Records of North American Elk by Boone and Crockett Club

w e i v e

Records of North American Elk First Edition First Printing Copyright ÂŠ 2009 by the Boone and Crockett Club. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Boone and Crockett Club. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2009907360 ISBN Number: 978-0-940864-64-1 Published September 2009 Published in the United States of America by the Boone and Crockett Club 250 Station Drive, Missoula, MT 59801 406/542-1888 406/542-0784 (fax) www.booneandcrockettclub.com

Records of North American Elk first edition A book of the Boone and Crockett Club containing tabulations of American Elk, Roosevelt’s Elk, and Tule Elk of North America as compiled from data in the Club’s Big Game Records Archives Edited by Jack Reneau and Howard P. Monsour, Jr.

BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB Missoula, Montana 2009

B oone and C rockett C lub Library

Head of the Elk. Shot September 1891 – Drawn by J. Carter Beard. Appeared in The Wilderness Hunter by Theodore Roosevelt (Published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1893) iv

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PREFACE

By Jack Reneau | Director of Big Game Records

Boone and Crockett Club is universally recognized as the source for records book data on native North American big game. The creation of the first edition of Records of North American Elk and Mule Deer began to take shape back in the 1980s when Boone and Crockett Club members and wildlife biology staff realized that hunters wanted more concise statistics of all Boone and Crockett Club elk, mule deer, and blacktail deer records accepted into B&C’s Awards Programs. Boone and Crockett Club released the first edition of Records of North American Elk and Mule Deer in 1991. The first edition recognized a total of 1,803 outstanding elk, mule deer, and blacktail trophies accepted into the Club’s archives through December 31, 1988, the close of the 19th Awards Program. The second edition includes all the listings in the first edition plus 747 additional elk, mule deer, and blacktail entries accepted during the 21st and 22nd Awards Programs (1989-1994). Due to the high volume of new entries for the categories covered in the first and second editions, the decision was made to split the categories into two books, one for elk and one for mule deer and blacktail deer. This is the first edition to contain just the records for American elk, Roosevelt’s elk, and tule elk. The mule deer and blacktail records were separated and published in a companion edition titled, Records of North American Mule Deer. In addition to listing one new category—tule elk—it contains a record number of new entries. This edition contains statistical details of 926 typical American elk, 261 non-typical American elk, 364 Roosevelt’s elk, and 47 tule elk. There is a grand total of 1,598 trophies listed in this first edition of Records of North American Elk, indicating that hunters and wildlife managers have done an excellent job managing elk populations since the first edition was published in 1991. Any argument with friends over which trophy is largest from each state or province is settled when a reader turns to that section of the book. Every trophy is listed under the state or province where it was taken, along with basic statistics on rack size, final score, gross score, names of hunter and trophy owner, date and location of kill, all-time rank, and state or provincial rank. While trophies are not ranked by their gross score, this data is provided for the first time as an additional service since many hunters nowadays are interested in how much antler material the animal grew. Records of North American ELK ■ first Edition

