Hannah Helmer and her dad knew they had a contender when she bagged a massive bull elk on a Nebraska ranch on Sept. 24. An initial green score from her dad, Joel Helmer, who’s an official Boone and Crockett scorer, put the elk at 428 1/8 net.
It turns out the bull was even more impressive than that. Randy Stutheit, the Nebraska big game trophy records coordinator measured it at 430 and 6/8. That measurement means 14-year-old Hannah now holds the state record and will be among the top 20 nationally for a nontypical rack.
“The official score was 430 and 6⁄8 of an inch,” Hannah said. “It’s amazing. I just can’t believe that happened to me.”
All the proper documentation will be mailed in and reviewed before her elk is entered into the records.
Hannah’s elk beats the current nontypical record of 409 7/8 held by Dana Foster from 2008.
“That’s really impressive,” Joel Helmer said. “When you look at the top elk, they’re all from Rocky Mountain states.”
Hannah’s hunt has brought a lot of attention her way, from letters to interview requests and even a message from Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts.
“He said congratulations and I hope you get the record,” Hannah said. “Thank your dad for taking you out.”
It’s always a great idea to take kids into the outdoors, even if it’s not hunting. It’s clear that this family gets it.
“We’re a family that hunts. We definitely do it for a lot more reasons than the trophy,” he said. “It’s for the food, and to experience the outdoors. We just so happened to shoot a trophy animal.”
