New World Record non-typical Elk...


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Not sure if this has been posted yet, but I seen this on another forum. All I gotta say is :eek::eek:

FS_dennyaustad.jpg

http://www.boone-crockett.org/news/f...rea=news&ID=36

Boone and Crockett Club Confirms New World's Record Elk

Friday, January 02, 2009

MISSOULA, Mont.—Perhaps 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. The official declaration was made today by the Boone and Crockett Club.

A Special Judges Panel determined a final score of 478-5/8 Boone and Crockett non-typical points, an incredible 93 inches above the B&C minimum score of 385 for non-typical American elk and 13-plus inches larger than the previous World’s Record.

With official data dating back to 1830, at 499-3/8 inches it is the only elk on record with a gross score approaching the 500-inch mark.

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

The Boone and Crockett scoring system, long used to measure the success of wildlife conservation and management programs across North America, 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 included an incredible 140 inches of abnormal points.

"Along with measurements that honor the quality of the animal, Boone and Crockett Club records also honor fair-chase hunting," said Eldon Buckner, chairman of the Club’s Records of North American Big Game committee. "Through our entry process, signed affidavits and follow-up interviews with the hunter, his guides, and state and federal officials, 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."

The hunter, Denny Austad of Ammon, Idaho, hunted the Monroe Mountain District in south-central Utah. Hunting with a self-designed rifle, Austad killed the bull on Sept. 30, 2008. He hunted for 13 days before connecting with the trophy, dubbed “spider bull” for its unique antler configuration.

On behalf of the Boone and Crockett Club, Buckner congratulated Austad and credited his new World’s Record to the tremendous management of habitat and wildlife by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and the Fishlake National Forest.

"Utah's conservation professionals really deserve a pat on the back, as do the citizens of Utah for their support of their state’s wildlife programs," said Buckner.

Across North America, ever-improving conservation practices have translated to flourishing big game populations, with balanced age-class and mature, trophy animals. Over the past 30 years, qualifying Boone and Crockett records book entries for American elk have increased 193 percent from a total of 14 in 1977 to 41 in 2007.

Across all categories of native North American big game the overall trend is even higher with 344 qualifiers in 1977 up to 1,151 in 2007--a 234 percent increase.

The previous World’s Record for non-typical American elk was 465-2/8 B&C points. That bull was found dead, frozen in Upper Arrow Lake, B.C., in 1994, and was entered into Boone and Crockett Club records by the B.C. Ministry of Environment on behalf of the citizens of British Columbia.

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

Boone and Crockett Club also keeps records for Roosevelt’s and Tule elk. World's Records for these categories are substantially smaller than those for American elk.

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This guy paid $170,000 for the tag, then the outfitter and a whole army of his guides spent time keeping an eye on this bull and keeping him away from other hunters. Ten minutes on an eliptical trainer would kill the "hunter" so it took 13 days to get him close enough to kill the elk. It shouldn't be allowed into any record book.

Mark

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That is an embarrassment! :mad: I think the kill should'nt even get an honorable mention. It's like the Hollywood Walk of Fame. All you have to do is have the money even if you are the worst in the world. I think the maximum you should be allowed for something like that is a guide to make sure you dont die and to call the animal. If you have more than that then it should'nt qualify. :mad:

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The killing of the 'Spider Bull' brings to light a very bad part of hunting that is becoming altogether too common. That is the fact that money can buy you anything and that many states, including my state of Utah are now pandering to money. It stinks and goes against everything that an American sportsman should stand for.

Ralf

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This guy paid $170,000 for the tag, then the outfitter and a whole army of his guides spent time keeping an eye on this bull and keeping him away from other hunters. Ten minutes on an eliptical trainer would kill the "hunter" so it took 13 days to get him close enough to kill the elk. It shouldn't be allowed into any record book.

Mark

while it was on public hunting land, it was also reported that the outfitter hired folks to keep other hunters away. fake road closures and all. just a rich mans scam. he paid lots of dollars for a kill, not a hunt. it's a sad ending for a magnificent bull. i'd be delighted if an average hunter stumbled upon him and killed him, but i'm not proud of this big money "hunter" and how he got that elk.:(

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while it was on public hunting land, it was also reported that the outfitter hired folks to keep other hunters away. fake road closures and all. just a rich mans scam. he paid lots of dollars for a kill, not a hunt.

Actually, that's not correct. Now I don't particularly care for the idea of sending out a "posse" to find an animal for someone, and I'm not a fan of auction tags either, but the rumors on this incident have run ramped, IMO.

Due to the fact this was a highly publicized hunt and animal, a thorough investigation was completed by B&C into ALL the rumors and allegations of fair chase issues in this particular hunt......they were all unfounded of any wrong doing and fell within the guidelines of Fair Chase.

I still don't approve of the "posse" type hunting.....but the hunter did have to hunt for two weeks before locating the bull and taking him. It wasn't a walk in the park like some believe. Furthermore, "Spider" eluded and was shot at by a few other hunters during the archery and muzzle loader season.

I congratulate the guide and hunter on a trophy of a lifetime.........but honestly, I wish the average "joe" archery hunter who missed him was the one to hang the tag on those massive antlers. JMO

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this story is why i like fishing more than hunting.....you cannot cheat at fishing unless you use dynamite. Fishing at night (in most cases) does not increase your odds to get a big one, spending 150,000 dollars on fishing stuff wont catch you a record. I like fishing.
....................i could not have said it better
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