I tagged a spike buck in the fading evening light on Saturday. It was the first legal deer I saw on my fifth day of deer hunting in Northern Minnesota this year. Decided to leave my seat in the woods a bit early because I wanted to walk out without my headlamp and besides, it was getting cold. After a little hike I paused in some weeds at the edge of a field and three deer bounded out. As I knelt down and raised my rifle, the third deer slowed down and stopped. As it turned towards me I saw some horns. Good enough for me! I settled the crosshairs on its shoulder, pulled the trigger, and it was the third deer in a row that hasn't moved an inch after I shot it with my beloved Winchester 70 .270 (thread on it: http://forums.accuratereloadin...81005191#2881005191). Less than ten seconds expired from when I saw the first deer to when this one was on the ground.



Nice bodied young buck. Funny thing is, this spike rack is the biggest I've taken home after a decade of deer hunting now.

You can see the weeds I shot it from in the background. According to satellite maps the shot was 140 yards and the longest I've had to make on a deer yet.



I shot it at about 5 pm and at 1 am was putting the last packages in the freezer.



Went back to the spot yesterday and I kicked up a bunch of bald eagles and ravens as I drove past. They ate down to the dirt.



Learned that eagles leave cool tracks in the snow too.

A little scenery from the hunt.

Now that's great stuff! Love the pictures.

Excellent photos!

Congrats! Nice pictures and thanks for sharing!

Congratulations... good eats right there!

What's that white stuff on the ground? Ewwwww, it got on your deer also, yuck!

Nice one Evan and Lucky you. From what I understand, not too many deer taken in MN this year.

Winter's meat. Always a good thing. Looks a little cold though. I'll stick with Bama for the winter! LOL

Thanks all! Yes it was a little chilly, was glad I packed my mittens and insulated bibs. Trying to sit still in single digit temps isn't much fun unless you're dressed for it. I do prefer dressing and butchering in the snow though.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Kobe:
Nice one Evan and Lucky you. From what I understand, not too many deer taken in MN this year.

Thanks Jim! I don't think harvest numbers will be high- didn't hear many gunshots in the area this past weekend or on opening weekend. Was hunting south of Cloquet in zone 156.

A friend of mine in MN was in a deer camp with 4 friends. They saw 13 deer and shot 5. I have no idea what area they were hunting though.

Thanks for sharing.

Fantastic photos! Thanks for sharing and congrats on the freezer filler!

Thanks fellas!

quote:

Originally posted by tanks:
A friend of mine in MN was in a deer camp with 4 friends. They saw 13 deer and shot 5. I have no idea what area they were hunting though.

Huh, I wonder where they were. I've hunted deer up and down the state and the population ranges from sparse (like where I was) to thick. That spike was likely the only legal buck I'd see all season.

Congratulations, you sat through some pretty cold temps last week, I was going to go out on the Mississippi and shoot some ducks, but I talked myself out of it because it was just too dang cold. Some of those pics depict the frigid temps pretty well.

You got to get a bigger rifle didn't anyone tell you a 270 will bounce off a deer

Congratulations on the hunt and some fantastic pictures.

ENJOYED IT...thanks

Thanks again guys, glad you enjoyed it.

quote:

Originally posted by Rub Line:
Congratulations, you sat through some pretty cold temps last week, I was going to go out on the Mississippi and shoot some ducks, but I talked myself out of it because it was just too dang cold. Some of those pics depict the frigid temps pretty well.

It was chilly but I was dressed for it, and besides the air felt dry too. I've felt much colder in wet and windy 35 degree conditions on canoeing trips before.

I grew up in Mankato, MN and will be doing some late season pheasant hunts around that area with my lab now... hoping for nice sunny days then. Good thing the dog doesn't care either way as long as he's hunting.

quote:

Originally posted by Swede44mag:
You got to get a bigger rifle didn't anyone tell you a 270 will bounce off a deer

Congratulations on the hunt and some fantastic pictures.

HA! Yah, had I known it would have horns I would have packed my Barret! Got lucky with that puny 130 grain slug.

If y'all don't mind, here's some more pics from this past weekend and opening weekend. The opener was a long and slow weekend. Hearing more turkeys calling on the property than ever before and also having a wolf howling nearby for the first time too made it noteworthy. I've seen lots of wolf turds and tracks around the area, but just hadn't heard one in the vicinity yet.

Great photos Evan !
That will be a fine eating deer. Makes me hungry.