2021 - Twelve-year old Ruuben Bergstedt caps off 50-year hunting tradition by harvesting 208-pound big buck
For three Esko families, deer hunting near Automba has been about much more than harvesting deer. For 50 years, it has been a time to gather with family and friends, share stories and continue a tradition passed from one generation to the next
November 23, 2021 • Voyageur Press
This year, the group celebrated its 50-year milestone with plenty of stories and a prime rib roast.
As for the hunting itself, success has been a little harder to come by.
“Just one deer down,” said Keith Bergstedt. “But that one is a nice one, and it was shot by my 12-year-old grandson.”
That grandson, Ruuben Bergstedt, harvested an impressive 207.8-pound, 9-point buck while hunting with his father, Orrie.
Ruuben headed to a stand he had never hunted before, and it didn’t take long for the action to begin.
“Ruuben went to a stand he had never been in and was gone from my sight for about four minutes,” Orrie said. “I heard a shot and thought to myself, ‘There is no way he could have shot a deer that quick.’”
Orrie’s first thought was that something might have gone wrong, so he headed over to investigate.
“I got around the corner, and he gave me a high five in the air,” Orrie recalled. “I knew then that he got a deer.”
And quite a deer it was.
Ruuben harvested a 6-pointer during his first year of hunting but didn’t see a deer last year. Success has been difficult for the entire hunting party in recent seasons.
“We hunt hard, and we haven’t been having much luck the past few years,” Orrie said. “We mostly see wolves and bears on our cameras.”
Last year, Orrie harvested the only deer taken by the group of 12 hunters — and it was a small one.
This year, however, Ruuben decided to join the men in another longstanding part of the hunting tradition: putting money into the pot for the biggest buck.
That decision paid off.
“Yep, he threw in his money, and with the money that carried over from last year, he was the big winner,” Orrie said.
To win the pot, a buck must weigh more than 175 pounds. At 207.8 pounds, Ruuben’s buck easily cleared the mark. Orrie’s deer the previous year had fallen short, allowing the money to carry over.
For the Bergstedts, the hunt is about more than the contest. Orrie, who lives near Meadowlands, said returning to Automba each year is an important part of keeping the family tradition alive.
“We always come down to hunt with the family,” he said. “We love the tradition, and we love big deer.”
With Ruuben’s success this year, another generation is becoming part of a tradition that has already lasted half a century.
And there are plenty more Bergstedts waiting for their opportunity. Ruuben has five siblings who will eventually get their chance to join the hunt.
That could keep Grandpa Keith busy in the years ahead — and perhaps a little lighter in the pocket.
After Ruuben harvested his big buck, Keith looked at his grandson and joked, “Too bad you didn’t put money in the pot for the biggest buck…”
Ruuben just smiled.
Orrie then broke the news: Ruuben had indeed put his own money in.
He wasn’t just the hunter with the biggest buck. He was taking home the pot, too.
Next year, the pot starts over — but the Bergstedt family hunting tradition continues.