At this year’s Boone and Crockett Club Big Game Awards, three female youth hunters made the record books. Two of them tagged elk (Roosevelt’s and tule, in Oregon and California respectively) and one went for a pronghorn.
The girls received recognition during the Jack Steele Parker “Generation Next” banquet, held every three years to honor youth involvement in the hunting world, and to recognize accomplishments of hunters age 16 and younger who have had the opportunities and good fortune to tag Boone and Crockett Club trophy animals.
These three hunters made the record books for the past term, and shared their stories with us. The theme in common among these three hunters is firsts. You’ll see why.
McKenzie Spencer: Roosevelt’s elk – 290-1/8 Points, Oregon
McKenzie Spencer said she’s been filling tags for black bear, mule deer and blacktail since she’s been nine. Her parents are avid hunters, along with her three siblings, and so she’s seen what a hunting lifestyle looks like in a family unit. McKenzie said the older hunters in her family elk hunting, and in 2022, her dad invited her to hunt Roosevelt’s elk on opening day in Lane County, Oregon. Unfortunately, she felt sick that day – “under the weather and not really feeling like going out” – but decided to head out just to see if there were elk. She and her dad stalked an area, and because she wasn’t feeling well (trying not to cough and with watery eyes), she sat down for a break.
She told this story about the last moments of the hunt, that happened when she was taking a little breather: “Dad said, ‘I hear something!’ We looked over the edge and they were right there, at about 250 yards … we were just seeing the cows, but there was a small pine tree and you could the bull’s tines sticking out.”
She continued, “Dad found me a pretty good branch, and popped that up for me for my rifle, and said, ‘OK, McKenzie, he’s out! He’s out!” She said she sprang up “super quick” and pulled the trigger on a Browning PRC rifle – chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor – reloaded and found the elk in her scope, and saw him rolling, so she didn’t need a follow-up shot. She said she didn’t feel sick anymore.
She described this part of the hunt in her own words in a description for the Boone and Crockett Club in this way: “My adrenaline was up, and I was so nervous about making a bad shot. But when I looked at him, he started to roll a bit, moved a second, then stopped. When I saw he had completely stopped, I knew I had achieved something not many people get to experience. My dad and I walked down to see the bull. It was a nice 6-point, and I was so thankful to have such a fortunate day. We ended up having some family and friends help with the pack out, and had a good time back at the trucks.”
In the future, McKenzie says although it’s hard to top a record-book Roosevelt’s elk, she would like to go after a Bighorn mountain goat. She said, in a calm and collected manner, “I feel that would be super cool to do!”
Genevieve E. Vella: Tule elk – 292 Points, California
For Genevieve Vella, it took more than one time out to tag an elk. In fact, she and her hunting party spent 12 days hunting California tule elk in Cache Creek. But first, the back story reveals that she applied for her first elk tag at 12, and fortunately, got one. (In California, youth hunters must be 12 to hunt big game.) California only awards two youth elk tags annually.
Genevieve and her dad have hunted for blacktail, pheasants and turkey. She said, “Ever since I can remember, I’ve gone out hunting with my dad.”
Genevieve said she got a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity most hunters only dream of” … to go on her first elk hunt, in mid-October 2023, along with her father, two uncles and a cousin. She describes the mix of hunters as “a tight crew, full of knowledge, patience, and the kind of energy that only comes when you’re doing something you love with people you love.”
She described the long days of hunting for her story submitted to the Boone and Crockett Club: “We spent 12 long, unforgettable days hunting the rugged hills of Cache Creek, working hard from dawn until dusk. Every day was a test of patience and persistence. We glassed ridgelines, followed tracks, and sat in silence for hours, hoping the elk would finally show. And every evening, we came back dusty, tired, and empty-handed – but never discouraged.”
Although the party had seen elk, the herds remained too far for an ethical shot. She never gave up hope, and on the last day, her father gained access to private land – a place they suspected the elk might be.
When she spotted a big bull among the herd, she thought to herself, “This is actually happening!” Genevieve took that shot at 300 yards, with a Fierce Firearms rifle, chambered in .28 Nosler. Her dad said she had practiced before the hunt at the local gun club, and he felt confident she could shoot ethically out to 600 yards.
Genevieve said she’d like to go moose hunting in the future. She summed up her record-making hunt in these words: “What started as a young girl’s dream turned into a record-breaking reality. That bull now stands not just as a trophy, but as a symbol of the bond between family, the patience of the hunt and the power of never giving up. And though I know I’ll hunt many more seasons, nothing will ever compare to the hunt that ended on the last day – with one shot, one bull and a memory that will last a lifetime.”
Remmy Beck: Pronghorn – 81-2/8 points, Arizona
Remmy Beck remembers riding in a pack on her dad’s back as a child, when he’d go out hiking and scouting before hunts. She always felt she would join him in the field someday. Her dad drew a pronghorn tag in 2023, for Apache County, Arizona, and gave her the tag – her first tag for any big game animal.
At only ten-years old, she set out on the hunt with a muzzleloader – a .45 caliber, custom rifle.
In September before the pronghorn season, Remmy went out scouting with her dad. After a successful trip, the pair (accompanied by her mom, who also hunts, and little brother) went back to the area where they had seen pronghorn earlier. They spotted a herd around midday, and Remmy made a 200-yard shot on a big buck. She hit the buck, but he ran away. She and her dad closed the gap and she took another shot at 75 yards.
She described the final moment in her Boone and Crockett Club story in this way: “It was hot, and the sun was in my face. I took my hat off to wipe the sweat from my forehead. We were about 75 yards away … My dad got me set up again and told me to shoot whenever I was ready. I put my earmuffs on, got on the gun, took it off safety, aimed and shot perfectly! When I fired, the smoke blocked my view of the antelope, but my dad told me, “He’s down!” I was so excited that I didn’t even feel the gun kick back on my shoulder.”
Remmy and her family walked up to the massive buck – hardly believing that size of his body. They took the dried horns to Tucson to be measured.
Remmy has a tag for a Coues deer this fall. She said if she could go anywhere to hunt, she’d like to hunt a moose. “I like the big stuff, like elk, moose or a bear!”
A common thread among the girls who have tagged Boone and Crockett Club records is that they share a history of strong family mentoring and traditions surrounding hunting. We are thrilled to see this trend – especially with girls. The next installment will feature the “deer hunters,” and wait till you see the hundreds of points associated with these deer.
Be sure to check out our first installment called “Boone and Crockett Girls Who Hunt: The Four Bears.”
Publisher/Editor Barbara Baird is a freelance writer in hunting, shooting and outdoor markets. Her bylines are found at several top hunting and shooting publications. She also is a travel writer, and you can follow her at https://www.ozarkian.com. View all posts by Barbara Baird
