quite a bit from shrinkage, but the 422 score was determined after the 60-day drying period.  The panel knocked his bull down by almost 8 inches.  I will do some checking, but I don't think there has been a bull that has dropped more than 5 inches at a panel score.  Brent's bull dropped to #4 in the world.  There was actually an old bull that was re-scored as a non-typical that is now the new world record with a 420 and change score.

* Get more on this story in an upcoming issue of Hunting Illustrated

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