400" Davis Mountains Elk

Got these pics in an email a few days ago. Elk was supposedly killed on a ranch in the Davis Mountains. Said to have grossed 400 4/8" and LF. I blanked out the faces since I do not know them or know who started the email. There is no season on Texas Elk so he would not qualify for the "book".

Looks like New Mexico land to me. Gotta love that rifle with the bolt closed pointing right at the guys.....

If it's New Mexico it was poached..unless tribal

Certainly could be legit. There's elk that big out there, and he looks like a 400 class to me. Sucker is wide. Love it.

It is legit and 100% Davis Mountains. I found out it was killed back in Sept.

That is a monster bull! Sneaky, we may need bigger trucks LOL

Sure looks like warm weather, could it have been a released bull?

No. Google 400" Davis Mountains Elk it will take you to another forum with a long thread. It will have more pics and pics texted by guide who scouted and found this elk. It is a long thread but it will show the extra pics and the guides and info on how it is legit.

Awesome bull. True giant

Not released. I know of a similar elk taken few years back same area...... Just 25" smaller

That's awesome, love to see them.

Absolute monster!!! I know the sheep and mule deer hunters don't want them, but I like to hear and see them making a comeback. Heard of some big ones out that way, but sure wouldn't have expected a 400" bull.

They are there for sure! Hunted a ranch south east of Kent a few years back and seen several that were 325 plus. Also this year has been great due to the rain. Great bull to bad I'm not behind him in pic!!

Have posted one that grossed 383. 400 is a hell of a bull. Congrats to the hunter

Actually all of those elk were released over the past several decades. Not saying he specifically was released because I'll be the wasn't. But his ancestors were. The Longfellow ranch stocked a lot of them many years ago and they've spread out a lot from there. Had the pleasure of taking a big one off a place I bought that bordered the LF. There are a lot of free ranging elk now in pecos, Brewster, and other surrounding counties.

The elk pictured is a monster. There are more like him.

Wow.

In either case though, that bull is a Monarch in 2 ways!!

Impressive bull. I've never been in the Davis Mountains, and just seen pictures from there. I didn't realize it was so lush with that much green grass.

Eddie

that's awesome, so B&C won't allow them to book it just because no season? the frickn season is 365 days a year.

Rob, I understand there is no season, since the Elk where "imported" Rocky Mntn Elk. The marriam elk was wiped out and is extinct.

I did a google search because I couldn't remember when they where stocked, it appears the Elk where 1st imported to restock portions of West Texas mountains in 1928.

thats awesome

looks like that bill did in fact have an ear Tag at one time but fell out but also was not in a high fence at the time of the kill in which was a wild chase and was accepted into b and c but not recognized
I really think that it should be if in fact it was not in a HF even though Texas parks does not say it is wild game wicheck seems like BS to me

run that by me again please....

was this on the Rock Pile? Some friends of mine used to lease it and we saw a few elk out there

look at where the gun muzzle is pointed. it must have went off and blown both of their heads off just as the picture was taken

This dang phone grrr
I swear I haven't been drinking

AZ, NM and Texas where home to the merriam. All three states got restocked with Rocky Mountain elk.
AZ is thought to may have still had a few via DNA testing(White Apache). Merriams historically had the biggest antlers.

B&C hold up is the season. TWPD did away with the season because since it's 99.9% private land out there, the LO could better manage them. After all the LO's where mainly responsible for the restocking in late 20's and early 30's. And ranches out there are very large acreage.

For the longest time B&C excluded some reservation due to no season either.

There are a few texas draw hunts out that way on WMA's that include elk.

It's still disappointing that TPWD puts the BH over the elk. Oklahoma raises a ton of money off their elk draw hunts.

Awesome bull

Yep. He has ears. Definitely a candidate for ear tags.

And where did this info come from? Looks like?

Awesome Bull! Thanks for posting this stxranchman.

