Word is out and things are going crazy. The Spider Bull is dead. Word is that he may green gross score 500 4/8 and Team Mossback guided on the bull! I will post more as I find out more of the facts and see what we can find out. The hunter was Denny Austad. Denny is the Governor Elk Tag holder for Utah for 2008. The Spider Bull has eluded hunters for an amazing amount of time. What a legend.
UPDATE: 10/01/2008 - The photos of the Spider Bull have been posted. I will do the courtesy and link over to mossback.com for you to see more if you want. Here is what is posted by Doyle Moss about the bull:
September 30, 2008 will be a day marked in history. On this day a great bull was taken on public land in Utah. The “Spider” bull, a pending new world record and state record was taken by Denny Austad while hunting with Team MossBack. The “Spider” bull has a gross green score of 500 4/8 inches and a net green score of 488 inches.
So what do we know…The Spider bull rubbed his velvet off, became very weary, nobody could get on him, finally gets taken by the Governor Tag holder Denny Austad, the green score of 500 4/8 gross and 488 net non-typical is a pending world record.
This will shatter the current world record of 465 2/8 net B&C if the following happens:
- The bull is officially scored after the 60-day drying period
- The paperwork is submitted to Boone & Crockett
- Boone & Crockett accept the entry
- The bull is a pending world record for Boone & Crockett
- The antlers will have to be invited and taken to the next panel score
- If the accepted “panel” official score is over the 465 2/8 net mark…we have a new World’s Record Non-typical Elk
We will wait and see what happens next.
If you know anything or want to expand on the details please post a comment below.
Here is some video taken during the summer of 2008
Tom Sorenson
September 30, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Will be interesting to see the photos when they come out. And I’m sure you’ll dig up the entire story for us – looking forward to that!
Landon
September 30, 2008 at 3:16 pm
478…looks like a farm raised elk got loose! Amazing bull…
Lance
September 30, 2008 at 3:19 pm
The hunting fraternity does itself no favors with “High fence” hunting. Then to somehow, incredulously, justify it as fair chase goes beyond all sensibilities. Call it what you will – it’s not hunting, and those who engage in it aren’t hunters. I’m not some left wing wacko. Hunting has been a part of my family for decades and I care deeply about the sport. It’s not sporting to “hunt” an animal that is enclosed – period. In fact I’d go so far as to say I’m not really even interested in seeing pictures animals taken in fenced conditions. Perhaps those who support this view should consider even not publishing photos of them.
R Barney
September 30, 2008 at 6:22 pm
I got a chance to see him at Jorgensons Honda here in Richfield. They told me it green scored at 503 3/8…..WHAT A MONSTROSITY!
chris
September 30, 2008 at 7:45 pm
uuhhh, just so you know, the bull wasn’t on land where high fences were keeping him enclosed. I personally know of a few hunters who were chasing him… Maybe i misunderstood your post but it sure sounded like you were refering to spider bull. And even if he was high fence, it would be an amazing feat to elude hunters for over a month now, Think about that. Anyways, I cant wait to see pics of spider whether he was high fence or not.
colton
September 30, 2008 at 8:29 pm
i agree lance it nothing but cheating i think if the bull was killed in the wild it should only go in the record book that way and if it is a fenced elk it shouldn’t count cause its bull and it chaps me pretty bad that that bull got killed by a outfitter company and not by a real hunter that works his butt off for it i grantee that it was a easy hunt for that guy i hope he dont call him self a hunter cause he aint and he dont deserve that bull by any means
Wayne (son of Denny)
September 30, 2008 at 10:37 pm
This is certainly not “high fence” hunting in an enclosure … go check out map of the area in Utah, start looking at the terrain, and dense trees and downfall, and raw square miles. Since it was my dad, I am probably biased (how’s that for randomness of blogs folks, I don’t even hunt, I am just searching for pictures too since I got word from Mom on the success tonight. Something about “over 500″
).
