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Kentucky Elk Hunter Holds New State Record
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December 24, 2008
Frankfort, KY – Kelvin Jackson of Clay County holds Kentucky’s
new state record for a non-typical bull elk. Jackson’s 8x8 bull,
shot Oct. 4 in Harlan County, officially scored 367 7/8 in the Boone
& Crockett Club’s scoring system. The bull beat the previous
non-typical record of 349 3/8 held by Andy Kidd of McCreary County.
“When I got drawn for a bull permit, you can ask my wife, I was like
a kid,” Jackson said. “That’s the first time I’ve felt that way
since I was seven years old.”
Jackson decided not to hunt in his home county, opting instead to
try a county with a larger population of elk. He began scouting
Harlan County in July. (continued Below)
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Kelvin Jackson with his State Record Elk |
“I wasn’t after a state record or anything,” said Jackson, who had
previously hunted elk in Colorado. “I’m kind of a meat hunter –
everything I harvest, I enjoy it.”
Local residents helped Jackson locate elk, and he received
permission to scout and hunt on private land.
“I went to people in a little place they call Greasy,” remembered
Jackson. “They told me where they’ve been seeing elk. When I found
the herd, there were 22 cows and seven bulls. I stayed behind a big
mound of dirt to watch them, up into August. I’d go there once a
week to watch them.”
Jackson’s work paid off. As he studied the herd’s behavior, he
prepared to take a long-range shot.
“They were in a field, and if you approached them, they would
leave,” Jackson said. “I practiced shooting long-range because I
figured I’d have to do that.”
Jackson took the bull at 465 yards with one shot from his 300
Remington Ultra Magnum. The bull’s antlers had to dry for 60 days
before official scoring could take place.
Jackson’s elk is the largest non-typical bull officially scored and
reported to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
for the 2008 season.
“This bull is an outstanding example of what conservation can
accomplish,” said Tina Brunjes, big game program coordinator for
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “A little more than a decade ago,
Kentucky had no wild elk. Today, we have a large, healthy herd that
consistently produces quality animals that any hunter would be proud
to take home.”
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife intends to issue 1,000 quota elk hunting
permits for the 2009-10 season. The state’s herd is now estimated at
9,000 animals.
“Our restoration program has reached a management stage,” Brunjes
said. “It will take the help of hunters, along with sound,
science-based management decisions, to maintain the kind of elk herd
that produces such an exceptional bull.”
So far this season, no hunter has reported a typical bull larger
than the 371 0/8 elk taken last year by Greg Neff of Kenton County.
Archery season for elk, however, continues through Jan. 19, 2009.
Elk lottery applications for the 2009-10 hunting season are on sale
now through April 30 for $10 online at fw.ky.gov. Kentucky Fish and
Wildlife will conduct a random drawing in May to award the quota
hunt permits. The department plans to issue 250 bull and 750 cow elk
hunting permits. |
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