The top-ranking trophy from each state or province is featured with a full-page photograph at the start of each section. The top-ten trophies from each category are listed at the front of their section of the book to enable readers to locate them quickly in the trophy listings. This book is designed to fit neatly into a backpack. The sturdy cover offers double protection against rough hunting and weather conditions in the field. Convenient for any outdoorsman or outdoorswoman are reproductions of the current 2009 official elk score charts so hunters can score their own trophies and compare them to the listings in the book. The score charts reproduced in this book include the data for the World’s Record typical American elk taken by Alonzo Winters that scores 442-5/8 points; the new World’s Record non-typical American elk taken in 2008 by Denny Austad that scores 478-5/8 points; and the new the World’s Record Roosevelt’s elk taken by Jason S. Ballard that scores 404-6/8 points. This specialized records book was not the first such book published by the Boone and Crockett Club. Whitetail and Coues’ deer are highlighted in the book, Records of North American Whitetail Deer, which is now in its fourth edition. This specialized whitetail deer records book contains more than 7,500 typical and non-typical whitetail and Coues’ deer listings and hundreds of full-page photographs of state and provincial records. As with the elk and mule deer book, field photographs showing the hunter and trophy in the field are a popular component of the whitetail deer book. In 1996, Boone and Crockett Club continued its specialized recordsbook series with publication of Records of North American Sheep, Rocky Mountain Goats and Pronghorn. This specialized records book provided, at that time, the latest in big-game statistics and photographs for the avid outdoorsman and outdoorswoman for the four categories of North American sheep accepted by B&C, as well as Rocky Mountain goat, and pronghorn. Each category is organized by the state or province where they were taken and features full page field and portrait photographs of B&C trophies. Basic horn measurements, final B&C score and world rank, location and date of kill, and name of hunter and owner are listed for each trophy. For this edition, the editors compiled the key statistics for 709 bighorn sheep, 544 desert sheep, 336 Stone’s sheep, 339 Dall’s sheep, 601 Rocky Mountain goats, and 1,412 pronghorns that are fully accepted in the Boone and Crockett Club through the 22nd Big Game Awards Program (1992 to 1994). In 1997, Boone and Crockett Club capped the specialized records vi

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book series with publication of Records of North American Caribou and Moose. Structured similarly to the other books in this specialized book series, this book included photographs and listings of 1,761 caribou in five different categories recognized by the Club and 1,424 moose in three different categories. No other set of specialized records books contains such a compact and concise method of analyzing where the big ones are found and hunted. The records books for elk; mule deer; whitetail and Coues’ deer; sheep, Rocky Mountain goats, and pronghorns; and moose and caribou offer the game biologist and hunter the quickest way to focus on areas they want to study or hike to locate the best of the best in each of those big-game categories. Knowledge of animal behavior, time spent scouting an area, and lots of good luck play important roles in a successful hunt, but these specialized records books give the reader an extra edge. Boone and Crockett Club’s current, copyrighted scoring system dates from its adoption by the Records Committee in 1950 and has been in continuous usage, without major change, since then, which is testimony to its reliable method of measuring big-game antlers, horns, skulls, and tusks. The strength of the Boone and Crockett Club’s scoring system is the ability to repeat the measurements time and time again. Should someone question an individual measurement or the scoring of an entire trophy, the measurements and scoring can be repeated to demonstrate correctness, even years after the original scoring takes place. This is possible because Boone and Crockett Club’s scoring system bases its measurements on durable horns, antlers, skulls, and tusks that do not disintegrate. Using body weight or length—or a combination of these measurements—as a basis for a score, could not be repeated because flesh, muscle, body mass, and fur obviously disintegrate as an animal decomposes. The Boone and Crockett Club’s scoring system relies upon objective measurements of enduring animal characteristics, which has assisted in its universal acceptance as the measuring system for all native North American big-game trophies. Typical or Non-Typical? Non-typical categories are described for American elk. No non-typical categories exist for Roosevelt’s elk or tule elk. Non-typical categories differ from the typical categories in the recording of the totals of the lengths of the abnormal points that are beyond the typical pattern of antler development. Abnormal point length totals are subtracted from typical big-game categories as a penalty from the final score, but the abnormal point length totals are added into the final score of non-typical trophies. The minimums Records of North American ELK ■ first Edition

