The Boone and Crockett Club recently announced the wildlife conservation program at Clemson University has reached its $5 million endowment goal. Thanks to more than a decade of fundraising and support led by club member Johnny Evans—and other key contributors—the studies at the school focusing on sound, scientific wildlife conservation will continue into the future.
In recognition of the generosity of Johnny Evans, the program has been renamed the John P. Evans ’75 Boone and Crockett Wildlife Conservation Program at Clemson University. Both Evans and his wife, Kristen, are Clemson graduates.
“Some of the most important lessons of my life have come from time spent outdoors on the land, around water, watching wildlife, and learning that what we enjoy is also something we are called to care for,” said Johnny Evans. “Kristen and I are grateful to Clemson University, the Boone and Crockett Club, the faculty, students, landowners and the many families whose generosity helped establish this program.”
The Boone and Crockett Club’s University Programs places faculty and fellows at universities across the country to connect academic research with practical wildlife policy. Clemson is part of the club’s national network that includes the University of Montana, Michigan State University, Texas A&M University, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, University of Wyoming, Oregon State University and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Through these endowed chairs and professorships, the club helps prepare future wildlife managers, policymakers and communicators for careers in natural resource management.
Since its inception, the partnership between Clemson and the Boone and Crockett Club has produced field research on regional wildlife species, including whitetail deer, coyotes, feral hogs, bobcats, elk, beavers and bobwhite quail. Faculty and researchers study complex predator-prey dynamics in the Southeast, while also participating in research on rangeland management and bison restoration in the West. The growth of the endowment will directly support additional graduate-level research. Dr. David Jachowski, recipient of Clemson's 2026 Godley-Snell Award for Excellence in Agricultural Research, serves as the program's director.
“By integrating the Boone and Crockett Club’s science and policy-driven focus with Clemson’s land-grant mission, we are preparing students to handle complex natural resource challenges,” said Boone and Crockett Club President Mary Webster. “In reaching this milestone to fully fund the program’s endowment, we are ensuring long-term support for research that serves both public wildlife resources and private landowners, while at the same time creating the wildlife conservation leaders of tomorrow.”
