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[wildlifeminnesota]

This is the story that is tied to the photograph of the large 11-point swamp buck and My Trophy.

     It was a foggy morning in the middle of October, just three weeks before deer hunting opener. I kissed the wife and headed out the door to go take wildlife photographs. As I was getting in the tuck I was thinking of a place I’d like to take them. The sun was coming up and the fog was lifting. I remember a piece of state land that had a lot of swamp and I know big swamps often hold big bucks. While driving down the last mile of road I was looking at the swamp. I saw a patch of woods that looked like a good place to go. I parked the truck and grabbed my gear. I looked at my watch and it was 7:30. I headed to the woods that ran along the big swamp. About a half of a mile away from me, I could see a bow hunter sitting in a tree. I kept walking along the trail near the swamp, increasing the distance between myself and the bow hunter. I started to see signs that a buck was around. I stopped to look at the rubs and scrapes, pausing only to look at my watch. It was now about 8:00, and I was finding even more signs in the area. Many of them looked fresh; like the buck was still in the area. I looked up at the swamp and there he was, just standing there. I completely froze. This beautiful buck with a massive rack was looking right at me, eye to eye. The scene was still. It was like we were frozen in time; like a painting on the wall. I was thinking of my camera and how I was going to get it to my eye. I started moving very slowly to retrieve my camera, all the while keeping my gaze on him. With my camera at the ready I shoot one photo after another. I was thinking that he could hear the camera, but I just kept shooting photos. It seemed like a long time had went by, but in reality it had only been a few minutes. I was thinking of moving, but I was still taking photos in an attempt to better photos of the rack. When I stepped to the left he did not move, so I took a couple of steps to the right and he still didn’t move. So now I was more relaxed and moving around and he still stayed there. I was thinking now that I had 50 photos or so that I should have a few good ones. So I thought that it would be nice to get closer. I was getting closer and after I took a few more shots, he was gone. It turns out that he was not in the last photos. I headed back to the truck and could not wait to get home and see all the photos I had taken.
As the word got around, the local news paper called me to do a story on the swamp buck I had photographed. Here’s that story:

“Welcome to the ‘Gov”
This magnificent 10-point buck was photographed only three short weeks ago in the area, by outdoor photographer, Wildlife Minnesota, of Perham. Gov. Tim Pawley, his entourage and several dozen media representatives will in the area Nov. 4 in search of specimens like this. Wildlife Minnesota, a longtime Lund boat employee with a passion for wildlife photography, took the photo in east otter tail county in mid-October—but being a hunter himself, that’s all the information he’s disclosing. ”For one thing, if I revealed the area where I spotted him—it wouldn’t be fair to the buck!” exclaimed W. M.

  Now it is two days before deer hunting opener. I was sitting at the kitchen table talking to my wife, and I told her that I wasn't going hunting this year. When she asked me why, I told her that I was tired of hunting state land and putting up with other hunters that don't respect the other people that are out there hunting too. They sit too close to you, and walk all around you. A lot of the time, if something moves, guns start going off. I said if I did go hunting, where would I go? It's only a couple days before opener, and I had no tags or gear together. She asked, “Why don't you go to the place where you photographed that buck?” I was thinking now, what are the odds? What are the odds that I would see that swamp buck? The next two days I got all my gear together and prepared myself for deer hunting.