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and scores for non-typical deer are higher because abnormal points are added to the final score; the more abnormal points there are, the higher the animal obviously scores. The Boone and Crockett Club scoring system has no set definition of how much non-typical antler material must be present to classify a trophy as non-typical. If a trophy qualifies for listing in both the typical and non-typical categories, the final decision lies with the trophy owner. It is suggested, however, that the trophy owner place his or her trophy in the category where it has the highest relative rank. Non-typical American elk require a separate score chart from their typical counterparts. Roosevelt’s elk and tule elk have a separate score chart for their measurements because of the frequent presence of crown points in the vicinity of the G-4 point and beyond. Roosevelt’s elk and tule elk are subspecies of American elk, so the geographic boundaries of all these subspecies are clearly defined by the Boone and Crockett Club. The geographic boundaries are needed to prevent their larger cousins from being erroneously entered into the records program. The general boundaries for Roosevelt’s and tule elk can be found on the Club’s web site or in the third edition of Measuring and Scoring North American Big Game Trophies (2009). Scoring of Trophies The first step in scoring a trophy is to read the instructions on the Boone and Crockett Club score charts reproduced in this book. If a trophy seems to receive a rough score that comes close to the minimum entry for that big-game category, a hunter or owner can download copies of score charts from Boone and Crockett Club’s web site www.booneandcrockettclub.com, or call Boone and Crockett Club’s national headquarters at (406) 542-1888 to order their own score charts. B&C’s online scoring calculators, which are also on B&C’s web site, aid trophy owners in computing the final scores of their trophies. A list of B&C Official Measurers can be obtained for any state or province by again going to the Club’s web site or by calling the Club’s headquarters if a preliminary measurement suggests the need for closer scrutiny. The Measurer will officially score a trophy for possible entry into the all-time, or awards records books published by Boone and Crockett Club. If an Official Measurer determines that a trophy meets the minimum score requirements, he or she will assist the hunter or owner in submitting the official score chart with a Hunter, Guide, and Hunt Information sheet; a signed Entry Affidavit; a copy of his or her hunting license; and a proviii

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cessing fee of $40 made out to the Boone and Crockett Club. Photographs of the front, right side, and left side of antlers, horns, and tusks must be submitted with the paperwork. Photographs of the front, left side, right side, and top of the clean, dry skull must be submitted for all bear and cat entries. After several weeks of review, Boone and Crockett Club staff determine if a trophy is eligible for acceptance into the Boone and Crockett Club’s Awards Programs. Trophy owners will be sent up to three letters requesting entry materials if any are missing. Once a file is complete, an acceptance certificate and letter of congratulations are sent to the trophy owner indicating a trophy is fully accepted into the Club’s archives. An official measurement cannot be made until the antlers have airdried for at least 60 days under normal atmospheric conditions, regardless of when the animal was killed. The 60-day drying period for trophies that have been frozen, boiled, freeze-dried, and/or treated with dermestid beetles begins the day they are removed from the freezer, boiling pot, freeze-drier, and/or beetles. Trophies in velvet, except for cactus bucks that are not acceptable for entry, must have the velvet removed before official measurements are taken. Boone and Crockett Club Official Measurers donate their time to measure all trophies and do not charge for their services. In general, a trophy must be taken to the Measurer for scoring since they are volunteers. Pre-measurement of a trophy by the owner is helpful to determine if an Official Measurer should be called. The Boone and Crockett Club’s records-keeping program has been organized into Competitions or Awards Programs since its inception. Competitions were held on an annual basis starting with the first one in 1947 and continuing through 1951. Boone and Crockett Club instigated biennial competitions beginning with 1952-1953, which continued until the 14th Competition when triennial competitions were begun in 1968. The Competitions were renamed Awards Programs beginning with the 15th Awards Program (1971 to 1973) to better reflect their intent. The Boone and Crockett Club has completed 26 Competitions/Awards Programs since 1947, and, as of this printing, is currently in the 27th Awards Program that closes on December 31, 2009. The 28th Awards Program will encompass the years 2010-2012. Starting with the 18th Awards Program (1980-1982), the Boone and Crockett Club published a specialized Awards Program records book that featured full-page photographs and hunting stories of all award-winning trophies from that triennial entry period. All officially accepted trophies from the recognized big-game categories are listed in tables with key trophy Records of North American ELK ■ first Edition

