Posts filed under 'Buck Alert!'
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
September 30th, 2008
There has been some talk of a huge bull recently taken in the northwest. Some confusion is did it come from Oregon or Washington? This is not a 466 bull from Oregon. This huge bull elk was shot with a rifle in Washington and green scores 449 gross and 436 net non-typical. This elk was taken by Dan Agnew. I emailed Dan to confirm as it seems rumors are already abound about this new potential state record Washington non-typical elk.
The elk was taken on September 3, 2008 in eastern Washington and is a 9 x 10 that green scores 449 gross and 436 net non-typical.
How does this rank in the books?
The current state record is the Jeff Thorpe bull from 2003. Jeff took this elk with his bow and so is the overall state record in addition to archery state record. Jeff’s bull scores 421 7/8 B&C.
The Dan Agnew bull with a green score (if this holds up) of 436 net B&C will not only shatter the state record but be the biggest bull elk from the northwest and also a potential top ten non-typical bull in the world.
Dan Agnew is no stranger to monster record book bulls. He currently has the #7 all-time non-typical bull and the #21 all-time typical bull - both coming from the San Carlos Apache Reservation.
I will post some more as I get more information about this awesome elk.
Man, the dark-horse bull elk from 2008 just might be from Washington. Who would have thought!
Here is another photo
September 8th, 2008
Ryan Hatch holds the velvet mule deer rack of the AZ Strip Buck taken by Alan Hamberlin in August 2008
Ok, this is huge and many of you have already heard. There recently has been a monster 300 inch mule deer buck taken off the AZ strip that could go down as one of the greatest. I can only go off of what information has been disclosed so far. Ryan Hatch and the Muley Crazy guys, Troy Brock and others found this amazing buck off the Arizona Strip.
Here is an excerpt from Ryan about this hunt and the buck itself:
The governors tags started on the 15th and we had planned to scour the country to re-find, or locate Houdini when just like that he came to water again allowing a second view, and at a month later the growth was staggering. Tory and I both thought the buck would gross score 285 inches with 12 points on both sides. Well, as it turns out we were wrong, in a good way wrong.
The buck hit the water a second time three days later and the rest is history. We knew at that moment it was now or never as I don’t know if the buck would ever surface again. Some hot hunting, a ton of excitement, a couple of huge lucky breaks, and Alan Hamberlin anchored what is the largest buck to come for the Arizona Strip, EVER!
Houdini is a buck like I thought I would never see in my lifetime. 41 Inches wide, 15 by 16, and gross scores 322, yes 322! The frame is 31 inches wide and a whopping 234 gross on the main frame alone. The mass was 26.5 and 25.
So let’s take a little closer look at what this buck means. Keep in mind that this buck is in the velvet and these are “green” scores. No word yet if the velvet will be stripped and officially entered in Boone & Crockett. The claimed gross score is 322. No net score has been mentioned right now. It looks like the buck is going to have more than average deductions off the typical frame, but if we go off the 322 gross non-typical, let’s say a net score would be 310 plus. Here are a few numbers I came up with to consider just where this buck stands with the all-time greats.
Only six mule deer net scoring 300 inches or more have an outside spread of 40-inches or more
There are only 23 mule deer that net score 300 B&C points or more
There are only 10 mule deer that net score 310 B&C or more (355 2/8 being the world’s record)
This could be maybe the second or third most massive buck to score over 300 inches
The gross typical frame of 234 (holy cow) could be legendary if in fact it is that big. Could be the biggest typical-framed buck to score over 300 inches.
The famed Arizona Strip is legendary for huge mule deer and a great history - this buck is now the biggest off the strip.
As you can see, this buck just doesn’t score high, he has the characteristics that I think could put him in a very elite class of legendary mule deer. Congratulations to Alan and everyone involved and can’t wait to see and hear more about this great mule deer from 2008.
September 2nd, 2008
UPDATE: 09/30/2008 The Spider Bull is dead.
The big question that is out there…Is the Spider Bull Elk from Utah still alive? There have been a ton of people asking this question. Most of the confusion is coming from message boards claiming different things, but nobody knows what to believe. A big rumor got out that a handicap hunter got this bull already. Is this true?
No it is not. As of today (Friday, Aug. 15th) this bull is still alive. However, tomorrow is the opening of the elk archery season here in Utah. Believe you me, it is going to be even more crazy this weekend.
There is a good chance this bull could get knocked down on Saturday or over the weekend. I will keep you informed as to how things pan out and if and when the legendary Spider Bull is dead or not.
Should we start taking bets on how long he will last…or even yet will he survive the season altogether?
Win a Great Prize!
Hey, that is a good idea. You make a comment post below, include your real email address, and tell me what date he will get taken by a hunter. As a tie breaker also list your “guess the score”.
Here is an example:
September 15th, Score 465 gross
Free King’s Core Hunter Backpack
I will throw in a nice prize. How about a King’s Core Hunter Backpack in your choice of Desert, Mountain, or Show Shadow Camo.
