I Shot the Third Biggest Elk of All Time

This story, “Finest Elk in 82 Years,” was initially printed within the March 1981 subject of Outside Life.

When my 18-year-old son Dale and I left camp earlier than daybreak that November morning we knew we have been headed for bother. The great elk nation is sever­al miles uphill from our camp close to the Panther River in Alberta, Canada, so we journey horses up there earlier than looking on foot. We couldn’t journey all the best way this time as a result of the temperature was 24 under. 

When it’s that chilly you don’t have sufficient physique motion to maintain heat on a horse. The intense chilly works via even one of the best of woolens, and it begins to jab into you want tiny slivers of ice. We needed to dismount many occasions and lead our horses till we restored sufficient physique heat to journey once more. 

Daybreak was a lemon-yellow brighten­ing in a cloudless sky. There wasn’t a breath of wind. It appeared as if the world was locked inside a large deep ­freeze. However there was solely about six inches of snow on the bottom and it was laborious and crisp, the type that makes for simple strolling. 

I left Dale in thick spruce and jack­pine close to the underside of Heartbreak Hill. He’d taken a large six-point elk a number of days earlier, now he was going to attempt for a mule deer buck within the decrease elevations. The elk can be greater, so I tied my horse and began climbing. 

Heartbreak Hill is properly named, most­ly as a result of its slopes angle upward any­the place from about 45 to 70 levels. Its south facet reveals open grassy slopes that supply excellent winter vary for elk. Its north facet is roofed with heavy pine and spruce forests that present excel­lent cowl for the massive animals. The hill is about two miles lengthy and half a mile excessive. It butts up towards Barrier Moun­tain that peaks in stable rock at an elevation of 8,200 toes. The mountain is one boundary of Banff Nationwide Park. 

Banff harbors a giant herd of elk in summer season. When winter comes, and the snow will get too deep and the temperature too low, the animals transfer right down to decrease elevations. They undergo three passes, Dormer, Purple Deer, and the Panther. When the climate turns extraordinarily chilly, because it had the previous couple of days, it’s virtually a positive factor that elk might be transferring downhill. 

That’s why I selected to climb Coronary heart­break Hill. It’s only some miles from the park’s boundary, however its slopes are harmful challenges for hunters. While you combine a number of inches of snow with lengthy blades of lifeless and frozen grass you may have a really slippery combi­nation. If you happen to slip and fall on these steep slopes you could slide a great distance earlier than you cease, and if. you cease sud­denly it should most likely be if you crash right into a tree or deadfall. 

All of this was nothing new to me. I’d been looking Alberta’s big-game nation for greater than 30 years, and I’d spent a great share of the previous 20 hunt­ing seasons as a part-time information. I’d packed out or helped to pack out a variety of bull elk and bighorn sheep from this Panther River nation. I knew how you can hunt the realm, and I knew that the climate situations on this morning of November 21, 1977 have been excellent for recognizing elk on the transfer. 

These ideas have been going via my thoughts as I struggled on up towards Barrier Mountain. As I started getting near the highest of Heartbreak, I discovered myself worrying extra about my rifle and the 4X Weaver scope than concerning the probability of seeing elk. I puzzled if the outdated Mannequin 70 Winchester .338 would hearth within the excessive chilly. I had no thought in any respect of seeing a really outstand­ing bull. 

I used to be born in Trochu, Alberta, in 1932. We lived on a farm the place my dad and mom raised cattle and grew grain. My dad was a devoted outdoorsman, and on my fifth birthday he advised me I might start taking pictures his .22 rifle. He put a can on a fence publish, balanced the rifle for me, and advised me how you can line up the sights. I couldn’t hit the can, however simply having the ability to shoot a gun was excit­ing sufficient. 

After I was 9, dad gave me per­mission to hunt alone. I didn’t have a lot bother getting sitting rab­bits. 

My looking fever would come to a boil every time dad introduced dwelling a deer, moose, or elk. I’d stand and admire these big animals by the hour, dreaming of the day once I’d be capable to go on a big-game hunt. In Alberta, that magic time is your 14th birthday. That’s the day you change into sufficiently old to get a big-game looking license. 

