2016 - Kemi, Winegar, Miller, Schmidt, Wojtyside win Big Buck Contests
It was another successful whitetail deer season across the Voyageur Press readership area, with hunters bringing in impressive bucks and claiming bragging rights throughout the region
November 22, 2016 • Voyageur Press
Among the biggest deer reported was a 212-pound buck harvested by Lyle Kemi of the Brookston area, earning him first place in the Country Corner Big Buck Contest after 30 years of entering.
Joe Winegar had an especially successful season, winning both the Willey’s Sport Shop & Spirits contest and the Bann’s Bar & Restaurant contest. His buck weighed 205.6 pounds at Willey’s and just under 203 pounds at Bann’s.
In Lawler, Jerry Miller took top honors in the Jackson’s Hole Big Buck Contest with an 183.4-pound buck. Willie Schmidt won for the second consecutive year at Mississippi Landing in Jacobson with a 200-pound deer, 29 pounds lighter than the buck he harvested last year.
In Alborn, Art Wojtyside won the points contest at Wayside Corner, taking home the first-place prize of a Stealth game camera.
Kemi's 30-Year Wait Pays Off
At 61, Kemi finally claimed the Country Corner title after three decades of entering the contest.
He recalled harvesting a larger buck six years ago, weighing 209.5 pounds, only to lose the contest to Tom Nylund, whose deer weighed 214 pounds.
“I also shot a nice 13-pointer that didn’t weigh as much as these two near Hardwood Lake,” Kemi said.
This season, Kemi's patience paid off. He admitted he had an opportunity to shoot a smaller buck earlier in the hunt but couldn't get a clear shot.
“A doe came out straight at me and a buck, maybe six or eight points, was right behind, but I couldn’t quite get a shot off,” Kemi said. “A half hour later, one comes in behind me, a 10-pointer. I’m so lucky I didn’t pull the trigger.”
The decision proved worthwhile, as the 212-pound buck earned him the long-awaited contest victory.
Winegar Wins Two Contests
Winegar's double victory made him one of the season's standout hunters. His buck topped both the Willey’s Sport Shop & Spirits and Bann’s Bar & Restaurant contests.
Interestingly, his brother Dan won the Bann’s contest a year earlier. Despite their shared passion for hunting, the brothers pursue deer in different areas.
“Dan hunts with my brothers and my dad near Palisade,” Winegar said. “I kind of do my own thing near Tamarack.”
Winegar's buck, weighing more than 200 pounds, was the largest he has harvested in Minnesota. He did, however, shoot a slightly larger deer in North Dakota.
His buck wasn't the largest among the Winegar brothers. Dan's deer weighed an impressive 219 pounds last year, while brother Mike also had a successful season, harvesting a 162.6-pound buck.
With a Winegar winning the Bann’s contest for the second consecutive year, the family is already looking ahead to next season.
“Well, if it goes in order of oldest to youngest, Mike would be next,” Winegar said. “Steven would follow. Steve didn’t get a buck this year, but he usually gets a small 8-pointer.”
Winegar's successful hunt came at 12:10 p.m. on a 60-degree day. The warm weather nearly convinced him to call it a day, but he decided to remain in his stand.
“I had just taken off my jacket because it was so hot,” he said. “The story of this hunt was the fact I was willing to sit in the stand long enough despite how warm it was, and anything can happen.”
In addition to Winegar's first-place finish at Bann’s, Abby Schoeben won the First Buck category, while Dave Klumpner earned Largest Doe honors with a 122.1-pound deer.
Miller Takes Jackson's Hole Title
Miller claimed the Jackson’s Hole Big Buck Contest in Lawler with his 183.4-pound buck, one of the smaller winning deer in the contest's history.
“I shot this buck right across the street,” Miller said. He hunts with the Diehl family near Lawler, where the group has enjoyed consistent success in recent seasons.
“We have been hunting near Lawler for three years now, and every year we get one nice deer,” he said.
Miller said he was surprised to win and grateful to the Diehl family for inviting him to hunt with them.
“I just follow the rules,” he said. “They are all great hunters and a joy to be around.”
From Kemi's long-awaited victory to Winegar's double win and Miller's unexpected championship, this year's contests provided plenty of memorable moments for hunters throughout the region.