An Outdoorsman’s Journal Flater’s Resort/Black Bear HuntFLATER’S RESORT - couriersentinel_20260924_ccs-2026-09-24-a-011_art_5.xml
Call 715-861-4414
An Outdoorsman’s Journal By Mark Walters Flater’s Resort/Black Bear Hunt Hello friends, Where the Chippewa and Flambeau rivers meet, in Rusk County, is Flater’s Resort and it has been there since 1938. It has been owned by the Flater family the entire time, first, Harry and Mary Flater, then Harold “Tubby” and Joann Flater, and currently, “Musky” Joe Flater, who, along with his partner, Angie Mincoff, run what I consider a beautiful place to hang your hat and also one of the best taverns I have ever known of. It’s an establishment, where, by the end of a visit, everyone truly talks to each other, and shares a laugh and a story. I started hanging out with Joe back in 2000, and let me tell you, when I come home from a three or four-day visit, I have to take a nap, as soon as I pull in the driveway. Wednesday, Sept. 9 • High 75, Low 48 The late Harold “Tubby” Flater and his son, “Musky” Joe Flater, kept the Flater’s Resort tradition going since 1953, and Tubby’s parents did, since 1938. My task for the next four days, is to help Musky Joe, a 2017 inductee into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, as he has several bear hunters in camp, and in one way or another, they are all my friends or soon would be. Joe is not your typical guide, he rows/drifts down the Flambeau/Chippewa rivers, with no electronics, in a 14-foot boat, that has something like a 10 hsp motor on it, for the slack water. Joe knows every musky in the river and simply put, is a walking, talking, barrel of hunting and fishing fun, who also enjoys an occasional barley pop. Today, I met “Big Jay” Kuchenski, who sets up large scale venues in downtown Milwaukee, as far as the freight and set-up in the building goes. Jay, as I would find out over the next few days, really wants to see his first bear and hopefully, make some meat and with respect, put its hide on his wall. In Big Jay’s off time, he is very active with the Lake Tichigan Musky Club and a very avid whitetail hunter. On tonight’s hunt, Jay got a really nice video of a wolf, going through the forest, but did not see a bear. Luke Iverson is an operating engineer, with Local 139, out of Sun Prairie, and would sit with his 19-year-old son, Colton, who was on his first bear hunt. Colton is an apprentice electrician, and loves to hunt and fish. These guys are from Waterford, and also are very active in the Lake Tichigan Musky Club and are very skilled at harvesting big bucks, as well. Tonight, we harvested our first bear and it was Colton, who got it. What would be a 250-pound dressed sow, put a huge smile on a lot of people’s face and in my eyes, Colton was the perfect candidate, for the first bear for the gang. For the next few days, Colton never lost his smile, and was either sturgeon fishing from a boat or wading in the river, casting for smallies. Kudos go out to Scott Stewart, who lives in the area, is a great friend to Joe and Angie, and exceptional tracker, dragger and skinner. Scott, Colton and I, did the majority of the dragging and the part in a tag alder swamp was a challenge. This story never would have happened, had it not been for Harry and Mary, moving a logging company’s office building in 1938, to what would become Flater’s Resort. Tubby was born in 1932, and would spend much of his childhood growing up in that building and learning from his parents how to run a resort. In 1953, Harry was killed in a hunting accident, while Tubby was being shipped to the Korean War. Tubby was sent home and took over the resort, with his wife, Joann. Tubby would become a legendary guide in the area, and with Joann, raised Jim, Joe and Jane Flater. Joe took over Flater’s Resort and in the same building, would raise three sons: Matt, Andy and Austin. Like their father, grandfather and great-grandfather, these boys, who are all my friends, as well, would become go-for-it outdoorsmen and really fun people. Tubby lost Joann in 2017, and remained a huge part of the resort, as he was an avid biker, UTV explorer and most importantly, a man who everyone loved to see in the tavern, as he was fun and really enjoyed playing cribbage. This July 13, after what, in any person’s vision is a great run, Tubby’s heart said it had had enough and a great man was blessed with being able to spend the rest of eternity with his bride. That, my friends, is what I call a great run, for a lot of really good people! Sunset- FLATER’S RESORT Where the Chippewa & Flambeau Rivers Meet Advertise Here! Call 715-861-4414 581 Advertise Here! Call 715-861-4414 Joe Flater, owner Cadott • Cornell • Lake Holcombe Your Hometown Newspaper www.flatersresort.com 270 N. Cty. E, Holcombe, Wis. 715-861-4414 