In January 2013, Brian Benyo traveled from his home state of Ohio to Tiburon Island in Sonora, Mexico to hunt Desert Bighorn sheep. A successful stalk on the second day of the hunt yielded a 25-yard shot at a giant ram that may possibly eclipse the current P&Y World’s Record. The current World’s Record Desert Bighorn sheep: 178 6/8 – Hidalgo County, New Mexico – 2007 – Jim Hens.
Mr. Benyo’s sheep has an initial entry score that is 4/8 of an inch higher than the current World’s Record. It is yet subject to Panel Judging verification which may change the final accepted score for a variety of reasons, including unusual shrinkage, initial mis-measurement, etc.
Brian Benyo with his possible new world record Bighorn ram.
“I am always amazed that in each Recording Period we have several animals entered that exceed the present World’s Records”, says Glenn Hisey, Director of Records for the Pope & Young Club. “This is a testimony to the effectiveness of the North American Wildlife Conservation Model and proof that the good old days of bowhunting are now.”
This sheep is entered into the current, ongoing 29th Recording Period—the biennium representing entries accepted into the P&Y Records Program from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2014. At the close of every two-year biennial recording period, numerical awards and honorable mentions are awarded to the most outstanding animals in each species category entered during that recording period. New world’s records are verified and proclaimed, and awards are presented to these outstanding animals during the Pope and Young Club’s biennial convention and awards banquet.
Prior to the actual convention and banquet, outstanding trophies are requested to be sent to a designated site for panel judging. Panel Judging is a process of verification of the final scores of antlers, horns and skulls of the highest ranking North American big game specimen entered during that two-year recording period. A hand-picked team of highly knowledgeable and experienced certified measurers gather for the actual scoring.
Congratulations to Mr. Benyo on this incredible animal! Look to see this outstanding North American big game specimen, plus roughly a hundred more of the biggest and best over the last two years, on display at the Pope and Young Club’s National Convention in Phoenix, Arizona, April 15-18, 2015.
Established in 1961, the Pope & Young Club is a non-profit North American conservation and bowhunting organization dedicated to the promotion and protection of our bowhunting heritage, hunting ethics and wildlife conservation. The Club also maintains the universally recognized repository for the records and statistics on North American big game animals harvested with a bow and arrow.
The Pope & Young Club • www.pope-young.org • Box 548, Chatfield, MN 55923 • Ph: 507.867.4144
