Ahnapee Town & the Best Deer Hunting Ever

Today, more than 50 years after this photo was taken, deer hunters would be aghast at such a sight. This picture is impressive by any hunter’s standards. The men were all friends, relatives or those who lived in the neighborhood. Aunt Tillie clipped it from a newspaper – probably Algoma Record Herald* - possibly during the later 1950s. Tillie clipped everything of interest to her over a forty or so year period, but unfortunately she didn’t date or source much.

When 34 deer were harvested by 34 Kewaunee County men, the men felt they experienced the best hunting in Wisconsin. They probably did. Most impressive was that 21 of the deer were harvested on Thanksgiving afternoon on the Art Wilke farm north of Algoma on Highway S. Wilke’s farm was a normal sized farm for the period, not one of the mega farms one finds in the county today. How 21 deer were harvested in a few hours on 80 acres was the story that didn’t survive.

Though not all hunters are on the picture above and 13 of the deer were already butchered, the picture tells more than a thousand words. A close up reveals a few grins but most of the men are trying to look serious, rather than reveling in what should be bragging rights.  Standing are Art Wilke, Tom Perry, Wilfred Grundemann, Sylvester Uecker, Ed Fiala, Walter Kussow, B. Shaw, Pat Kirchman, Zeb Shaw, Dr. Rudolph Dobry, Albert Prust, Pete Perry, Argene Leischow, Henry Muench and Charles Prausa. Kneeling are Walter Wilke, Homan Shaw, Henry Diefenbach, Frank Kruswick and Lawrence Harmann.

A little over 50 years earlier, in 1901, The Algoma Record boasted the hunting prowess of Algoma men when it reported that Algoma was “never backward” and its men had nearly 1/5^th of the Kewaunee County hunting licenses. The article seemed to imply that County Clerk Valecka was a little bored filling out which must have gotten to be the same old, same old. Based on Algoma's population, those 75 licenses reflected in a significant percentage of eligible males hunting.

With so much activity within Kewaunee County, one wonders why residents even bothered to go “up north,” but they did. Early papers pointed to the numbers of deer in northern counties while also pointing to regulations and what would happen to one ignoring the laws that included number of deer to be taken, transportation of the deer and the use of dogs. While dogs were generally prohibited in the hunt, there were those advocating their use. Thoughts were that wounded deer often move on and weren’t found, only to die further into the woods. Using dogs would ensure wounded deer would indeed be found. When the law allowed only one deer, there were those who felt taking fawns met the letter of the law. That required a rewrite. Some were concerned that if does were taken, depletion in overall numbers would follow. Another rewrite advised not shooting unless antlers were clearly visible. Fruit growers objected to most of the harvesting regulations because the deer were killing their fruit trees and thus their livelihood. Between 1895 and at least 1913, the Legislature also provided for a spring deer hunt. Metal tags sky-rocketed to 10 cents in 1920. The papers told about unheard of numbers of deer in a section of Ontario, Canada, however those going to Canada were subject to greater restrictions.

Hunters found Canada attractive in 1920 because the state Conservation Commission was in favor of a closed November hunt. Kewaunee County reflected the state with nearly a 100% jump in requests for hunting licenses from 1918 to 1919. It is possible such a jump also reflected the meatless meals and the hunger for meat during World War l, when much of the supply went to the military. The Commission felt that a 1919 hunt would tragically affect Wisconsin’s deer populations and possibly wipe deer from the state. Mentioned were the appalling numbers of carcases at railroad stations in northern Wisconsin. Commission wardens estimated more than 25,000 deer were killed and that was unsustainable. It felt that those who delighted in hunting would see that chapter of life closed. Though over 65,000 licenses were sold in 1920, the Commission’s mandated a one buck law for 1920 resulted in a huge falling off in the numbers of deer harvested.

A few years earlier – in 1912 – Algoma Record reminisced that only a few years before the county’s deer were more plentiful than rabbits were that year and that deer had gone the way of the buffalo and pigeons. The paper predicted a time when hunting licenses would be mere memories. Today's hunters - thankful that the predictions of 100 years ago didn't come to pass - are gearing up for another season. Blaze orange clothing is airing on clotheslines and hunters are among the few waiting for snow.
 

Just as today, accidents and heart attacks killed hunters. In 1905 the Baltimore Sun appeared to be making sport of the 16 Wisconsin hunters who died in the woods while saying, “It looks as if the deer have the laugh on their pursuers.” That's something nobody is waiting for.

 

 *The clipping came from a newspaper and Algoma Record Herald seems most obvious because of the photo’s location. However the picture is not found in the newspaper’s files at Algoma Public Library. It is possible that the picture was taken by a family member and submitted to the paper.

Sources: Ahnapee Record, Algoma Record, Algoma Record Herald.