The nationally renowned bull elk named Brutus has passed, but all elk enthusiasts will remember his legendary head gear.
Social media has a way of making things famous in a hurry these days. Unfortunately, more times than not, it’s something or someone that doesn’t need attention. But in this case, we’re thankful, as many of us got to see one of the most majestic animals to ever walk the planet.
A Wyoming elk burst onto the scene a few years back and has continually flooded our newsfeeds over the years. Brutus, the legendary bull elk wowed us with his impressive rack, and had every elk hunter dreaming of crossing a bull of his stature in the wild.
But people will only be able to gawk at old pictures and videos from here on out, as the famous bull from the National Elk Refuge in Jackson Wyoming has passed from natural causes. 307 Pursuit followed the bull closely and has a done an incredible job showcasing the sheer magnitude of this bull’s history. Below are photos a video, and a quote about Brutus via 307 Pursuit’s Facebook page:
The Big Boy” from the National Elk Refuge in Jackson Wyoming died on the winter feed grounds of natural causes. He typically showed up to the feed grounds mid to late January and would leave mid to late February depending on winter conditions. His whereabouts for the rest of the year were completely unknown. 2015 was the first year that I am aware of Brutus showing up to the refuge. 2016 is the year where he went viral. He also was in his prime this year where his sheds scored just shy of 440″ with a 50″ spread. I named him Brutus that year because he was nothing shy of a brute. 2017 he showed up like the years prior, mid-January but stayed late into February with the harsh winter. He regressed to a 410″ class bull losing nearly 30″ of antler. Brutus was not seen on the feed grounds through the months of January or February in 2018. However, he was eventually found dead in March towards the back of refuge. I would guess him to be 14-16 years old. He died around the 405″ mark with an incredible 54″ inside and 62″ outside spread. A 400 class bull is 1 in every 10,000 elk, however, Brutus is a once in a lifetime bull. He peaked at 440” and died of old age still over that 400” mark which is very uncommon. I feel blessed to be able to follow and witness him. I hope everyone enjoys this clip, where I attempted to show how special this bull was, yet nothing will ever compare to seeing Brutus himself sway back and forth as he pushed through the snow. Rest easy big fella, you won’t be forgotten anytime soon!
Special thanks to the photographers who gave permission to allow me to add their pictures to this clip. He was camera shy and would hardly let quality pictures happen. A big shout out to Jody Tibbitts, who captured the video that went viral in 2016 and for allowing us to add it to this tribute.
Brutus, A Wyoming Legend: Tribute Video"The Big Boy" from the National Elk Refuge in Jackson Wyoming died on the winter feed grounds of natural causes. He typically showed up to the feed grounds mid to late January and would leave mid to late February depending on winter conditions. His whereabouts for the rest of the year were completely unknown. 2015 was the first year that I am aware of Brutus showing up to the refuge. 2016 is the year where he went viral. He also was in his prime this year where his sheds scored just shy of 440" with a 50" spread. (Pic of mounted sheds in comments) I named him Brutus that year because he was nothing shy of a brute. 2017 he showed up like the years prior, mid-January but stayed late into February with the harsh winter. He regressed to a 410" class bull losing nearly 30" of antler. Brutus was not seen on the feed grounds through the months of January or February in 2018. However, he was eventually found dead in March towards the back of refuge. I would guess him to be 14-16 years old. He died around the 405" mark with an incredible 54" inside and 62" outside spread. A 400 class bull is 1 in every 10,000 elk, however, Brutus is a once in a lifetime bull. He peaked at 440” and died of old age still over that 400” mark which is very uncommon. I feel blessed to be able to follow and witness him. I hope everyone enjoys this clip, where I attempted to show how special this bull was, yet nothing will ever compare to seeing Brutus himself sway back and forth as he pushed through the snow. Rest Easy big fella, you won't be forgotten anytime soon!Special thanks to the photographers who gave permission to allow me to add their pictures to this clip. He was camera shy and would hardly let quality pictures happen. A big shout out to Jody Tibbitts, who captured the video that went viral in 2016 and for allowing us to add it to this tribute. *FYI:All pictures/footage in this video was taken in either January or February of the year it states. Meaning the antlers in those pictures he grew from the year prior. There have been arguments that this is not the same bull year to year and the bull who died is completely different. The pictures of him in 2017 do not match his antlers in 2018 because the pictures are of 2016 growth. Brutus has a small but noticeable notch at the top of his right ear. He had this notch in 2015 pictures and it matches perfectly with the bull that died.
Posted by 307 Pursuit on Thursday, March 15, 2018
What a giant! Pretty astonishing to think he survived 14 years, too! I can’t help but wonder what he might’ve looked like all those years before. It’d be amazing to see his transformation over the decade he roamed Wyoming.
If this elk intrigues you, make sure to check out 307 Pursuit’s page to see more stories, photos and details on Brutus.
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The post Wyoming Loses a Legend: Brutus the Larger Than Life Monster Bull Elk Has Died appeared first on Wide Open Spaces.
