Recognizing Trophy Game and Hunters
The Cy Curtis Award recognizes trophy animals in Oklahoma and the hunters who harvest them. Established in 1972 in honor of the former Wildlife Department biologist largely credited for the restoration of the white-tailed deer in Oklahoma, the program now recognizes Oklahoma’s entire slate of available trophy big game including white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, antelope, and black bears.
Program Scoring Criteria
- Species eligible for scoring and entry include legally harvested white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, antelope and black bear.
- Official scoring must take place anytime following a 60-day mandatory drying period.
- Harvest, check-in and license information is required at the time of scoring/submission.
- Hunters must sign and submit the Cy Curtis Fair Chase Statement with their entry. Digital signatures are accepted.
How Scoring Works
Measurements must be taken by a qualified employee of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation or by a measurer certified by Boone & Crockett or Pope & Young. Animals that meet minimum requirements receive entry into the state’s Cy Curtis Record Database along with the hunter, who also receives a certificate of recognition.
Score sheets for each species are available below for information and rough scoring purposes. To be eligible for entry, the trophy must be officially scored as outlined above.
Cy Curtis Score Sheets
Fair Chase Statement
(Must be signed and included with any submission)
Deer Whitetail Typical Deer Whitetail Non-typical Mule Deer Typical MuleDeer Non-typical
In recent years, Oklahoma has seen a number of impressive entries to the Cy Curtis Program. These trophy harvests are documented in the Cy Curtis Awards Online Database, which allows users to custom-search thousands of record animals harvested right here in Oklahoma. Not only can users see how their trophy animal stacks up against others, but they may even find themselves making a decision or two about their next hunting lease based on search results.