If you are interested in the latest information about the highest scoring deer, bear, elk and turkeys taken in Michigan through 2023, you will want to purchase a copy of the 13th edition of Michigan Big Game Records, which was published in September of 2024. The large format, 272-page book includes all representatives of those species in state records maintained by Commemorative Bucks Of Michigan (CBM) since the organization started collecting records in 1981 through March 2023. Entries from 2021, 2022 and 2023 have been added to this edition.
Each listing contains information about what county the game animal was shot in, what it was shot with, the year it was taken and who the successful hunter was. CBM has separate categories for firearms, which includes centerfire rifles and shotguns, muzzleloaders, handguns, bow and arrow (vertical bows) and crossbows. Deer and turkey records are broken down into county-by-county listings, so it’s easy to quickly find out what the highest scoring deer or turkey taken with gun or bow was for every county in the state.
Deer records for every county are broken down into listings for those with both typical and nontypical antlers. The typicals are listed first since they are the most common antler configuration, and nontypicals follow those. Far fewer nontypicals have been entered for every county. Nontypicals are rare in some counties. Charlevoix, Ogemaw and Otsego Counties only have one nontypical entry each, for example. Kalkaska and Benzie Counties have three and there’s only four for Arenac, Antrim, Iosco, Missaukee, Presque Isle and Wexford Counties.
County-by-county turkey records are broken down by those with single beards, which are the most common, and multi-beards. No turkey records are listed for three UP counties: Keweenaw, Ontonagon and Luce. I’ve seen long beards in Keweenaw County, but there may be little interest in hunting them that far north or hunters who have bagged those that qualify for state records haven’t entered them. Only one record book bird is listed for Gogebic, Baraga and Mackinac Counties. Two from Houghton County have been entered.
Photographs of successful hunters with their record book bucks and birds accompany the county-by-county listings for deer and turkeys. Those quality pictures help break up the text and are terrific to look at. There are also photos of record book bears and elk.
Even though there are no county-by-county listings for bear and elk in the book, maps at the beginning of each of those sections show the number of entries for each county in the state. Similar maps appear at the beginning of the county-by-county sections for deer and turkeys, too. So it’s possible to quickly find out which counties produce the most record book animals by looking at those maps.
Jackson County has the highest number of deer entries for the state, for instance, at 1,107. Washtenaw isn’t far behind at 1,042. Menominee County leads the state for bear entries at 122. Marquette County has the second-highest number of entries, with 106. St. Clair County tops the list of turkey entries at 668. Clinton County had 608.
The book also contains lists of the best typical and nontypical whitetails taken with centerfire rifles and shotguns, muzzleloaders, handguns, vertical bows and crossbows. Bear and elk records are broken down the same way. There’s only one entry for elk in the archery category, and that bull was taken in 2023. Four bull elk that were shot with muzzleloaders and that qualified for state records are listed.
The top 100 typical and nontypical bucks taken in the state, regardless of weapon used, are also listed. The top 100 single and multi-bearded turkeys are included in still more lists.
In order for animals to qualify for state records, measurements of the antlers, skulls, beards and spurs must meet certain minimums. Those minimums can be found on CBM’s website – wwwbuckfax.com. Antlers are measured on deer and elk. Skulls are what qualify bears for record book entry.
Antlers must air dry for 60 days before they can be officially measured. Bear skulls must air dry for 60 days after they are cleaned before official measuring. The beards and spurs of turkeys can be measured soon after the birds are taken.
Soft-cover copies of the record book are $40, and hard-cover copies are $60. Books can be ordered online by going to www.michiganbiggamerecords.com. Previous editions of the record book are available. You can also mail checks for record books to Willoughby Press, P.O. Box 306, Owosso, MI 48867.