Good luck. Need a closer look, make sure you check out the Video of the Spider Bull here.
UPDATE: 09/30/2008 The Spider Bull is dead. He was just taken. Stay updated on this blog for details. After the smoke clears and we get the full confirmed details, we will see who was closest on date and score. Those who posted on Sept. 30th may not be valid because word got out today and some got word of the score. I’ll see how things go.
August 15th, 2008
The archery season is here. Nevada has already put down some good bucks so far as one of the states to kick off archery season early. Other states are getting geared up for this weekend. I thought I would get the fever going a little bit and post some photos and this story of one of the great non-typical archery velvet mule deer ever taken with a bow.
This buck was taken by David Bodine in 2006. This Colorado buck scores 253 gross and 243 net non-typical as a 11×11 point. He is just 25-inches wide as well. Here is his story….enjoy and good luck this archery season. See more great photos in our Trophy Room Gallery.
Huge 253 Velvet Archery Buck
by David Bodine
The night before the hunt I went to bed not sure if I was going hunting in the morning. Don’t get me wrong , I am a very enthusiastic hunter and anxiously anticipate opening day all year but this year I had a friend coming from out of town to go hunting with me who couldn’t make it ’till the following week. When 3:00 A.M. came around I was wide awake and by 4:00 I was on my way. I called my hunting partner Travis Farmer. He and his father Tom met me at “the” hunting spot and shortly after we were hiking in. The weather was perfect, there was a light rain and the clouds were very low, almost foggy, and it was very cool for a late August day. I knew this kind of weather would keep the deer a little more active further into the day.
We hiked about two miles and had our first sighting. A small herd with a nice 4 point and a few smaller bucks and a couple of does. After a short stalk they spooked and were gone. We decided to split up and go up separate canyons. We wished each other good luck and were off. Just a few hundred yards up the canyon I glassed two big bucks feeding. They were about half a mile away on the opposite slope. I decided to cross the canyon and position my self so that I could sneak up to them at a side hill approach. Once I was within about 150 yards I took off my rain coat and pack and began a very slow and stealthy stock. By this time they had bedded on the western facing slope. I crouched below the bush line and closed the distance to about 40 yards. I came to a small draw on the hillside, they were right on the other side. I knew I would have to take my shot from this side, so I began to contemplate what to do. I sat with the wind in my face for what seemed to be an hour, but was more like five minutes. I knew I had two choices. Since I didn’t have a shot from where I was because of the brush in front of the deer I could either blow my call, standing the deer up and trying a shot that way. Or, I could move down the hill about five yards opening a shooting lane and taking the deer in the bed. Just as I decided to move down the hill. The wind changed and was at my back.
His ears perked up, he began to stare in my direction. I quickly sprayed cover sent into the air which seemed to buy me the time I needed and calmed the deer. I slowly made my way down the hill undetected to the spot where I had a clear shot. I drew back, let the arrow fly hit my mark at about 38 yards. The deer jumped up and ran over the top of the hill out of sight. I walked to where he was bedded. My arrow had broke off in his lungs. The blood trail was thick, but this deer was strong. I waited a while then followed the blood trail over the hill. Half way down the hill I saw my deer. A couple of more arrows finally finished him off. There I stood over the most amazing deer I had ever seen.
I hadn’t really mentioned the size of this deer before. I took the first shot having no clue what I was shooting at. I knew he was big but the view I had before I shot he looked like a 5×6. When I finally had him down and was able to count all the points I couldn’t believe that I had shot a 9 x10 amazing beast of a buck. After a moment of enjoying the kill that lie before me I went to meet up with Travis and I called my wife Jessica to come and take pictures. When Travis and I approached my buck,Travis began counting the points. He announced with excitement that I had bagged an 11×11 buck. I was in awe, and couldn’t believe that my buck was getting bigger every time the points were counted. We then begun the task of dragging the deer down to the trail which wasn’t a walk in the park considering the big boy we had in tow. Regardless of the work the reward is every bit worth it.
God had truly blessed me with a wonderful trophy and has blessed us all with a wonderful trophy called America and the freedom of the great outdoors that we all have the opportunity to enjoy. I would like to thank my family for all the outdoor experiences we had together especially for my father, taking me on my first deer hunt and for my brothers and all the times we hunted together. My 25-wide buck ended up scoring 253 gross and 243 net non-typical and is one of the top velvet bucks taken with a bow.
August 15th, 2008
The Nevada archery hunts are on the way and are some of the earliest archery hunts to start out here in the West. It has started to become commonplace to see the next big buck from Randy Ulmer taken with his bow each year. Nevada has been good to Randy and the 2008 season looks to continue this good fortune.
Randy just arrowed another great velvet mule deer. It is a nice 4×4 that is 34 1/2- inches wide and has a huge frame. Dandy buck. This is what Randy had to say about the hunt:
I stalked the herd of bucks for well over an hour and ended up with a 20 yard shot, straight up hill.