That fall dad and two of his looking companions took me into rugged wilder­ness 130 miles northwest of our farm. We made the final 12 miles of the journey with a workforce of horses and a sleigh. The sleigh was full of looking gear, groceries, and hay and oats for the horses. 

In the midst of the outdated trapper’s cabin the place we stayed there was a framed field full of soil. The soil supported a range that had been fash­ioned from a 45-gallon metal drum. Its facet had been flattened to offer a cooking floor. When that massive range was full of blazing wooden the cabin was heat as toast. However when the hearth went out, the sub-zero exterior chilly leaked in quick via holes the place chinking had fallen from the log partitions. We tried filling the holes with no matter would stick in them, however we spent a variety of time slicing wooden with a noticed. 

The massive factor I vividly keep in mind about that hunt was the tongue-lashing dad gave me after I pulled a dumb stunt. He had left me on prime of a thinly treed hill, and had advised me to stroll to the tip of the hill then await him to come back again. His plan was to hike out of the valley under and attempt to flush an ani­mal previous my ready spot. I didn’t actual­ize that it will take him a very long time to work out of the valley in foot-deep snow. I lastly determined to stroll over to the subsequent hill. 

I obtained over there, waited some time, then tried to take a shorter route again. The farther I walked the denser the tim­ber turned. I knew I used to be misplaced, however I stored looking for my manner again to the primary hill. It was late afternoon by the point dad discovered me. He had adopted my tracks within the snow, and he was actual­ly mad. 

The subsequent 12 months my household moved to the Pincher Creek space. Our farm was proper within the coronary heart of nice looking and fishing nation. I hated to depart the realm, however three years later we moved once more and settled on a farm close to Tor­rington. It’s nonetheless my dwelling. Our farm, which my brother Allan and I’ve operated since our father’s dying in 1959, covers 1,280 acres of combined crop and pasture land. We elevate oats, barley, and rape, and we now have a cow-calf oper­ation of 120 animals. There are a variety of whitetail and mule deer within the coulees and attracts, and we get our share. Fish­ing can be nice. 

We are able to’t get severe about looking till the tip of October. There’s no time to spare till the crops are com­bined, the fields are labored, and winter feed is put up for our cattle. 

About 20 years in the past Allan, myself, Artwork Schneider, and Ron and Victor Smith put our horses and looking tools collectively so we might get an clothing store’s license. In these early years we had to make use of packhorses to get into the Panther nation. We had 21 horses, two massive tents, and a full line of packing tools. We have been principally curiosity­ed in our personal looking, however we introduced in some consumer hunters. 

One 12 months our group and our shoppers obtained 37 elk. We packed all of them out by horse, eight miles right down to the place our automobiles have been parked. Just a few of us would take out a load of elk meat about twice per week. On our return journey we’d carry again extra hunters, plus oats for the horses and provides for camp. 

After a number of years of looking on this manner, Victor Smith give up due to fail­ing . well being. When Victor retired, Allan and I made a decision to start out our personal camp about half a mile away. The Smith/ Schneider camp and ours are nonetheless going robust, and so are our friendships. 

Proper right here I higher let you know extra about Artwork Schneider and his horse Outdated Pal as a result of each play roles in the remainder of my story. Artwork is 46, a married farm­er, and he drives a college bus. He’s among the best hunters I’ve ever met, and Outdated Pal turned out to be probably the most reli­in a position horse Artwork ever had in camp. 

Years in the past Outdated Pal-was a chuck-wag­on horse. Her unique proprietor ran her within the chuck-wagon competitors on the Calgary Stampede. When she turned too gradual for racing, Artwork purchased her at an public sale. It took him two years to interrupt the horse into routine looking work, largely as a result of she would need to race away each time any person would get on her again. However she was very clever, and she or he finally realized to do what Artwork needed. 

She had a sixth sense about making the various and sometimes harmful cross­ings of the Panther River. Throughout hunt­ing season, the river can change into very treacherous due to ice. As mood­atures drop, shoreline ice retains freez­ing ever nearer to the center of the riv­er. Although the river isn’t vast — nor­mally about 50 yards across-its water runs very swift over giant rocks. 

