With the help of sons Halden (left) and Heath, Howard Van Wyhe bagged this eight-point buck hunting near Hills last Tuesday. Van Wyhe has hunted deer in the area for 20 years and is passing the tradition on to his children. Submitted photo.
By Jolene Farley
With another Minnesota deer hunting season closed, some hunters considered this a good year, some considered it just average.
"There were a lot of deer," said hunter Howard Van Wyhe, Hills. "Some years there are a lot of crops in the field or you get bad weather, cold. This year it was really good."
He bagged an eight-point buck near Hills. He usually hunts within four or five miles of Hills, close to the Iowa and South Dakota borders.
Van Wyhe, who has been hunting for 20 years, has an opinion on the length of the deer season in Minnesota.
"I really think Minnesota should give hunters a longer hunting period," he said, adding that if hunters were allowed a longer deer season it would be safer.
Roads are crowded with many hunters trying to shoot a deer in such a short period of time. It would be "less hassle" with a longer season, according to VanWyhe.
He added, "I appreciate people who let us hunt on their land and respect those who don't. It's everybody's right."
Hunter Warren Baker, Steen, hunts each year with the same group of eight people on his land near Steen.
Baker bagged a seven-point buck and a large doe this year. He said deer were "lying along line fences instead of all grouped up" like they do other years when it is colder, so that meant more walking.
Baker doesn't think deer season should be longer, but he does think the season should be split, with two to three weeks between sessions.
"The deer are pretty spooky the first few days (of hunting season)," he said. He thinks splitting the season would allow time for the deer to settle down.
Deer hunting is useful, according to Baker. "It keeps 'em off the roads so the cars don't hit them," he said.
He also said he loves the taste of deer meat. He has his deer processed into deer ribs, sticks and summer sausage. Deer ribs prepared right are "just like spare ribs, really delicious," he said.
"I like to have safety when I hunt," Baker said. "It's so easy to get shot." Baker's No. 1 hunting tip is to know at all times were everyone in your group is located; make sure everyone knows where hunters are hiding.
When asked if he had any hunting stories, Baker couldn't be persuaded to tell them.
Hunter Howard Van Wyhe was more forthcoming. He shared the story of a fellow hunter, Nathan Baker, who failed to shoot a deer this fall.
Fate wasn't on his side, however, until he was driving home the evening after deer season closed and hit a big buck with his truck. Such is the plight of the hunter.