What ear tag? This elk had none. It was never entered in the "book". The one killed a few years back had holes in his ears. You know what happens when you assume don't you?

Awesome bull, and so cool to see more free-range giant bulls come out of TX.

A TX elk just went on my bucket list.

Have hunted on a place south of Alpine that we saw a few elk on and have also seen elk when I was driving from Alpine to Sanderson. Neat place to be able to see that.

I was able to hunt on 2 very large places near Ft.Davis from 83-98. There have been free range Elk in West Texas for years and to see the photo of a great bull from the area warms my heart. The ranches I hunted on ask us not to harvest the Elk as they hoped to increase their numbers. Beautiful country and the quality of grass in West Texas is as good as it gets when mother nature blesses us with mositure. Thanks for post the photos sir and congrats to the hunter on a great trophy .

I've hunted two large, low fenced ranches specifically for free ranging elk; one near Sanderson and one between Marathon and Alpine. There is also a couple of ranches/outfitters that specialize in these hunts. Wildlife Systems is a good example.

The hunts I went on are not a shoe-in and were as tough as a free ranging mountain aoudad hunt in the same areas. On my hunts, I saw a number of bulls, they were hunted in the rut using techniques appropriate for the rut (bugling and calls), and they responded just like the Rocky Mountain elk that they are. On both hunts, I passed on bulls. On the second hunt, the other hunter in camp killed a 380+ bull.

On both of these hunts, viewing black bear was common. Honestly, the amount of black bear within 5 to 6 miles of Sanderson is quite impressive. They are everywhere.

Be able to participate in free ranging elk hunts in my beloved Texas, despite my decision not to shoot one, will be one of my greatest experiences in the wild.

Me too! Holey moley!

Great bull. I got a call shortly after it was taken (news travels fast in these parts). It was taken near the Sproul ranch I believe. Lots of elk in the Davis mountains and some darn fine bulls.

dang, I wonder if this is the guy with Coronado Midstream.

I know some people that hunt elk every year in the area, and always bring down some impressive bulls.

I want to hunt one.

Could very well be legit. The LF and the Escalera both harvest respectable bulls in the 300 plus. So one this size is very doable

I'm curious, any issues with CWD in Texas elk populations?

Awesome score!!!

nice bull!

Zero

Bull of a lifetime...

Great bull.

I agree with the post about Texas not having an elk season being the hang up with B&C. Elk in PA were introduced and several score over 400 B&C (as nontypicals) and B&C accepts those.

BTW, I cannot see an ear tag and I believe the bull is legit.

So what does it cost to be able to hunt Elk in Texas like this?

Holy Cow thats big!

None as of yet with Elk. Hudspeth County around El Paso has had mule deer with CWD

Haven't heard the latest on prices. 10 years ago when I was hunting Aoudad regularly out there 5k was the going rate. I saw an unbelievable 5x7 along Hwy 90 between Alpine and Marathon on the Paisano where I hunted. There are some huge elk roaming all over that country that are seldom molested.

Texas does or at least did have several elk in B&C. They were harvested prior to the declassification of elk from game animal to exotic. All in the name of desert bighorn.

Yeap, TPWD even issued landowners tags prior to the declassification. There was some political issues with the State not funding another animal introduction so they had to drop one in favor of the bighorn as I recall. I'm sure the exact issues are available online. I held a permit in my hand in the mid-80's, it looked just like a pronghorn permit of the time.

WSI's E-News indicates that it is about $7500. When I hunted with them it was $2500 for the outfitted hunt and $5000 for the kill, the call on killing an animal was ultimately up to the hunter. I passed and they didn't have any problem with it. In fact, they invited me out a couple of months later at no expense other than the kill fee. I think when I checked with two other ranches it was going to be about $10K.

400+. Glad you posted these. Seems like we saw one or two posted last year or year before from that area that were monsters as well. Wouldn't mind getting my knife dirty on one of these.