2015 - Local Hunters Claim Top Honors in Area Big Buck Contests
Several impressive whitetails were harvested during this year's deer season, and local Big Buck contest winners have officially been announced
November 24, 2015 • Voyageur Press
Dan Winegar claimed first place in Bann's Big Buck Contest with a 218.9-pound, eight-point buck. Kent Wojtysiak won the Country Corner contest with an eight-pointer weighing 220 pounds, while Keith Payton took top honors in the Willey's Sports Shop & Spirits contest with a 201.2-pound, 10-point buck.
For Winegar, his winning buck was harvested near Palisade, Minnesota. Interestingly, despite its impressive size, it wasn't the biggest deer he has ever taken. Four years ago, he harvested another buck that was just slightly heavier at 219 pounds.
“Both are different deer,” Winegar said. “It will be interesting to see them side by side on my wall.”
Winegar typically hunts alongside his father, Dave, and brother, Steve. The family tradition once included Grandpa Dale and Uncle Smokey, who have both since passed away. His grandfather died four years ago, followed by his uncle two years later.
In memory of his grandfather, Dan continues to hunt with his gun, a .30-06 Browning rifle.
“I’ve shot a couple of nice bucks with that gun,” he shared.
This year's successful hunt, however, came together in a way that was quite different from Winegar's usual preparation. In fact, he admits he was practically unprepared when opening weekend arrived.
“I didn’t even know where I was going to hunt the day before opener,” Winegar explained.
He had considered hunting near Tamarack with his brothers, Mike and Joe, or heading to county land. Instead, he decided to check the game cameras on the family's property near Palisade.
The cameras showed promising deer activity, so Winegar quickly gathered his equipment, grabbed his bow stand and headed into the woods. He found a tree that wasn't ideal, but decided it would have to work.
“There weren’t even great shooting lanes,” he recalled. “I didn’t work at being scent-free, and I was late getting to my stand.”
Despite the lack of preparation, Winegar wasn't concerned.
“It was absolutely gorgeous out, so it was a perfect day to sit anyway,” he said.
At approximately 8:15 a.m., a neighbor walked by and unknowingly pushed a deer in from the west. The buck headed directly toward Winegar, but the rising sun made it difficult to identify the animal at first.
“It came directly into the sun, so I couldn’t see if it was a buck at first. He knew I was there, and I knew he was there.”
Winegar took a 40-yard shot through the poplar trees. After taking the shot, he returned his firearm to its holder and immediately sent a message to his father.
“I call my dad every time, because he is the best tracker I know,” Winegar said.
The deer bounded off toward the neighboring property. After receiving permission to track it, Dan and his father began searching for evidence of a hit.
Dave eventually located a tiny trace of blood, although Dan initially wasn't convinced.
“I told him that’s not blood, and sure enough, there they were, drop after drop.”
The trail led them to the buck, and the size of the animal was an unexpected surprise.
“And there it was. It was way bigger than I thought,” Dan recalled.
The buck weighed an impressive 218.9 pounds, featured a 19½-inch inside spread and earned a score of 140.
For Winegar, the successful hunt was about more than winning a Big Buck contest. It was another memorable harvest with his father's help, continuing a family hunting tradition that remains an important part of deer season.