Oregon’s rugged landscapes provide a beautiful setting for hunters, photographers, artists, and other wildlife enthusiasts. And elk! This picturesque icon of the American West treks across Oregon’s myriad terrains.
The state is home to two of the four subspecies of American elk. The first is the Roosevelt elk (Cervus canadensis roosevelti). The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife estimates that the state population of this subspecies is around 59,000 and notes that they are found primarily in the Cascade and Coastal ranges, although there is significant overlap between the Roosevelt elk and the second elk subspecies, the Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni), in the Cascade Range, but they are typically found in the Blue Mountains and south-central Oregon. Estimates put their population at more than 74,000 in the state.

Elk are an icon of the American West, and two of the subspecies found in North America—the Roosevelt elk and the Rocky Mountain (or American) elk—call Oregon home.
©Tom Reichner/Shutterstock.com
These two elk subspecies each hold records of-sorts. The Roosevelt elk is the larger in terms of body size. Bulls can weigh as much as 1,100 pounds. The Rocky Mountain elk can be distinguished from the Roosevelts by their antlers. The antlers on Rocky Mountain elk are the largest of all elk, not just its nearby cousin. On average, a mature Rocky Mountain bull elk weighs around 700 pounds.
While the Roosevelt and Rocky Mountain elk are both American Elk, the term “American Elk” is used interchangeably with the Rocky Mountain subspecies.
So, who holds the record for taking the largest elk in Oregon? And what subspecies was it?
What Is the Largest Elk Harvested in Oregon?

An elk’s antler size and complexity rather than its weight determine whether it is the “largest.”
©Bradley Wakoff/Shutterstock.com
How Records Are Calculated
In 1887, with growing concerns over the possibility of losing hunting privileges and wildlife populations such as bison and elk being hunted to the brink of extinction, Theodore Roosevelt and others founded the Boone and Crockett Club for the purposes of conservation and wildlife management. This group also sets guidelines for and maintains trophy hunting records for big game animals, including elk.
When it comes to determining what garners a trophy record for elk, the focus is not on the body size or weight of the animal but rather on its antler size and complexity. Furthermore, there are two categories: typical and non-typical.
Scores are given to individual elements on the antlers, and those are based on a combination of the number of points on the antlers, the width of the main beam spread of the antlers from tip to tip, the inside spread, the length of the main beam, the length of the points, and the circumference between points.
These measurements are calculated according to a formula outlined on the score chart to provide a final score. A score above 375 is in all-time record territory.
Consequently, hunters do not always report an animal’s weight as it is not a factor taken into account by Boone & Crockett for the organization’s trophy hunting records.
The Largest Elk Harvested in Oregon
The typical category for elk will see antlers follow a standard pattern, defined by symmetrical tines and evenly spaced points. Non-typical elk antlers deviate from the standard. These racks are truly a sight to see as they can create unusual shapes, grow in unexpected directions, and defy the standard in unimaginable ways. The Boone & Crockett scorecard provides rules for counting abnormal points on an elk rack.
The average bull elk will total between 260 and 290 points, but Hugh Evans, who shot a Rocky Mountain or American elk in 1942 that garnered an antler score of 418-0/8, holds the Oregon record in the typical category. He bagged the elk in Crook County, which is in central Oregon. In the non-typical category, Delwyn M. Henderickson holds the record with a score of 427-1/8 for the elk he shot in 2015. It was taken in Umatilla County, Oregon, along the eastern portion of the state that borders Washington.

Hunters prize the American elk’s majestic antlers.
©Tom Reichner/Shutterstock.com
Notable Records
In 1968, Alonso Winters, a rancher, shot an elk with a score of 442-5/8 in White Mountains, Arizona, with a .308 rifle. This was the largest typical Rocky Mountain elk killed in the United States. Alan C. Ellsworth, the owner of the antlers, tracked down the history and reported the record years later.
The record for the largest non-typical American or Rocky Mountain elk belongs to Denny Austad, who took his elk in September 2008 with a score of 478-5/8 in Piute County, Utah. He shot the elk, known locally as the “spider bull,” with his specially designed .308 rifle.
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