The Big Find
For 18 years we have lived in and loved Jackson County. My husband, Ben Zak, has dedicated his life to the cowboy way of life and ranching is in his blood. As the wife of a rancher, I have come home many a day to have my husband ask; “Guess what happened to me today?” Most days I cringe and say; “Do I really want to know?”, because we have had horse wrecks, run ins with porcupines, encounters with badgers, just to name a few things but on a day in June 2016 I took the bait and decided to proceed with caution to his ominous question.
“You need to come outside”, said my husband with a smile on his face. As someone who has been raised with hunting, I could not believe my eyes. Here was the biggest set of elk antlers with skull still attached that I have EVER seen.
In typical fashion, my questions were numerous. The answers to my questions; my husband found this skull still attached to the entire skeleton, while irrigating for State Line Ranch. The carcass was found on a ditch right of way that runs through the Arapaho Wildlife Refuge in Jackson County. We were in disbelief of this find. After consulting with our local Wildlife Officers, the antlers were turned over to the Arapaho Wildlife Refuge. The antlers have been officially scored for Boone and Crockett at 408 and they will have a forever home in the Jackson County Courthouse in Walden for all to appreciate.
This BIG FIND will be a memory we will cherish and we are thankful to Josh Dilley, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Officer for working with the current Jackson County Board of County Commissioners who have agreed to give it a permanent home in a County building.
