Pennsylvania State Big Game Records

Pennsylvania is known for huge record-book black bears. The whitetail deer is also the official state animal—and they are huge. Most recently, the state has seen some massive non-typical American elk enter the record book. Elk reintroductions in Pennsylvania started as far back as 1913, and they are descendents of Rocky Mountain elk from Yellowstone National Park. With help from organizations like the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to bolster elk habitat, the state held its first elk hunt in the 21st century in 2001.