Big bull stories

Hunting stories are a dime a dozen in Idaho, but none captures the biggest of Idaho’s big-game tales and photos like Ryan Hatfield’s “Idaho’s Greatest Elk.”

The author preserves the state’s legacy of big bulls by collecting and publishing more than 400 photos and nearly that many short stories recalling the top trophy bulls taken in the state. The list includes possibly the first recorded sport hunt, a 1893 expedition that proved huge bulls have been here a long time.

The book includes stories about trophies taken from all the elk counties in the state, including Shoshone and Kootenai. It also includes history chapters on subjects such as the rise and fall of Clearwater elk, the life of early game wardens, modern elk management and more.

Hatfield, an Idaho native who works for the Boone & Crockett Club in Missoula, also wrote “Idaho’s Greatest Mule Deer.”

Rich Landers