Was Mossback guides a help in finding this bull, absolutely. Was donating to the State of Utah in a live fund raising auction to get the “Governors tag” a help with flexible dates and long season, not deniable. Does that make it “fair” … I don’t know, it is the system presented, and Dad only seeks the best at this stage in his life, be it wine, hunts, or salmon with green chile cream sauce.
But easy, fenced, come-and-go hunt, … not the case. After the 1st two weeks of straight hunting he came back so tired and he had to rest another 2 weeks before going out again. Also recognize that Dad spent months building the rifle used, his own personal design and unique caliber. He has a passion about all aspects of the hunt and preparation. He fires more practice shots in preparationfor a single hunt then most do in a lifetime of hunting. 3 months of “training” and lost 20+ pounds to make sure he could out climb the guides. You should watch him gut and dress an animal (not letting the guides do it cause they don’t get as much meat as he does), all the major organs saved and used for his dog if we can’t eat them. Filleting fish, the same way, never seen his equal on efficiency and minimal waste.
Would it be nice if 1st time hunter got this bull. Well that is certainly the “root for the underdog” ethic in US, and would be cool story. Both Dad and I would smile in amazement, and have another glass of the grape. But instead, a poor boy from Mankato, Minnesota who has hunted and fished since he could walk, donating to old folks home what he could not eat as a young boy, and is now a self-made millionaire, donating his own forms of business advice and community service, trying to pack in as many high-end hunts as remains in this life (after winning the battle on … never mind this is too personal and over the top …). But you know, with a fine California Cabernet, that is a nice story too. He will even give you a bottle or two to take home, very tasty stuff I might add.
Eccentric? yes. Everyone’s cup of tea? Maybe not. But Easy? No. Ethic of Hunting (with a capital “H” for those that read his old “Three Peat” article in Trophy Hunter Magazine
)… well, that’s a lot lot higher bar then just a “fence discussion”. But if that is your binary test, it still an easy leap. Yes.
The one good thing about your overly harsh post is that having discussion on “raising the bar” on hunting ethics (respect for the land/landowner, the animal, the clean kill, the meat, gun safety, drink after the hunt not during) … good topic. I hope this will result in a higher fence in this “standard” discussion within the brotherhood of the fraternal order of …
Hi Allen — thanks for the link, do you read this blog? You need to get back to the west. This blog stuff is to disconnected …
Wayne.
Mark
September 30, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Lance is assuming that it is a high fence Bull. Lets wait till the story comes out before we jump to conclusions. It is maybe just a tremendous non-typical as the video from this summer shows.
Rick
October 1, 2008 at 6:29 am
This is certainly a wild free roaming elk. I have lived in this country my entire life and know that mountain very well, as do many of the guys who spent time looking for this bull, both for the hunter and also for the satisfaction of seeing such a great animal in the wild. This was not a cake walk for anyone involved in this hunt. And I assure you that Denny worked just as hard as anyone else in camp.
If you ever get a chance to come out to Southern Utah and take a few hours to roam these mountains, you will better understand why this bull disappeared for as long as he did. For him to go thru the archery hunt, the rifle hunt, and into the muzzleloader hunt is incredible as there were many people on that mountain both hunting and enjoying the scenery, and no one had seen him.
If you have watched any of Denny’s other hunts on the DVD’s, you will see some of the steep, rough country that he has killed these bulls in. There are no roads in most of these areas and most of these hunts will take it out of the best hunters in the world.
Congrats to Denny for sticking with his goal, and acheiving it, and congrats to the Mossback Team for getting the job done.
And like Wayne said, if someone else would have harvested this bull, Denny would be the first one to congratulate him..
Good job!
Ernie
October 1, 2008 at 8:53 am
Nice read Wayne… I dont agree with the big $$ hunt stuff… just doesn’t sit right…and I do recognize some of the good that comes from it… I do really appreciate the “glimpse” into the man’s life though.
