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THE GREAT OUTDOORS — The general hunting seasons for mule deer and elk recently ended in Utah, prompting us to take a look at the highest scoring elk harvested in the state with a rifle and muzzleloader.
National hunting organizations the Pope and Young Club and the Boone and Crockett Club both keep official records of the largest, highest scoring animals killed throughout the world.
Boone and Crockett big game records assistant director Justin Spring said their officials score the animal based on the following measurements: the length of the antler beams, the greatest inside spread between the antlers that doesn't exceed the length of the main beam, the length of each tine and four mass circumferences taken at specific locations around the beam.
"The basic idea is the specimens produced in the best habitat are very massive and symmetrical with long beams and tines, hence the criteria for our scoring," Spring said. "We use these entries to gauge wildlife management successes and failures on a continent-wide scale."
The elk included are the top five highest scoring typical and non-typical elk killed with a rifle or muzzleloader in Utah, according to records provided by Boone and Crockett. The list includes typical and non-typicals. A typical is usually defined as an elk with four points on each side of its antlers. A non-typical elk is usually defined as having more than four points on each side of the antlers.
Killed by: Denny Austad; Scored: 478 ⅝''; Location: Piute County; Date: Sept. 30, 2008; Weapon: .308 Winchester rifle
Killed by: Carrie A. Albrecht; Scored: 431 2/8''; Location: Wayne County; Date: Sept. 25, 2014; Weapon: .50 caliber muzzleloader
Killed by: Darrell Snedger; Scored: 423 0/8''; Location: Wayne County; Date: Sept. 17, 2007; Weapon: .300 Winchester rifle
Killed by: Ron F. Skoronski; Scored: 422 5/8''; Location: Grand County; Date: Nov. 11, 2006; Weapon: .303 British rifle
Killed by: Doug Degelbeck; Scored: 412 7/8''; Location: Utah County; Date: Sept. 28, 2006; Weapon: .50 caliber muzzleloader
