TL;DR
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An Outdoor Life story originally published in November 1981 recounts Arizona bowhunter Jay Elmer’s kills of two bull elk that exceeded the then-current world record in consecutive seasons, 1979 and 1980. The account says Elmer’s first animal had not yet been officially recognized when he killed the larger bull the following year; the supplied excerpt does not include the final scores or official record determinations.
Arizona bowhunter Jay Elmer killed two bull elk that were larger than the then-current world record in consecutive seasons, 1979 and 1980, according to an Outdoor Life account originally published in November 1981 and republished Oct. 26, 2026. The story says the first elk had not been officially recognized before Elmer returned to the field and took a still-larger bull the next year.
The account describes Elmer’s achievement as the result of years of planning and hunting experience, rather than a single lucky encounter. He began hunting with his father at age five and later pursued deer, antelope, elk and bear. After a successful run with firearms, he took up bowhunting in 1974 because the need to approach game closely brought a greater challenge.
Elmer’s early bowhunting record included a bull he killed in 1976 that scored 351 points, which the article says was then good enough for 11th place in Pope and Young’s bowhunting records. He decided not to take a smaller bull after that and searched for ground where mature animals could remain relatively undisturbed. The report says he settled on a thick, dry area near Flagstaff that other bowhunters had overlooked.
His scouting relied on signs including large tracks and high, forceful antler rubs on trees. The story recounts an unsuccessful shot in 1978, when an arrow glanced off a branch, and a season spent trying to locate that bull again. The supplied excerpt then describes the opening morning of the following season, when Elmer and his wife, Cheryl, took positions at a water hole. It ends before telling how that hunt concluded, and does not provide the two later elk’s final scores or the records organization’s decisions.
A Rare Two-Season Record Pursuit
The story’s central point is the unusual sequence: two record-sized elk in successive seasons, with the second kill coming before the first had been officially recognized, according to the 1981 account. For bowhunters, it also offers a historical example of how persistence, close-range hunting and careful selection of habitat can shape a trophy hunt.
Record claims depend on formal scoring and the rules of the record book involved, not just a hunter’s impression of an animal’s size. That distinction matters here: the source calls both bulls larger than the world record at the time, but the excerpt provided does not establish their final measurements, recognition status or precise ranking. The historical claim should be understood as reported by the original article, rather than as a current record listing.
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From a 351-Point Bull to Bigger Game
Elmer’s earlier 1976 bull provided a benchmark for his later choices. Outdoor Life reported a score of 351 points and an 11th-place position in the Pope and Young bowhunting records at that time. The story explains that antler measurements are used to compare animals for record-book placement. It gives period-specific reference points: an average five-point bull at about 200, an average six-point at 250 to 275, and a Pope and Young minimum of 240. It also cites 375 as the Boone and Crockett minimum.
Those figures are presented in the 1981 article as general guidance, not as scores for Elmer’s 1979 and 1980 animals. The report says he began looking beyond familiar hunting areas for secluded pockets where bulls could mature, then persisted through seasons with sparse sightings and a missed shot. The supplied text gives this background but stops partway through the later hunt, so the full account’s ending is not available here.
“With a bow you have to get close. It puts a real thrill and challenge into hunting.”
— Jay Elmer, as quoted in Outdoor Life’s November 1981 story
Scores and Recognition Not Supplied
The material available here does not state the final scores for the 1979 and 1980 bulls, identify the scoring officials, or confirm how either animal was placed in a record book. It says the first bull was not yet officially recognized when Elmer took the second, but does not explain the review process or later outcome.
The supplied excerpt also cuts off during the account of the subsequent opening morning at the water hole. It therefore does not document the complete circumstances of the first record-sized kill, the second hunt’s details, or whether the story’s title reflects verified record-book status under a particular organization’s standards. Those points cannot be settled from the excerpt alone.
The Archived Account’s Missing Ending
The next step for readers seeking the complete account is to consult the full Outdoor Life article and, for formal record status, the relevant record organizations’ historical listings. Those materials could provide the omitted scores, scoring details and later recognition decisions. The supplied report does not announce a new hunt, current record change or scheduled update; it is a republication of a story first printed in November 1981.
Key Questions
Who was the bowhunter in the story?
Jay Elmer, an Arizona hunter from the Sedona area, is the subject of Outdoor Life’s account. The story says he later owned a plumbing business in Sedona.
When did Elmer take the two bull elk?
The account says he killed one bull in 1979 and an even larger one in 1980, in consecutive seasons.
Were both elk officially confirmed as world records?
The supplied excerpt does not establish their final scores or official record-book status. It reports that both exceeded the then-current world record and that the first had not yet been officially recognized before Elmer took the second.
What score did Elmer’s earlier bull receive?
Outdoor Life says Elmer’s 1976 bull scored 351 points and ranked 11th in Pope and Young’s bowhunting records at the time. That is separate from the scores of the 1979 and 1980 animals, which are not included in the supplied text.
Source: outdoorlife.com