Thanks.
Dan
October 1, 2008 at 9:41 am
I’m glad that I found this blog. As one of the very few hunters who actually had an elk tag to hunt on the Monroe unit this year, I feel a need to weigh in. Anyone who feels that this hunt was anything less than a completely free range and strenuos hunt is a fool, and there are plenty of those people out there. Anyone claiming that this bull was anything less than completely free range just doesn’t know what they’re talking about, and certainly has no first hand experience with hunting on the Monroe unit.
I bowhunted on Monroe from September 1st until the season closed on the 12th. I was camped about a mile from where this bull was first shot at by Mr. Austad about a week or so ago, and only a couple miles from where he spent most of the summer. I”m not sure exactly where the spider bull was killed but from the general comments I’ve heard it sounds like he was killed a little south of my campsite, probably only a mile or two away, if that far. While I wasn’t specifically looking for this elk, I’d sure as heck have killed him if I got the chance.
A bit about the Monroe unit. In one sense it isn’t that tough of a hunt, at least if you’re just trying to kill an elk. There is a lot of rolling country on top and if a guy wants an easy physical hunt, he can have that. ON THE OTHER HAND – the unit is at high altitude, mostly around 10,000 feet or so. I was camped at 9,560 feet and we mostly hunted from 9,500 to 10,500 feet. The highest point we reached at 10,716 according to my GPS. Now, combine that with lots of steep and very deep canyons, miles and miles of unbroken timber with lots of deadfall and you’re starting to get an idea of what much of this unit is like. The mountain where the spider bull was first shot at was right in front of my camp, I looked at it literally every day of my hunt. It was fairly steep and mostly covered with thick timber, and that’s why I never went up onto it. There were easier places to hunt where we found lots of elk. We spent plenty of time hunting in thick timber where a long shot would be 30 yards. One time, I bumped a bull at less than 10 yards and never saw him until he crashed off. It was so thick in that spot I couldn’t have made a 10 yard shot even if I knew the bull was there. There are places in the unit where the altitude goes from about 6,000 feet to over 10,000 in the span of only a few miles. Yeah, a ton of very big and very deep canyons along with some very big mountains. Does this still sound like a high fenced, easy hunt to you?
I ran into Doyle Moss and/or some of his guides on a couple occasions. First, there weren’t that many of them hunting as some people who weren’t there like to claim. During the time that Mr. Austad could hunt, it appeared that there were probably five or six people out working with him to find this bull. I don’t have a problem with that in part because that’s fewer people than a lot of non-guided hunters had helping them. They also were a lot less intrusive of my own hunt when we ran across each other than some of the other non-guided DIY hunters I came across. On the only two occasions where I talked with them, they were friendly and helpful with some tips on where I might find a nice bull. One time, Mr. Moss gave me one of his new cow calls while telling me that he hoped I liked it and would use it to kill the bull of my dreams. While I thought it was a nice gesture to give me that call, what impressed me more was that he was the type of person who does that to a complete stranger, and one who could be said was competing with them to kill the same bull they were after.
Do these guys still sound like a bunch of unethical jerks that some people are making them out to be? I certainly think they were hard hunting decent people that I’d love to share a campfire with. I can’t say the same thing about some of the other people I encountered while out there.
Denny Austad busted his butt hunting this bull for many, many days. After hunting the unit myself, I was convinced that nobody was going to kill this bull unless he made a mistake during the rut, and that appears to be how he died.
My hat is off to Denny Austad, Doyle Moss and his team of guides. Congratulations, gentlemen!
christi
October 1, 2008 at 10:02 am
A guided hunt in utah is the result of the guide doing many hours of watching animals and keeping an eye on where they are. the rest of the hunt is up to the hunter. this is no different than a friend saying to you “hey I know where this big elk is I’ll take you there” there is nothing unsporting about it. all of you who say it is are either jelouse or dissapointed that a legend is dead.
