Trophy Elk: What's it to YOU

[Ralphie]

I agree with 350 is bull of a life time, and heavy horned mature elk is a trophy whether 6x6 or 5x5 doesn't matter.

Agree with this as well.

While recognizing that there are many other ways to define a “trophy” that don’t involve horns.

 

[Salmon River Solutions]

Elk are for meat, deer are for antlers. lol

 

[PowellSixO]

To each their own. After years of many successful elk hunts, I see nothing wrong with chasing horns. Those horns still come attached to a bunch of meat. I’ve killed a pile of elk, and been there for dozens of other kills (friends and family). This year I was patient, and was content going home with tag soup. Patience paid off, and I came home with the bull of a lifetime. It was the biggest measuring elk I’ve ever taken, and also the most meat I’ve ever put in my freezer. Trophy hunting sometimes means, that an experienced hunter lets immature animals walk to grow bigger, or get shot by other hunters. Sometimes a trophy hunter is the reason someone else fills their tag, and gets to experience their own personal trophy. After years of hunting, I take more pride in fooling a mature animal, than I do in just filling my tag. But in my younger years, I’d never pass an animal on the first day that I’d gladly shoot on the last day. Everyone is in a different position in life. Some want their first elk, and any legal animal will do. Some want the first animal they see, to put meat in the freezer. Some have killed a bunch of elk, and want that bull of a lifetime, to look at on the wall when they can’t get out and hunt anymore. Some want just a mature animal, no matter the score. Hunt for what makes you happy, and quit ragging on those who do it differently.

 

[huntnful]

I have a 326” nice 6x6 and he seems like a “good” bull. One most people would be happy with, including me.

My buddy has a 365” bull and when I see that bull in his house I think “now that’s a trophy”. The frame difference is unreal compared to mine.

So I’d say over 350” is a legit trophy

 

[Hnthrdr]

300” and up on public land diy for Co at least. Other states it’s probably a little different, but there are not that many bulls that guys kill that hit that mark.

 

[Wheels]

350”+ is where I’m at. Have hunted a bunch of premium units and ate tags, never gave it a second thought since I set my standards at 350+. I raise cattle so I’m not going to go hungry.

 

[S-3 ranch]

My best “ trophy “ involved a 5 hour stalk and shoot, 1 hour to get hands on after the shot, then 5 hours back to the truck, a very difficult task from sun up to after midnight, I have other bulls but never had that much energy and story put in to them , that’s why he’s hanging on my fireplace and the others are just in my antler room

 

[Ucsdryder]

A mature bull, whether it’s 260 or 360. They’re a different animal and not in the same category as a raghorn, and especially a spike, the dumbest animal in the woods.

 

[CAElkhunter]

Any dead bull on public land is a trophy in my opinion. They are tough animals to hunt with all the variables.

If I am paying for a "Trophy Elk hunt", I would expect 330 plus opportunities.

 

[waspocrew]

For me, I'm looking for 350"+, which means I haven't killed a bull in 3 years. Plenty of encounters, but after killing a few good bulls, I'm holding out for "the one". Plus, my bull tags turn into cow tags for late season, so elk meat ends up in the freezer regardless.

 

[TaperPin]

I let butterflies and knots in the stomach define trophy status. I have two friends with public land elk very close to 380 - just standing under them gives me butterflies that lesser elk don’t. I can look at either of these time after time and it never gets old.

One was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and guys in a pickup driving a jeep trail piled out and started shooting - the owner of the rack admits he was just lucky and never expects to get another 6x6 of any size.

The other fellow is the best elk hunter I’ve ever known - he kills a 6x6 every year on horseback and helps his friends hunt every chance he gets. To him the big elk was just his hunting results catching up with the odds - he kills old bulls with great genetics every year and this one was simply the largest, not even the oldest. It doesn’t change how he hunts and he thinks if he hunts enough years he’ll get another at least as big.

Those two elk have changed me.

 

[The Guide]

I had a collection of 300 to 330 bull skulls that I had shot and then euro'ed but didn't have ceiling room for them. I had a horn buyer come and get them. I got almost a grand for them. Made me sad to see them get cut off the skull plates with a Sawzall but I had gas money for a years worth of hunting and fishing. I've since started trading horns for items that local artist make. Heads take up too much room. To me a trophy elk is one on the ground that I worked hard to get regardless of if it is a cow or bull. That meat is my trophy.

Jay

 

[WBT]

It’s a matter of effort to me. A hard fought bull with my bow is a trophy regardless of score.

 

[Indian Summer]

Elk are for meat, deer are for antlers. lol

Elk are for both. Deer are for when elk season is over. They are for antlers.

 

[Koozer]

What's your guy's "biggest bull"? How many guys out there have multiple 350'+ bulls, and how many years of hunting did it take to achieve it!

 

[Gerbdog]

guess i havent killed enough elk with my bow yet, cause im absolutely over the moon for every elk i kill with archery gear, in sh*t units on public land in CO surrounded by 100's of other hunters. Over. The. Moon. So d@mn happy and excited and i dont have any shame hanging a 4x5 Euro in my house. I know the blood sweat and tears that went into it, i was there, and to me thats enough!

 

[CAElkhunter]

one 353 bull after 30yrs of hunting. But to be fair I hunted a "non Trophy" public land area in MT for 25 + of those years. I always was fortunate to shoot a bull but nothing measure worthy. I am a big fan of Elk hunting and Elk meat so score hasn't really driven me. I finished my "special draw" quest with NM, WY hunts in the last few years and now just enjoy being out in Elk country and bringing any kind of Elk meat home to share with my flatlander friends.

 

[Ross]

At this stage of elk hunting year 45 it is any 300 inch bull on public ground. As noted by several a 350 on public ground is a boal. I’ve only seen 4 bulls in 44 yrs that were for sure over 350 as other hunters got them and a friend has one set of there sheds. One week and counting

 

[AZ_Hunter]

My "trophy" is any legal elk killed swiftly and on ice ASAP, where I scouted and how I planned for it to happen.

Totally. For me it’s getting a damn tag (which I only get every five years or so) and filling it….

I need to start going to other states…

 

[Mojave]

My uncle is in his 70's. Other than a few years in Vietnam, he has hunted elk for over 50 years. He has probably killed 40 bulls, and at least 30 cows. None of them over 310. He shoots the first legal rag horn he sees every year.