2020 - Bags and bucks opening weekend
Make it two years in a row for Alborn resident Duane Zywicki
November 24, 2020 • Voyageur Press
Duane harvested a nice 8-point buck this season, earning him first place in the Alborn Tavern Big Buck Contest for the second consecutive year.
Success in the deer woods is nothing new for the Zywicki family. Duane said the tradition of harvesting nice bucks dates back to when the family built its hunting shack in 1977.
While Duane may have established himself as a successful competitor at the Alborn Tavern, he admits he doesn’t necessarily hold bragging rights within his own family.
“My brother Jim usually shoots the big ones,” Duane said. “He has shot a couple of dandy 10-pointers. This year, he shot a forkhorn.”
The family hunts on the farm and usually has plenty of success to go around. This season, Duane’s nephews Jason and Justin each harvested 8-pointers, while nephew Jonny came up empty-handed.
“Everyone hunts hard the first weekend,” Duane said.
This year, however, unusually warm weather made opening weekend a little different from the typical November deer camp.
“It was so nice out, we were out playing bean bags in T-shirts,” Duane recalled. “It was unbelievable.”
For Duane, deer season is as much about the traditions and time spent together as it is about harvesting a buck. He also enjoys stopping at the Alborn Tavern, whether it’s for one of the specials, dining in or grabbing something to take home.
And after back-to-back Big Buck Contest victories, Duane will have another year of bragging rights when he walks through the door.