John Gledhill
October 1, 2008 at 11:53 am
A friend from Richfield sent me some pictures of the (killed) Spider Bull he took with his cell phone. I would be glad to forward them to this site if interested.
Chris
October 1, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Wayne that is a great story. I am glad to hear it from your side. This bull is incredible and those that are calling it a fenced hunt have no idea what they are talking about. This was a Public Land LE Area on Monroe Mountain in Central Utah.
Art
October 1, 2008 at 1:50 pm
You can see pictures of this bull at mossback.com. It’s even bigger than the video showed. Says net green score 488. Good luck topping that one.
I don’t suppose we all could quit judging other hunters by how much money they have or spent on a hunt when we don’t know anything about them.
Also, the high fence talk has nothing to do with this bull, so save those comments for the Kevin Reid bulls.
my opinion
Zane
October 1, 2008 at 6:55 pm
congrats denny! I personally have been in the country and know how hard it is just to hunt it let alone kill one particulaur elk anyone who doubts it is an idiot if you dont belive come down and hunt
Vince Christensen
October 1, 2008 at 10:22 pm
No doubt in my mind that the spider bull has escaped or been turned loose onto public lands. It has happened on more than one occasion. The thing that concerns me is the possibility that the gene pool could be contaminated with these escapees possibly carrying New Zealand Stag genes. I would like to see DNA test done. If he is pure 100% American wapiti I am cool with it. Hope he had the chance to spread his genes around. He may have been juiced up to the point that he was sterile.
Steve Johnson
October 2, 2008 at 12:50 am
Amen to the comparison to the Kevin Reid bulls. Those were not legitimate kills. The killing of farm animals on high fenced ranches is not hunting. I recognize there are people that will pay for this but it is not hunting and there is no place in ANY record book for those animals. I do appreciate that many of these ranches provide opportunities for those less fortunate (handicapped and such) to get a taste of something they may otherwise not be able to do.
As for Denny, for now it’s hats off. It is public land. It is fair chase and it is a legitimate kill. Five hired guides is no different than five buddies helping you out after they have already tagged out. They’re just better at it, usually.
I have never seen or heard anything negative about Doyle or team Mossback in the way of character or tactics. I am guessing they have had a run-in or two with an occassional hunter that has in one way or another ruined days or weeks of hard work (usually due to ignorance). I am guessing these remarks are made from stories told by those guys. I don’t think they are like fishing guides that are new to waters I have fished for 40 years that think they own the water. Oops, sorry, that’s another debate.
This bull apparently was the “ruler of the roost”. I would imagine no farm raised animal, steroids or not, could ever challenge for the herd. Kevin Reids bull you could go up and pet through the fence.
I am certain there are animals that have never been seen by humans and vice versa. I would like to think this was one of those animals. For now I can give it the benefit of the doubt. If there is a question and there is a possibility the animal escaped from a ranch, I would think they could test it for steroids, growth horomones or anything else they might do to grow those freaks. Also, I would think if it did escape, or was released, someone would have come forward and we would already know about it. If this has happened, no record.
The only other option is that even though it is a wild animal, it somehow became dependent on humans. Some rancher or ranchers started feeding it and took some liberty just to see what could happen. Again, I think we would already know if that is the case so I believe it to be highly unlikely.
For now, I think it is legitimate. I think it is a record and Utah, Denny and team Mossback hold the record and looking at the last several years, the DWR’s elk management plan is working. Look at the animals being taken in Utah. Wow!
