The Michigan Grand Slam is a term that has been used informally for a long time in Michigan. It refers to the entry into the record book of the four Michigan animals that CBM recognizes as trophies by a single hunter. Those four animals are deer, bear, elk and turkeys.
The accomplishment has always been considered so rare that it has remained informal. The added challenge of drawing a limited bear and particularly a bull elk tag and to harvest animals that make the record book minimums seemed insurmountable. But it miraculosly has been done by a select few.
The Commemorative Bucks of Michigan Board of Directors has decided to establish the Michigan Grand Slam as an officially recognized category from hence forward. It will be listed in chronological order of completion by the hunter as opposed to a high score because of the combination of different scores involved.
The Michigan Grand Slam will remain the most elusive category because of the elk. The statistical odds of drawing an elk permit, let alone an ‘any elk’ (bull or cow)permit and successfully harvesting a bull that makes CBM’s minimums seems insurmountable.
Add to that, the drawing of a bear permit and shooting a ‘book’ bear. Plus taking a ‘book’ turkey and deer.
The feat is tough but as Dawn and others have shown, not statistically impossible!
Grand Slam Entries
Richard Brandt
Finished 4/22/2000 with a turkey
Richard P. Smith
Finished 11/3/2000 with a turkey
Gene Fisher
Finished 4/18/2005 with a turkey
Kevin Welch
Finished fall/winter 2005 with an elk
Walter Frank
Finished 9/11/2006 with a bear
Chuck Pillivant, Jr.
Finished 9/22/2006 with a bear
Dawn Adlen-Pratt
Finished 12/9/2009 with an elk