Elk rack certified 4th in the world

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The rack of a trophy elk that died in December in Kittson County of northwest Minnesota has been confirmed as No. 4 in the world, a measurer for the Boone and Crockett Club says.

Randy Dufault, East Grand Forks, said he scored the rack recently, and the massive antlers measured 458 4/8 inches after the 60-day drying period that’s required before the score can become official.

A second Boone and Crockett measurer, Rodney Dehart of Bemidji, Minn. also measured the rack and got the same score, Dufault said.

“I called Boone and Crockett, and it’s best to measure with a couple of guys to make sure we get it right,” Dufault said. “We believe we got the right score.”

The rack, a 6 by 7 typical with some non-typical points, green-scored 456 4/8 when Dufault initially measured it in December. Typically, the score goes down after the drying period; not this time.

“I do it real conservative when I green-score them,” Dufault said. “When I do the final score, everybody hates when it goes down.”

The world record non-typical elk, taken in Utah and certified in 2009, officially scored 478 5/8.

The Kittson County elk made headlines in December after Ryan Muirhead of Roseau, Minn., and some friends came across the animal while driving a rural road on the last day of Minnesota’s muzzle loader deer season.

The elk had tripped while trying to cross a fence and landed on its back. Its antlers were mired 8 to 10 inches into muddy ground that remained unfrozen beneath the deep snow.

With the help of residents who came driving by, Muirhead and his hunting partners managed to free the elk by using a 10-foot two-by-four to pry the antlers from the mud. The bull struggled to regain its footing but eventually staggered into the woods.

Until then, he said, the score stands at 458 4/8 — fourth in the world.

Dokken writes for the Grand Forks Herald, which is owned by Forum Communications Co.

Tags: updates, outdoors, wildlife