All the credit for this buck needs to go to Gary Gallegos, who helped me. His unrelenting enthusiasm, great glassing skills and uncanny big buck instinct created an opportunity where there appeared to be none.
August 8th, 2008
It looks like the Arizona state-wide auction tag holder for mule deer connected on an awesome buck. David “Doc” Meyer was the tag holder and took a huge velvet buck last week on the Strip. The big mule deer has a huge 219 typical frame and is said to green score 241.
August 4th, 2008
Elk video taken by Barry Pitt
The Spider Bull
UPDATE: (9/30/2008) The Spider Bull Elk is Dead. Read the details here
There is a new big bull elk in town, and he is causing quite a stir this summer. Right now everyone is trying to get a glimpse of the Spider Bull Elk from Utah. This huge velvet elk has points all over the place, and so far has been quite easy for people to find and video. It will be interesting to see how things pan out as it gets closer to the hunts.
Archery hunters are going to get first crack at this monster bull in August. How much bigger will he grow by then? Hard to imagine.
Is this a new World Record Elk?
Are we looking at a possible world record bull elk on our hands? Some people think so. If he is taken with a bow, I think he could do it. Currently world record non-typical elk is the Franklin Bull from Arizona which scores 442 0/8 P&Y.
If he squeaks through the archery season and is taken with a rifle (or Governor Tag holder gets on him), then the current world record is 465 2/8 B&C. In order for this bull to exceed that mark, he is going to have to gross score around the 480 plus mark!
How big is this bull?
So just how big is this bull? Some people are throwing out the 500 number. Yikes, that is big. Others are confident in the 480 class. You think 450 plus is not enough? He has great mass, tons of points, but does have an average to small inside spread and main beams.
Guess the Score
Go ahead and take a stab at the score. What does he score now, or what do you think he will grow into? Do we have a potential world record on our hands?
Win a FREE Backpack! Guess the score and when/if this bull gets taken this year by a hunter
Conspiracy Theory
Ok, so I have to throw this out….is this bull really legit. Is this a bull that has escaped a high fenced elk farm? There are some around here in Utah you know. Why haven’t we seen more of this bull last year? Or maybe he was a big 420 class bulll that was broken up and passed on, not knowing just how big he was. Are there any sheds to this bull laying around? Some good questions. I guess we will have to see just what happens in the next few months or so and I’ll keep you posted on the outcome.
Conclusion
I think this bull could cap off an amazing run for Utah with huge bulls. However, he may not be so easy to get to once he rubs his velvet off. He could very well hightail it out of dodge after he rubs and gets more pressure with the archery hunters. He could end up in an adjoining unit 20 miles away?….
Let’s take another look at this unique monster bull. This footage is from the guys at Tines Up.
July 26th, 2008
Just got word yesterday that the 2007-2008 Arizona Raffle Tag holder just shot a monster velvet bull elk on Monday. Elk in July you say? This is the raffle winner from 2007 and Arizona gives them the whole year to hunt and ends on July of the next year. Crazy! He had until the end of July 2008 to fill his tag.
So the raffle tag holder, Clark Guy, held out for a big bull and had passed on two other 400 class bulls in two days before getting this big boy. With the help of Mullins Outfitters he was able to down a monster velvet bull. It is a 7×6 non-typical that green scores 422 gross. There is an extra in-line type point on the right side by the third point. Beautiful bull and the velvet looks to be in very good condition.
This bull is massive and has 76-inches of mass!
Look for more on this bull and you will eventually get the whole story in a future issue of Hunting Illustrated Magazine.
July 24th, 2008
The above photos is what started a little excitement that was posted on message boards and forwarded to emails all over the place. The problem was, once again incorrect information was passed along and some people made ill-advised conclusions even though they really didn’t know - most of them just from looking at the photo itself.
So what was the problem?
This photos started getting emailed around that these were huge 480, 490, even 500 class elk sheds. The problem came when some people saw the background terrain where the photo was taken and assumed the sheds were picked up in that area. The photo was taken in Southern Utah, therefore assuming that the elk sheds were picked up recently in Utah.
So what is the real story?
One thing is for sure….these are some monster elk sheds. However, everything else about the above rumors are not true. These elk sheds are about 10 years old and they are not from Utah. Not even from the U.S. They are from an elk from New Zealand. Yes, that is right. So all of you that are excited about a huge elk running around packing these antlers for the 2008 season is not true.
Are they really that big?
These antlers are currently owned by Richard Dorchuck. They have been roughed scored between 480 to 490 gross. They are big. Richard also owns the sheds from the same bull from the previous year. Those sheds are a 440 class as well. Very impressive.
I have posted some additional photos of these sheds…from an elk 10 years ago that was originally from New Zealand.
Elk sheds from New Zealand. Not from Utah.
This shows both sets of sheds. A 440 class on the left and the next year grew to an enormous 480 class.
July 23rd, 2008
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