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Buck #9

Hunter:    Mike Ready              

Score:     159 0/8" (180 1/8" gross non typical)

Points:     16 points

Date:        November 19, 2005

Location:  Winona County, Minnesota

Method:    shotgun

MikeReady2005TCheaddown.jpg (166093 bytes)   MikeReady2005TCheadup.jpg (229752 bytes)   MikeReady2005Field.jpg (243003 bytes)  MikeReady2005Side.jpg (124115 bytes)

Our party of 9 made several drives during the daylight hours on opening day of the season, one of which produced a very nice 7 point buck shot by Jack a friend. Jack later shot an even more impressive 10 pointer.

As evening fell on that opening day,  I found myself sitting in an unkempt cornfield on a hilltop. I could see much clearing between the cornfield and the very thick set of woods. There was no action happening near me so I decided to take a walk along the woodline.

Several minutes after I started walking, I heard some shots coming from close by. I knelt down just in case something would come my way. From over the horizon, I saw a deer running across the large open field. I was very surprised to see rather large antlers as he got closer. I was even more
surprised when he chose to run on the same path that I was walking on.


He was running right at me.


He got approximately 50 yard away, I fired my first shot. He dropped. However, a previous experience reminded me to be sure. Nine shots later, I had my biggest buck ever.

As it turns out, he was well known in this area: the landowners party had a chance at him during the buck season. (see photo of missing left eye).  He was being scouted by my friend, Doug who caught him on a game tracker 4 miles away from the harvest site. I took the rack to get scored by Don, an official measurer, who lives very close to where I shot the buck. Don told me that he been after this particular buck for 3 or 4 years.....