PA 1st Mega-Bull in the bag....

[Plinker147]

It's simply the age class with the food supply. You're not going to kill giant bulls unless they can get old enough to be giants. States that manage for low harvest get old big bulls.

That is one giant beautiful bull

 

[memtb]

As far as I know, all the elk transplanted to PA, MI, TN, KY etc are ALL Rocky Mountain species. Its the habitat, food, water, great antler mineral nutrition, lack of predators found out west, so able to max out genetics. They are in lush gardens of Eden in comparison to out west. They even don't have to travel for food, surrounded by it! So yeah, they can grow big everything!

Yep, those are welfare elk…….ours have to work for a living! memtb

 

[dogz]

Guessing what I meant is that they might be the same species there is a huge difference in an elk making a living in the Rockeis compared to Pa or Tn or whatever.

Pretty to look at but other than that a yawn for me...just my way

 

[Muddyboots]

No different than comparing same whitetail species to same ones in Midwest. I never shot 200# + dressed whitetails until moving here. Heck if not 225 dressed not even in top 10 of big buck contests.

 

[Baker Alvin]

Congratulations! Thank you for sharing!!

 

[CMP70306]

Guessing what I meant is that they might be the same species there is a huge difference in an elk making a living in the Rockeis compared to Pa or Tn or whatever.

Pretty to look at but other than that a yawn for me...just my way

Pretty much the same comparing deer here in PA to those in the Midwest, Canada and Texas. Our deer rarely get big antlers here, the biggest our group has killed is around 120" but most are sub 100", because they never get old enough to get big.

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

....another mass-monster, it's all about habitat.

 

[YZEATER]

Leaving this afternoon go view some elk this weekend in the big woods!

 

[HRM Johnny]

Wow! Amazing! Frank, thank you very very much for posting this. Thank you for those fantastic pictures.

 

[MtPockets]

Pretty much the same comparing deer here in PA to those in the Midwest, Canada and Texas. Our deer rarely get big antlers here, the biggest our group has killed is around 120" but most are sub 100", because they never get old enough to get big.

^^^THIS^^^

There are areas out west that don't seem like "elk country" so not many hunters, and they have massive bulls too.
Didn't PA just recently start having elk seasons? It's not surprising that there are monster bulls if they are allowed to get old.
No diffferent than my favorite Bluegill honey hole as a kid. Used to be able to get HUGE fish out of there but once word got out and more people fished it, no more bigguns.

Thanks for sharing! Love looking at big bulls no matter the locale!

 

[bluedog69]

So if Iowa and northern MO could just start growing elk....then the world would see what good soils
and plenty to eat could do for an elk.

 

[Allen Kitts]

Great Pictures and wow what a bull. I agree with you about the next world record coming from the east. Good herd management and great habitat for horn growth allows bulls to get old and that is essential for mass and length. There are way to many hunters anymore out west, the bulls in states like Montana just don't get a chance to get old enough to get that big anymore. If its got a legal horn and somebody see's it they kill it. Just seeing bulls in the hardwoods like that is so exciting. Keep posting the pictures, they are just great. Thank You!

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

....all I know is things are about to explode !!! All its going to take is a little cold night, they are stirred up and movin', a lot of cameras are about to be shootin' a million photos, hopefully a few mega giants will loose control....can't hardly sleep at night thinkin' about it..

ps..archery season starts next Saturday, oh' to have one of those tags...lol

 

[Leaf Litter]

I feel like it's less habitat than it is low harvest numbers. Great bull regardless