2019 - 12-year old wins Bann’s Buck contest
At just 12 years old, Evan Hanninen is already building quite the deer hunting résumé
November 26, 2019 • Voyageur Press
At just 12 years old, Evan Hanninen is already building quite the deer hunting résumé.
This year, Evan took first place in the Big Buck Contest at Bann’s Bar with a 196.7-pound, 8-point buck. Considering he had already harvested a 6-pointer and a 10-pointer in previous seasons, his latest success may not have come as much of a surprise.
Evan’s uncle, Paul Vernon, even offered him a little advice. “You might as well quit now,” Paul told him. “It doesn’t get any better from here on.”
Despite his early success, Evan isn’t quite ready to call hunting a passion.
“I enjoy doing it for fun, and it is a good time,” he said. “I like that it is one thing that brings family together.”
That family tradition is especially important on opening weekend, when the group gathers and spends the night at the hunting shack.
Evan was hunting with his dad, Nick, on opening day this year, and the two knew there were some good-sized 8-pointers in the area.
“It was about 4 p.m. when a doe came out and looked back,” Evan recalled. “It is the usual warning a buck might be following.”
Sure enough, one was.
“The buck stepped out,” Evan said. “After a couple minutes, it started walking toward us. It didn’t go in the direction the doe went, which we are still trying to figure out.”
Evan got his rifle ready and quickly realized just how impressive the buck was.
At first glance, he was convinced it had to be a 14-pointer.
“It was so big that I started admiring it,” Evan said. “I finally realized if I kept admiring it, it wasn’t going to shoot itself.”
His dad wanted him to wait for the buck to turn broadside, but Evan realized he might not have that much time.
“My dad wanted me to wait for a broadside shot, but I had to make a decision quicker, so I aimed for the neck, shot and it dropped,” Evan said. “It worked out.”
The result was a 196.7-pound buck and a first-place finish in the Bann’s Bar Big Buck Contest — another impressive addition to Evan’s hunting record before he has even reached his teenage years.
Other area big buck contests also produced some impressive winners this season.
At Country Corner, Luke Sibek took the top prize with a 204-pound buck. Kyle Holland earned first place in the Willey’s Sport Shop & Spirits Big Buck Contest with a deer weighing 194 pounds.
Congratulations to all of the hunters who participated in this year’s contests and found success in the deer woods.