'Bicycle Bull' Biggest Taken
Men use mountain bikes to get to remote hunting site
BY CAROL MULVIHILL FOR ENDEAVOR NEWS

It was snowing hard when the biggest bull of the '07 hunt was brought to the elk check station. The successful hunter, Dennis Henry of Greensburg (left), is pictured here with Elk County Outfitters guide Tim Harvey. Dressed weight of the 8 x 7 bull was 609 pounds. Live estimated weight was 792.

It was snowing hard when Dennis Henry's trophy bull arrived at the elk check station on

Wednesday morning, day three of the six-day 2007 Pennsylvania elk hunt.

"That's huge!" someone in the crowd exclaimed.

With a dressed weight of 609 pounds and live estimated weight of 792 pounds, this bull, harvested late on the previous day, turned out to be the largest-antlered as well as the heaviest elk taken this season.

Considering that it likely lost close to 100 pounds during the fall rut, this animal was indeed a trophy.

The smiling hunter and his elated guides in camouflage suits, orange vests and caps told the story of what they dubbed "The Bicycle Bull."

Picture a 52-year-old guy who is 6'1'', 240 pounds, pedaling a bicycle in his camouflage jump suit, and blaze orange vest and cap, with his Remington 300 Ultra Mag, a custom built J. W. Hart Pennsylvania rifle, slung over his shoulder. That was Dennis Henry from Greensburg.

He and guides Tim Harvey and Brady Schrecongost of Elk County Outfitters pedaled their bikes down a gated Moshannon State Forest road for more than three miles.

Tim Harvey came up with the novel idea of using the bicycles. He's used them for years to hunt and haul deer. In 2004, he successfully harvested a 7 x 8 bull with the help of the outfitters. A year later, Harvey joined the guide group, and for the past three years, he has helped other elk hunters experience the thrill of a successful hunt.

Schrecongost explained, "We made three trips in and out of a 3.2-mile forest road, on the bikes, scouting and hunting for elk. It would have taken us about an hour to walk down that road, but only ten minutes on the bikes."

Dennis Henry works hard and plays hard. The home builder, contractor, and heavy equipment operator has hunted since he was 12 and is an excellent marksman.

He said his favorite part of the Pennsylvania elk hunt was the scouting. He developed great camaraderie with his guides. He and outfitter Jack Manack spotted the bull he wanted about a month before the hunt, in a remote area in the Moshannon State Forest.

Schrecongost got a glimpse of the bull eight days before the hunt began. It was nearly dark at the end of the forest road at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 6, when Henry took his initial shot at 800 yards. The bull never flinched. He shot again and the bull ran closer. His third shot at 300 yards put the animal down. All three shots hit the bull in essentially the same place behind the shoulder.

Harvey road his bike back out to the gate, flagged the site, and drove to town to contact the Game Commission to get permission to drive their truck in to haul out the animal.

Meanwhile, Henry and Schrecongost used hat lamps as they dressed out the elk. Temperatures were below freezing as the two men waited. The batteries died on their hat lamps, so they walked the bikes 3.2 miles back to the gate in total darkness, talking excitedly about the hunt the entire time. Harvey arrived ten minutes later. By the time the men hauled the elk out of the woods with the truck, it was 11:30 pm.