The Bill Zee Bull

FINALLY RESPECT!!!






Finally it seems that Pa elk are getting their time in the spotlight. In just over a decade of hunting we have taken numerous bulls that are not just trophies here in the east but are some of the largest bulls anywhere in the world.
The Bill Zee Bull has managed to make it to the pages, web pages that is, of Outdoor Life Magazines on line magazine. Outdoor Life, long a leader in hunting and fishing news, has done a beautiful and well deserved spread of this bull and a brief overview of the Pa elk hunt in general.

The Zee Bull and more importantly Pa elk will now take their place in history as some of the best bulls in the world. The new Pa State Record Non-Typical will settle in at number 8 in the world for hunter taken elk.

Check out the story and pics at www.oudoorlife.com

The Bill Zee Bull, The Heiple Bull, The Hoffnagle Bull, The Kastely Bull, And The McGinnis Bull

Although very few people realize it, Pennsylvania has some of the largest elk found anywhere in the world and is fastly becoming one of the top producers of trophy class elk. Now we are not talking about "high fenced" or "preserve" hunts but free range, fair chase elk hunting. Seventy years passed from the last time we hunted elk in Pa til the PGC reinstated a season in 2001. After that long of a hiatus one would expect the first few elk seasons to be full of trophy class bulls. After all for over seven decades these elk had been living their lives and basically dying of old age.
What people didn't envision for the future of our elk herd was that for the next ten year Pa's reputation for monster elk would grow almost as quickly as our bulls. Pennsylvania'a trophy status hit a new high during the 2011 elk season, by breaking three state records.

2011 NEW NON-TYPICAL ARCHERY STATE RECORD 10 X 8 380" GROSS
CONSERVATION TAG HUNTER MIKE McGINNIS




2011 KEN KASTELY 9 X 9 410" GROSS




2011 PAUL HOFFNAGLE 8 X 7 410" GROSS



HERE ARE THE SHEDS OFF THE HOFFNAGLE BULL FROM 2010



2011 NEW TYPICAL STATE RECORD
8 X 7 400 2/8" NET
TAKEN BY JESSE HEIPLE



2011 NEW NON-TYPICAL STATE RECORD
9 X 8 442 6/8" NET
TAKEN BY BILL ZEE

Construction Of Camp

The previous post gave a brief look back at how my family came to hunt and spend our time in the Dents Run area of Elk County. After many years of staying in motels we found a place a little closer to our hunting grounds. These pictures are of houses that are owned by a Benezette resident and were converted into boarding houses so to speak. These houses are still being used today and were a brief stop for our hunting group on the way to having a permanent home base.





In 1991 we were blessed when we found the property where we would build our camp. When we first stepped foot out of the truck that day and saw that view, we were in love.Shortly after we began construction.








I have come to learn that a camp is never truly finished but here is our "finshed product."

Camp Nick: How Did We Get Here

My grandpap on my father's side of the family rode the train from Jacobs Creek ,PA north to the mountains of Elk County and more specifically Dents Run. He as with all the guys that used to do that, really had to love heading to the mountains for their annual deer hunt. In these early years once they reached thier destination local people would take hunters in to stay in their attics, spare rooms, etc. At this time (1930s and 40s) in the country most people were not financially in a good position.For these people to embark on this trip could only mean that it was something they held very near and dear to their heart and was maybe that one thing a year that these people looked forward to. Years later my father, his brother and his nephews all got their start hunting the mountains of north central PA. They had, by that time, started driving themselves to "deer camp" which now was the DuBois Manor Motel. The motel, which is still in operation, served as camp all the way up until 1989. Below are some of the earlist pictures I have of their trips.



Grandpap Nick on Right.

In the picture below all they guys are waiting at the vehicles to head home and grandpap is walking out of the woods. This ended up being his last trip to Elk County and Dents Run.


In the next post I'll show you the construction of Camp Nick, which we built in 1993 and have hunted out of till present day.

2011 PENNSYLVANIA ELK HUNT

One of the highlights of our hunting season every year (since 2002) is taking part in the annual PA elk hunt. Since we can't seem to draw a tag for ourselves and have spent so much time in the elk range we have guided for the hunt for the last ten years. This hunt has been such a joy to be involved in, thanks to all the people we have met and the hunts that we have gotten to take a part in. The following is a brief pictorial of some of the hunts we helped out with this year.
For those of you who enjoy the pics and short stories of the annual Pa elk hunt I apologize for taking so long to get these up but here they are. This is most of the hunts that we were invloved in, but I still haven't gotten pictures from some of the hunters to post a complete set.
This first two pictures are of the consevation tag holder and his bull.
Mike McGinnis 10 x 8 (380")


Bob Martin 7 x 7 (360")


Al Paradise 6 x 6 (300")

Paul Hofnagle 8 x 7 (410")

Paul's bulls 2010 sheds

Rick Weyandt 7 x 6 (360") Estimated age 14 years old


Ken Kastely 9 x 9 (410")


Jesse Heiple 8 x 7 (405")


Bill Zee 9 x 8 (450") Largest bull of hunt


David Duffy 6 x 6 (320")


Joe Pollack 7 x 4 (busted up) (300")


Helen Smyers (her husband got a bull in 2005, first husband and wife to get Pa elk)

Sorry I haven't gotten pictures of our other cow hunter Leo Henry but will post some soon. Also will post some in the field from Jesse Heiple.
Definitely one of the highlights of the hunt was Al Paradise's nephews, it was so important to Al that they be a part of the hunt and be right there over the shoulder. Fortunately it did work out that way and those boys were able to share that experience with their uncle. Here are a few random pics from the week.
Al's nephews with some bulls

Roughly 1190" of horn and 2000lbs of elk meat




And for those of you that like horn