Steve J
ed broadhead
October 2, 2008 at 3:54 pm
MONROE IS DEFINATELY NOT A FENCED HUNT,IT DOES HAVE QUITE A FEW ATV TRAILS, BUT ALOT OF ROADLESS COUNTRY AS WELL.I HUNTERD THIS UNIT IN 2000 AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME,I WAS WATCHING ALL THE BULLS IN SUMMER WITH VELVET,THEN MY HUNT CAME IN AUGUST AND THEY DISAPPEARED.AND TRUST ME THEY HAVE PLENTY OF PLACES TO DISAPPEAR TOO.IN MY OPPINION MONROE IS ALOT HARDER TO HUNT THEN ALOT OF OTHER UNITS,BECAUSE THRES NOT ALOT OF PLACES TO JUST SIT AND GLASS FROM ON TOP.THRES TO MANY TREES AND TO MUCH WATER,THERES WATER EVERYWHERE SO SITTING AT WATERHOLES IS OUT OF THE QUESTION UNLESS YOU PICK THE LUCKY ONE..I HOPE SPIDER GOT TO SPREAD HIS SEED AROUND ENOUGH TO LEAVE SOME FOR ME!! HA!! HA!!
AK bowhunter
October 3, 2008 at 4:47 am
Thanks for that post Wayne, nice to know about a person before you judge them because kill a nice animal. Truely an amazing animal, congradulations to your father!
Field Dress
October 3, 2008 at 7:21 am
Bravo Wayne and congrats to your father.
gussy
October 3, 2008 at 10:25 am
come on everyone. the guy is in his mid 50’s. just because a unit has vigorous terrain doesn’t mean it wa strenuous hunt. i highly doubt this gentlemen with his whole “entourage: had a hard time killing or packing this amazing animal out.. kudous to team mossback for finding this majestic animal. you guys put in a tremendous amount of hard work.
Jeremy
October 3, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Hey, congratulations on a nice elk. I am just glad that someone was able to find him during the hunt, because if not all of those Antler chasers would have been after him this winter harrassing the entire heard, and makeing a tough winter even harder for them.
james
October 4, 2008 at 10:16 pm
k so if no body has ever seen this bull or even picked up sheds from him and no one has seen this bull until this summer where did he come from? from the video it looks like someone tried to pull this off again like they did a couple years ago in mt…where the treanqileed the bull and brought it from a game farm to mt where they let it out and shot it…from the looks of the two bulls in the video where they jus stay and let the guys video it….i call it a game farm bull for sure
odd man out
October 5, 2008 at 8:02 am
First off this is to you Wayne. You DO NOT have to justify this hunt to anyone! This was your dads time to shine. I am sure he has worked hard for his money and made great investments just like hiring Doyle. I am sick of the negative, jealous, uneducated talk on this or any big bull killed. I guarentee you that ANY one of them so called DIY hunters would trade places with your dad. They may not admit it, but they would. It is no different than me bad mouthing someone driving a new Hummer and me an old Chevy. It is one hell of a bull and from what I hear so is your dad. Congrats and dont let the negative downers here or anywhere get to you.
Greg Ghirardelli
October 5, 2008 at 9:54 am
CONGRAT’S to Denny and to Team Mossback!!!!!
WOW WHAT A BULL
All the talk of high fences and unfair tactics usually comes from ignorant jealous people. If you have ever been around or hunted with team mossbak you would know better. I have had the personal experience of hunting with them and they are the best there is at what they do and the proof is in their harvests. They are very professional and courteous at all times and I found it to be the case where it is usually the one complaining who is actually the trouble maker.
Denny deserves all the credit in the world for this spectacular bull as I gurantee it was no easy task if you know anything about the area he was killed in. Anyone who contributes the $$ these guys contributes makes everyones hunting a much better experience we are very lucky that there are people out that willing to spend this much $ for everyones benefit.
If you have never hunted with or been around Doyle and team mossback then you have absolutely no idea of just how professional they are.
Doyle and team mossback went way above and beyond for my boy (who has a dissability) in getting him a moster (224) deer (2005 hunts on mossback.com) and the oppertunity to see and hunt more 200+ bucks than most people will ever even see in photos let alone real life.
Wayne’s article hits it right on the head!!!
