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An Outdoor Life story originally published in November 1981 recounts Arizona bowhunter Jay Elmer’s harvest of two exceptionally large bull elk in consecutive seasons, 1979 and 1980. The account says his first bull exceeded the then-current world record before official recognition, and his second was larger; the supplied excerpt does not provide their final scores or verification details.
Arizona bowhunter Jay Elmer took two exceptionally large bull elk with a bow 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 Elmer’s first bull surpassed the world record at the time, and that he killed an even larger bull before the first animal had been officially recognized.
The account presents Elmer’s achievement as the result of years of preparation rather than a single fortunate encounter. He had hunted since childhood and began bowhunting in 1974 because he wanted to make hunting more challenging. After taking a bull that scored 351 points in 1976, then good for 11th place in Pope and Young’s bowhunting records, he decided not to take a smaller elk.
Elmer searched for a less-pressured area near Flagstaff that appeared unlikely to hold many elk. The article says he spent years scouting there, watching for tracks, antler rubs and other signs of a large bull. In 1978, he saw a bull and took a shot, but his arrow struck a branch. He continued hunting the area rather than giving up on the animal.
The source says Elmer killed his first record-exceeding bull in 1979, then returned the next season and took a larger one. The excerpt supplied for this report ends during the account of the 1979 hunt and does not include the full description of either harvest, their official scores or the record-book results. The claim about the animals’ size and status is therefore attributed to the Outdoor Life account.
Two Seasons, Two Record Claims
Elmer’s reported back-to-back success stands out because the story describes not one record-sized animal but two large bulls taken in successive years. The account also illustrates why a hunter’s scouting and choice of location can matter: Elmer pursued a specific kind of challenge, selected country other hunters had overlooked and persisted despite spending seasons with few sightings.
The story is also a historical account of bowhunting and trophy records. It explains that antler measurements are used to compare animals for record-book placement, while cautioning that a large score is not a guarantee of a record. The figures and record thresholds in the 1981 article refer to that period; they should not be read as current standards. For readers interested in the claim itself, the key distinction is between the article’s report that Elmer exceeded the contemporary record and independent documentation of the animals’ official scores, which is not included in the supplied excerpt.
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How Elmer Chose His Hunting Ground
Elmer grew up near Sedona, Arizona, and the article describes hunting as a major part of his life from an early age. He first pursued smaller game with his father, later hunted deer and other big game, and eventually turned to archery hunting. He said bowhunting brought back the challenge because it required him to get closer to an animal.
After his 1976 bull scored 351, Elmer set a higher bar for himself. He looked for isolated habitat where a bull could grow older with less hunting pressure. The Outdoor Life account says his chosen area near Flagstaff looked dry and difficult to hunt; he initially saw no elk while scouting there, then only one cow the following year. Tracks and rubs persuaded him that a large bull was using the area.
The article’s record discussion reflects its original publication date. It cited a 240-point minimum for Pope and Young’s archery book and a 375-point minimum for Boone and Crockett. Those are historical figures as reported in 1981, not confirmation of present-day requirements.
“With a bow you have to get close. It puts a real thrill and challenge into hunting.”
— Jay Elmer, quoted in the 1981 Outdoor Life story
Scores and Verification Details
The supplied source excerpt does not state the final scores of the 1979 and 1980 bulls, identify the record categories in detail, or provide the dates and paperwork for official measurements. It says the first bull exceeded the record at the time but had not yet received official recognition before Elmer took the second. The excerpt does not establish how either animal was ultimately entered in a record book.
The story is an archival report, first published in 1981, rather than a newly reported account of a harvest. The available material also does not include independent records or a later confirmation of the animals’ status. Those details should not be inferred from the headline alone.
What the Full Record Could Show
The next step for readers seeking confirmation would be to consult the complete Outdoor Life article and the relevant Pope and Young or Boone and Crockett record entries, if available. Those sources could clarify the bulls’ measurements, the timing of official scoring and how the record claim was classified. The material provided here does not announce a new scoring decision or an upcoming event; it is a republication of a historical story.
Until those records are checked, the confirmed point from the supplied account is that Outdoor Life reported Elmer took two increasingly large bulls in 1979 and 1980. The exact official scores and final record-book status remain unconfirmed in the excerpt.
Key Questions
Who was Jay Elmer?
Jay Elmer was an Arizona bowhunter from the Sedona area. The 1981 Outdoor Life story said he had hunted since childhood and owned a plumbing business in Sedona.
When did Elmer take the two bull elk?
The Outdoor Life account says Elmer took the first record-exceeding bull in 1979 and a larger one in 1980.
What were the bulls’ scores?
The supplied excerpt does not give the final scores of either bull. It does report that Elmer’s earlier 1976 bull scored 351 points, but that is a separate animal.
Were both elk officially recognized as world records?
The excerpt says the 1979 bull was larger than the world record at the time but had not yet been officially recognized when Elmer took the second bull. It does not provide the final record-book outcomes for either animal.
Source: outdoorlife.com