Heavy runoff can change the river’s water stage out of the blue and drastically. Chunks of shoreline ice break free and rush downstream with sufficient power to typically kind jam-ups. These jam-ups will again up a variety of water in the identical manner a dam does. When the back-up stress will get heavy sufficient the build-up of ice will burst. Some­occasions a wall of water six to eight toes excessive will come crashing down the val­ley. No man or horse can survive such raging partitions of ice and water. 

Outdated Pal might sense when it was secure to cro.ss the river. Sp.e was all the time the primary horse to interrupt ice and decide one of the best route. She was regular and would by no means get excited when ice chunks broke unfastened. She might inform if there was an excessive amount of ice and whether or not or not the water depth would enable secure crossing. She had that very same uncanny skill for being sure-footed after we hunted bighorn sheep far up within the mountains. 

Our camps are on Crown Land that’s open to public looking. In recent times we’ve been capable of get all the best way to the camps with 4 WO vehicles, bringing the horses with us, however we now have to cross the Panther at 5 totally different shallow areas as a result of there aren’t any bridges. Allan and I’ve two vehicles, the most important is a 3­quarter-ton Ford with a winch. 

Although camp is barely 115 miles from dwelling, it takes about seven hours to make the journey. The final eight miles are the roughest. It’s uncommon if we don’t get a minimum of one truck caught or slowed down within the river. That winch will get a variety of use. 

Our camp’s primary tent is 16 x 20 toes and has six-foot partitions. We use the again half for sleeping quarters. Our beds are bales of straw coated with tarps, foam mattresses, and high-quality sleeping luggage. An enormous home made range (we use chainsaws to chop up lifeless spruce timber for wooden) heats the whole tent. Close to the range is a big home made cabinet that holds groceries and provides. 

Our different tent is 9×12. It homes our saddles and pack gear, and oats and hay for the horses. We soak up eight horses after we arrange camp simply earlier than the looking season opens. The one safety they’ve from the extreme climate is the thick stand of spruce timber that surrounds our campsite. 

Allan and I take turns in camp. Every of us is in for per week, then out the subsequent. We’ve got to do that as a result of one among us has to feed cattle and do the chores again on our farm. 

Allan and my son Dale had been in camp the week earlier than I obtained my elk. Our pre-arranged schedule known as for a gathering on the third river crossing round midday on Saturday. Allan can be on his manner dwelling, I’d be going into camp with extra hunters. 

My youngest son, 11-year-old Ron­ald, was with me. So was Don Wil­liams, a 49-year-old fertilizer vendor, and Larry Weimer, a 30-year-old farmer. Each males are good buddies who needed to get in some looking. Ronald was going alongside for the joy. 

There was about 4 inches of snow on the bottom after we obtained up the primary crossing of the Panther. There we put chains on all 4 wheels of each vehicles we have been driving. After we arrived on the third crossing no person was there. We bounced and weaved the vehicles on uphill for an hour earlier than we met my brother and son coming down. The very first thing I observed in Allan’s truck was an infinite elk rack. Dale was all smiles. There wasn’t any query of who’d shot the bull. 

“Attempt to beat this one, pops,” Dale mentioned. 

Effectively, a person shouldn’t be outdone by his son, so I answered, “Little bulls like that one we depart a 12 months or so to develop up.” 

The kidding stopped in a rush as a result of the six-point rack was so mas­sive (it later formally scored 366, simply 9 in need of making the Boone and Crockett report guide) it demanded severe dialog. Allan and I agreed that the antlers have been most likely one of the best ever taken from our camp. Then I mentioned to Dale, “Let’s hear your story.” 

“I began looking under Heartbreak by strolling small hills proper after daybreak,” Dale started. “It was snowing so laborious I couldn’t see a lot of any­factor. After I was about midway up Heartbreak it give up snowing so I made a decision to cease and look issues over. Instantly I noticed three massive bulls feeding about 200 yards away. Then I noticed two extra elk bedded within the fringe of the timber under me. They have been bulls too. I might hardly imagine there have been 5 trophy bulls in sight. 