measurements, final score, Awards Program rank, location and year of kill, and name of hunter and owner. Field photographs of some of the trophies from that Awards Program are included in these hardcover books with colored dust jackets. Awards Program records books for the 18th through the 26th Awards Programs are currently available for sale from Boone and Crockett Club while limited supplies last, except for the 19th, 22nd, and 24th Awards Programs, which are out of print. The 27th Awards Program records book, which includes entries accepted by B&C during 2007-2009, will be released during fall 2010. It will be the first such book that will include gross scores, which will be included for informational purposes only. Trophies will still be ranked by their B&C final score. At the close of the three-year qualification period for each Awards Program, owners of the top-ranking trophies in the big game categories currently recognized by the Club are invited to send their trophies to the Judges Panel for score verification. A select panel of B&C Official Measurers re-measure and certify each trophy and give recognition based upon its final score from the Judges Panel. The top-ranking trophies are recognized with coveted Boone and Crockett Club medallions and/or very handsome certificate plaques. If the judges deem a trophy worthy of singular recognition, they may bestow the coveted Sagamore Hill Award on that trophy. Owners who have been invited to send their trophy to the Judges Panel to be certified for any given Awards Program but who do not send their trophy for verification are listed in future records books with an asterisk. They remain unranked, pending submission of additional verifying measurements by other Official Measurers. In the case of a potential World’s Record, the trophy must be certified by the Judges Panel or a Special Judges Panel as the new World’s Record. There is no exception to this rule. The top trophies for an Awards Program are usually displayed for an extended period of time preceding the Awards Banquet. In the past, displays were often held at natural history museums in major U.S. metropolitan areas where tens of thousands of people viewed them before the trophies were returned to their owners. More recently, trophy displays have been held in commercial establishments, such as Cabela’s, Inc., and Bass Pro Shops, where customers and the public have an extended opportunity to view the award-winning trophies. The 27th Awards Program trophy display and banquet will take place at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, in June 2010. Details of this spectacular exhibit and event will be announced on B&C’s web site and in the Club’s Fair Chase magazine in early 2010. x

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The exhibit and banquet is open to anyone with an interest in spectacular big game trophies and B&C’s records-keeping activities. Both events are unique opportunities to view many of the finest trophies ever recorded by Boone and Crockett and to meet the hunters who took them. Records of North American Elk, First Edition, is a testament to the outstanding wildlife management practices employed by fish and game professionals in the United States and Canada who, along with hunters, do more to enhance wildlife populations and habitats than any other group or groups of individuals. Sales of hunting licenses and hunting equipment to hunters are the most significant sources of financial support for our wildlife heritage. This book is a permanent record of increasingly stronger and healthier elk herds, thanks to those contributions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jack Reneau is a certified wildlife biologist and the director of big-game records for the Boone and Crockett Club, a position he has held since January of 1983. He holds a B.S. in wildlife management from Colorado State University and a M.S. in wildlife management from Eastern Kentucky University. He was responsible for the day-to-day paperwork of the Boone and Crockett Club’s records-keeping program from 1976 through 1979 as a hunter information specialist for the Hunter Services Division of the National Rifle Association (NRA) when NRA and the Boone and Crockett Club cosponsored the North American Big Game Awards Program, as it was known during that time. He is the co-author of the book, Colorado’s Biggest Bucks and Bulls, and the co-editor of and/or contributor to 40 Boone and Crockett Club books and publications. He has also written a column, titled “Trophy Talk,” for Fair Chase magazine and its predecessors since 1986. Records of North American ELK ■ first Edition

D enver Bryan | I mages on the Wildside

Obviously, the very nature of a wilderness area offers logistical problems, access being first and foremost. The majority of hunters travel into a wilderness on horseback. A wilderness area, in my mind, is the quintessential elk hunt. 36

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CHAPTER 4: So You Want a Trophy Bull

