What do you consider a 'trophy' bull?

proutdoors · Post by **proutdoors** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 2:47 pm

I saw a picture posted by jpscouting showing a 330 class bull, it got me thinking about how many people would be happy with a bull of that size, and how many feel that is too small? Please clarify what state you are from and what your 'best' bull to date is. This is just for curiousity purposes. My best bull to date is a 371 bull taken under AR301 in 2003 here in Utah with my trusty ol' Hoyt.

PRO

DR_DEATH · Post by **DR_DEATH** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 3:18 pm

I haven't killed a big bull in Utah yet, but I figure that I have 40 more years of hunting left in this ol' body of mine, and when I do draw. I hope that I will be able to tell the difference between a 330 and a 350 bull.

I think that is the biggest problem is that the majority of elk hunters don't the difference between a 330 and a 370 bull.

wapiti67 · Post by **wapiti67** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 3:55 pm

I havent killed a BIG bull in Utah either...But, after hunting wiht PRO a few years(18), I think I know what a big one looks like and want to arrow something bigger then 380.

Post by **MuleyMadness** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 4:18 pm

Mine first and only Elk has never been score, just a decent 5x6.

I was going to vote 360, but you didn't give me that option.

So I went with 350 on my score.

From Utah, not sure I'll ever get another tag for Utah though.

Post by **killerbee** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 4:37 pm

this is a wide variety on where your from or where you are hunting at. i hunt mostly general archery hunts in oregon and a 315+ bull is a true trophy. there are bigger bulls killed, my buddy just killed the state record bull last year that grossed 387 and change. but i'm talking overall average. but on say your guyses utah hunts that bull would get made fun of if you shot it on the trophy hunts.
i voted 350 cause no matter what hunt you draw you cant be to upset shooting that bull.
Where we were in new mexico a 320 bull is where your getting into the bigger bulls. south of there your back up in the 350 + range
Some hunts in Arizona and utah you really try and hold off for a 375 bull.so i think it just highly depends on where your hunting and what type of hunt it is.

proutdoors · Post by **proutdoors** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 5:20 pm

Follow up question, how many of you could tell the size of a bull standing at 200 yards? I am just curious since I am guilty of being inches obsessed. I can count on one hand the people I know who can score a bull within 10 inches consistently in the short time given to make the choice to shoot or not. How many would just look for the 'wall factor', meaning it would look could on my wall? Or is everyone as sick as me, having tunnel vision?

PRO

Post by **killerbee** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 5:26 pm

i've guided for a long time and you'd better know how when someone gives you 5000$ and says they want a bull that at least scores------? [some number] You can have a very upset hunter if you tell him it will score it and he shoots and it dont score what you said. it takes seeing alot of bulls and putting a tap on alot of bulls. another thing is i notice most of the time the guy who is the first to throw out scores on a bull usually has no clue what he's saying and for the most part makeing a good guess. just my opinion.

southwind · Post by **southwind** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:23 pm

I have a different view on this especially since in a lot of areas there are no 350 bulls. I think "Trophy" is different than a "Book" animal. I voted for 300 since that was the lowest score but to me any mature 6 point is a trophy animal. If I had to attach a score to it I think it would be that 300 6x6 bench mark.

I also believe the trophy is in the eyes of the beholder. I think we deminish the animal/trophy status by getting too hung up on score. There is nothing wrong with thinking score but I think we can put way too much into that and get lost in score over quality of the hunt and a great representation of an animal.

Do I want that huge high scoring animal? Yes, but I am not going to base my status of trophy on score alone.

As far as scoring on the hoof I am not an expert. I look at the daggers (over 12")(#4) and brows (1&2's)to see if they extend out well towards the nose and curl up (12-14"). Those are my first two looks and then if he has a nice whales tail with around 10" on the fifth. Length I like to see extend about half way across the back. Mass can be hard to judge but when you see it you know it. 3rds are normally not too long but after checking the others and you have around 10" there you should be alright.

So if you end up with these lengths coupled with a 48" length and 36 inch max spread and decent mass you should end up around 350. Am I doing o.k. KB?

Larry · Post by **Larry** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 7:48 pm

every once in a while I get a wild hair and go chase a big bull, what that really means is I don't really need the meat that year so if I get a bull it will have to be a good one.
If I can plan ahead I'll put in for one off the better areas so then I'm looking at 350+.
if I don't plan ahead I hunt my normal area and if I see one 260 and up the lead will fly.
I've had years were I see 2 or 3 bulls a day.

RooDog · Post by **RooDog** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 12:29 am

I would be happy with a 350 class bull. My best elk so far is a 5x5, I never have put a tape to him. I mainly hunt for the meat so size don't really matter right now but I sure wouldn't pass on a 350 bull. I'm from Colorado where the bucks are bigger than the bulls.

For your follow up question.how many of you could tell the size of a bull standing at 200 yards?
I would have a good idea what he would score but he would be bigger when I got up to him, I seem to guess a bit lower.

I agree with southwind "I also believe the trophy is in the eyes of the beholder. I think we deminish the animal/trophy status by getting too hung up on score. There is nothing wrong with thinking score but I think we can put way too much into that and get lost in score over quality of the hunt and a great representation of an animal. "

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What do you consider a 'trophy' bull?

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What do you consider a 'trophy' bull?