“I dropped inclined and regarded them throughout carefully with my 4X Bushnell scope. 4 of the 5 bulls had six factors on all sides, the opposite one had 5. They didn’t know I used to be there. One of the best bull was one of many three I’d noticed first. Every little thing was occur­ing so quick I didn’t have time to get excited. I leveled my 7 mm. Reming­ton Magnum and touched off. I heard the 145-grain bullet hit with a whomp. The bull turned, ran a number of steps, after which collapsed. That’s when buck fever came visiting me, however I obtained him area­dressed, and it was solely 11 o’clock once I obtained again to camp.” 

We talked some time, then Allan head­ed for dwelling whereas Dale joined my group. By the point we arrived on the final river crossing it was froze excess of I anticipated. We used a pry bar and axes to clear away sufficient ice to let our vehicles go, after which drove the final mile to camp. 

In Alberta looking is prohibited on Sunday, so we spent the subsequent day lower­ting a pile of wooden, adjusting saddles and bridles, and making ready looking tools. The temperature was fall­ing quickly by night. It was properly under zero exterior after we went to mattress. I put the alarm clock inside my sleeping bag. I needed to ensure it will ring on schedule at 4 a.m. 

It did, and I can’t ever keep in mind crawling out of a sleeping bag into such bitter chilly. I obtained the range going and loaded extra wooden into it than I ought to have. Then I dressed and fed the horses. By that point the range was far hotter than I assumed it was. I loaded a pan with bacon, and it started smoking virtually instantly. Inside moments the intense warmth created such a smoke display I needed to throw again the tent flap. By now all people was conscious and coughing and really fast with type phrases for the prepare dinner. 

“Why within the so and so don’t you learn to prepare dinner!” growled Don Wil­liams. 

“Wow,” my son Ronald yelled and ducked again into his sleeping bag. 

Larry Weimer is the quiet kind. He simply stared at me whereas muttering, “Nice technique to begin the day.” 

After we completed the burned-up breakfast, Dale and I saddled up and rode out into the just about insufferable chilly. 

A few hours later, as I used to be climbing near the highest of Coronary heart­break, I moved about even with a giant valley that extends over to Hole Ridge. The underside of this valley is closely timbered with giant spruce and jack­pines, however the place it edges up towards the slope I used to be climbing the timber thins to some small pines. I used to be about 300 yards away from the final pines-in the open on the grassy slope-when I ended to get my breath. 

As quickly as I ended I heard some­factor that sounded just like the cracking of branches. At first I assumed I used to be hear­ing issues, however when the sounds got here once more I noticed I hadn’t been mistaken. One thing was breaking branches within the timbered valley greater than 1 / 4 of a mile away. I might hear the noises plainly as a result of the extraordinarily chilly morning was lifeless nonetheless. 

I’d heard such sounds earlier than. They’re the pistol-like experiences a bull elk makes when his antlers crash via lifeless branches whereas he’s trotting or working. I stood immobile for a number of seconds, then I noticed that the sounds have been getting louder. The animal or ani­mals have been coming my manner. I figured {that a} bull would possibly burst out of the timber in a rush, so I readied my outdated Win­chester. 

Two bulls materialized. The largest trotted via the final fringe of solar­splashed timber first. His head was excessive and his glistening antlers have been laid again. The beams have been so lengthy they prolonged virtually to his flanks, they usually seemed to be a minimum of 5 toes vast. I had by no means seen an elk as giant as this one. 

I used to be conscious that the opposite bull was a big six-pointer. However there was no comparability between the 2 animals. The primary bull was so big in all respects he commanded my full atten­tion. 

I believe he noticed me on the market on the open slope as a result of he started quartering away as quickly as he cleared the pines. I’ve shot a variety of big-game animals and I usually haven’t any bother in any respect with buck fever, however I’ll admit I used to be dumb­based by that bull. The vary was 200 yards, and I excitedly triggered my first shot earlier than I obtained a correct sight pic­ture. The massive bull slumped a bit when the 200-grain Hornady bullet hit him excessive within the entrance leg, however he stored going. A well-placed bullet from my Winchester will cease any elk in his tracks, so I knew straight away that I’d shot too quick. 