  I got up at 3 A.M. on opener morning. After I made my way back to that same place that I photographed the buck, I get ready and post up. It was still quite dark outside yet. After a short while I heard a noise. I had readied my gun in case I had a shot. Instead, this hunter was walking along the buck trail. He was probably about 10 yards in front of me and had no flashlight or anything.  As I sat there waiting I kept hearing noise coming from behind me, I looked around a tree and seen that it was another hunter sitting about a hundred yards from me. I thought if I could hear him, then all of the deer definitely could! When it was about 10:00 A.M. I got up and went back to the truck, not too happy about this Morning’s hunt. I was taking a break and eating some lunch. My gun was on the ground, and I was sitting there thinking that the odds of my seeing that swamp buck again were going away fast. Then suddenly, a flurry of gunshots pierced the air. I look up to see two nice sized swamp bucks running across the field. I pick my 30 30 up off the ground, put it up to my eye, and thought to myself, “no, I would not make this shot and I can see the road behind the bucks.” So I put the gun down to my side. “Did that just happen?” I asked  myself as I heard gunfire coming from the far end of the woods. I looked back to the field and there was a doe just standing there on private land, her attention focused on the nearby woods. I was in the opening. I thought, “if you jump that fence, cross the road, and hit the woods, you're as good as dead.” Then she did exactly that. After I shot her, I walked over there and looked back across the field and seen a hunter going in to the woods. I think it was too soon for him to have gotten out of his stand if he had thought he hit one. I looked back to the woods and there was an old man sitting there. He said in ten more seconds he would have taken a shot. After he got down and walked over to where I was, we started to talk. I asked him if he had seen the two bucks, but he said he hadn't. Another hunter pulls up and gets out. I told him that he missed all the action. I told him that I shot the doe and that two really nice swamp bucks ran through here. The old man shouted, “Doe!!” I grabbed my gun and looked up to see a big rack moving quickly across the field. The old hunter was on my left. So I let the old man take his shot first, but when he shot, the buck had jumped and his bullet went right under the buck. I put my gun to my eye and picked a spot that I knew he would take a leap. I also made sure I would not be shooting across the road to be safe. Just as the buck reached the spot, I took my shot and hit him in mid-air; he immediately dropped to the ground. The hunter that just got there walked over to me, shook my hand, and congratulated me on a nice shot. This was better than TV or doing it myself!  As he walked over to the swamp buck the old man shouted, “Doe!!” It was still there and jumped in the woods. I said, “Stop!” to the hunter. Don't walk over there; I'm not sure where I hit him! He did not have a gun and was not in orange at all. I looked over at the old man. He said, “You got them fair and square.” I said to the old man, “Hey, let’s walk over there. You point your gun at him, and I will walk around to see if he is dead.” When the rack came up out of the tall grass I said, “don't shoot him!” I knew I had a lug shot. He went towards the woods and dropped after 10 yards. I looked back across the field and seen that hunter back in his stand. As I looked at the big swamp buck, I thought to myself, “No way! Is it the same one I had photographed three weeks ago!?” I went back to the truck and got the news paper that my photo was in. I looked at the photo of the big swamp buck, and it became clear that I had. I showed the photo to the old hunter and asked him if he would take some photos for me. He agreed to do so. I told him that if he wanted the doe that I shot, I would be willing to let him have it. When I got in my truck it was 1:00 P.M. and I was heading home. I looked across that field and I could see that hunter still sitting in his deer stand. With my swamp trophy in the back of my truck I went down the road. The news paper got the word that I shot the same swamp buck I had taken photographs of and ran the story the following week.

“Against long odds, hunter- photographer bags trophy buck he stalked with his camera. ‘What are the odds?’ said deer hunter and photographer, W.M. The big swamp trophy buck field dress at 240lb scores 150 5/8 as typical antler. Had 11 points. G3 13” long. What are the odds you can photograph a trophy with a hand held camera and get the same trophy on state land.”

  Now I look back to when I was sitting talk to my wife. (Think what I said to her.) I was right about state land and about hunters who hunt state land, but my wife was more right. It could happen even on state land. So if you do not think it could happen. Think again. So we ask ourselves, what are the odds? Maybe one and that's all you need! It all happens so fast!

  Now I look back on this hunt. Think what if I had a stand in the woods? What if I had shot at the first two swamp bucks? What if the hunter stayed in his stand? What if the old hunter made the shot? What are the odds now? It happens, that's why we call it hunting.
                       By hunter and photographer: Wildlife Minnesota