AGAIN CONGRATS TO DENNY, DOYLE, AND TEAM MOSSBACK!!!!!!!
Don Bruno
October 5, 2008 at 1:39 pm
What a Bull!!
Congratulations to all involved.
What a Trophy, I bet the story will be a good one.
zane
October 5, 2008 at 1:44 pm
for those of you who think its escaped from a hi fence it would have a tattoo on his lip and marks on his ear from tags you just need to realize that Utah has done a great job with our elk heard if we keep having guys like Denny you will see more record bulls from Utah don’t hate just enjoy the pics
Chad Beck
October 7, 2008 at 8:46 am
Someone needs to check and see if that is really an elk and not some undiscovered species of dinosaur. That thing is a freak. What a beast, congratulations to the shooter.
estrus1
October 7, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Congratulations to Denny and Team Mossback, what a bull! I am glad to see Wayne stick up for his dad. I have spent time on the Monroe and i know how hard they worked for this animal. They deserve it. There is no shame in buying conservation or governors tags if you have the money to do so and spending big bucks doesn’t make chasing elk any easier. The people putting up all the negative response are jealous and should be, they just aren’t real sportsmen. For those who do not understand the benefit we all get from these guys who spend their money buying these tags; i attached the link to the DWR site that explains the system. We can only assume it works based on the fact Utah has been producing bigger and bigger bulls year after year. http://wildlife.utah.gov/hunting/biggame/pdf/conservation_permit_program.pdf As for Doyle and his guys i have heard some disturbing things but i am sure most of it is more BS spread about by these guys who cant just be happy for some one else. I have met Doyle and ran into his boys in the woods a time or two and they are great. They have shared more information than i would have in their position.i can only hope at some point i can afford to bid on these permits and then be in good enough condition to put the hunt together and finish the job. until then i take my chances in the draw with the rest of the poor fellows who love tho hunt.
Once again; congratulations on a great bull.
westsidegod
October 8, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Thats one heck of an elk. Congradulations on a super bull to Mossback and Denny!!
Sheril Lewis
October 9, 2008 at 9:39 am
I have been hunting the Monroe ever since I was big enough to follow my dad. He grew up in this area. I spent the first week of the muzzle loader hunt on the Monroe hunting with my cousin who downed a nice bull. There have been 4 family members that have taken very nice Bulls from this unit. The only question that I have is that in all my years of hunting the Monroe I have never seen the type of genetics that the spider bull carried. I have found lots of sheds in there winter areas and never found anything that could have produced these genetics. The range has very nice typical bulls but nothing like the spider bull. Where did it come from???????
Curtis
October 9, 2008 at 3:29 pm
To compare hiring a hunting outfit to your buddy telling you were a big elk is might be the stupidest argument I have ever heard. I have hunted since I can remember and I don’t know or know of one person who has the time and the resources to spend all year tracking elk and finding the biggest bulls out there and that is what outfit companies do. I don’t hold the fact that Denny has money against him but I will never view this in the same way as your average hunter who has a 40 hour a week job and doesn’t have the money to buy a special tag and hire outfitters to find trophy elk for them to shoot. For your average hunter, hunting season comes around and if they have time they maybe make some quick trips to the area they are planning to hunt and see what they can find, then the hunt opens and they go and for most them they kill an elk that neither they nor any of their buddies had ever seen before. As to Wayne’s comment about his dad coming home and resting for two weeks, he failed to mention that while his dad was home resting Mossback was surely running frantically trying to find this bull and had they found him the hunt would have resumed sooner.
Apache Guide
October 11, 2008 at 7:38 pm
I am very happy for Doyle Moss and his awesome team of guides. Congratulations guys. The amount of bone this bull grew in one year is amazing.
eric haaland
October 13, 2008 at 12:02 pm
that is one big bull, congratulations!!!!!
jake
October 13, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Its a very good quesion is this bull a high fenced bull? i sure hope not but congragulations its an awesome bull! cant wait for the story to come out!
