New World Record Elk!

[Zuma]

Wow if this is legit-amazing!

Boone and Crockett Club confirms new world’s record elk
Jan 14 09 - 10:00 AM

Denny Austad with his world record elk. Courtesy photoPerhaps the largest elk ever produced in the wild—a Utah bull taken in 2008 by a hunter on public land—has been confirmed as a new world’s record.

A judges panel determined a final score of 478-5/8 non-typical points, an incredible 93-plus inches above the minimum score of 385 for non-typical American elk, and more than 13 inches larger than the prior world’s record.

It is the only elk on record with a gross score approaching the 500-inch mark, at 499-3/8. Official data dates back to 1830.

The giant bull has 9 points on the left and 14 on the right. The larger antler has a base circumference over nine inches.

The Boone and Crockett scoring system rewards antler size and symmetry, but also recognizes nature’s imperfections with non-typical categories for most antlered game. The bull’s final score of 478-5/8 inches includes an amazing 140 inches of abnormal points.

Hunter Denny Austad of Ammon, ID hunted the Monroe Mountain District in south-central Utah. Hunting with a self-designed rifle, he killed the bull on September 30. He hunted for 13 days before connecting with the trophy, dubbed “spider bull” for its unique antlers.

The previous world’s record for non-typical American elk was 465-2/8 points. That bull was found dead and frozen in Upper Arrow Lake, B.C., in 1994.

For hunter-taken non-typical American elk, the previous top bull scored 450-6/8 B&C points, taken in 1998 in Apache County, AZ, by Alan Hamberlin

 

[holman6336]

Man, what a trophy

 

[dice]

drool

 

[2XM3]

Amazing bull, but another multimillionare buys his trophy....8 guides to find and spot the elk and watch it until Denny arrived....I'm just on the fence about this type of hunting.....not a "canned hunt" but somehow it just does not sit well....?????


Last Update: 10/15/2008 11:13 am

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World Record Elk Possibly Bagged In Utah

Denny Austad holds the rack of the elusive "Spider Bull" elk shot in central Utah. Denny Austad, a self-made millionaire from Idaho, vaulted to the top of the state’s record book and the Boone and Crockett record book, with a monster bull taken in central Utah.



Denny's story began in early February when he purchased the Governors elk tag in Utah. Denny paid $155,000 for the tag - the money will be put back into habitat and conservation projects.



He hired local guide Doyle Moss - known for getting clients big bulls. Doyle had never heard of the Monarch on the Monroe, until he saw a buddy's email.

"I was sitting at my desk and this email came through and all I saw was this giant non typical in the velvet and I thought nice ranch bull and that's what I thought and that's what I said in the email and he instantly replied back and said not a ranch bull,” Doyle remembers.

"And then it was about a week earlier that I seen him for the very first time,” he said. "I actually shook when I saw that bull walk out of the trees, that's how excited I was to see a bull of that caliber."

As the summer wore on, hundreds of hunters hit the Monroe in Central Utah to catch a glimpse of the Spider Bull, a name Doyle called the bull, because of his unique spider legs rack.

"I had my first chance encounter at about a mile on the 12th of September,” Denny said.

Heather Farrar was up on the hunt helping the guides and spotted Spider. Denny knew Doyle would do everything he could to get him a shot. Unfortunately, Denny got his chance, but missed the bull.

"Denny touched it off and all that we saw was dirt blowing over the top of Spider, it was one of the most sickening thing I've ever had in my life, Spider runs off into the aspens,” said Doyle.

"So that is the miss, I take no responsibility for it and it's all on the shoulders of Mossback's head man Doyle. I didn't even tell my sons,” Denny said.

All kidding aside, Denny knew he may have just blown a chance of a lifetime and the very next day Denny became sick from carbon monoxide poisoning from the heater in his trailer and had to go home. Hunters and guides left the mountain uncertain what would happen next.

"And then two weeks later I get this intense call, pack it up, come on down,” said Denny.

Clint Bigelow a guide for Team Mossback spotted Spider once again. He'd moved 10 miles from Denny's first shot, but more importantly he'd moved out of the thick trees - Clint knew they might get a another chance at this elusive bull.

"We get there a little before three o'clock in the morning, I get to bed about 3:15 we get up at 4:00 and the hunt is on with a CAPITAL H,” said Denny.

"We'd just taken a couple of steps and I saw the bull working down through the aspen,” said Doyle. "And just like a hundred times before I took my tripod off, set it up instantly and said ‘there he is.’”

"I torched it off and he evidently he bugled just as I torched it,” Denny said.

"It was just unbelievable,” said Doyle.

"And to see grown men on the side of a mountain yelling, screaming, running around, grown men lifting each other up, hugging,” Denny recalls.

Denny's bull unofficially scores a whooping 500 4/8th of an inch with a net score around 488—truly a bull of many lifetimes. Doyle says credit all goes to his hard working guides, who spent hours on the mountain trying to help Denny realize his dream.

"Most everybody got the chance to hunt the great Spider Bull or say that they were there when Spider lived,” said Doyle. "And I'm just glad that we were there to be a part of it.”

 

[m7bandit]

know what you mean the differance made between the wealthy and not so,wouldn't it be better for an raffle seening it is a public animal everybody should have the same chance,not jealous in the least just don't think its right

 

[2XM3]

Yeah, it's justa strange deal, on one hand it is a amazing trophy. But is this what hunting is about?? I like the time in the field more than the kill. I just do not think I could get worked up if I bought a tag and had the guide call me and say "we see him, I have 5 guys watching, fly out and shoot him".....I don't know...

 

[ouch]

I wouldn't mind that hanging on my wall... but yea that story makes a guy mad. what a "sportsman" he is. lame guy.

 

[rubber duck]

I went on a guided fishing trip in Alaska one time. We paid for the best boat, best captain. He had all the gear, GPS marked locations. We killed Halibut, everybody limited. Then we killed kings, everybody limited. Even though it was a success and we came back with like 150lbs of meat each and some great memories, it still felt a little like cheating.

I give more credit to the guide for being the only guy in the state that could find that thing. I'm not saying I wouldn't do the same thing if I had unlimited funding but it means more to the guy who has to do all the work themselves.

Good for him though anyway. Nice trophy.

 

[shonuff]

Good thing it's dead

 

[maddog21]

wow nice bull

 

[DooConvert]

pathetic

I feel like I'm cheating when I go from a bow to a gun. I'm not against people using their money to HELP with the odds but this is pathetic. Especially for one that will be a new world record.

 

[Magwood]

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh .... drowl

 

[SAWYER]

I agree, awesome trophy but he bought it.

It would make the story really cool if it was Joe Blow off the streets hunting on the weekend and getting it

 

[ELKMAN]

it almost was joe blow a handicap hunter missed him the day befor

 

[Lt Rascal]

that is awesome

 

[milehighassassin]

I have also heard that this group basically paid local tree cutting companies to leave equipment and trees on the local roads to block out access to other people. Don't know the truth, but if that is true, it is truly pathetic. (ain't that the truth! LOL)

 

[Nelson]

it almost was joe blow a handicap hunter missed him the day befor

To bad. I would of felt better about Joe Blow Handicap shooting it. Nice Bull non the less, wish it was me.

 

[sledhead699]

enought money and you can buy anything.

 

[rooster740]

There is a 385-390 class bull running around Gardiner and the guy with the unused Montana Goveners tag is on a cruise. Someone go fetch my hickory stick!