What makes an Elk big?

[hank4elk]

Size............da big

 

[davinski]

For width, if you're asking yourself if he's wide or narrow, then he's narrow. A big wide one will just look big and wide. For points, you generally want to look for what's going on after the G4 which is the one point usually standing straight up. If it splits into 2 little points after that, it's a little 6-pt. If it splits into a bigger whale tail after that...or more, then it's a nice 6pt or more. Sometimes that G4 is part of the whale tail which makes it a nice 5pt that can be a nice bull too. I've been watching elk for 25 years and last year scouting I caught a quick, close look at one that had stuff going on after his G4 but couldn't quit looking at that G4 that looked as big around and taller than my forearm...I purtnear pooped. Never could find him during rifle season though.

 

[WyoDoug]

So, being a pretty inexperienced elk hunter who got mega lucky this past season, I have no frame of reference for what makes a big bull look big. Heck, I've ever only seen a branch antlered bull in real life once. As whitetail season wanes here in AL I got to thinking the other day how I can look at a Whitetail and determine if that is a good buck or not. I'm far from a trophy hunter but I do like a nice set of antlers once the freezer is full.

So for you, what constitutes a big bull in inside width, eye guard length, beam length, G3/4/5 lengths? Mass measurements? I.E., whats a wide bull and what is a tall bull? What are long beams? I can see a whitetail thats 20" wide inside but with 4" G2's and call that a wide buck, or one with 15" inside spread but 12" G2's and 11" G3's and call that a tall buck. That kind of thing.

Big issue that produces the best trophies anywhere in the country... (1) habitat, (2) genetics, and (3) sanctuary. I stay that from experience, not that I am a biologist who might state something different. I have worked with outfitters in my younger years and that is the same thing they said.

 

[elkduds]

If he can scratch his ass by nodding his head, then yes.

So not quite, boomer.

 

[Duck-Slayer]

Brown it’s down when it comes to archery hunting elk and that’s almost all that I do,
Matt

 

[Duck-Slayer]

EView attachment 127606

Holy F bomb
Matt

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

If you see him and have to wonder if he's big, he's probably not very big.

Not really what you asked, but that's been my experience. I've literally never glassed a bull and started trying to do math.

They all look big to me when I have a rifle and tag in hand, haha

 

[ChrisAU]

So I have measurements, and I really ask from a stance of ignorance, is 46" wide inside considered wide? Average? Narrow? Abnormally wide or narrow? With whitetail most hunters will say they favor one attribute over the other and for instance if you say a buck has a 20" inside spread then he is considered wide-abnormally wide for our area. I should have clarified my OP, I'm not talking about judging them on the hoof. I doubt I will ever pass a legal bull in my life on a DIY OTC hunt.

 

[Kaitum]

So I have measurements, and I really ask from a stance of ignorance, is 46" wide inside considered wide? Average? Narrow? Abnormally wide or narrow? With whitetail most hunters will say they favor one attribute over the other and for instance if you say a buck has a 20" inside spread then he is considered wide-abnormally wide for our area. I should have clarified my OP, I'm not talking about judging them on the hoof. I doubt I will ever pass a legal bull in my life on a DIY OTC hunt.

This bull is 41" wide at his inside measurement. The perspective of the photo probably makes him look wider. That said, where I elk hunt I've not seen one wider. So I would say 46" inside is well above average.

 

[Bluffgruff]

I measure bulls in kilograms of bone on a skull plate. 10 is big, 13+ is world class.

 

[buffybr]

I recall hearing long ago, long before I started elk hunting, that you know you're looking at a really big bull if it looks like he can scratch his rump with his tines when he tips his head back. I hope I see such a bull one day.

Here's my largest bull that I shot many years ago on public land in NW Montana. He meets all of the criteria that I posted earlier, and he meets Kaitum's criteria. He was also the first bull that I saw that year. If I remember correctly, his inside spread was 44" and his longest main beam was 60 1/2". The bugling mount required me to "box" him out from the wall to accommodate the 5th and 6th points on each antler.

And here is my 2nd best bull. He also meets all of my "big bull"" requirements that I posted above. I also shot him on a solo DIY hunt in southwest Montana. His antlers easily fit inside my larger bull.

 

[rmyoung1]

If the bull has a large “whale tail” at the end of each antler, chances are it’s a nice bull. (See @buffybr post above) A bull with large whale tails will have good main beam length and good G5s. If a bull has good G5s, then the G4s will be good as well, most likely. I think that’s what often separates good 6-points from great ones. There are a lot of nice 6-points that have width and mass but peter out on the back end with short G5s and main beams that stop in that mid-40” range. A great 6-point with a large deep tail at the back end will have main beams in that mid- to upper-50” range.

 

[bmontang]

I like 'em when they can scratch their rump without bending to much. Just a small head turn and they are scratching their rump. To me that is big.

 

[Deleted member 38069]

Genetics through homeobox transcription factors

 

[sbhooper]

Lots of good forage is what makes an elk big.