Beaudry was among three drawn lottery-style for the prize in 2023 and the first from the Upper Peninsula. The trio each received licenses to hunt elk, bear, spring and fall turkey and antlerless deer, and had the first pick at a managed waterfowl area for a reserved hunt.

He submitted these details on completing the final hunt in December —

— Elk hunt, Dec. 11, Canada Creek Ranch in Atlanta, Lower Michigan, bull, 6-by-6, 521.8 pounds, 120-yard shot.

“My first guide had to go back to his business at 9:45 a.m., so I hooked up with a new guide, Ed Warnes, a Air Force veteran who had an elk cow hunter and his son already. They said I could sit in the front seat; I was in good hands. We drove around the area looking elk and elk sign — tracks in the snow — with some fresh snow we did not see any elk in the morning but some tracks in the snow.

Robert Beaudry with his bull elk taken Dec. 11. For perspective, Beaudry is 6 feet, 3 inches.

“… After lunch Ed fueled up and we travel back in search of elk bulls and cows. Nothing until a radio call came in at 4:20 p.m. Eastern from another bull guide who had eyes on three nice bulls and was dismounted, tracking them up a ridge. Ed radioed the guide, Lanny, and asked where and what direction the bulls were moving …

“We traveled the route and as we were heading uphill on Horsebarn Road I saw an elk standing broadside 150 yards on the ridge directly in front of our vehicle. The cow hunter son used his binoculars and said it was a cow! My heart stopped! Then the elk moved and he seen horns. My heart started again and I said to myself ‘game on.’

We slowly exit the Ram truck while the bull elk watched and walked away from us. Once out of the vehicle, I loaded a round in my rifle and carried my shooting stick with me. Ed and I lead the slow pace on the rut road uphill scanning the area left. To our amazement the elk was already on the right side up the ridge by the top, 60 yards away, watching us go by him. Ron the cow hunter tells me, ‘Bob, he’s on your right side!” I shoulder and turned my rifle to my right and only a head shot, so I did not fire.

“Ed and I turned around and in the process Ed slipped to the ground. I asked, ‘Are you OK?’ Ed said, ‘Yes!’ I responded, ‘Good, stay here, I got this!’ I quickly and quietly moved fast up the steep ridge without my shooting stick, Ron followed me. Once at the top, Ron said, ‘I think he went right’ and I said, ‘I’m going left,’ and we parted ways.

“After 20 yards, I spotted the elk at about 120 yards, hiding behind several trees. I shouldered my rifle and placed my shot on the elk and squeezed my .308 Remington BDL bolt and fired. Looking still in my scope he buckled down to the ground and attempted to get back up. Ron said, ‘Shoot him again!’ I reload and placed a shot to the neck (hit windpipe) and he still attempted to get up. I shot again to the neck and finally direct hit collapsed for good.

Robert Beaudry with his black bear, taken Sept. 7 in Amasa,. The sow weighed 218 pounds and was shot from a tree stand 50 yards away.

“We walked over and my whole body went numb. I had no pain in my body. I realized what I just accomplished, I have a great bull elk, 6-by-6 giant weighed 521.8 lbs. dressed out and completed all of my Pure Michigan Hunt tags.

“I thanked God for making this possible. I was in heaven and savoring the moment my dream was fulfilled.

“Within 30 minutes, an army of guides, scouts, hunters and visitors were at my remote location with congrats and helping with processing my elk. Several comments from the oldtimers were: ‘That’s huge and nice rack!’ ‘They don’t get much bigger than that!’

“Ally Pagels (wildlife biologist and friend) heard on the radio that guide Ed Warnes’ bull hunter had shot a 6-by-6 and she said, ‘That’s Bob, that’s Bob! OMG, we got to go there!’ When Ally arrived, she walked up to my elk full of smiles and then gave me a bear hug and congratulated me, ‘You did it!’ I responded, ‘It was a team effort!’ My dream came true.”

The other tags filled were —

Robert Beaudry with his spring turkey, taken May 25 off Calumet Mine Road in Dickinson County. The tom weighed 16 pounds and had a 9-inch beard.

— Antlerless deer, Nov. 26, Trail No. 5, Dickinson County, doe, 150 pounds, 5 years old.

— Fall turkey, Oct. 24, Silver Lake area, Channing, tom, 20.5 pounds with 10 5/8-inch beard, 40-yard shot from ground blind.

— Duck hunt: Oct. 7, Nayanquing Point Waterfowl Reserve, lower Michigan, first choice unit 26. Total of 14 ducks taken. Members in my party: Beaudry, seven ducks; Mike Olson, four ducks; son-in-law Kurt Bjorkman, three ducks. Kurt’s father-in-law, Cecil Hartwick, mentored. Duck caller did not shoot.

— Bear: Sept. 7, Amasa, sow, 218 pounds, 50-yard shot from a tree stand on the second day.

— Spring turkey: May 25, Calumet Mine Road, Dickinson County, tom, 16 pounds, 9-inch beard.

Some of the ducks Robert Beaudry and fellow hunters took Oct. 7 at Nayanquing Point Waterfowl Reserve, lower Michigan.