Kendall
October 14, 2008 at 2:16 am
Looking at the photos and in particular the video I too kept thinking to myself how any bull could grow that much bone in one season, not to mention the strength to carry it.
Wayne, thanks for the glimpse of your Father’s life. Sounds like a good man. So, is he going to have a huge BBQ anytime soon? I imagine he could literally feed an army with that animal!
Dan Haymore
October 14, 2008 at 3:23 am
Sheril Lewis comment number 32 says it all. Shed antlers seldom lie and are evidence of area genetics. Having just viewed four 450+ farm raised bulls at our local taxadermist shop, “Houston, we have a problem.”
54 Cal
October 14, 2008 at 11:40 am
OMG how can anyone doubt that this bull is not a farm raised elk loaded up with GH?
You should all be insulted to think they are trying to pass this thing off as a “wild” elk.
I actually got the link to this photo through a guy that “supposedly” knows Denny. I’ll be talking to this guy soon. Any wagers anyone?
Oh and Wayne this isn’t a Texas game farm. In states like Utah, Idaho, and Montana shooting pens are often right in the middle of national forest ground. So you will have rough terrain, dense trees and deadfall. Terrain is no indicator of a penned shooting farm.
I’d really like to know how a 500 class bull (crushing the world record) just emerges onto the scene. Like Sheril Lewis said, where’d this guy come from?
Kevin
October 14, 2008 at 4:03 pm
I have lived/worked here at the foot of the Monroe unit for 7 years now. I have not hunted this area actively, but I have MANY hunters whom basecamp here from our RV park. The Spiderbull has been in the area for some years. I have seen a couple of posts insinuating that possibly this bull was planted here for this year. I cannot believe this as Monroe and the Mount Dutton unit are both known for Boone and Crockett animals. Records are set quite regularly on them for Antelope, Deer, and Elk, as well as Fishing records from Otter Creek here at their feet. This is the area if you want big animals. Thats the end of it. Congrats to Denny for working to hunt it. It’s a once in a lifetime hunt. If any of us could afford to pay for a governors tag, and a set of guides to find us that once in a lifetime rack, I don’t think there isn’t one here who wouldnt. Simple fact is, we can’t afford it, but he could.
So rather than complain about his good fortune to have made it to a point in his life that he can afford to do this, congratulate him on that once in a lifetime shot, and lets all work towards getting the DWR to release the pressure on the bulls/bucks to increase the herds. 40 years ago, an elk like that was more common cause the hunt was for either sex, not just bucks or bulls. If we can get the DWR to do that again, the herds will grow, and give us a better opportunity at B&C animals.
Again, Denny, congratulations on the hunt and the kill, may that rack remind you of the beauty of this wonderful part of the country.
hegg
October 14, 2008 at 11:13 pm
I wish you elk ranchers would wade in on the subject. Genitics are what they are. You guys can surley spot something that isn’t right. I know good cattle men that can see right through freaks. And that is what this bull is. It would have to be a freak of nature down there on the Monroe to grow like that. And Kevin I can tell you weren’t on this earth 40 years ago because you could hardley find an elk in Utah. In 1980 there had only been two boone and crockett heads entered.Utah is the state for trophy elk and deer.
