Pennsylvania Monarch Bull

jdmaxwell

Active Member
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118
LAST EDITED ON Dec-21-16 AT 05:57PM (MST)[p]I was lucky enough to draw a PA Bull tag in my home state this year.
My wife and i spent every weekend after i learned i drew the tag, scouting.
We hiked and biked many miles, spent every free moment we could learn the area i had drew.
I drew Zone 13 in PA Elk range, which i was told would be the hardest unit of all to hunt.
But my wife and i love the challenge of DIY hunting.
We hunt Colorado every September DIY Unguided for Elk, so this hunt was going to be no different for us. DIY
Although we were unsuccessful this year in Colorado, we were determined to make the most of this once in a lifetime tag in our home state.

We had a running list of bulls we encountered in my Hunt Zone.
As the hunt neared, we had determined the 2 bulls we would focus on pursuing.
We had many encounters with one bull we had nick named "Wally" from trail camera pics. A big 8 x 8 with split ends on his main beams.
The other bull we named "Big Boy" (real original), super heavy mass and dark dark horns. We had only ever saw him once in person.

On opening morning about an hour into the hunt, we heard a bull bulge. We moved toward the location. As we were walking, i spotted a bull about 100 yards away feeding on acorns. After studying him, i determined he was a 6 x 7 maybe 350inish bull.
I turned around to my camera man and told him i was going to pass on this bull.
You should have saw the look on his face!
Everyone even some of my hunting party thought i was crazy.
But i knew of the bigger bulls in the area from all our scouting and my wife and i had decided ahead of time i should hold out.

The rest of the day we did not see any elk.
Tuesday morning we heard some bulls, but never caught up to them.
I was starting to feel the pressure i was putting on myself.

Wednesday morning we thought we had located one of our hit list bulls.
As luck would have it he was bugling pretty good for November 2nd.
We were able to circle around in front of him as he was coming up a valley.
He bugled about 200 yards from us, and i knew after all our scrambling to get in position he was now coming our way.
Just then the camera man whispered to me he saw a cow coming.
8 cows slowly were being pushed our direction by the big bull.
The cows were now 70 yards from us straight down wind with the bull still in heavy cover.
I had one small opening and decided as soon as he stepped into it, i had to shoot before the cows spooked.
His front shoulder stepped into the opening and i shot.
He dropped in his tracks and never took another step.

Walking up to him i did not realize just how big he was until the camera man got to him first.
That is when i realized i had killed "Big Boy"!!!

Sorry for long story, i tried to make it a short version.

Here he is 9 x 8.. Gross Scored 418 6/8..

Biggest Bull ever killed in PA DIY Unguided.







Heavy Packs coming out.






I have to give a Big Thanks to my wife. She put in countless hours with me scouting and gave up her archery season to help scout. This bull was definitely both of ours.

I also have to thank my brother in law, and our retired friend who both accompanied me on the hunt. They were a big help in everything.

This was truly an amazing experience and i am great full to all the organizations that have had a part in the reintroduction of elk to Pennsylvania.

This PA Elk hunt and our Colorado Elk hunt was filmed by Addicted to the Outdoors.
These hunts will air on the Outdoor Channel featuring my wife and I.
 
Wow! Amazing bull! Congratulations, and thanks for sharing your hunting adventure on here. That is a hunt of a lifetime for sure! Curious about the collar? I'm guessing the local wildlife division will have some data and history on this bull? It would be interesting to know that bulls story and history. Well done!!
 
NICE!

I'm Guessing He'll Put You Quite High in the B&C Book for PA?









[font color="blue"]She put a Big F.U. in My Future,Ya She's got a
way with Words[/font]
 
>Wow! Amazing bull! Congratulations,
>and thanks for sharing your
>hunting adventure on here.
> That is a hunt
>of a lifetime for sure!
> Curious about the
>collar? I'm guessing the
>local wildlife division will have
>some data and history on
>this bull? It
>would be interesting to know
>that bulls story and history.
> Well done!!

