Dave Zeug

Central Wisconsin real estate agent Brian Ruesch specializes in buying and selling hunting land, so he knows more than a little about deer. That’s why he didn’t hesitate to buy the mounted head hanging on the cabin wall of the property he was appraising before the estate sale a few years ago.
Now Ruesch, of Vesper, wonders if anyone knows the story behind the nontypical buck that scored 215 inches and won the best of show at the Open Season Sportsman Expo in Wisconsin Dells.

Ask any deer hunter – especially one with a few seasons under the belt – what’s looked forward to most during the hunt, and there’s a good chance the reply will have something to do with time spent with family and friends.
Bill Taubman, of Shell Lake, Wis., is one of those hunters. Taubman hiked into his opening day deer stand for his 75th time in November. This year his hunting partner was 83 years younger than him.

Crossbows have given Wisconsin deer hunters an option that wasn’t always available. Over the years, a restrictive law that only allowed disabled hunters and hunters over a certain age changed to allow hunting with a crossbow being legal for anyone.
One retired Wisconsin DNR game warden remembers his first experience with a crossbow before the tool could be used by all ages, one he says still makes his blood run cold.