Mike Marcum's 18-point bowkill had a final score of 195 3/8 non-typical inches. Photo by Richard P. Smith

Mike Marcum from Detroit usually shoots does for the meat, but it's a good thing he held back on one when bowhunting on Nov. 6, 2004. It was a doe that was responsible for Marcum killing one of the highest-scoring bow-bagged bucks in our state last fall. The 18-point non-typical he arrowed in Washtenaw County had a gross score of 208 0/8 inches and netted 195 3/8 inches, according to Commemorative Bucks of Michigan (CBM).

That score is high enough to qualify the buck for entry in national records maintained by the Boone and Crockett Club in addition to the Pope and Young records. P&Y only accepts bowkills, and their minimum for non-typical whitetails is 150 inches. B&C accepts both gun and bowkills that meet their stringent standards. Their minimum for non-typicals is 195 inches.

It only takes a non-typical score of 125 for archery kills to make it into Michigan records. The Marcum buck will rank fourth among non-typicals taken in Washtenaw County, according to the sixth edition of Michigan Big-Game Records. Two out of the three larger ones were also taken with bow and arrow.

Ronald (Rick) Chabot bagged the county's No. 1 non-typical in 1996 with archery equipment. The 18-pointer scored 203 6/8 inches. Donnie Bollinger arrowed a 22-pointer in 1998 that measured 200 1/8. Larry Mettetal took a 16-pointer scoring 200 6/8 with a firearm in 1978.

Washtenaw County is one of the best in our state for producing big-racked bucks. Besides the four non-typical Booners for the county mentioned, a total of seven typical-antlered whitetails that meet B&C's minimum of 170 are listed in CBM's most recent record book, all of which were taken with firearms. The best of those is a 10-pointer scoring 186 1/8 inches Mark Ritchie got in 1984.

On a statewide basis, the antlers from Marcum's buck will rank 11th among non-typical bowkills, according to the most recent CBM book. The rack is the second-highest scoring bowkill known taken for our state from 2004, being beaten by the new state-record non-typical tagged by Aaron Davis in Hillsdale County. The Davis buck netted 225 7/8 inches after panel measuring. (See the July issue of Michigan Sportsman for details on the hunt for that buck).

With the rut starting to kick into high gear during early November, that's prime time for bowhunters to have a chance at trophy bucks, as Marcum found out. He reached his tree stand in a "nasty" swamp after 4 p.m. on Nov. 6. A friend of his was set up about 100 yards away.

Marcum wasn't in position more than 10 minutes when a doe showed up. Then another doe appeared behind him.

"That second doe made a call and deer came out of the woods everywhere," Marcum said. "It was a deep call like a grunt rather than a bleat. It was a really short call."

One of the deer that was approaching in response to the doe's call was coming from a thicket, and it was making a lot of noise as it walked. That whitetail proved to be the big buck. Marcum heard it coming for about 30 seconds before he saw it.

Marcum said he also saw a second buck, but he only got a glimpse of it, enough to see part of one antler. He wasn't sure how big its rack was. Marcum wasn't the only one who had deer around him. An 8-pointer came within bow range of his friend around the time the big non-typical made an appearance near Marcum. Marcum's buddy released an arrow at the 8-point but missed.

The errant arrow spooked the 8-pointer and that buck ran by Marcum's stand, then started blowing and stomping a front foot in alarm. In response to that commotion, the trophy whitetail Marcum was hoping to get a shot at started to leave. However, the doe that had made the call that attracted the attention of so many deer did something that changed the trophy buck's mind. She urinated and the mature buck immediately went to that spot to find out if she was ready to breed. Bucks can determine if does are in estrus by smelling their urine. While sampling the urine in their nasal passage, bucks will often perform a lip curl. Before doing that, the antlered whitetail rubbed his forehead on a nearby sapling.