By Jim Zumbo | B&C Professional Member

Many years ago, a good pal wrote an article called, “Any Elk is a Good Elk.” The author was Ed Park, now deceased, who was a veteran elk hunter based in Oregon. Ed was a savvy, avid hunter, and, in my way of thinking, he hit the nail on the head. Most of us have aspirations of tagging a truly impressive bull that would qualify for this book, but the majority of us will never get the opportunity. I have a few elk on the wall, none of them close to B&C minimum standards. All three score around 340, far from the magic score of 375 that qualifies for the book. A pile of antlers in the attic are reminders of dozens of hunts in the past, and are an assorted collection of raghorns, bigger bulls, and even a couple spikes. Because I’ve spent much of my lifetime hunting elk, writing magazine articles and books about elk hunting, and giving seminars and classes on elk hunting—while living in northwest Wyoming which offers some of the best elk hunting on the planet—people think I have records-book trophy elk adorning all my walls. Not so. Fact is, I’ve never been a trophy hunter in the true sense of the word. My definition of the highest level of trophy hunting is the person who has the patience and determination to pass many bulls until the big boy saunters within range. That eventuality has a few complications, the primary one being the simple fact that one must be hunting where trophy bulls exist. Therein lies the basic challenge. Many, many places in elk country have not produced a big bull in decades. Hunting pressure is consistent enough that elk never attain old age, and predators and extreme weather take a toll on bulls that have not lived long enough to grow spectacular antlers. I’ll admit that I’ve hunted some places where I indeed passed up bulls in search of the master, but never laid eyes on a B&C trophy. Guess I’m too fond of elk venison to go home empty. Age, of course, is the key to trophy antlers. Genes and habitat are important, but a bull must survive enough years to grow impressive antlers. That being the case, the trophy hunter must seek his quarry in places where hunting is restricted, allowing bulls to escape. That boils down to wilderness areas and rugged country that offers plenty of security cover, including private ranches, Indian Reservations, and limited-entry units where harvest quotas are set and hunters must draw a coveted tag in a lottery. Let’s look at each. Records of North American ELK ■ first Edition

Wilderness areas were created in 1964 and signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson. Today there are 702 designated wilderness areas amounting to 107 million acres of unroaded backcountry, where chain saws, generators, and any other internal combustion engines and wheels of any sort are prohibited. Except for wilderness areas in most national parks and other unique places, hunting is allowed. Obviously, the very nature of a wilderness area offers logistical problems, access being first and foremost. The majority of hunters travel into a wilderness on horseback, and a good share of those hunters are led by an outfitter. A wilderness area, in my mind, is the quintessential elk hunt. You briefly live in a primitive place with no modern conveniences, eating food typically cooked on a woodstove, and living in a tent warmed by split logs. There are no nearby convenience stores, hospitals, and restaurants. No criminals are lurking in this world, and you’ll be sharing the land with bears, and other predators, and, you hope, a mighty big bull elk. The vastness of this country allows a percentage of bulls to survive multiple seasons, but there is one interesting aspect of wilderness elk country that works against many bulls attaining old ages. To survive the winter, elk migrate to lower elevations where there’s better human access. In some places, late seasons allow wilderness bulls to be hunted outside of their remote hideaways. Lucky hunters who draw limited entry in these units are offered the hunt of a lifetime. There are many places where elk can survive several hunting seasons in non-wilderness areas where the terrain is so steep and the forests so dense that hunting is extremely difficult. A perfect example is the coastal rain forest, chiefly in Oregon and Washington, where many huge Roosevelt’s elk die of old age. As a forester who cruised timber in this American jungle many years ago, I’ve never seen country as dense and unfriendly to humans as this cover, and I’ve had the good fortune of hunting big game in all 50 states and abroad. In my opinion, the elk hunter who penetrates deep into this country gets my vote as being served up the toughest challenges nature can offer anywhere in elk country. Trophy “Rosies”, as they’re called by locals, are incredibly difficult to come by. The hunter who does so earns all my respect. Private ranches (we are not talking about high fence operations here) offer big bulls because hunting pressure is controlled. There are a few examples where the public is allowed access, but those places are becoming exceedingly rare nowadays. Ranches in prime elk country are typically leased to outfitters who generally command a decent price for a hunt, a price that is out of reach for many people. I can remember an era back in the 60s where I could walk up to a rancher’s door in Colorado 38

