Three men successfully hunted elk this past week, making this the first-ever harvested since the cervids were reintroduced to the state nearly a decade ago.
Joseph Benthall, of Mount Vernon, was one of five permit holders for this elk hunting season and the first to shoot a bull, said Aaron Hildreth, elk specialist with the Missouri Department of Conservation. Only five bull elk could be taken. Following an unsuccessful archery season in October, the five hunters entered the rifle portion of the elk season.
“Those same hunters had the opportunity to go back out and fulfill their tags,” Hildreth said about the firearms portion opening Dec.