Whitetail Hunting photo
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Minnesota bowhunter Eric Hendrickson knew he was looking at a special deer last summer. Hendrickson is a hard-working, self-employed plumber who trades farm labor for hunting privileges on a property near his home near Park Rapids. “I saw this buck feeding in the fields several times two summers ago on the farm, and again during this past summer. I even shot video footage of him a couple of times,” Eric says. “And then he disappeared for awhile.”

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Hendrickson finally spotted the buck again once hunting season opened. “He came out to the same big field, where I have stands on the southwest and northwest corners,” he says. “He entered the field halfway between those stands, where there is no good tree for a setup. I wasn’t sure what to do. But one afternoon it just seemed like a great night to hunt, so I went to the southwest stand just to see if I could spot him.”

There were two does in the field when Eric arrived, but he was able to get in his stand without spooking them. And then at prime time the buck he was after appeared, walking on a trail that would put him at 25 steps. Eric made a perfect shot on a buck he’d been pursuing for two seasons. “I guess the best thing was I didn’t have too long to look at him or think about it,” he laughs. “He was just there. I had to shoot, or he’d have walked right into my wind.”

The monster 8 point sported a gross green score of 188″ and should net in the high 160’s as a typical. I haven’t met a whitetail rack I don’t like…But massive antlers really trip my trigger and this buck is as beefy as they come. Congrats on a monster deer, Eric!