There were skeptics in the beginning, and there probably are still some, questioning the new world-record, nontypical elk listed in the Boone and Crockett Club books.
As one news story noted: “It shattered the previous record,” which is not common for world-record entries.
The elk was taken by Denny Austad of Ammon, Idaho, back on Sept. 30, 2008, while hunting in the Monroe Mountains. The bull had nine points on one antler and 14 on the other.
When measured, after a mandatory 60-day drying period, the antlers scored 478-5?8 points, which is more than 93 inches over minimum requirements for entry into the record book and nearly 13 inches over the old record.
Official record-keeping for Boone and Crockett dates back to 1830.
The previous world record for nontypical American elk scored 465-2?8 points. This bull was found dead in Upper Arrow Lake, British Columbia, in 1994.
For a hunter-taken, nontypical American elk, the previous top score was 450-6?8 points. That elk was taken in 1998 in Apache County, Ariz., by Alan Hamberlin.
Austad had purchased the “governor’s tag” for a six-figure sum, which entitled him to hunt anywhere in the state during any of the three elk hunts — archery, muzzleloader or general rifle. The elk was shot during the muzzleloader season, which drew some criticism.
MossBack Outfitters guided Austad on the hunt in the Monroe unit. He hunted for 13 days, then returned to Idaho, reportedly to be treated for carbon monoxide poisoning. The day he returned to camp, guides informed him of the location of the bull.
Reports of such an immense bull drew out more skeptics.
One question was whether this was a wild elk or one raised on an elk farm.
Bill Christensen, Utah representative for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, said, “This bull was not a ranch bull. Once the rut started, he acted like any other ‘wild’ bull.”
Also, elk ranchers tattoo numbers on the lip of prize bulls. There was no tattoo found on Austad’s bull.
There were also questions on the uses of guides for a trophy hunt, and about hunting with a centerfire rifle during the muzzleloader hunt.
Boone and Crockett officials reported that, after follow-up interviews, “We were satisfied that this bull was indeed a wild, free-ranging trophy and that the tenets of fair chase were used in the harvest.”
Money generated from the sale of the governor’s tag is used for wildlife conservation projects. Other tags include those for turkey, deer, antelope, buffalo, moose, goat, cougar, bear and sheep.
