Pending World Record Elk Taken by Bowhunter Casey Brooks

While most bowhunters spent new year’s eve reflecting back over the 2024 season, Casey Brooks spent the last day of the year – and last day of his elk season – in hot pursuit of a bull elk that he’d been chasing for a number of years. And if ever there was a buzzer beater bull, this was it.

By the end of the day, Brooks had notched his tag on what is being touted as the pending world record Rocky Mountain elk.

Brooks’ son, and champion game caller, Beau Brooks, told the story on his social media posts.

“The King of Elk Hunting: 480 4/8 Net! @caseybrooks65  A lifelong dream has been fulfilled—my father, Casey Brooks, has done it! Pending official confirmation, he has shattered the world record for a Rocky Mountain elk taken with a bow, potentially dethroning both the Pope and Young record (449 4/8 net) and Spider Bull’s all-time Boone and Crockett record. This bull scored an unbelievable 480 4/8 net and 490 4/8 gross, officially green-scored by a Boone and Crockett scorer.”

Brooks says that for as long as he can remember his dad has been chasing giant bulls. In fact, he currently holds the #3 (436″) and #4 (430″) Pope & Young non-typical records.

“Dad and his friends had been tracking this bull for years, finding sheds and keeping tabs on him,” says Brooks. “This year, with the coveted raffle tag in hand, Dad committed to the hunt. The season allowed him to pursue the bull from September 1 through December 31, and he hunted relentlessly, day in and day out, through the entire period. Finally, in December, the bull reappeared, and Dad began his final push.”

“What makes this achievement even more incredible is the adversity Dad faced along the way,” says Brooks. “In December, he survived a near-fatal car accident, colliding head-on with a snowplow. By some miracle, he walked away with a fractured wrist and a torn rotator cuff—injuries that would have sidelined most hunters. But not Casey Brooks. With adrenaline coursing through him and a determination that defied the odds, he made the perfect shot, sealing his place in elk hunting history. And he did it his way—no guides, just a passionate crew of family and friends by his side, sharing the journey and the joy.”

A big congrats to Casey Brooks on finishing the season strong with a giant bull that will no doubt find its place in the books.

Brodie Swisher

Brodie Swisher is a world champion game caller, outdoor writer, seminar speaker and Editor for Bowhunting.com. Brodie and his family live in the Kentucky Lake area of west Tennessee.