"When the Boone & Crockett Records Committee approved a new category for Tule elk in June 1998, it was a significant event because it was the first time a category has been added since non-typical American (Rocky Mountain) elk were added in 1986. The minimum score for the all-time record book was set at 285, with animals to be scored by the same method used for Roosevelt's elk.
"Since my last report on Tule elk in the December 2000 issue, 11 new bulls have been entered for the all-time book and/or are pending for acceptance. That brings the total to 21.
"Two years ago, the largest hunter-harvested bull entered scored 341 4/8; currently, it's 365. The largest trophy known at that time was a bull that scored 360 but was not submitted to B & C. Last year, a pick-up that scored 403 was found and entered into B & C to gain the top spot in the book.
"What's worth noting is the relatively low number of animals in the book, compared to the hundreds of B & C entries for virtually all other species. The paucity of entries means the opportunity to harvest a Tule elk that makes "The Book" is quite good.
"So, how can you do that? For starters, you need to realize that Tule elk are limited to the State of California, and all of the lottery tags to hunt them (120 to 130 per year) are available to California residents only. Fortunately, several auction tags are available each year to both resident and nonresidents. This year, one tag was sold by the Mule Deer Foundation for $41,000, and one tag was sold by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for $40,000. Both tags were........(continued)
