Hoquiam’s Brian Dhoogie bagged this possible record elk while hunting on the 10,000-acre property at Broadmouth Canyon Ranch in Idaho about two weeks ago. He brought the meat from the animal into Bay City Sausage in Westport.
The bull elk hunt was a birthday present from his wife, according to Outdoor Life’s website. Dhooghe said when guides put a tape to the bull’s rack, they scored it at 648 and 4/8 inches. The bull elk could possibly set a new world record in Safari Club International’s Record Book, which is considered the gold standard of encyclopedias of big-game animals.
Dhoogie deflected some criticism posted on social media about the nature of the hunt.
“I think there are places out there that give this kind of hunt a bad name. Where they keep them in a pen and you basically go out and pick one, so they can kick it across the field and you shoot it,” he told Outdoor Life. “This place isn’t like that at all. They bring these elk in and then they turn them loose on 10,000 acres. My bull had been on that ranch for four years. He’s not a tame elk like everyone wants to think he is.
“I just can’t let it bother me, and it really doesn’t. I think I was 12 years old when I started hunting, and I never dreamed I would shoot an animal like that, or even have the opportunity to. I’m ecstatic about it.”