While you’re in a scenario like this, and you understand that your trophy of a life­time is getting away, it’s extraordinarily dif­ficult to manage your self. However I did, and I put the second slug into the bottom of his neck. The bull dropped. When his physique hit the very steep slope it imme­diately started sliding downhill. I watched in awe as the huge black form picked up pace and commenced plow­ing snow. 

The bull slid like a runaway sleigh for 80 yards earlier than he crashed into small pines edging a V -shaped gulley. I heard branches smashing because the carcass disappeared from my view, then each­factor turned lifeless nonetheless. I glanced again up the slope. The smaller bull was standing immobile, observing me. I famous that his primary beams would mea­positive about 50 inches lengthy and that his antler unfold was about 45 inches. A trophy for positive, however his rack seemed to be a lot smaller than the one carried by the bull I’d killed. The belief of this truth nearly overwhelmed me as I watched the animal flip and run again towards heavy timber. 

I regarded downhill for Dale, and spot­ted him climbing in my route. He was having a tough time making progress on a steep sidehill. When he stopped for a breather I waved my cap. He picked up the motion, then zeroed in on my place. 

Half an hour later Dale met me close to the gulley. The primary signal we noticed of my bull was one antler protruding of a snowdrift. The sight stopped us in our tracks. “Effectively, pops,” Dale mentioned, “Your bull beats mine by loads.” 

The 1,000-pound elk had taken a variety of snow with him when he skidded into the gulley, so we had an infinite job of pushing and pulling earlier than we might get the carcass on its again for area­dressing. We agreed that the antlers have been a minimum of a fifth bigger than any elk rack we’d ever seen. I spent a variety of time close to the hearth we’d began with lifeless branches-you want a fireplace when field-dressing massive animals in tempera­tures properly under zero otherwise you’ 11 freeze your hands-but largely I simply stared at these superb antlers. 

We lastly propped the elk’s chest cavity open with branches, then headed for camp. On the best way we met Artwork Schneider who was headed as much as hunt the identical space. We advised him the place my bull was. That night Artwork stopped at our tent and mentioned, “Clarence, your bull is the most important elk this nation has ever seen. It positive can be a disgrace if these antlers obtained broken when you’re pack­ing them off the hill. I’d wish to take Outdated Pal up there and assist you to out.”

Learn Subsequent: The Real Story Behind the Casey Brooks Bull, the Pending World Record Elk 

It was unbelievable how fastidiously that horse handled these antlers the subsequent morning. She appeared to know there was one thing particular about them as a result of she took a variety of time understanding one of the best routes alongside the steep hills. After we obtained down into heavy timber the horse maneuvered between timber in order that the antlers on her again seldom touched even a twig. A number of occasions she stopped as a result of she sensed that the antlers have been too vast to get via limbs. The horse wouldn’t transfer till we lower the branches that have been in her manner. 

After we reached camp we discovered Ron Smith, Artwork’s brother-in-law, wait­ing with a tape measure. We have been all conversant in the Boone and Crockett scoring system as a result of we’re members of the Central Alberta Massive Recreation Tro­phy Membership, however Ron was an official scor­er. He stored shaking his head in received­derment as he made measurements and wrote down numbers. When he added them up he mentioned, “The antlers will shrink a bit in the course of the required 60-day drying interval. However I’ll let you know Clar­ence, your elk might be within the prime 5 for positive.” 

It turned out to be the third finest on the all-time record. The ultimate official rating lists the correct antler size at 62 3/8 inches, the left 62 2/8. The within unfold is 49 2/8. All of these measurements are a number of higher than the comparable dimensions of the No. 1 elk taken by John Piute in Colorado in 1899, however Piute’ s trophy scored greater as a result of its tines have been longer and thicker. My tro­phy has six factors on the correct facet, eight on the left. Whole Boone and Crockett factors come to 419 6/8. By the use of comparability, the No. 1 elk, shot by Phite in 1899, scored 442 3/8. The No. 2 elk on the all-time record, shot by an unknown hunter in 1890, has a complete rating of 441 6/8. In different phrases, success and laborious looking introduced me one of the best elk taken in additional than 80 years. 

Some of the astonishing statistics is the 41-pound weight of the antlers. Think about that! My bull was carrying a battering ram on his head. No surprise I might hear branches breaking like pistol pictures when that massive bull was working towards me.