Oregon Man Finds 2nd Largest Bull Elk In State History While Searching For Pine Cones

Elk skull found in Oregon
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Sheesh, talk about a MONSTER.

According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, an elk in Union County, Oregon with antlers with a size of 406 6/8 has officially been recorded, giving it the second place record for a Rocky Mountain elk in Oregon. The elk’s skull and antlers were found by a cone collecting crew on private timberland in the Catherine Creek area this past summer, and was turned into the ODFW.

Dude was just out and about, picking up pine cones like a toddler and stumbled upon this behemoth.

Mark Penninger, a certified scorer for Northwest Big Game Records Inc., scored the massive elk. Penninger described the elk as “jaw dropping,” and continued:

“Bull elk of this caliber are incredibly rare in Oregon but it’s great to see they are still around. This bull is a testament that age, good genetics, and high-quality habitat can produce truly world class elk.”

The ODFW does not track trophy records, but will submit the score to the Northwest Big Game Records Inc. for official placement. This is the first elk since 1984 to record a size higher than 400, when one was found or harvested by Randy Ryerse in Crook County, which is now number four all time in Oregon with a score of 400 0/8.

The number one recorded Oregon elk was scored at 418 2/8 back in 1942 by Hugh Evans, also in Crook County.

The previous second largest elk, discovered by Jim Sproul, was scored at 401 1/8 and was displayed at the John Day Elks Lodge, before it was burned down.

With the recent Catherine Creek discovery, the top four elk antlers will all be in the 400s.

Pretty impressive elk they got growing up there in Oregon, I’d say.

Elk Skull

A Country Boy Can Survive: Hank Williams Jr. Bags A Cow Elk From 300 Yards

Remember when ol’ Bocephus said in his song “A Country Boy Can Survive…”

“My grandpa taught me how to live off the land”

and:

“we can skin a buck, and run a trot line”

Well, he sure as hell wasn’t lying.

Because Hank Williams Jr. recently bagged himself a big ol’ cow elk from 300 yards. He posted the pic via Twitter, saying:

“‘A Country Boy Can Survive.’ Got this one from 300 yards! A cow elk is the BEST for eating. Elk chili on a cold day anyone?”

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Young Elk Tries To Escape Wolf And A Grizzly Bear In Banff National Park

It’s hard out here for an elk…

Even in a National Park like Banff, where wildlife is so abundant, it’s not every day that you’re gonna witness an animal encounter like this. On top of that, to catch it all on video… even crazier.

It might not be the best quality, and our dude is no Steven Spielberg, but amazing none the less.

It starts with a shaking video as you notice something on shore on the far side of the river. It ends up being a wolf chasing a calf elk into the river. It must have nipped it because the elk starts crying pretty hard as it gets into the water. Opting to stay dry, the wolf decides not to pursue, and he glances up at the onlookers before retreating back into the woods.

The young elk lives to fight another day… Not so fast.

Just as you think the elk may have gotten away, here comes the grizzly charging into the water, making its way across the river. It ends up down stream a ways from the elk still fighting its way back to shore. As the grizzly hits land, it shows you one of the many reasons they are such an incredible animal. In a matter of seconds it ends up right were the elk touched down on shore and chases it back into the water underneath a bridge.

The bikers who are filming are completely in shock and I can’t really blame them. Imagine your morning work out going along enjoying a bike ride in the mountains and you witness a sequence of events like this? The elk comes out from under the bridge with the bear right on it tail.

“This is the most epic shit ever… This is ‘Planet Earth.'”

Not for the elk…

However, I see no lies here, it is pretty epic. This would be some type of stuff you see on Planet Earth. As the elk swims down river it gets some distance on the grizzly. Smart move young one, smart move. The elk made it safely to shore, only to find the wolf waiting for him…

“At the end of the video the elk gains some distance but ends up on shore with wolf waiting on the train tracks and the grizzly bear eventually catching up. Not sure exactly who wins but its definitely not the elk.”

Nature can be a cruel, cruel beast.

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