Whitetail Drive

A 248-5/8 B&C Public Ground Minnesota Monster.

- Darren Warner

The deer hunter could sense something was about to unfold before him. Nearly 50 years of hunting had taught Minnesotan Stan Kreidermacher to trust his instincts. As if on cue, he heard two shots to the east on the other side of a steep ravine. Being late in the 2015 muzzle loader season, two shots meant two hunters slinging lead. Oak, hickory, basswood and walnut trees covered the steep hillsides of the public land hunting area interwoven with thick brush and understory. White tails had amassed many escape routes through the area, and hunters who wanted to fill their tag needed to possess a good understanding of the terrain to have a chance at the deer.

Moments later, he heard the distinct hoof-falls of several deer heading toward him. As the group of whitetail cascaded down a steep hill, the lay of the land told Kreidermacher the deer were intent on circling to escape hunters. He then heard the unmistakable grunt of an approaching buck. Turning his head to the right, Kreidermacher caught a fleeting glimpse of the deer lowering its massive head to squeeze 248-5/8 inches (Boone and Crockett) of antler through the hanging brush. The other deer hunters had ushered the whitetail around to ascend the hill a second time in order to evade the black powder rifles.

In front of Kreidermacher was a 10-foot-wide ditch that cut through the rising hill, offering a small shooting lane before the deer disappeared into the impermeable brush. Kreidermacher watched several adult does pause for a moment before clamoring into the ditch and out of sight. At the rear of the chorus line trotted the buck, intent on getting away.

“I thought to myself that when I see his horns again, I’m just gonna shoot,” said Kreidermacher. “But he was walking too fast, and so I held up.”