“He practiced with a rifle every day since he drew the tag.”

A remarkable story of dedication, skill, and a little luck concluded earlier in January when 12-year-old Milan resident Dean Wojtowicz traveled to northern Michigan with his family to pick something he’d left there after a 2023 hunting trip. 

Back on October 1, 2023, Dean accomplished something that every Michigan hunter–young and old–dreams of, but few will ever achieve. That day, at only eleven years old, he shot an elk. Using a Remington 30-06 borrowed from his grandpa, Dean pulled a 4×4 bull that scored 173 inches and dressed out at 580 pounds. 

To commemorate the hunt of a lifetime, Dean’s parents had the elk mounted. After waiting more than a year, the trophy was finally ready and the family picked it up earlier this month. 

The Hunt
Because elk hunting is highly regulated in Michigan, Dean’s permit included only three weekends of eligibility. Accompanied by his dad and a professional guide, Dean said he didn’t even see an elk during the first two weekend trips to the property he was hunting just north of Gaylord.

It was during the third weekend that Dean got his chance and took it. “I don’t remember much because I was anxious and trying to stay calm. I was maybe shaking a little but I found the crosshairs on the elk and took my shot. The first shot was a little far back so I had to reload and take a 2nd shot while he was walking towards the woods, which finished him up,” said Dean.

Lucky Draw  
In the State of Michigan, elk hunting permits are highly coveted. Issued through a lottery system, somewhere around 40,000 people apply for a permit each year but only about 250 to 300 are granted.

If a person applies but does not win a permit, they are awarded a ‘bonus point’, which improves their chances in subsequent years. Considering the large gap between the number of applicants and the number of permits, most Michigan hunters will never even have the chance to hunt an elk. 

Dean’s father Andy said that despite twenty-six years worth of bonus points, he has never won a permit himself. Dean, on the other hand, entered the lottery in 2023 with one bonus point and won a permit for any elk–bull or cow. 

Always Be Prepared
While this was Dean’s first elk hunt, he is no stranger to hunting. He started tagging along on hunting trips with his dad at the age of three and by seven, he was carrying his own gun. “Even as a toddler, he would sit out there all day,” Andy said. 

To prepare for the elk hunt specifically, “he practiced with a rifle every day since he drew the tag,” said his dad. He also completed a mandatory elk hunter safety course and a class on elk biology. 

What’s Next?
Now that he’s checked an elk off his bucket list, Dean has his sights set on his next big game animal: a Michigan black bear. “That’s what I want to hunt next,” he said, already looking ahead.  

For other young hunters or anyone hoping to someday take on the challenge of elk hunting, Dean offered simple but sage advice: “Keep trying to get points, get a guide, and don’t give up.”