November 24, 2021 at 10:56 a.m.
Some hunting traditions remain: Tomahawk Venison Feed still draws a crowd
Some hunting traditions remain: Tomahawk Venison Feed still draws a crowd
There are still hundreds of people who come to the Northwoods to partake in the hunt, to keep old traditions alive and to start new ones.
One of those traditions enjoyed year after year takes place in Tomahawk. Fifty-five years ago, some of the downtown Tomahawk business owners had an idea, a special way to kick off hunting season and bring people off the highway and into the downtown area. They could not have known the event - the Tomahawk Venison Feed - would still be popular decades later.
On the Friday before gun season, venison burgers, chips and soda are served to all in exchange for a suggested donation. The words "Stuff the buck!" ring out through the crowd as a bell is rung, signifying the unofficial start of the gun deer hunting season. Hunters in two separate lines put their donations into a decoy buck. They then continue on to grab their burger buns and chips and head off to one of several grill stations manned by volunteers from community businesses.
This year the Tomahawk Chamber of Commerce reported giving out all of their 1,600 venison burgers. They estimated over 1,000 people in total and even sent 100 burgers to assisted living facilities and senior centers in the Tomahawk area.
The event could not take place without support from the community, with representatives from different businesses manning the grills, cooking the burgers donated by Geiss Meat Service in Merrill. One of those grills was manned by Bob Baumann and Becky Jaecks of Park City Credit Union. The pair have been volunteering at the event for several years and have had fun seeing everyone come out to enjoy the event.
Jim Charles, Pete Wurl and John Krueger have been members of the Chamber of Commerce for years. Krueger said he was on his ninth year of helping with the event and enjoys helping the town. The tradition of the hunt, he said, is a big draw for hunters and families who may be on second and third generation hunters all enjoying the same event together.
As a late-comer to the tradition, only attending since approximately 2014, I find it fun to see hunters and community members braving whatever the weather can throw at us to line up for a burger. But it truly is so much more than just a burger. It is the camaraderie of the hunt that keeps people coming back. Families stood in line with children as young as the three-year old little girl who stood behind me with her mom. She played with her toy fire truck and kept the lot of us entertained while we waited to hear the bell start ringing.
The Future Business Leaders of America from Tomahawk were also on hand. This is their biggest fund raiser of the year, according to Madeline Baumann, who said it was her second year at the event.
Lines reached down the block as the smell from the grills drew in hungry hunters and others from around the area. The gun deer season, and all of the anticipation that comes with it, was ready to kick off.
As I no longer own the land where I used to hunt, I drove through the Northwoods looking for the traditional and once typical "deer in the back of the pickup sitting at the tavern" that used to be a common sight. Without in-person registration, though, those sights are few and far between. That is one thing that has changed with the deer hunt over the years.
The reports I heard when I stopped for lunch in Lake Tomahawk told me no one was really lighting the world on fire, but there were deer around if people were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. As usual, hunters in some locations reported hearing very few shots, leading them to take smaller bucks than they may have liked, just to fill the freezer. In other areas, however, there were reports of a good amount of gunfire.
I think that is pretty typical of the gun deer hunt. Just like fishing, if you are where the fish are, or if you are where the deer are, your odds are a lot better. As forest habitats change, as predators move into or out of an area, and as deer movement patterns change, hunters who adapt to those changes and make changes of their own will often find themselves processing a deer sooner rather than later - or worse, eating tag soup!
Area businesses such as Strasburg's North Country Taxidermy and Hunter's Headquarters have reported busy archery seasons this year. It will be interesting to see if that hunter success held out for the gun hunt.
For younger hunters, do not forget to get registered for the Northwoods Youth Deer Hunt Challenge through the Lakeland Times. Categories include mentored hunts (ages 10-12), archery, gun and muzzleloader with prizes for top deer in each category. All entered are also invited to the banquet, which will be held in January.
Any youth hunter 10-17 years of age who is a permanent resident of Iron, Oneida or Vilas County and who harvests a buck from the wild in Forest, Iron, Lincoln, Oneida, Price or Vilas counties is eligible. Those interested in getting involved in the challenge can find official rules on the Lakeland Times website.
For additional questions, please email Gregg Walker at [email protected]
Beckie Gaskill may be reached at [email protected] or [email protected].
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