Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Reality of trophy elk

The reality of “trophy elk” is that a DIY hunt on public land with close friends or family makes any bull a trophy. A giant 350+ bull might be a trophy but it completely depends upon the circumstances of the hunt as to whether it’s actually a trophy or not. I’ve seen some real monsters while hunting both public and private land but because of the restrictions on big bulls here they were off limits. Oftentimes the real trophy is the tag itself, killing the big bull is the easy part.

I’ve arrowed five of them, killed two with a rifle.
Have no idea what they score, and don’t plan on scoring them. I just don’t get all wound up about scores/inches, whether elk, whitetails or other animals.

I think any elk south of the freeway needs to be called something different. They are not the same critters as north of the freeway! lol The horrendous drawing odds up south make it pretty certain all I will ever do is look at them. I suppose if you have an extra $10K to burn, you can buy a landowner tag......

10 with a bow, 6 with a rifle, only 2 over 300" - they all look good in the freezer though!

I have hunted the same Colorado unit for the last 7 years during archery season. Sometimes we go early and sometimes during the rut. I’ve killed 1 cow in 7 years and only seen at a distance 3 legal bulls on public land in 7 years. I don’t bother buying the more expensive bull tag anymore, in fact we just got home from a 6 day hunt and I never saw an elk on public land at all. I saw multiple hunters every day and covered 7-8 miles on foot glassing every day. It’s tough and any elk is a trophy especially with archery equipment on public land, it’s all about the experience! Go and start learning an area that looks good to you and don’t pass up anything legal.

I would have switched areas 5 years ago. Why are you returning to an area with no elk?

Ooof, I agree with you RockChuck. Don't go back there.

To the OP: Generally, very generally, speaking, a six point bull, like a five point whitetail is a mature animal and is somewhat of a trophy in and of itself.

If you want to divine the line between animals in that same class, then be my guest.

This is my biggest of ten bulls or so, with a friend (I don’t know where the pic of me with this bull went). I have never been interested in inches but am told its in the 330’s to 340’s class. It was taken in north central Co on a late season hunt. It fell about 25 feet at the shot and broke that one right point off in the process.

Elk are wonderful animals and the meat is delicious. At this point, if I go again, I’ll get a cow tag and will be just as happy as if it was a 350 bull. On my public land hunts, I always took the first legal animal I had a reasonable chance at and considered it a trophy.

A super nice elk George.

Only elk hunters will know a 300, 320 or 340 bull, but everyone can count to 6.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that's another solid ~4.5 year old 280-290 class 6x6.

It is a good, respectable bull, but he isn't 330 class.

My guide on that outing killed his first Colorado elk at 12 years age and also began guiding hunters then. He grew up in the mountains in the Colorado Springs area and killed his 60 th bull with a friend of mine on the ranch where I shot mine. He has also measured many bulls for others. Interestingly, the day after we had taken my bull in to a game processor in Colorado City, he remarked that he had skipped a tine and needed to measure mine again. I asked him why? I had a great time that week and saw wild elk larger than mine, and then on the last day, I shot it running away at 110 yards with a Texas heart shot! I always wanted a classic 6x6 and the points be damned! More points would not improve my memory of that great week in the Colorado mountains.

5”, that’s all I need for me to pull the trigger on my annual CO elk hunt. CO requires a 5” brow tine or 4 points on a side, if I see either I’m getting ready to shoot.

OK requires 5 points on one side and I’ll pass a smaller bull and shoot a cow if given the chance. They’re a small herd that’s doing well and my tags are free so I’d rather let the bulls grow if they’re barely legal.

My first bull was also my biggest, an ancient massive gnarled old 7x5 in CO. I doubt if he’ll score 270” but he’s one of my best trophies. My uncle and I killed a pair of old bulls 15 minutes apart while we were hunting together, his was a 6x6. As we started breaking them down word got out amongst our camp via radio and just about everyone showed up to pitch in and help. The grin on my Grandad’s face as his son and grandson came into camp that evening with two big bulls is the best trophy I ever earned.

If so, not a problem for me; I’ll take your word for it. I thought perhaps he wasn’t above 300 but as I’ve mentioned, that was never a big motivation for me. He was hard won in poor stalking conditions. This is him now with his prosthesis. 😊

I might explain myself a bit more. As I mentioned about my elk hunts somewhere here, there have been quite a few of my elk hunts after which I went home without a shot being taken. Some, I never saw an animal, but I would also say none of them were failures. Though I did injure my back some on one, but that’s beside the point.

I take the experience globally; that is, the usually beautiful country elk are in; the camaraderie of good friends; the camp of whatever form it takes. And the rifle and all that that encompasses. And then, of course the elk — seeing them, stalking them, and getting a shot or not. All that adds up to an experience to be enjoyed. If not, don’t even start, because if you count success only as punched tag, you’re in for a lot of failure and disappointments.

Especially as a Midwesterner, who not only doesn’t go every year, but is limited to 5-10 days in the years when I did go.

I have very little idea of what that bull would score, and like you, I could care less. Thats a damn nice bull any time, any where.

There is not a damn thing wrong with that, and he's bigger than my biggest bull. I have an Idaho hunt in less than 3 weeks and I'll shoot one just like him without thinking twice.

OP: other guys have already said it better, but you wanna see an Oregon trophy elk? Ok.. but I'll only show you about 2/3 so you won't get a heart attack:

Here's a dink I passed on... (nose suddenly growing longer)

Nice bull..Congrats.

I think some get hung up on the score and some take the talk of score wrong.

For many, (me) score is just a way of relaying size in conversation. “Big” to some, is small/average to others.