New Kensington man may have bagged record-breaking elk

A New Kensington man may have harvested a state record-breaking elk last month in Centre County.

According to the Centre Daily Times , in early November construction superintendent Ron Marney had walked 35 miles and spent a week in the woods looking for an elk before he found the right one.

Around 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 3 a hunting guide spotted the large bull elk. The Daily Times reports that Marney waited until the bull turned to the side and then made four 350-yard shots. Three of the shots struck the elk.

“I was jumping up and down — very excited,” Marney told the Daily Times. “When we got up close, I could see how massive the rack was. The points on top were up to 20 inches long. I just couldn't believe the mass.”

It will be several weeks before the state certifies whether the elk is in fact a record breaker, according to the Daily Times.

“Hunters must wait for 60 days before getting an official score for a moose, deer or elk,” the Daily Times reports.

Marney's elk measured a ‘gross green,' or unofficial, score of 443-1/8, the Daily Times said.

Pennsylvania's top typical elk score is 387-7/8 and the top non-typical score is 442-6/8, meaning Marney's elk should find itself at the top of the record charts.

Correction: Dec. 10, 2017

This story was modified to correct the date of the hunt.

Matthew Medsger is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-226-4675, mmedsger@tribweb.com, or on Twitter @matthew_medsger.