NORTH BRANCH (AP) -- Mark Peterson knew he had a big buck when he felled a 12-pointer earlier this month. He didn't realize it would be one of the largest ever taken by a bow hunter in Minnesota.

"They just freaked out at the registration station," said Peterson, of North Branch. "We had a crowd there. I didn't realize the magnetism that something like this has. Word has spread like wildfire."

The deer's massive rack measured 28 inches on the inside spread and could be the fourth largest typical whitetail deer taken by an archer. It must hold up to a mandatory 60-day drying period under the Boone and Crocket scoring system, which is used by the state to keep records.

Peterson, 40, knew there was a huge buck roaming the countryside near his home because he and others had seen it.

"A lot of people in the area knew about him and were going to be gunning for him in gun season, but he didn't make it that long," he said. Peterson bagged the deer a week before the firearms opener, near his home.

The deer also could be among the top 30 typical whitetails taken by any means, including regular firearms, muzzleloader or archery.

North Branch is about 40 miles north of the Twin Cities.