Age of my Dads Bull

My Dad just found out the age of his bull from the DWR. Came in a 7years old. Pretty cool. Do you think this was his peak or on the way down.
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MuleyMadness
I'd say he was just about right, could have been a little bigger for a year or two maybe. Don't think he was on his way down though.

Nice picture! :thumb
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AntlersOutWest
Nice bull.
What Unit if you dont mind me askin.

If I was to bet, Id say he was was at his peak, on his way down.
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DeadI
wasatch unit early rifle tag.
here are the links and story to the bull with more photos.
http://www.muleymadness.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1707&highlight=
http://www.muleymadness.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2516&highlight=[/url]
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NONYA
Nice bull!Id say he was past his prime,around here they seem to peek around 5 and then they get shorter tines and sometimes dont grow the 6th point on the back.
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Hiker
I think 6-8 is close to when they peak. I believe that is the age and the goal for most of Utah's LE units. In Colorado we rarely see a bull that's over 3 years old.
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I don't believe they reach their "peak" until somewhere between 7 & 9 years old. The new state record bull had to be over 10 or 11 and I think he actually started to regress this year.
I believe elk "peak" out in different areas at different ages based on the stress and hardships they encounter throughout their life. Different climates, rainfall, types of feed available, genetics, all can make a difference in an animals "peak". Kind of like humans..I've seen some that have reached their peak in the 30's and some of them that look over the hill at 20 and 300 lbs... Some people who take care of their bodies, eat right, excercise, and live right look like they could be peaking in their 40's.... So I believe it is hard to pin point an age that you can call a "peak" on all animals..
Did that sound dumb???? :-k
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MuleyMadness
Did that sound dumb????
Nope! Actually sounded good!
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Thanks!
One of my personal experiences with this was my own archery bull from the Monroe, and my daughters bull from the Fishlake. I was amazed at the size of the bull I shot, a 6x7, which scored just over 350. The tooth data was returned with the age shown at 10+. My daughter's bull, from the Fishlake, but whose sheds had been found previously on the Monroe, also had a huge body, maybe even larger that my bull. It was an 7X8 and scored at 383+. I figured that bull to be as old or maybe older than mine based on size and body and antlers. I was surprised as could be when she got her data back showing 7 years old. That makes me wonder what potential that bull may have had with another couple of years to grow. Another monster bull I seen harested, and figured was pushing 10 came back at 9 years old. And on the other end of the spectrum, I've see some average sized 300 inch bulls that have come back over 8 or 9... Anyway, just my 2 cents!
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The Ox
my buddies 360 bull was over 10 and im sure he was regressing had such little mass i dont see it ever being any less and being able to support that frame it had im sure he peaked several years before he was killed
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ridgetop
I've heard the biologist say, most elk peak between 7-10 yrs. but that huge bull my uncle shot a few years ago was aged at around 11 yrs. and he may have scored 450 gross if not for (4) broken tines. He still grossed around 430 with the broken stuff. I think he was at his prime at that age.
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MuleyMadness
ridgetop

Did you ever post a picture of your Uncles Bull?? Did I miss it, I'd like to see it again if I did.
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dahlmer
I think we all like to see some pictures of that bull Ridgetop. I'll even ask nicely...please. [-o<

Do you have a score on that bull DeadI? I would guess he was nearing his peak...definately not on the way down yet.
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DeadI
Ridge lets see a pic of that bull.

As for my dads. I roughed him at 315-320. He looks alot biger than that to me, but ohwell. Course I don't really know what the crap I am doing either when it comes to taping them out.

Who cares, he is awsome looking on the wall with all of his mass.
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Hiker
DeadI, Here's a link to a score sheet.....

http://www.boone-crockett.org/bgRecords/bc_scoring_typicalelk.asp?area=bgRecords&type=Typical+American+Elk
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Utahbowhunter
Thats a great bull!!! congrats! :thumb
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ridgetop
DeadI, I guess your dads bull at about 320-330 range but hard to tell with a picture. Someday I can get down to St. George and get a pic. of my uncles big bull. It did hang in the Ace hardware store in Cedar City in 2005.
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Jared, I'm coming to score him. Really I am. I will try and get over there this weekend. I am sure that you are pretty close.
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NONYA
Not a good pic to judge from but I would say 310-320 gross :-k
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shed hunter
good bull tell him gongrats!
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Up, down, peaked?!!!! Who cares?! That is one great looking elk!!!

If I had one like that on my 40 yard pin I dont know if I would be able to steady the shot long enough to squeeze my release. Talk about buck fever. jeeze!!!

I have always stated that I would rather have a buck or bull just pop up as appossed to watching them come in. Im getting the shakes just thinking about it
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proutdoors
According to most of the elk biologists I have asked, elk don't start regressing until they are 12+ yrs old. I believe 8-10 are the 'peak' years. After that, under less than ideal conditions, the bulls will start to regress. I have found very few 380+ bulls under 8 yrs old. Most have been 9+ yrs old.

PRO
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Wapiti
"ridgetop" wrote:I've heard the biologist say, most elk peak between 7-10 yrs. but that huge bull my uncle shot a few years ago was aged at around 11 yrs. and he may have scored 450 gross if not for (4) broken tines. He still grossed around 430 with the broken stuff. I think he was at his prime at that age.
 I have to agree with a biologist i hunted the same bull for six years before i finally got him. He was 9 1/2 years old when i got him his best set of horns in the years that tracked him was when he was 8 1/2 years old. This is just my personally observation of this one animal.
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