Ted Fitzgerald
October 16, 2008 at 2:18 am
I have had the priviledge of serving as the District Ranger on the Richfield District while with the Forest Service. Monroe Mountain is part of the area that we managed. The thing I am most upset about is all the publicity that Monroe is getting because of Spider. I have been trying for 13 years to draw that tag and still only had a 2% chance at a successful draw in 2008 because I do not have the maximum bonus points. Next year my chances will probably be even less because now there will probably be even more applicants that have the maximum points. May have to try the Wasatch – may not be a world record there but there are plenty of record book animals to choose from. I have spent several days each year on the Monroe during the week of the trophy bull hunt after the first four days of the hunt have past – don’t want to screw up someone’s hunt. I have been less than 20 yards from numerous trophy bulls over the years and even helped my best friend harvest a very nice 6×6 three years back. This year I talked to a local hunter that told me he saw Spider during his bow hunt in 2007. For myself I was never lucky enough to see him until the videos hit the web but I have seen a bull that had more points than I could count clustered above his G-3’s. Same gene pool?? This year was a tough hunt – the animals did not behave like they have for the last 10 years – no bulls were using the wallows where we have watched dozens of bulls in years past. For all you doubters check the record books – no state is adding as many B&C bulls as Utah. I have been to a good share of the elk farms in the area surrounding Monroe – never saw anything that looked like Spider in any of them. As far as him being tame because he just stood there and let the videos run – I have pictures of many 6×6 and one 7×7 with double swords that just stood in the meadows and on the hillsides for as long as I wanted to watch them – while they were in the velvet. Not so though as soon as they get there shine. Now a word to the not so wise – if you want to hunt trophy bulls in Utah and you don’t have the max points don’t bother with Monroe – that may improve my odds!
Average Joe
October 16, 2008 at 10:30 am
For all of you who think that the spider bull was farm feed and pumped up on steroids your all wrong. I was on the monroe 3 years ago fighting a wildland fire and I believe I have a photo of this bull in his younger days. He didn’t get that big by being stupid. This is one hell of a bull.
colin
October 16, 2008 at 2:53 pm
what a pig that bull is congrats to team mossback, cant wait to see the video, wow……wow its gonna be hard to top that one doyle, well see i guess.
kory mt
October 19, 2008 at 12:47 am
I have read all the blogs but still dont have an opinion one way or another as to the origin of this bull. I do however believe that anyone with money can take a record bull. I however will have more pride in my harvest knowing that I alone put in the time and effort required in HUNTING my take. I will not put down Mossback for what they do. I have known many outfitters and I dare say most are true lovers of the sport and are good at what they do. If a man is willing to train and condition himself for a hunt and has the time and money to ensure his tag then shouldnt that man also have the pride and respect for the tradition of hunting to do his own scouting. I could not justify my hunt without putting in the real work.
gonehuntin
October 21, 2008 at 1:13 pm
you know there is alot of questions about this bull being farm fed. It would seem that with money not being an option for Denny, that he would have the bull tested and put this whole mess to rest. Get “r” Done Denny.
adam
October 25, 2008 at 11:29 am
you could settle the arguement by posting the pics of the spider bull three years ago
Pat
October 25, 2008 at 12:00 pm
What a great bull!! Has anyone thought that just because this monster bull was taken doesn’t mean that his genes are out of the picture!! I can assure you that he has bred with cows and his genes will show up again!
Cody
November 3, 2008 at 11:05 am
Wayne, I do have two questions for you:
Will your old man have the bull tested for Red Stag genes? The antler configuration for the spider bull looks astonishingly palmated. Although I’m not claiming that any bull that lacks the basic 6 point frame is Red Stag contaminated, I do know that some horn configurations just aren’t possible unless you have a genetic alteration. I’m sure everyone on this post who is worth their salt knows that some elk ranchers bread Wapiti with Red Stag to get more horn and thus more money. The spider bull doesn’t have to be a ranch bull, just a descendent, but it would preclude him from true B&C status.
I’d love to see your Dad put EVERY rumor to rest with this test….
Second question:
Was your dad hunting out of a back pack and bivy?
Thanks so much for your post and your insight. I love seeing legitimate content on these blog sites.
sean
November 10, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Just because he had the money to pay for a guide doesn’t mean he didn’t put hard work into the hunt. The reason he could afford that is because of the hard work he has done in the rest of his life. He deserves that bill very much and I’m sure he has worked much harder than many of his critics ever have in their lives. Congratulations on an amazing bull.