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DUBOIS, Clearfield County - Six Pennsylvania hunters were honored this
evening by the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Pennsylvania Outdoor
Writers Association (POWA) for the top-scoring white-tailed bucks and black
bears measured during the 2001 Big Game Scoring Sessions held earlier this
year by employees and volunteers of the Game Commission. Of the six honored
at the 2001 POWA/Game Commission Big Game Awards Banquet, two established
new state records and three others qualified for the top-ten lists.
"The partnership of celebrating the winners of the Big Game Scoring Program
is something that we have shared periodically since 1968," said Game
Commission Executive Director Vern Ross. "While it has been six years since
we last gathered to mark such achievements, I hope we can continue to hold
this joint
event on a more regular basis in the future.
"It^s an exciting time to be a Pennsylvania hunter. Our black bear
population continues to grow and produce some of the world^s largest bears.
Our deer program, under the guidance of Dr. Gary Alt and his team, is being
positioned to produce healthier and bigger bucks. And if that^s not enough,
we are about to hold our first elk hunting season in more than 70 years. As
good as Pennsylvania^s hunting has been, it^s about to get better. And that,
my friends, should lead to more big game records."
Categories recognized at the banquet include: typical white-tailed deer
harvested with a firearm; non-typical white-tailed deer harvested with a
firearm; typical white-tailed deer harvested with a bow and arrow;
non-typical white-tailed deer harvested with a bow and arrow; black bear
harvested with a firearm; and black bear harvested with a bow and arrow.
Typical refers to antlers that are symmetrical, and non-typical,
asymmetrical.
The award winners, by category, are:
Typical White-tailed Deer harvested with firearm: Ronald J. LaBrosse Jr., of
McMurray, harvested a typical antlered deer that scored 172 and six-eighths.
He took the deer in Washington County in 1996. This score just missed
qualifying for one of Pennsylvania^s top ten typical white-tailed deer
harvested with a firearm. The last time an entry was added to this top-ten
list was 1974.
Non-typical White-tailed Deer harvested with firearm: Garry Forgy, of
McVeytown, harvested a non-typical antlered deer that scored 197 and
three-eighths. He took the deer in Mifflin County in 2000. This deer ranks
seventh in Pennsylvania^s All-Time Big Game Records for this category.
Typical White-tailed Deer harvested with a bow and arrow: Albert J. Muntz,
of Havertown, harvested a typical antlered deer that scored 174 and
seven-eights. He took the deer in Bucks County in 1995. This deer is a new
state record in Pennsylvania^s All-Time Big Game Records for this category,
and breaks a record that stood for 15 years.
Non-typical White-tailed Deer harvested with a bow and arrow: Eugene W.
Livingston, of Boswell, harvested a non-typical antlered deer that scored
195. He took the deer in Westmoreland County in 1995. This deer ranks
second in Pennsylvania^s All-Time Big Game Records for this category.
Black Bear harvested with a firearm: Joseph E. Mindick, of Warrington,
harvested a bear that scored 22 and 13-sixteenths. He took the bear in
Luzerne County in 1998. This bear is a new state record in Pennsylvania^s
All-Time Big Game Records for this category, and breaks a record that stood
for 10 years.
Black Bear harvested with a bow and arrow: Richard Fingado, of St. Marys,
harvested a bear that scored 19 and five-sixteenths. He took the bear in
Elk County in 2000. This bear ranks second in Pennsylvania^s All-Time Big
Game Records for this category.
Since 1965, the Game Commission has periodically held scoring sessions for
trophy deer and bear harvested in Pennsylvania as a service to hunters and
to expand our database of information on Pennsylvania-grown deer and bears.
This was the agency^s 13th measuring session, the first since 1995.
To accommodate Pennsylvania hunters, the Game Commission held nine measuring
sessions around the states from March 10-April 29. For scoring purposes,
individuals had to provide information about who harvested the deer or bear,
where it was taken in Pennsylvania and confirm that the animal was harvested
under the rules of fair chase as defined by the Boone & Crockett Club.
Also, bear skulls or deer antlers and skull plates were intact, cleaned and
allowed to air dry for at least 60 days before measuring.
Once the scoring sessions are completed and the records compiled, the top
six hunters are invited to attend a banquet hosted by POWA to be recognized.
An updated listing of the top ten entries in Pennsylvania^s All-Time Big
Game Records can be viewed by going to the agency^s website
(www.pgc.state.pa.us) and click on "Hunting Information."
Uploaded: 9/24/2001
Uploaded: 9/24/2001