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C huck and Grace Bartlett

There are many places where elk can survive several hunting seasons where the terrain is so steep and the forests so dense that hunting is extremely difficult. A perfect example is the coastal rain forest where many huge Rooseveltâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elk die of old age. Records of North American ELK â&#x2013; first Edition

and receive easy permission to hunt—and sometimes a cup of coffee and a piece of homemade pie. Those days are gone forever. Many hunters are willing to pay high fees for quality hunting, and landowners commonly make more money from hunting revenue than from livestock. Be aware that on some private ranches, a 300-point bull is a rare trophy. Again, much depends on survivability of bulls to older age classes. Many Indian Reservations offer superb hunting for truly great bulls, chiefly in Arizona and New Mexico. These lands are often huge, with acres that may be measured in six- and even seven-digit figures. The hunt fees are huge as well, often equaling the price of a modest pickup truck. Waiting lists are not uncommon, and hunters who can afford to hunt there have high odds of taking bulls scoring 350 points or better. In fact, some reservations claim that 350-point bulls are average. These are well-managed places where winters are usually milder than in more northerly states, and where harvests are designed to allow plenty of bulls to attain old ages. I believe that without a doubt, a hunt on one of the premier Indian Reservations will land you the bull of a lifetime—and a spot in the records book. Limited entry units are available in every elk state, offering outstanding odds to take a trophy bull, and the price is more palatable for hunters who have a modest budget. These units are managed by states to offer quality hunting, much of it on public land with decent access. Wildlife agencies determine a harvest quota for each unit and offer tags in a lottery draw. Therein lies a sticky problem. Getting a tag is akin to hitting the super lotto in some units, but there are ways to improve your odds. Depending on the state, you can accumulate preference points or bonus points. Each is unique, and the hunter interested in hunting a limited entry unit should pay close attention to the details. It’s not rocket science, though some state regs have applications that require deep thinking and maybe a Philadelphia lawyer to be filled out correctly. Simply put, the preference-point system allows you to gain a point every year which eventually allows you to draw the precious tag when enough points are accrued. For example, if unit 500 requires six points to draw, you should be able to draw the tag in six years, though odds may change slightly as the years pass and applicants switch units they’re applying for. Of course, the more hunters that enter the system, the longer the wait. Some units require only a couple points to draw; some require a dozen or more. Obviously, the best units have the longest wait. In most cases, states refund your application money but keep a small fee for the cost of applying. Some states charge for preference points. Bonus points are entirely different. 40

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Each bonus point is an extra application in the computer. Five points mean you have five applications working for you…sorta like buying five raffle tickets from the Boy Scouts or PTA instead of one. The bonus point system doesn’t require you to wait. You can strike it rich with no points. None of the aforementioned options will guarantee you a trophy bull, but they’ll put you in places that have the best odds of seeing one. This is not to say that you can’t find a truly big bull on public land with decent access. An old Montana outfitter buddy once showed me a big bull’s “nest,” where the animal hid for weeks on a very small piece of ground that had water and forage. These savvy old animals may go unseen for the entire season where plenty of hunters are about. That’s why, every now and then, you’ll hear of an exceptional bull coming from a place that normally produces raghorns. Wherever you go, elk hunting has plenty of other rewards other than big antlers. The very magnificence of elk country and the animal itself is plenty of reason to be out there, and if you lay your sights on a giant that makes the book, and tie your tag to him, you will have accomplished one of the grandest feats in all of hunting. That’s a promise.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jim Zumbo is Boone and Crockett Club professional member and a 40-year veteran as an outdoor writer with more than 2,000 articles and 3,000 photos published. He has dedicated his life to supporting and defending hunting, and describing ways for people to become better hunters in his books, lectures, magazine articles, and TV show. The outdoors is Jim’s beat, where he travels more than 250 days each year with rifle, shotgun, and fishing rod. He has hunted and fished on five continents, has hunted all 50 states for deer, every western elk state, most of Canada, and a least two dozen trips to Alaska. Of late, Jim has been focusing his attention on severely injured servicemen, most of them amputees. Twenty five years ago, he was co-founder of the Helluva Hunt in Wyoming which allows disabled hunters to hunt pronghorn. He is still active in that hunt, but more often has been working with Wounded Warriors. In just the past couple years, he’s hosted our military heroes on hunts in Africa, Alaska, Colorado, Wyoming, Maryland, Virginia, New York, West Virginia, South Dakota and Florida. In 2008, Jim was appointed National Spokesperson for the Outdoor Recreation Heritage Fund which is part of the Paralyzed Veteran’s Of America. In this capacity, Jim helps to raise funds to take PVA members on outdoor trips. Records of North American ELK ■ first Edition

