They say the world belongs to those who show up.

In this case it’s a very rare deer that belongs to Chase Mortenson for showing up.

It’s a funky-looking deer at that, with a third and middle antler that gave this buck the moniker of “unicorn.” Mortenson, of Madison, Minn., dropped the 11-point buck around 4:45 p.m. Sunday just west of Granite Falls.

It was the second day of the muzzleloader deer season. Chase Mortenson had taken up an invitation from his uncle Scott Mortenson to come out and hunt on his land between the city of Granite Falls and the Granite Falls Energy plant.

Chase said his brother declined the invitation to come out with him, and regrets it now.

Had his brother came out, Chase said his brother would have been the one in the blind from which he was able to harvest this big buck.

As it was, Chase was hunkered down in the blind as strong winds ushered in eye-tearing temperatures. The blustery winds didn’t seem to bother the two big bucks that Mortenson saw around 100 to 150 yards from his blind. He watched an eight-point buck and the unicorn on the move in an open hay field.

Mortenson knew of the unicorn. One of the trail cams set up on his uncle’s property had captured an image of him earlier this fall. It turns out that another trail cam also had gotten an image of the buck, but the angle of the camera shot did not reveal the odd, middle antler.

Chase Mortenson, of Madison, Minn., shot this three-antlered deer dubbed the “unicorn” while hunting on his uncle Scott Mortenson’s land west of Granite Falls on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, the second day of the muzzleloader season. (Chase Mortenson via Forum News Service)

The eight-pointer was the bigger of the two bucks in front of him, but the choice was obvious for this hunter. Mortenson aimed his new, CVA Accura MR-X muzzleloader at the “unicorn” and fired. He missed.

A muzzleloader provides one shot. Mortenson reloaded with the only other shot he had with him.

Surprisingly, the two bucks moved toward him. The “unicorn” stopped at a licking tree. It’s a tree where bucks will leave their scent, or calling card, and possibly learn if other deer have been visiting the site.

Mortenson said he took his second shot at the buck in the range of 75 to 80 yards. He thought he missed again. When he investigated, he found a pool of blood and just about 15 yards away, the fallen buck.

“Something I will never forget,” he said of this hunting adventure.

Of course, he’s having this trophy mounted.

It’s his understanding that odd antlers that sometimes occur on bucks are the result of some prior accident that interfered with the blood flow to the pedicles from which antlers grow. Most typically, an injury to a leg might interfere with a corresponding left- or right-side antler’s development.

Mortenson said that he can only speculate. This buck could have been injured at some point in his life by a motor vehicle. Or perhaps, this buck had been struck when young by an eagle. Whatever the cause, it’s likely it experienced an injury that affected the blood flow or split one of its pedicles.

No matter the cause, three-antlered deer are considered very rare.

While images of the buck are lighting up social media this week, Mortenson left for a deer hunting trip in South Dakota. He’s hoping to harvest a trophy, but admits he’s not really expecting to best the one he got last Sunday by showing up for the opportunity relatively close to home.

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