Bowhunting
Game must be taken in accordance with all game laws.
Game must not be taken while trespassing.
Game must not be taken while helpless - in motor vehicle collision, in deep snow, in water, on ice, while confined.
Game must be taken with a legally specified bow and arrow.
Game must not be an endangered species as specified by law.
Game must be taken by a current MSAA member.
Game must not be taken by any method that is judged unsportsmanlike by the Big Game Committee.
MSAA Bowhunting Code of Ethics
MSAA Big Buck and Big Bear Award
The MSAA is made up of a significant number of people that actively hunt big game with archery equipment. It is appropriate to recognize the successful harvest of Minnesota’s big game species by our membership. This award was once presented in the 80’s and 90’s and somehow faded due to a lack of animals being presented for scoring. The MSAA currently has two Pope and Young officials in the membership. The task of getting animals scored and winners declared will be much simpler now. The main rationale of resurrecting these awards is to create interest in, and attract more memberships to the organization. The entrants for these awards must be members of the MSAA prior to the harvesting of either big game species. Below find some specific criteria proposed for these awards.
Applicants for the award must be a member of the MSAA prior to harvesting the animal.
The deer or bear must be harvested in Minnesota during the current season.
In the event of typical or non-typical deer being entered, whichever animal exceeds their minimum score by the most inches will be declared the winner. In the event of any ties, two awards will be presented.
Animals to be entered must have a 60 day drying period after harvest to allow for shrinkage.
It is incumbent upon the member to get their antlers or skull to one of our measurers or any official Pope and Young or Boone and Crockett measurer for documenting an official score.
It is assumed that contestants will get their animal to an official scorer by March 1st so winners can be determined for the awards banquet at the State Indoor.
The entry shall follow the Pope and Young Club’s rules of harvest. The animal must be the first male animal of that species taken by the archer in that season. No party hunting or cross tagging of these animals is allowed. Rules of fair chase must be observed by contestants.
An award with appropriate wording to acknowledge the entries significance will be given to the archer. Species, year and archer.