Elk

Classic Elk Images Nothing goes better with fall colors than the quaking of aspen leaves and the scream of rut-crazed bull elk in the mountains. We dug through the archives to find classic photos of elk hunts from yesteryear. You’ll notice classic rifles, plenty of plaid, and big smiles on the faces of successful hunters. May the elk gods be just as generous to you this fall.

There were a thousand thoughts zipping through my mind as I crouched in my makeshift blind, straining to hear a hint of sound that would let me know that I was not all alone here in the woods. Thoughts such as, did I blow it? Did the wind spook the bull? Should I just pack up and leave quietly and return tomorrow? Should I have tried stalking the noises I had heard? Will I hit a branch if I get a shot? Is this hunt going to be one of those that end up as a good story, but no meat?

Today the Boone and Crockett Club and Pope and Young Club announced that an elk from Montana taken on public land during the archery season in 2016 is a potential new archery World's Record typical American elk. After the mandatory 60-day drying period, the elk's official entry score was confirmed at an astounding 430 inches. The bull was taken on a solo hunt early in the Montana archery season by a resident hunter, Steve Felix who then brought the bull to the attention of the Boone and Crockett Club, headquartered in Missoula, Montana.

Denny Austad traveled all night to Richfield, Utah, to take the World's Record non-typical American elk, which was certified as a new World's Record by a Special Judges Panel in January 2009. I was the successful bidder for a Utah governor’s elk tag in January 2008. A short time later, I contracted...

By David Hewitt, B&C Professional Member The distribution of elk in North America is primarily in mountains, northern parklands, prairies, and high deserts where winter can be severe. Deep snows, poor quality forage, and cold temperatures can be a hardship for elk, especially when elk are...

Kelley M. Stewart, Assistant Professor, University of Nevada Reno R. Terry Bowyer,Professional Member Boone and Crockett Club Big game animals have more complex interactions with their environments than many of us realize and large mammals, such as elk, have far reaching effects on ecosystems. Both...