World record elk washington state
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Washington state bull could set new Boone and Crocket and Pope & Young high-water marks
BY MIKE STEVENS
A well-known bowhunter closed out 2024 in hunt-of-a-lifetime fashion when he arrowed what may stand as the largest non-typical elk ever harvested. Casey Brooks was hunting on New Year’s Eve in Washington state when he brought down the incredible bull that, according to early indicators, could beat both the Pope and Young and Boone and Crockett records for Rocky Mountain elk.
According to an Instagram post made by the hunter’s son, Beau, a Boone and Crockett representative said the bull grossed 490 4/8 and netted 480 4/8. The post continued, “For as long as I can remember, my dad has been chasing giant bulls, coming incredibly close to this moment multiple times. He currently holds the number 3 (436-inch) and #4 (430-inch) Pope and Young non-typical records, and has taken an astounding 12 bulls over 400 inches and 86 bull elk in total with a bow. But this bull—this absolute monarch—stands above them all.”
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According to the post, his father and his buddies have been tracking the bull for years which included finding its sheds. The
The Real Story Behind the Casey Brooks Bull, the Pending World Record Elk
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When Beau Brooks, a popular hunting personality, posted a New Year’s Day photo of his dad holding up the rack of an absolutely gigantic bull elk, outdoor social media went wild.
In the post, Beau noted the bull’s green scores, 480 4/8 net and 490 4/8 gross, which would be enough for the bull to dethrone the Spider Bull as the all-time Boone & Crockett non-typical world record. But aside from tagging Washington State as the location, and celebrating his dad, Casey Brooks, as the “King of Elk Hunting” with 86 bulls to his credit, Beau’s post was thin on details.
It was not long before commenters started criticizing the ethics around Brooks’ hunt. Aaron Whitefoot, a local elk hunter and enrolled Yakama tribal member, seemed to be leading the controversy on social media.
“Have to call this guy the driveway hunter,” wrote Whitefoot on Facebook on Jan. 4. That post was shared 375 times and garnered 1,300 comments.
Whitefoot, who declined to be interviewed on the recordin January, posted more
Renowned Archer Tags Pending World-Record Bull Elk
If you pay any attention to the latest and greatest in Western big game hunting, odds are you’ve already seen photos of Casey Brooks’ potential world record-nabbing bull elk. The brutish, palmated 9-by-8 is circulating headlines, social media feeds, and hunt forums after Brooks’ son, Beau, shared photos and videos of the head and horns on Thursday, January 2. According to a photo of the official Pope & Young scoresheet, Brooks harvested the bull on New Year’s Eve.
“For as long as I can remember, my dad has been chasing giant bulls, coming incredibly close to this moment multiple times,” Beau Brooks wrote in an Instagram caption. “He…has taken an astounding 12 bulls over 400 inches and 86 bull elk in total with a bow. But this bull—this absolute monarch—stands above them all.”
Casey Brooks with the giant potential world-record elk via Beau Brooks' Facebook.
Brooks already holds the third- and fourth-ranking nontypical P&Y records, with bulls scoring 436 1/8 and 430 6/8, respectively. The location tag on the Instagram post indica
Casey Brooks may have killed the biggest non-typical elk ever.
According to an Instagram post by his son Beau
, Brooks arrowed the astounding bull on December 31. If it's green score holds up, the elk stands to top both the Pope & Young and Boone & Crockett Club record books for Rocky Mountain elk. The rack was scored by an official Boone & Crockett scorer, Beau Brooks says, grossing a whopping 490 4/8 and netting 480 4/8.
(Photo/Casey Brooks)
The current Pope & Young record for non-typical American elk is the Shean O'Shea bull, which was netted 449 4/8. The current Boone & Crockett Club record for non-typical American elk is
D
enny Austad's 478-5/8-inch Spider Bull.
Brooks is no stranger to trophy caliber bulls and currently holds the third- and fourth-largest non-typical bull elk in the Pope & Young Club record book. According to Beau, he had an extended history with his recent kill.
“Dad and his friends had been tracking this bull for years, finding sheds and keeping tabs on him,” explained Beau, who noted that this year Brooks committed to pursuing him after nabbing one of Washington state’s coveted raffle tags, which allow