Thanks to everybody who commented on my pics, I really appreciated that. I am an avid bowhunter, and since we can only shoot 1 buck per year in Mn. I usually am happy to shoot a doe or two with my handgun and save my buck tag for archery. On opening day, saturday 11-6 My girlfriend Ellie and I hunted one of the farms I have permission to hunt, Ellie saw several deer, but never was able to get a shot with her shotgun. I saw several small bucks and a few does. I missed a 125 yard shot at a nice doe, but when it stopped to look back at 175 yards I nailed it with my second shot!

The next day, sunday, we both saw deer, but didn't get any. Ellie and I both had to work monday 11-8 , and when I got off work it was garbage day. I rounded up the garbage and got ready to head over to the dump. I hadn't really thought about hunting that afternoon but just as I was getting ready to leave I thought about a stand I have on a farm close to the county dump and decided I would grab my Encore and sit there for the last hour of the day. Since I allready had the garbage loaded in my cars trunk I just grabbed my hunting jacket and gun from the truck. I figured it was going to be a real short hunt, and I would be unlikely to even see a deer.
I dropped the trash off and headed for my stand, as I was leaving the car I realized I had left my backpack in the truck, I only had 3 bullets in my pocket and no flashlight if I needed to trail one after dark.
The farm I was hunting was very small, less than 40 acres, mostly CRP field with a little 5 acre section of woods in the middle, I had a ladder stand on the edge of the woods looking over the field. It was pretty windy when I climbed into the stand, which I'm sure covered any noise I might have made getting there. I didn't see any deer until about 5 minutes before quitting time, the buck just took one step out of the same little patch of trees I was in about 50 yards in front of me. It was pretty open, and I think he must have been bedded right there the whole time! Right as I saw him a doe hopped over the fench from the neighbors property coming straight at the buck, and he just stood there broadside looking at her. I was pretty shook up and had a hard time setting up my mono pod, but the doe had his full attention. I finally got set cocked the hammer back and drilled him through both lungs! He he managed to run about 30 yards and piled up in the deep grass. I had no clue how big he really was until I walked over to were he had fallin! I knew he was a nice buck, but it happened so fast I was in shock when I walked up to him.

I knew right away I was going to need help and the truck for this deer, I called Ellie and a buddy of mine, then I drove home, picked up Ellie and the truck, my buddy brought another friend and met us back at the farm. We took some pics, admired my buck, and maveled at how big he was! Next it was off to the Taxidermis

We didn't actually weigh this deer, but my previuos biggest was weighed and came in at 287 pounds, this buck was every bit of that and probably a tad more.
I have bow hunted that farm quite a bit over the last 4 years, and had a trail camera out for a full month this summer and never caught a glimps of this monster, in fact I had never even seen a buck I would have considered a shooter on that farm, so it was a total surprise to get him!

Awesome buck and a great story. I fixed your photos for you, you had used the image for the thumbnail image and not the full size one. Congratulations.

That's a brute!

congratulations on a fine trophy

Fantastic deer - congratulations!

That is a GREAT BUCK, congratulation

That is a buck of a lifetime. I sure hope that you mount him -- he's well worth it! Congratulations!

Sometimes opportunity knocks! Glad you answered. Excellent animal. Congrats!

Congratulations on a nice doe and a giant buck!

That's an incredible buck. Congrats on a great trophy with your handgun.

Enjoyed the story. Congrats on the buck!

wow....bout all you can say about that. i'd be willing to bet that it would be the largest handgun buck of 2010!

Maybe I missed it, but what cartridge did you use?Congrads too!!!

What a dandy!!
Nice buck.

Really happy for you-Awesome buck!

Congrats on a great Deer!!!!! What is the handgun caliber that you are using???

Wow - are you sure you didn't want to save that buck tag?

A truly incredible deer and trophy of a lifetime! Congratulations!

i believe the pics in the bragging board section describe the gun as 30-06.....encore.

Congrats! Awesome Buck!

I hope you are a member of HHI, That would definitely be in the running for the biggest handgunned whitetail of the year contest. The winner gets a new free TC handgun!


Jeff

Was that score gross or net?
You think he'll be a booner?

Not that it matters, that thing is an absolute GIANT!!! I was just wondering. I bet there are very few handgun booners.

MN

Beauty!

wow what a great deer.congrats.

Beautiful buck! congratulations

What a nice buck !!

Guess I forgot to say my T/C Encore is a 30.06, and I shoot 150 grain Remington Core-lokts. I hand load for all my guns, except my AR and my Encore. I have never found a recipe for my Encore that will out shoot those Remingtons!

Thanks Gary for fixing my pics, I was wondering why they looked like that!

A hell of a buck to be taken anywhere, congrats on him.

GREAT BUCK !!! Congrats on the buck of a lifetime.

And, you were very fortunate that Murphy's Law didn't come into play as it would have dictated that your girlfriend got the bruiser....wouldn't that have been a load of bull squeeze..

I have my taxidermists number on my cell and called him right from the field asking him to stay at the shop untill I could get him there!

It will be hard for you to top that one. That is about as nice as it gets with a handgun. Again Congradulations.

WOW CONGRATS!!!!!

that is a hog
nice rack too !
been awhile since I've seen one that big

Great buck, congrats!!!!!!

AWSOME BUCK! Pics like that always fire a guy up to get out there and hunt harder.

I would get ahold of North American Whitetail Magazine.This buck could possibly be the biggest handgun buck out of North America this year (rack wise I mean), Unfortunatly, the left side lost out on that 5th and very important tine. Still NAW may be interested for an article.

what a great buck. congrats bro.