The West is Still Best ... For Now
Our oldest bull in this line-up is more than 125-years-old. A lot has changed for elk and hunting in those years. Since a low of less than 30,000-head in the early 1900s, elk numbers have rebounded to a current population of more than a million. By and large, the West has had more and bigger record-book bulls than the East. But the times are changing. In the past 15 years, North Dakota has produced seven of the top 10 Eastside bulls. Of all the elk on this list, 10 Eastern bulls were entered in the last 10 years while Western entries were half that in the same time period. Then again, we may be comparing apples to oranges here. Consider that in the same 15-year period mentioned above, Arizona has had nine typical elk score bigger than North Dakota's state record. The Eastside certainly has its work cut out for them if they expect to give chase for the typicals category. But it's a closer race for nontypicals. It seems Pennsylvania is breaking its own state record every year, and the state will soon claim half of the Top Ten nontypical spots for eastern elk. Their new state record is roughly 40 inches away from the world's record, which is a lot, but considering all of Pennsylvania's Top 10 entries were taken after 2005, I think they stand a solid chance at breaking the nontypical record. The habitat is there and the predators are not. The climate is favorable and good genes run through the herd. But are elk on the East Coast really all that wild? I'll bet you can get pretty lost on reclaimed coal mine land there, but the boundaries for official "elk country" are very clearly defined. Many of the big bulls are well known and have names. Then again, is hunting eastern elk easier than being led straight to one particular record-book Utah bull that you've already seen video and photos of? Maybe you even have its sheds in your garage thanks to the outfitter? The beautiful thing about elk hunting is that it can be as wild and difficult or as tame and easy as you want it to be. Different strokes for different folks. For me? I'll be looking for a nice fat cow to fill the freezer. I love big antlers, but no matter how long you let them hang, they never taste that good. For more monster elk...
Top 40 Typical and Nontypical Elk Ever Taken

PJ DelHomme