Is the Spider Bull Legit? A Look Back at this World Record Elk

Author’s Note: This article was first published in January 2009 just before Boone & Crockett officially declared it a world’s record elk. This is my own conclusion to the legitimacy of the Spider bull. Because of the popularity of the biggest elk ever taken, I am posting this article for anyone who might find it beneficial. I need to give credit to Ben Brown for his help with this article as well. – David King

The Spider Bull. It’s a name that will go down in infamy. The epitome of nicknames for a trophy animal. For those of you who have kept up with this story, mainly on the internet, you will have seen firsthand the firestorm of attention this bull has been given. On this blog I have kept you in the loop of what has been going on – from the video footage circulating the internet, to the proclaimed score of 500 gross and 488 net non-typical. Of course, with something this big, there follows tremendous criticism and doubt. Can this bull really be legit? Isn’t this just a farm bull trying to pass as a legitimate world record? Come on, there has to be a conspiracy somewhere right? Well, for many there sure seems to be…or at least they would like there to be. So, with all of the confusion and speculation, let’s dig down and see what we really know about the Spider Bull.

This article isn’t about the hunt, per se. This is about a bull that grew to surpass our pre-determined ideas of what a trophy animal could score. Many people wonder just where and how he grew so large. What we do know is that during the month of July 2008, many people were able to see this bull in the velvet on multiple occasions feeding with a couple of other bulls. Video circulated very quickly of this bull. Instantly, the rumors started flying that this must be a high-fenced bull because of his sheer size. However, this bull was being spotted and videoed on public land in southern Utah by many. Oops, how could this be? This bull must have escaped from a high-fenced ranch and was now feeding and hanging out with the other “wild” bulls, right? Many thought that as soon as the season started, this bull would be easy game. It was just a matter of who got there first. Wrong. The elk archery season opened in August and thirty hunters had tags on that limited-entry unit. For some reason, the bull known as Spider had disappeared. People were swarming internet forums and blogs waiting to hear the news that the Spider Bull was down. However, the news did not come. It was now the first of September and the opening day for the Governor’s tag (auction tag) and also the Sportsman’s tag (raffle tag) where the holders of those tags could hunt with a rifle if desired. An early crack at the Spider Bull occurred in early September, but he was missed. The bull was gone. Rifle season started and another sixty hunters now hit the hills. However, the peak of the rut came and went without much activity. Once again, Spider was nowhere to be found. It was now getting towards the end of September and another twenty hunters hoped for a post-rut glimpse at the giant. Nothing. The hunt finally concluded on September 30th, 2008 when Denny Austad, the Governor tag holder, connected on this giant with the help of Team Mossback. The green score came in at 500 4/8 gross and 488 net B&C. Hold on a minute. Did you say 500? The combination of a bull hitting the historic 500 mark, potential world record, and the hunt being a “money” hunt escalated this hunt and bull into cyber chaos. Unfortunate chaos. So, let’s take a look back and see if we can make sense of the Spider Bull.

Is the Spider Bull a high-fenced bull? Many sportsmen speculate that this bull is a farm-raised bull that had escaped or even, heaven forbid, purposely transported and released just to be hunted. I caught up with Fred Pannunzio from the Utah DWR who manages that region. Fred said he was sick of the Spider Bull speculation. According to Fred, DNA samples will not tell if the Spider Bull is wild or a pen-raised bull from a farm. Fred said the division had planned to pull 400 different elk samples off of the Monroe Mountain region and surrounding areas as they typically do every year. These samples are used for a variety of reasons such as prosecuting possible poaching incidents and tracking harvested elk and where they came from. Fred was disappointed that the DNA sample that was pulled from the Spider Bull was taken at the butcher shop and amongst a big crowd. He said that this possibly added more speculation to the Spider Bull and whether or not it was a fair chase bull. Due to the circumstances surrounding the collection of the bull’s DNA, it appeared to some in the public sector like the DWR was pulling DNA to see if indeed the bull was legitimate, when the real reason for the DNA sampling was normal protocol.

Do sheds from the Spider Bull from previous years really need to be found? That is the question Fred has been pondering. If sheds are not found, does that really prove anything? As of right now, there are no confirmed sheds or pictures of the Spider Bull from previous years. Was the first picture of the Spider Bull really taken on Monroe Mountain? These are all questions that would be great to have the answers to. Fred knows as well as the next man that if there was anything illegal about the Spider Bull, the truth will come out eventually. A person who may be involved that feels they did not get their proper due may come forward if there is indeed anything illegal with the situation regarding the Spider Bull. The bottom line, as Fred has said, is that the DWR would be crazy to have anything to do with the illegal transportation of a wild animal. There is too much risk. When the DWR transplants animals for management reasons, there often is too much risk for the animal. The stress that is caused on the animal sometimes ends up taking their lives during transportation. The DWR has nothing to gain and everything to lose if there is any truth to the Spider Bull conspiracy theory!

