TL;DR
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A 1981 Outdoor Life report tells how Arizona bowhunter Jay Elmer killed a bull elk larger than the standing world record in 1979, then took an even larger bull in 1980. The supplied account describes his years of scouting and selective hunting, but does not provide the final official scores or record-book verification for either animal.
Arizona bowhunter Jay Elmer killed a bull elk larger than the then-standing world record in 1979 and an even larger bull the following year, according to an Outdoor Life account originally published in November 1981. The consecutive-season kills are the story’s central claim; the supplied excerpt does not give the animals’ final scores or document their formal recognition by a record-keeping organization.
The magazine account says Elmer took the first bull with a bow in 1979. Before that animal could be officially recognized, he returned to the field in 1980 and killed a larger bull. Outdoor Life described the pair as record animals, but the excerpt supplied for this article ends during the account of the 1979 hunt and does not include measurements, score sheets or a confirmation of the final record status.
Elmer, a Sedona-area hunter and plumbing business owner, had hunted since childhood and began bowhunting in 1974. He told the magazine that he wanted to restore challenge to hunting by getting close enough to game for a bow shot. After killing a bull scored at 351 in 1976, which the story says ranked 11th in Pope and Young’s bowhunting records at the time, he set a personal threshold: he would not take a smaller elk.
The report describes a long effort to find a large bull in isolated, difficult terrain near Flagstaff. Elmer returned to an area where he had seen little game, followed tracks and antler rubs, and watched water sources. A shot at a bull in 1978 failed when his arrow glanced off a branch. The next season, he and his wife, Cheryl, hunted near a water hole; her arrow missed after the bowstring struck her sleeve. Those details show the persistence behind the account, but the supplied material does not include the complete narrative of either record kill.
A Two-Season Bowhunting Feat
The account stands out because it describes two record-sized elk taken in consecutive seasons, rather than a single exceptional hunt. It also presents the results as tied to years of deliberate scouting and restraint: Elmer passed on smaller animals and persisted in an area that initially produced few sightings. That is the magazine’s account of his approach, not independent proof that any one tactic caused the outcome.
For readers interested in hunting records, the distinction between a large animal and an officially recognized record matters. Record-book placement depends on measured antlers and the rules of the relevant organization. Because the excerpt does not include the final scores or certification details, it supports reporting what Outdoor Life said, while leaving the formal status of each bull unverified here.
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From 1976 Bull to Record Pursuit
Elmer’s 1976 bull, scored at 351 points in the magazine’s account, helped set the standard for his later hunts. Outdoor Life said that score placed the animal 11th in the Pope and Young archery records at that time. The report gives historical scoring comparisons: an average five-point bull was described as scoring about 200, an average six-point as 250 to 275, and the Pope and Young minimum as 240. It also listed 375 as the Boone and Crockett minimum. These figures are the article’s period-specific context, not current record-book guidance.
After the 1976 hunt, Elmer focused on a remote patch of cover near Flagstaff. He initially saw no elk there while scouting, then only a cow during a later season. The report says he persisted because tracks and other signs suggested a large bull was using the area. In 1978, after a chance at the animal ended with an arrow deflected by a branch, he continued checking water holes and setting up nearby. The excerpt then begins describing the following season but cuts off before recounting the first record kill in full.
“With a bow you have to get close. It puts a real thrill and challenge into hunting.”
— Jay Elmer, quoted in Outdoor Life’s 1981 report
Record Scores Are Not Included
The material provided does not state the final antler scores for the 1979 and 1980 bulls, identify the organization that certified them, or reproduce official record-book entries. Outdoor Life’s account says the first animal was larger than the world record at the time and that the second was larger still, but those statements cannot be independently checked against the excerpt alone.
The supplied story also ends partway through the description of the 1979 season, just as another bull approaches Elmer’s stand. It does not include how either record-sized animal was shot, the full circumstances of the 1980 hunt, or whether later record listings retained the animals’ rankings. The date supplied for the report is Oct. 26, 2026, while the article itself is identified as a reprint of a November 1981 story.
Verify the Record-Book Details
The next step for a fuller account would be to consult the complete 1981 Outdoor Life article and the relevant historical Pope and Young or other record-book entries. Those materials could establish each bull’s measured score, the basis for its ranking and how the record status was recorded at the time. The provided source does not announce a new certification or current record-book change; it presents a historical hunting story.
Key Questions
Who was the bowhunter in the story?
Jay Elmer, an Arizona hunter from the Sedona area, is the subject of the Outdoor Life report.
When did Elmer take the two bulls?
The account says he killed a bull larger than the standing world record in 1979, followed by a larger bull in 1980.
Are the bulls’ official scores given?
No. The supplied excerpt does not provide the final scores or record-book documentation for either bull.
What was the significance of his 1976 elk?
Outdoor Life said Elmer’s 1976 bull scored 351 and ranked 11th in the Pope and Young bowhunting records at that time. The magazine described it as the point after which he decided not to take a smaller bull.
Is this a new record announcement?
No new record certification is reported in the supplied material. It is a historical story originally published in November 1981, with the report dated Oct. 26, 2026.
Source: outdoorlife.com
