A Pleasant Hope man harvested the first elk this season and broke records.
Chris Irick was hunting using archery methods in Shannon County late Monday.
He took a six-by-six bull that night, but lost track of it.
"In an ironic twist, a bear hunter found the elk before Chris did, and promptly reported it to local conservation agents," according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.
When Conservation Agent Logan Brawley drove up, he heard Irick yelling, but couldn't see him.
"As it turned out, Chris had climbed up about 16 feet in a tree over the elk, making his best effort for cell service to get the elk called in to Telecheck," MDC said.