The Wisconsin Buck and Bear Club, Wisconsin’s official big game trophy record-keeping organization, recently presented the Peter Haupt Memorial Award to long-time member Glenn Helgeland, Mequon, for his support of the Club before, during and after the years he owned and produced the Wisconsin Deer & Turkey Expo in Madison.
The award states it was presented to Helgeland for:
- Working to recognize the great deer and bear in Wisconsin;
- Working to keep Wisconsin #1 in the record books;
- Promoting the ethical standards of the WBBC;
- Having a significant financial impact on the WBBC.
In the photo, from left, are Pat Barwick of the WBBC, Helgeland, Tom Senft of the WBBC and Arnie Krueger of the WBBC.
The Wisconsin Buck and Bear Club is a group of dedicated volunteer individuals, organized for the purpose of collecting and maintaining records on trophy whitetail deer and black bear according to the Boone & Crockett scoring system.
The WBBC was formed in 1965 when founder Peter Haupt noticed an unusually low number of trophy whitetails from Wisconsin in the national record books. It certainly wasn’t due to a lack of trophy animals but rather the absence of an organized statewide measuring program. The idea was first brought to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, but because they were required to have all funding go into wildlife management, a program like this would not have been possible. Haupt, along with a small group of enthusiastic sportsmen, got the ball rolling on a state measuring/records keeping organization currently known as the Wisconsin Buck & Bear Club.
As a result of the Club’s individual and collective efforts, Wisconsin is now recognized as the top whitetail deer and black bear trophy producing state in the country. Boone & Crockett Club and Pope & Young Club entry totals are below. Boone & Crockett Clube entries have higher net antler and skull score requirements.
Boone & Crockett Club (all hunting arms plus ‘found’) Wisconsin entries
- Typical whitetails 1,327
- Non-Typical whitetails 530
- Black Bear 777
Pope & Young Club (bowhunting only) Wisconsin entries
- Typical Whitetail Deer 12,662
- Hard Horned — 12,647
- Velvet — 15
- Non-typical Whitetail Deer 754
- Hard Horned — 751
- Velvet 3
- Black Bear 748