715-595-4771 www.centralwinews.com Open Year-around | Bar w/food | Gas | Cabins An Outdoorsman’s Journal By Mark Walters Flater’s Resort/Black Bear Hunt Hello friends, Where the Chippewa and Flambeau rivers meet, in Rusk County, is Flater’s Resort and it has been there since 1938. It has been owned by the Flater family the entire time, first, Harry and Mary Flater, then Harold “Tubby” and Joann Flater, and currently, “Musky” Joe Flater, who, along with his partner, Angie Mincoff, run what I consider a beautiful place to hang your hat and also one of the best taverns I have ever known of. It’s an establishment, where, by the end of a visit, everyone truly talks to each other, and shares a laugh and a story. I started hanging out with Joe back in 2000, and let me tell you, when I come home from a three or four-day visit, I have to take a nap, as soon as I pull in the driveway. Wednesday, Sept. 9 • High 75, Low 48 The late Harold “Tubby” Flater and his son, “Musky” Joe Flater, kept the Flater’s Resort tradition going since 1953, and Tubby’s parents did, since 1938. My task for the next four days, is to help Musky Joe, a 2017 inductee into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, as he has several bear hunters in camp, and in one way or another, they are all my friends or soon would be. Joe is not your typical guide, he rows/drifts down the Flambeau/Chippewa rivers, with no electronics, in a 14-foot boat, that has something like a 10 hsp motor on it, for the slack water. Joe knows every musky in the river and simply put, is a walking, talking, barrel of hunting and fishing fun, who also enjoys an occasional barley pop. Today, I met “Big Jay” Kuchenski, who sets up large scale venues in downtown Milwaukee, as far as the freight and set-up in the building goes. Jay, as I would find out over the next few days, really wants to see his first bear and hopefully, make some meat and with respect, put its hide on his wall. In Big Jay’s off time, he is very active with the Lake Tichigan Musky Club and a very avid whitetail hunter. On tonight’s hunt, Jay got a really nice video of a wolf, going through the forest, but did not see a bear. Luke Iverson is an operating engineer, with Local 139, out of Sun Prairie, and would sit with his 19-year-old son, Colton, who was on his first bear hunt. Colton is an apprentice electrician, and loves to hunt and fish. These guys are from Waterford, and also are very active in the Lake Tichigan Musky Club and are very skilled at harvesting big bucks, as well. Tonight, we harvested our first bear and it was Colton, who got it. What would be a 250-pound dressed sow, put a huge smile on a lot of people’s face and in my eyes, Colton was the perfect candidate, for the first bear for the gang. For the next few days, Colton never lost his smile, and was either sturgeon fishing from a boat or wading in the river, casting for smallies. Kudos go out to Scott Stewart, who lives in the area, is a great friend to Joe and Angie, and exceptional tracker, dragger and skinner. Scott, Colton and I, did the majority of the dragging and the part in a tag alder swamp was a challenge. This story never would have happened, had it not been for Harry and Mary, moving a logging company’s office building in 1938, to what would become Flater’s Resort. Tubby was born in 1932, and would spend much of his childhood growing up in that building and learning from his parents how to run a resort. In 1953, Harry was killed in a hunting accident, while Tubby was being shipped to the Korean War. Tubby was sent home and took over the resort, with his wife, Joann. Tubby would become a legendary guide in the area, and with Joann, raised Jim, Joe and Jane Flater. Joe took over Flater’s Resort and in the same building, would raise three sons: Matt, Andy and Austin. Like their father, grandfather and great-grandfather, these boys, who are all my friends, as well, would become go-for-it outdoorsmen and really fun people. Tubby lost Joann in 2017, and remained a huge part of the resort, as he was an avid biker, UTV explorer and most importantly, a man who everyone loved to see in the tavern, as he was fun and really enjoyed playing cribbage. This July 13, after what, in any person’s vision is a great run, Tubby’s heart said it had had enough and a great man was blessed with being able to spend the rest of eternity with his bride. That, my friends, is what I call a great run, for a lot of really good people! Sunset- FLATER’S RESORT Where the Chippewa & Flambeau Rivers Meet Advertise Here! Call 715-861-4414 581 Advertise Here! Call 715-861-4414 Joe Flater, owner Cadott • Cornell • Lake Holcombe Your Hometown Newspaper www.flatersresort.com 270 N. Cty. E, Holcombe, Wis. 715-861-4414 715-595-4771 www.centralwinews.com Open Year-around | Bar w/food | Gas | Cabins