ABOVE Non-Typical American Elk Score: 478 5 / 8 Location: Piute Co., UT Hunter and Owner: Denny Austad Date: 2008 52

OPPOSITE TOP LEFT Typical American Elk Score: 363 Location: Powder River Co., MT Hunter and Owner: Mark Kayser Date: 2002 Color field photographs

TOP RIGHT Typical American Elk Score: 379 7/ 8 Location: Sevier Co., UT Hunter and Owner: Gerald S. Laurino Date: 2006

ABOVE Typical American Elk Score: 378 5 / 8 Location: Iron Co., UT Hunter and Owner: Keith D. Harrow Date: 2006

Records of North American ELK â&#x2013; FIRST Edition

TOP LEFT Tule Elk Score: 276 1/ 8 Location: San Luis Obispo Co., CA Hunter and Owner: Jeffrey B. Buck Date: 2005 54

TOP RIGHT Typical American Elk Score: 383 6/ 8 Location: Garfield Co., UT Hunter and Owner: Battista A. Locatelli Date: 2006 Color field photographs

opposite bottom Roosevelt’s Elk Score: 291 4/ 8 Location: Humboldt Co., CA Hunter and Owner: Trissha Juvenal Date: 2007

ABOVE Non-Typical American Elk Score: 389 7/ 8 Location: McKenzie Co., ND Hunter and Owner: Mark A. Stewart Date: 2007

Records of North American ELK ■ FIRST Edition

Top 10 Typical American Elk RANK

1 2 3 4† 5 6 7 8 9 10

FINAL SCORE

GROSS SCORE

LOCATION – HUNTER – YEAR TAKEN – PAGE NUMBER

442 /8 461 /8 4423/8 4624/8 4416/8 4596/8 4286/8 4347/8 4253/8 4372/8 4214/8 4332/8 4204/8 4364/8 4195/8 434 4194/8 4251/8 4187/8 4403/8 5

Arizona – Alonzo Winters – 1968 – 66 Colorado – John Plute – 1899 – 92 Wyoming – Unknown – 1890 – 210 Utah – Ron Skoronski – 2006 – 186 Nevada – Jerry McKoen – 1999 – 140 Arizona – James C. Littleton – 1985 – 66 Washington – Charles F. Gunnier – 1990 – 202 Alberta – Clarence Brown – 1977 – 224 Montana – Fred C. Mercer – 1958 – 120 Wyoming – J.G. Millais – 1886 – 210

Top 10 Non-typical American Elk RANK

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

FINAL SCORE

GROSS SCORE

LOCATION – HUNTER – YEAR TAKEN – PAGE NUMBER

478 /8 499 /8 4652/8 4793/8 4506/8 4674/8 4497/8 4572/8 4471/8 4626/8 4455/8 4556/8 4444/8 4563/8 4423/8 4546/8 4395/8 4775/8 4343/8 4413/8 5

Utah – Denny Austad – 2008 – 194 British Columbia – Picked Up – 1994 – 233 Arizona – Alan D. Hamberlin – 1998 – 74 North Dakota – Kevin D. Fugere – 1997 – 163 Manitoba – James R. Berry – 1961 – 237 Arizona – Jerry J. Davis – 1984 – 74 Arizona – Ronald N. Franklin – 2003 – 74 Arizona – Dan J. Agnew – 2001 – 74 Wyoming – Joseph C. Dereemer – 1971 – 216 New Mexico – Lawrence Sanchez – PR 1962 – 154

† The scores and ranking for trophies from the 27th Awards Entry Period are not final until the banquet is held in June 2010.

