NORTHFIELD TWP., MI - A hunter in Washtenaw County broke the state record for a buck he killed while hunting with a crossbow in 2017.

A scoring panel with the Commemorative Bucks of Michigan named Cary Shear, 78, of Northfield Township, the new state record holder for the 12-point he bagged on Nov. 17.

"Never in my life did I think I would get a buck that would break a state record," Shear said Wednesday, June 27.

Using a "Boone and Crockett" antler scoring system measuring length, width and thickness of the horns, the buck scored 175-3/8, besting the previous record of 175-2/8.

An avid hunter since he was 17 years old, Shear has had an untold number of successful hunts but, this time, he didn't even think he could hit the 219-pound buck that won him the state title.

"He was about 38 yards from me, farther than what I thought I could hit," Shear said, recalling the hunt. "I said, 'God help me with this' and I made the shot. Now we got enough venison to last us a year."

After the hunt, Shear did not intend to have the deer checked to see if it was a record breaker, but was talked into it by his twin brother, Gary Shear.

"He just kept telling me I would probably never get a buck this big ever again, so he encouraged me to have it measured," Shear said.

The antlers are not measured until at least 60 days have passed since the deer was killed to allow moisture to evaporate from the horns which might throw the measurements off during subsequent checks, according to the organization's website.

The rack currently is in the hands of a taxidermist doing a mount of the deer.

The previous crossbow record was set by an Allegan County man in October 2016.