Biologist told us that 3 years ago they collared the bull and that this year he was 10.5 years old.
 
> NICE!
>
>I'm Guessing He'll Put You Quite
>High in the B&C Book
>for PA?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>[font color="blue"]She put a Big F.U.
>in My Future,Ya She's got
>a
>way with Words[/font]
>
>

Get him officially scored for B&C on Jan 17th..
If I still make over 400 in, he would be 3rd or 4th all time harvested.
 
I know picture isn't real good, but this is off the video.

This is bull I passed on opening morning.
Real heavy 6 x 7 at 100 yards.







This is couple examples of bulls that were in my Hunt Zone, but I knew the bigger ones were there also.









 
You Can't Enter Ranch Bulls that Got away & Turned Wild in the B&C Book!:D

JUDAS!

They At Least Cut the Collar off the SPIDER Bull!:D

RAZZIN Ya!!!








[font color="blue"]She put a Big F.U. in My Future,Ya She's got a
way with Words[/font]
 
I spent a couple years in old Pennsylvania about 30 years ago. No elk there then. But I enjoyed the wild life everywhere I went. In what part of PA do they have elk now ?
 
Big John, there has been a heard of elk in pennsylvania since the early 1900s. The elk have been there for over 100 years. Through management PA has had a season for about 15 years now. They are located in the western side of the state. Some of the hugest bulls come from this hunt and it would probably be the easiest way to shoot a B&C elk if you could ever get the tag. I have applied as a resident since the hunt started and would love to someday draw that tag
 
>Big John, there has been a
>heard of elk in pennsylvania
>since the early 1900s. The
>elk have been there for
>over 100 years. Through management
>PA has had a season
>for about 15 years now.
>They are located in the
>western side of the state.
>Some of the hugest bulls
>come from this hunt and
>it would probably be the
>easiest way to shoot a
>B&C elk if you could
>ever get the tag. I
>have applied as a resident
>since the hunt started and
>would love to someday draw
>that tag


The elk range is North Central part of state really.
 
Thanks for clarifying JD and congrats on a great bull. i followed your posts on hunting pa and saw you posted here. to me the elk range is west of me as i live in the northeast and everything west of me i consider the western part of the state. i have been on 6 elk hunts out west and hope someday to draw a pa bull tag. once again great job on a huge bull
 
I guess I need to start putting in for Pennsylvania. ? I was in north of Johnstown in Ebensburg. That's about as central Pa that I got.
 
>I guess I need to start
>putting in for Pennsylvania. ?
> I was in north
>of Johnstown in Ebensburg. That's
>about as central Pa that
>I got.


Other Bull hunter in my Zone this year that drew tag, was his very first year putting in for the drawing.
So you never know...
 
Very nice! I grew up in Elk County PA back in the 70's and 80's where the elk are. It is cool that folks get to hunt them now. The very cool part is most of the elk are located on public land.
 
>I guess I need to start
>putting in for Pennsylvania. ?
> I was in north
>of Johnstown in Ebensburg. That's
>about as central Pa that
>I got.

I grew up in Ebensburg PA! Small world. I live in Virginia now and dont plan to go back to the snowy gray weather in central PA!
 
Official today.
Had my Bull B&C scored.

406 4/8 B&C...

4th biggest PA Bull harvested all time.

Biggest ever Unguided harvested!!!!

Super Pumped
 
WOW what a Awesome bull, He is what you dream about at night if you have tag, Several years ago didn't they import so elk in to PA also to help in the genetic production.
Nice to see those type of bulls in pictures.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
OMG! What a hoss! I don't think I would have had to patience to pass on a 350, but it sure paid off for you!

And a kool story to go with it!
 
>OMG! What a hoss!
>I don't think I would
>have had to patience to
>pass on a 350, but
>it sure paid off for
>you!
>
>And a kool story to go
>with it!

It was very difficult to pass but luckily it worked out.

My wife was a big help keeping me focused on our plan to hold out for one of our target bulls.
 

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