typical and non-typical american elk state/provincial LISTINGS

American Elk

TABULATIONS OF AMERICAN ELK The trophy data shown on the following pages are taken from score charts in the records archives of the Boone and Crockett Club. A comparison of the rankings of this book with those of the second edition of Records of North American Elk and Mule Deer will reveal many significant differences. This is primarily due to the addition of numerous trophies from the 23rd (1995–1997), 24th (1998–2000), 25th (2001–2003), and 26th (2004–2006) Awards Programs, plus a portion of the 27th (January 1, 2007 through January 31, 2009), including an amazing 27 new state/provincial records. Trophies accepted in the 27th Award Program are indicated with a cross symbol (†). The score and ranks of these trophies so designated will not be final until after the 27th Awards Program that takes place on June 26, 2010. The scores of a few higher scoring 27th Awards Program entries need to be verified by the 27th Awards Program Judges Panel that will convene in the spring of 2010. American elk (wapiti) are found in many Western states, as well as a growing number of Eastern states, and are a favored trophy species by hunters. Geographic boundaries are not described, as elk racks can be easily distinguished from the other deer categories. Geographic boundaries are described for the smaller antlered Roosevelt’s elk and tule elk, to prevent entry of American elk into those categories. The scores and ranks of trophies shown with an asterisk (*) are not final. The asterisk identifies entry scores subject to final certification by an Awards Judges Panel. The asterisk can be removed (except in the case of a potential World’s Record) by the submission of two additional, independent scorings by Official Measurers of the Boone and Crockett Club. The Records Committee of the Club will review the three scorings available (original plus two additional) and determine which, if any, will be accepted in lieu of the Judges’ Panel measurement. When the score has been accepted as final by the Records Committee, the asterisk will be removed in future editions of this book and the All-time records book, Records of North American Big Game. In the case of a potential World’s Record, the trophy must come before a Judges’ Panel at the end of an entry period or a Special Judges Panel convened at the request of the Records Committee. Only a Judges’ Panel can certify a World’s Record and finalize its score. Asterisked trophies are unranked at the end of their category. Dates of kill for years listed as “Prior to” means the exact date that the trophy was taken, found, acquired, etc., is unknown, but that it is known to exist prior to the year listed. Records of North American ELK ■ FIRST Edition

arizona

AMERICAN ELK

1 of 24 Overall state/provincial rank for elk entries 141 Typical American elk entries 66 Non-typical American elk entries

arizona State Record

Typical American Elk Score: 442 5/8 Location: White Mts. Hunter: Alonzo Winters Owner: Alan C. Ellsworth Date: 1968 All-Time Rank: 1

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207 Total American elk entries

New State Record

typical and non-typical american elk state/provincial LISTINGS

American Elk

arizona State Record

New State Record

Non-Typical American Elk Score: 450 6/8 Location: Apache Co. Hunter and Owner: Alan D. Hamberlin Date: 1998 All-Time Rank: 3

Records of North American ELK â&#x2013; FIRST Edition

Records of North American Elk is the definitive history book for trophy American elk, Roosevelt’s elk, and tule elk in North America. This first-ever records book dedicated solely to elk features: n

Nearly 1,600 listings of elk from the Boone and Crockett Club’s Records Program dating back to the late 1800s up through January 31, 2009. Over 32 new state and provincial records. Geographic analysis from the lower 48 states including detailed county maps and corresponding tables. See over 40 portrait images of state and Individual state and provincial records, provincial lists for typical like the current Arizona state record and non-typical American and current World’s elk, Roosevelt’s elk, and Record typical tule elk. American elk (top). Also included is a special bonus section featuring dozens Informative chapters from of color field photographs. some of today’s top outdoor writers such as Jim Zumbo and Bob Robb, plus a special chapter from the Elk Foundation.

published by the Boone and Crockett Club 250 Station Drive, Missoula, MT 59801

ADDITIONAL SPECIES RECORDS BOOKS available from B&C: Records of North American Mule Deer, First Edition Records of North American Whitetail Deer, Fourth Edition Visit our official web site for a complete list of available books: www.booneandcrockettclub.com Cover Photo by Donald M. Jones