On Tuesday, the Pope and Young Club officially crowned a massive Rocky Mountain elk as the new nontypical archery world record. Harvested by veteran bowhunter Casey Brooks of Washington state, the "Brooks Bull" scored an astonishing 478 2/8 inches net—surpassing the previous record by nearly 29 inches. And as in the case of many of these triumphant stories, it unfolded amid a swirl of online controversy.
Casey Brooks, a 60-year-old Hoyt pro-staffer with over 86 bow-killed elk to his name—including a dozen over 400 inches—had been chasing giants for years. The Brooks Bull first caught his eye two seasons prior, roaming the rugged terrain of Kittitas County in central Washington. Armed with a special Governor's Eastside elk tag (acquired through a raffle auction for around $37,500, allowing hunting from September 1 to December 31, 2024), Brooks embarked on what would become a grueling, multi-month odyssey.
The pursuit began on public lands in early September, where Brooks navigated steep canyons, evaded a mountain lion, and endured harsh weather. Despite spotting the bull multiple times, opportunities slipped away as it mingled with other elk or stayed out of bow range. By late December, after a car accident left Brooks with a fractured wrist and torn shoulder, the bull had migrated to a small 40-acre private woodlot where Brooks had secured hunting permission from the landowner.
As luck would have it, on the final day of the season Brooks set up in a ground blind on the property. He used legal bait (about 10 gallons of apples and alfalfa), and to his surprise, at just 23 yards, the massive 9x8 nontypical bull presented a broadside shot. Brooks' arrow dropped the animal quickly, reporting the harvest to a wildlife warden immediately. Together with family and friends' help, Brooks recovered the massive bull the following day amid fresh snow.
After the mandatory 60-day drying period, the antlers' "green" score hovered around 480-482 inches net, sparking immediate speculation about a new world record. On October 13th, a groundbreaking joint panel from Pope & Young and Boone & Crockett —the first such collaboration—convened in Lacey, Washington. Experts meticulously measured the palmated, asymmetrical rack on the floor.
Justin Spring - Pope & Young
The final tally: 478 2/8 inches net. This demolished the prior P&Y nontypical archery record of 449 4/8 inches (set by Shawn O’Shea in 2020) but fell just 3/8 of an inch short of B&C's all-time elk record (the "Spider Bull" at 478 5/8 inches from 2009). The deduction came from a single tine reclassified as not sharing a "common base," costing 4 1/8 inches. P&Y's announcement celebrated it as "less than half an inch from the largest bull ever taken or found in North America," praising Brooks' respect for the sport.
Brooks, absent from the panel, took the near-miss graciously.
"I'm not an expert on scoring—I just hunt elk and eat them," he said.
No record-breaking harvest escapes scrutiny, and the Brooks Bull was no exception. Shortly after Beau's social media post on January 1st, backlash erupted online. Critics labeled it a "driveway elk," accusing Brooks of harvesting a habituated bull that frequented residential subdivisions, making the hunt too easy and lacking "fair chase." Photos surfaced showing the elk in backyards, leading to claims it was more "neighborhood pet" than wild trophy.
Key accusers included local hunter Aaron Whitefoot, who posted viral Facebook images of the bull near homes, and resident Donnie Morrison, who reported Brooks for potential trespassing after spotting his truck post-season. Rumors of unethical baiting (despite its legality) and pay-for-access deals swirled, amplified by photoshopped images and anonymous posts to online forums.
Brooks remained silent initially but addressed the claims in a March 2025 Outdoor Life article and podcast. He detailed the hunt's public-land origins, his injuries, and confirmed permissions (via voicemail, deemed valid by authorities). The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife even launched a swift investigation the day after the kill, quickly clearing Brooks of all allegations.
Defenders argued that private-land hunts are standard and fair, criticizing detractors for jealousy or misunderstanding wildlife habits. By the record's certification, the storm had mostly passed, but it exposed existing rifts in the hunting community over what defines an ethical pursuit. An opinion that is often very personalized in nature.
“From a scoring and verification standpoint, this bull was remarkable in every way,” said Roy Grace, Records Chairman for Pope and Young. “The mass, tine length, and overall configuration made it clear early on that we were witnessing something special. It’s a true testament to the conservation success of bowhunting and wildlife management.”
