9 X 8 bull elk is Pennsylvania state record
HUNTING -- A bull elk killed by a hunter in Pennsylvania in 2011 has been confirmed as the state record by the Boone and Crockett Club.
An official measurer determined a final score of 442-6/8 B&C non-typical points, which ranks 9th among all non-typical elk in Boone and Crockett records.
William Zee of Doylestown, Pa., killed the elk while hunting in Clearfield County, Pa.
The bull has nine points on the right antler and eight on the left. The antlers tally 190-3/8 on the right and 188-1/8 on the left, with 47-7/8 inside spread and 29-7/8 in abnormal points. The antlers are unusually wide—an impressive 69 inches at their widest point.
The Boone and Crockett scoring system is based on antler size and symmetry, and accepts only trophies taken in fair chase.
Since the early 1900s, the Boone and Crockett scoring system has been used to measure the success of wildlife conservation and management programs across North America.
Elk are native to Pennsylvania but had been extirpated by the late 1870s. Hunters and game commissioners in 1912 began discussing the idea of re-introducing the species. The following year, a shipment of 50 elk arrived by train from Yellowstone National Park. Half were released in Clinton County, half in Clearfield County.
By the late 1990s, the elk reintroduction and habitat restoration efforts began generating significant tourism, wildlife watching and hunting opportunities.
Boone and Crockett recognizes 10 Pennsylvania bulls as records. Seven are non-typical elk with a minimum score of 385; three are typical elk with a minimum score of 360. All have been taken since 2003.