If the bull wasn’t transplanted, did he escape from a high-fenced ranch? A bull that just seems to come out of nowhere does justify the claim to an escaped high-fenced bull. There is a high-fenced operation in the southern part of the state, and an escaped animal really could happen. In September of 2006, about 160 domesticated elk escaped from a ranch in Idaho and caused a firestorm of criticism. Supposedly, all of the elk were found or exterminated, but there are some authorities who claim some elk were never found. Even if the Spider Bull was an escaped ranch bull, he would have a few things to overcome before he could survive the harsh conditions of the wild. First of all, ranch bulls have multiple markings showing their domestication. The most prominent being an ear tag. The Spider Bull did not have any ear tags and did not show any holes in the ear where a tag could have fallen out or been taken out. A few years ago, there was some controversy on a huge 440-class elk taken with a bow in west Texas. The bull was even invited by a certain conservation group to go on tour. However, when the bull was being mounted, the hide was inspected and a hole in the ear was discovered. This hole matched similar sized holes where an ear tag would be inserted. After further investigation, it was concluded that this bull was released into the wild many years earlier before eventually being taken by a hunter. This bull was eligible for the SCI record books, but not for Pope & Young or Boone & Crockett due to their fair chase standards. In addition, critics of high-fenced hunting feel that there are 400-class elk on every preserve for the taking. Nonetheless, a 400-class bull elk is something special and hard to come by regardless of where you hunt. The genetics of an elk play a big part in how big their antlers will grow. Does every farm-raised elk turn into a 400-point bull? No, not at all. Even with the careful breeding that takes place on these ranches, a 400-point elk is still difficult to come by. About one in fifty bull elk will reach the magical 400-point mark in a ranch-breeding environment. Many of them will max out at 370 or 380 and have nothing left. If one in fifty have the potential to reach the 400-point mark, what are the chances of a bull reaching 500 inches? Very rare, regardless of what side of the fence he grew on.

Is it possible that a free-range, wild bull can grow to reach 500 inches? History shows us that this has happened. It has happened, but Boone & Crockett isn’t necessarily the best source for this as some of these bulls have had either broken skulls or are not accepted into their awards program due to various reasons. In 1997, Mike Shipsey harvested the first bull to hit the 500 gross inches mark with a bull not from a high-fenced enclosure. This amazing bull scores an unofficial 502 gross and 487 net non-typical and was taken on the San Carlos Apache Reservation located within the state of Arizona. Furthermore, going back almost a hundred years, the world record elk sheds came from Colorado. These early-1900 elk sheds score an amazing 496 1/8 gross and 475 2/8 net non-typical and prove that elk have been growing big long before high-fenced game farms came into play. Looking at Utah specifically, the elk herds are finally getting to an age class that could potentially produce a 500-class bull elk. During the 1960′s the elk herd was in bad shape but, through conservation efforts, the herds have grown from 5,000 elk to over 60,000 elk. Utah does not have a deep history in huge record bulls. In fact, it wasn’t until 2002 that Utah had its first 400-net bull taken by a hunter. However, in 2003, the bull elk population skyrocketed and Utah has since then dominated the record books with more entries than any other state. This includes a potential #4 all-time typical elk and a #2 non-typical elk taken with a bow just in the last two years. The age class, combined with proper genetics and habitat, has proven that a 500-class bull can be produced, and produced on public land.

What about any illegal activity on the mountain during the hunts? A phone call to Vance Munford helped clear this up. Vance is a field agent for the Utah DWR for that area. He expounded upon the fact that due to the great interest by hunters, outfitters, guides and animal enthusiasts, there was a huge influx of people on Monroe Mountain during the summer months. Everyone was hoping to catch a glimpse of the Spider Bull. Due to the great number of people in the area, there were concerns about whether landowner rights on Monroe Mountain were being abused or obstructed or whether there were significant trespass issues. According to officer Munford, this simply was not the case. He did not write up any citations or have to haul anybody to jail.

So, are there any sheds to the Spider Bull? Had anyone seen the bull before the summer of 2008? Word started spreading that there may be a possible set of sheds found that could be from the Spider Bull. After tracking down these sheds, found by Daniel Dastrup, it seems pretty certain that these are not from the Spider Bull. Furthermore, sheds that score approximately 360 gross are not going to cut it for a bull that now scores over the 500 gross mark one year later! Daniel was able to compare the sheds to the Spider Bull shortly after the bull came off the mountain and many concluded that there were similar characteristics. Upon further investigation, it seems that the sheds are very similar to a massive bull elk taken in 2008 by Michelle Thompson during the muzzleloader hunt off the Pahvant, which is a nearby limited-entry elk unit. This bull sported similar heavy front brow tines that are found not only on the sheds, but on the Spider Bull himself. Other reports were coming in from people who claimed they had seen the bull, or bulls that may have been Spider. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to conclude with any concrete evidence that this is true. Once thing that is conclusive, however, is that the area and adjoining areas have bulls with similar characteristics as the Spider Bull – just not nearly as big.

How does Boone and Crockett fit into all of this? The reason this is so important is two-fold. The legitimacy of this bull has already fallen under close investigation of Boone and Crockett. They have on their hands a potential world record – something that is very valuable to their records program. However, the Boone and Crockett record book is very stringent on their records and validate them according to their fair chase standards. The Spider Bull, taken by Denny Austad, was officially scored by a certified measurer for Boone & Crockett. The entry score came in at an amazing 500 gross and 480 1/8 net B&C. This shatters the current world record of 465 2/8 net B&C. At the time of this writing, there are plans for a committee or panel to re-score the antlers and declare the true official score – confirming whether or not the Spider Bull will be the new world record non-typical elk. Furthermore, B&C has looked closely at the activities, rumors, conspiracy theories and more to determine if the Spider Bull is legit. Time will ultimately tell, since current evidence cannot prove otherwise. But, as the legend is told, the legitimacy of the Spider Bull will be confirmed. He is legit.

The Spider Bull has been accepted as the new world’s record non-typical elk by a special Boone & Crockett panel with an official score of 499 3/8 gross and 478 5/8 net B&C. Read the official release.

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