The Associated Press

BOZEMAN — A Montana bowhunter is believed to have taken the largest elk recorded in the country in 48 years.

The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports that Montana hunter Steve Felix bagged a bull elk on public land early in hunting season that was scored a 430 by the Boone and Crockett Club and Pope & Young Club, groups that keep world hunting records.

By comparison, the current world record typical American elk has a score of 442-5/8 and was taken by a rifle. The second and third largest elk were both taken prior to the year 1900. The current largest typical elk ever taken with a bow is scored a 412-1/8.

Animal trophies are scored based on the distances between key points on the rack as well as the number of points on each antler.