Mitch Vakoch hunted deer for the first time in 1974. He set up a stand in the thick woods of Norman County, Minnesota, 4 miles from his front door, and readied his Remington 870 12 gauge.
Soon into his maiden hunt, Mitch was waiting for action in his stand, not quite sure how he would react to seeing a big whitetail come tromping through the bush. He would not have time to ponder it, though, as an enormous buck came charging from the grass straight toward Mitch.
He later recalled, “The thing looked as if it would run over me!”
The buck passed within a few feet of his stand, and Mitch fired confidently one time. The buck ran, but Mitch knew his shot was fatal.
The buck traveled 50 yards.
Mitch was shocked at the size of the animal. It took four men to drag the estimated 350-pounder (live weight) out of the woods.
People came from miles around to see this great trophy and to hear the beginner’s luck story.