Massive bull headlines weeklong elk hunt
Most of the 40 people chosen to participate in

the 2006 Pennsylvania elk hunt will fill their tags and have plenty to talk about.

But the odds are that none of them can match the story being told by John Skirk.

Shirk, 52, returned to his Lancaster County home this week with a broken wrist, a trophy animal and an experience he'll remember for the rest of his life.

He also just might have the biggest bull ever taken since the controlled elk hunt was initiated in 2001.

The antler dimensions will have to be certified through an official measuring system in the coming weeks.

Shirk turned to the team from Hicks Run Outfitters for guide service after his name was drawn for a bull elk license during September's Pa. Elk Expo in Kersey.

In the weeks leading up to the hunting season, Jeff Colwell and crew from Hicks Run joined Shirk and his family on scouting missions. The group had pretty much established that Shirk would be pursuing an impressive-looking bull, with seven points on one antler beam and eight on the other.

However, during a lastminute scouting session on Sunday, Colwell spotted an even more magnificent elk within Quehanna Wild Area, which falls in the Pa. Game Commission's Elk Mgt. Area No. 7.

Fortunately, he had his video camera along.

"John was excited about going after the first elk, but then I showed him the video, and needless to say, he was ecstatic," Colwell told Endeavor News.

After a restless night, Shirk and two friends joined the Hicks Run duo of Jeff and Chuck Colwell for Monday's pre-dawn trip to the Game Commission's food plot where the near-mythical animal had been spotted.

Just one elk, a cow, sauntered into the area and after about two hours Shirk agreed to shift locations.

Finally, at about 1:00 Monday afternoon, they spotted their quarry. Slowly and quietly they moved closer, walking single file and slipping behind trees to avoid detection.

Once they were within about 80 yards, with the bull now fully aware of their presence and beginning to take flight, Shirk fired a challenging shot which appeared to miss the mark. But they couldn't be sure.

The group scouted for blood spots as they followed the obvious tracks left behind by the 800-pound-plus animal. Those marks eventually led them to a familiar location -- the food plot where they had started their day's hunt.

And there, about 100 yards in the distance, was the unsuspecting bull. Colwell counseled patience as they waited for a chance at a clean shot that would ensure a clean kill and preserve the massive antlers.

After he had his fill of the clover and other vegetation, the elk slowly rose and turned, presenting Shirk with the

perfect opportunity to deliver a clean shot to the upper shoulder. They located the bull about 300 yards away.

Colwell and Shirk could only wish that their story ended there . . .

It took a party of eight to drag the field-dressed elk about 400 feet to a road, where it could be loaded onto a flatbed trailer. About 15 miles into the trip to the Game Commission's check station, the trailer's axle gave way at Medix Run. Fortunately, Jeff Colwell had an acquaintance nearby who allowed him to borrow a sturdier trailer to continue the trip.

The bull tipped the scales at 656 pounds; its estimated live weight was 849 pounds.

Of particular note were the massive antlers. Colwell measured the rack at 12 points by 11 points, based on the standard of a minimum tine size of one inch. The official Boone & Crockett scoring system findings will settle the issue.

But there's even more to this elk hunt story -- truly one for the books.

Late Monday evening as the group was traveling back to Hicks Run, a deer darted into the road near Grant. Jeff Colwell, who was at the wheel, slowed the passenger van but could not avoid impact.

The vehicle slid into a ditch and turned onto its side. Shirk, who was in the front passenger's seat, suffered a broken wrist and less serious injuries. The other occupants escaped unharmed. The deer, a nice-sized buck, was killed and the van was totaled.

"This is one hunting experience John will always remember and he'll have the mount to remind him," Colwell said. "It's also a day that none of the rest of us will ever forget."

Colwell and his Hicks Run crew could hardly rest on their laurels. There were other hunters to guide this week and many miles to travel before the 2006 elk season is history.

The Game Commission will release results of the hunt early next week.