The Bowhunter Featured Articles
Lessons From the Wood
By: Jim Schoenike
Bow hunters are a special breed, and we tend to be a dedicated bunch. With lots of time spent on stand, we have an opportunity to consider many things in the solitude of nature. We use this time to assimilate information, contemplate choices, plan, and digest lessons we absorb from our time in the field.
Stories, Tales, and Adventure.
I recall seeing pictures of my parents and us kids, romping around at my mom’s family farm in New London. We were just little ones, but it sure seemed like we were enjoying ourselves. I was introduced to all sorts of neat things that would be standard fare for many Wisconsin farms today. Animals, pets, chores, bailing hay, and the harvest. We enjoyed helping grandma collect the fresh eggs in the chicken coop and picking the fruits and vegetables from the garden. Even to this day, I particularly loved the fresh raspberries and watching the milking process, now primitive by today’s standards. I did not much like the barn clean-up, but grandpa handled that daily task with ease.
Dad even took us rabbit hunting in a woodlot down the road; we were supposed to act like beagles and chase those furry creatures back to the place he was waiting. The land part was always a constant, I never gave it much thought.
I first recall being introduced to the forest in the late 1960’s by my dad’s family. Most of the memories of these early times with dad, his brothers and grandpa were formed on family land in Shawano County. The forest was always intriguing to me. My observations over the years were steadily changing as the land transformed itself during the seasons. This is the place where my bow hunting instincts were first ignited.
By default, I was immersed in the archery business and bow hunting, and I didn’t even know it was happening.
While one side of the family was telling stories of how this or that happened, the plans for the next planting or harvest; and the like, the other side of the family would tell tales of the last archery season’s experiences.
My memories of those days are a bit shaded now, but the images have lived vividly in my mind for decades. These accounts frequently included names of others, distant family members, neighbor farmers, and fellow hunters. It took me a while to sort it all out.
There were also fishing trips up north with dad and grandpa; those were great! I can recall swinging a fly rod in a canoe and practically covering the floor with bluegills. There was not even enough time to place them in a container because things happened so fast! Grandpa and I had to coordinate casts to minimize tangles near those spawning beds.
Whenever we visited Clintonville, the early evenings included a slide presentation of some adventure from a distant place. Elk hunting in a western state or moose season in Alaska. There were always pictures of past seasons with fellow members of the Wisconsin Bow Hunters and local archery clubs.
My first real archery experience occurred in the early 1970’s. We were arriving at hunting age and Grandpa Schoenike had all these extra bows, arrows, and quivers. It was then that we could begin to put into place the expert training we had received by a true outdoorsman. Besides, this time gave Dad an excuse to get back in the woods and away from his job. There he could rekindle memories and experiences from his younger life.
Those early years and the trips into the woods felt like we were living an adventure. We would absorb the stories and chuckle at the tales told around the dinner table. All the time we were learning about our sport and especially about nature. The interdependence between man, creatures, and trees alike.
The centerpiece of our lessons though, were the whitetail deer that we pursued. I am still learning and will continue to strive to better understand the factors required to make a successful hunt with archery equipment.
My approach this fall will be like past seasons. Plenty of preparation. getting things organized, setting stands based on scouting every month of the year, plus years of observations of deer movement during the archery season.
This year though, I have some new targets.
There are two bucks that eluded me in person last season. The first is a massive 10 point, which is much larger than the one I caught up with. The other buck has been nicknamed by a neighbor as “Scissor Hands.” He has a high mess of antlers and was over 180” last season. So far, I have no idea what this year’s growth may result.
I have a good understanding of where they live, but I have not yet confirmed how they will move.
Whatever happens this fall, I plan to make it an adventure, tell the story to all WBH, and hope I don’t end up sharing a tale of how they bested me.
“It always seems impossible until it is done.” - Nelson Mandela
Off Season Thoughts of a Bowhunter
By Jim Frank
WTA, WBH Life Member
As I sit here and get ready to write my column, I realize how fast this year is going. Since my last column I have attended a half dozen traditional shoots around the state and I've enjoyed all of them. I also attended the Kalamazoo Traditional Archery Expo and Compton's Traditional Bowhunters annual shoot meeting, both in Michigan. If anyone wants to get started in traditional archery or wants to buy new or used equipment, these are great places to go. The traditional only shoots throughout the state are also a great place to find equipment and meet like-minded archery enthusiasts.
The 2024 Wisconsin Traditional Archers (WTA) State Shoot was held at the Whitetail Bowhunters in Johnsonville, Wisconsin on July 27th and 28th. This is a great place to enjoy meeting traditional shooters. Even if you don't shoot in the state championship, it is always fun to watch and see who the top shooter is. There are 3 classes to compete in: men’s, women's and self-bow. It's fun to watch how the pressure of shooting in front of people affects the shooters. It’s just like when that big buck steps out!
I recently attended a seminar put on by Barry Wenzel, one of our living traditional Whitetail hunting icons. While I was at the seminar, I had the opportunity to talk to all the attendees and ask if any were members of WTA or WBH. To my amazement, only one other person in the room was a member of WBH; and there were not any members of WTA. Hopefully after my explanations of both organizations, some of them will join one or both.
In my last column I wrote about the history of archery in Wisconsin, and I hope some of you checked out some of the things I mentioned. If we think more about the history of archery in Wisconsin, we should look at the numbers of game animals that are in the record books that were taken not only by early WTA or WBH members, but also with archery equipment that was, or is still made in Wisconsin. Bows, arrows, sights, quivers, broadheads, tree stands, camo clothing, boots, trail cameras and the list goes on and on.
Wisconsin has always been a state that all others look to for seasons, game management, regulations, etc. Therefore, I feel as archers in the state of Wisconsin we should set an example for the archery community of how to act. Always remember that the rest of the country is watching what we do; so let's not set bad examples. A quote by Fred Bear states, “Go afield with a good attitude, with respect for the wildlife you hunt and for the forest and fields in which you walk. Immerse yourself in the outdoor experience. It will cleanse your soul and make you a better person.” If we look back at some of the thoughts of our earlier bowhunters, we realize that without their thoughts, attitudes and actions we would not have the opportunities we have today.
As I write this column, I just received notification that I drew a Wyoming antelope tag. Maybe this will be the year I get one. I hope that everyone who applied for a tag for something in a different state received the tag, and that they will be successful in their quest. I also just saw that Colorado has eliminated over the counter archery elk tags for non-residents. This will run from 2025 to 2029 and then they will take another vote on continuing this process or not. This is another great loss to the archery community that was set by the legislators, not hunters This is not only going to be a great loss to bowhunters, but to the economy of a lot of small shops and communities in Colorado. This is something that the archery organizations of in all states need to address. But how? I know WBH and WTA are trying to work with the Wisconsin DNR on their issues in our state, but get shut down too often by the legislature. We must vote accordingly for the future of our sport.
As we get closer to Fall and ready for upcoming hunts, please remember tree stand safety. With everything available to tree stand hunters, if everyone would use a safety harness and safety lines, we could eliminate the majority of tree stand accidents. Please be safe. .Let's all make good memories this year, not bad ones.