On 2 December, the Junta Nacional Homologadora de Trofeos de Caza (JNHTC) convened in Madrid as part of its 75th anniversary programme, bringing together senior representatives from Spain’s hunting, scientific, and wildlife management community to reflect on the role of trophy evaluation as a scientific instrument for sustainable game management.
The meeting was chaired by Juan del Yerro, President of the JNHTC and Legal Advisor to the CIC Executive Committee, whose leadership has ensured the continued alignment of Spain’s trophy evaluation framework with international scientific standards. The JNHTC applies the CIC Trophy Evaluation System, with Spanish records fully incorporated into the shared CIC database, guaranteeing scientific consistency, transparency, and international comparability. Also in attendance was Alain Ranson, CIC Belgium Senior Trophy Judge.
A central element of the anniversary programme was a roundtable discussion hosted by CIC Deputy President Luis de la Peña, focusing on the scientific foundations and practical management value of trophy measurement. The discussion highlighted how structured, standardised evaluation systems contribute to long-term wildlife monitoring and informed management decisions.
The roundtable reflected on one of the most significant historical examples within the CIC system: the world-record chamois, originating from the Carpathian Mountains in the Făgăraș range. The animal was harvested on 26 October 1934, in the afternoon, by the German hunter Adolf Hesshaimer, near the crest of Gârdomanu, in what was then Făgăraș County and is now Brașov County, Romania. Officially measured at 141.10 CIC points, the trophy remains a global benchmark and illustrates the enduring scientific value of precise documentation and consistent methodology.
The discussion also examined the Spanish national wild boar record, harvested in 1983 by Tomás Higuero and officially measured at 136.95 CIC points. This example was used to demonstrate how long-standing national records, when measured and archived under a consistent system, provide valuable insight into population development, trophy characteristics, and management outcomes over time.
The roundtable further benefitted from the contribution of Árpád Sárkány, CIC Vice President, who presented the publication Historia de la cacería del rebeco récord del mundo, authored by Tamás Sándor. The book provides a detailed historical and documentary account of the CIC world-record chamois, drawing on archival sources and original reporting. Its presentation underlined the importance of rigorous scholarship and documentation in preserving the scientific and historical integrity of international trophy records.
Participants emphasised that trophy evaluation is not an end in itself, but a management tool. When scoring systems assign appropriate weight to biological characteristics, such as age, they naturally incentivise the selective harvesting of older animals. This helps guide hunter behaviour in line with management objectives, supports healthier population structures, and contributes to more sustainable long-term offtake strategies. The relevance of this approach was underlined for both mountain species such as chamois and adaptable species such as wild boar, where age structure plays a critical role in population dynamics.
The meeting concluded by reaffirming the JNHTC’s commitment to scientific integrity, transparency, and international cooperation through its close relationship with the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC). As Spain continues to apply the CIC Trophy Evaluation System and contribute data to the shared international database, the JNHTC remains a key reference point for how tradition, science, and modern wildlife management can be effectively combined.
