An Outdoorsman’s Journal By: Mark Walters Young Hunters Hello Friends, I was fortunate to spend Wisconsin’s Youth Deer Hunt with 5 young hunters and 3 mentors at a deer camp near Burnett in Dodge County. Conner and Carsyn Thiede are 13 and 15, Bennet and Kensie Reifsnider are 11 and 14 and Joey Reifsnider is 16 and would be waterfowl, bow and turkey hunting. I would take turns hunting with Bennet and Kensie on the Jeff Pausma dairy farm near Fox Lake. I have become good friends with Jeff who has let me take young hunters to his beautiful piece of paradise for turkey and this fall deer hunt. Eleven-year-old Bennet Reifsnider made an excellent shot on his first whitetail deer. Our first buck was harvested at 5:00 this morning. Unfortunately, it was with 21-year-old Joe Strucks 2022 Ford F-150, which Joe had recently purchased and now has major damage. This morning I would be hunting with Kensie, who the night before played in the homecoming half-time show for what would be her first homecoming at Beaver Dam High School. We only saw one deer and after our morning hunt would relocate our ground blind to what I felt was a better location on the same alfalfa field. None of the other hunters fired their gun other than Joey who bagged a turkey. This afternoon Kensie would be doing the Homecoming dance so I would hunt with Bennet who has not harvested a deer and is very into the hunt. At about 5:40 we spotted 3 deer in the brush near the buck scraper but could not get a clear shot. I might add that both Bennet and Kensie would be hunting with rifles that they had won while participating in KAMO’s “Kids And Mentors Outdoors” annual deer hunt near Poynette that we call “The Joe. “ At 5:30 the same 3 does entered the field; they were about 20 yards from us and Bennet made an excellent shot on what would be his first deer. I was impressed with this boy all weekend and even more so when I asked him if he would like to keep hunting for a chance at a buck. Bennet who was in a great mood said, “No, I would like to get out of here so it is still good for Kensie in the morning. Our night was filled with fun and games at camp as we had an excellent meal prepared by Tyler’s mom, Lynn Thiede, and all night long these kids were messing with me both physically and mentally. To put it simply, the mood was excellent. Conner and Carsyn Thiede and their cousin Joey Thiede are active waterfowl hunters. Sunday, October 5 High 72, low 42 This morning Kensie would be hunting with me again and we saw 4 deer but had no shot and a very good feeling for our evening hunt. As far as the homecoming dance for Kensie, she said the DJ did not play many of the types of songs the kids liked so it was not as much fun as she hoped. About the same time as yesterday we saw a lone deer enter the field and it was about 100 yards away. Kensie was smooth as silk and like her brother, broke in her new rifle with a single shot, and the results put a huge smile on her face. Since she had nothing to lose, we hunted until dark for a buck. Our norm here with turkey and deer is to stop at the barn so Jeff, who really seems to enjoy young hunters, could see her deer. I have sat with all five of these kids as they harvested whitetail deer and we have developed excellent relationships. Opportunities like this are there for the creating and I strongly ask that as many people as possible take advantage of them. Sunset Fourteen-year-old Kensie Reifsnider thoroughly enjoyed her Dodge County deer hunt. AWARD WINNER CHEVROLET 175722 Klemme Sales Inc. 125-129 Second Ave., Stratford, WI 54484 ph: 715-687-4511 • fax: 715-687-4507 715-223-2777 93304_2 328 www.smithbrosmeats.com Hwy. 13 South • Colby, WI 54421 An Outdoorsman’s Journal By: Mark Walters Young Hunters Hello Friends, I was fortunate to spend Wisconsin’s Youth Deer Hunt with 5 young hunters and 3 mentors at a deer camp near Burnett in Dodge County. Conner and Carsyn Thiede are 13 and 15, Bennet and Kensie Reifsnider are 11 and 14 and Joey Reifsnider is 16 and would be waterfowl, bow and turkey hunting. I would take turns hunting with Bennet and Kensie on the Jeff Pausma dairy farm near Fox Lake. I have become good friends with Jeff who has let me take young hunters to his beautiful piece of paradise for turkey and this fall deer hunt. Eleven-year-old Bennet Reifsnider made an excellent shot on his first whitetail deer. Our first buck was harvested at 5:00 this morning. Unfortunately, it was with 21-year-old Joe Strucks 2022 Ford F-150, which Joe had recently purchased and now has major damage. This morning I would be hunting with Kensie, who the night before played in the homecoming half-time show for what would be her first homecoming at Beaver Dam High School. We only saw one deer and after our morning hunt would relocate our ground blind to what I felt was a better location on the same alfalfa field. None of the other hunters fired their gun other than Joey who bagged a turkey. This afternoon Kensie would be doing the Homecoming dance so I would hunt with Bennet who has not harvested a deer and is very into the hunt. At about 5:40 we spotted 3 deer in the brush near the buck scraper but could not get a clear shot. I might add that both Bennet and Kensie would be hunting with rifles that they had won while participating in KAMO’s “Kids And Mentors Outdoors” annual deer hunt near Poynette that we call “The Joe. “ At 5:30 the same 3 does entered the field; they were about 20 yards from us and Bennet made an excellent shot on what would be his first deer. I was impressed with this boy all weekend and even more so when I asked him if he would like to keep hunting for a chance at a buck. Bennet who was in a great mood said, “No, I would like to get out of here so it is still good for Kensie in the morning. Our night was filled with fun and games at camp as we had an excellent meal prepared by Tyler’s mom, Lynn Thiede, and all night long these kids were messing with me both physically and mentally. To put it simply, the mood was excellent. Conner and Carsyn Thiede and their cousin Joey Thiede are active waterfowl hunters. Sunday, October 5 High 72, low 42 This morning Kensie would be hunting with me again and we saw 4 deer but had no shot and a very good feeling for our evening hunt. As far as the homecoming dance for Kensie, she said the DJ did not play many of the types of songs the kids liked so it was not as much fun as she hoped. About the same time as yesterday we saw a lone deer enter the field and it was about 100 yards away. Kensie was smooth as silk and like her brother, broke in her new rifle with a single shot, and the results put a huge smile on her face. Since she had nothing to lose, we hunted until dark for a buck. Our norm here with turkey and deer is to stop at the barn so Jeff, who really seems to enjoy young hunters, could see her deer. I have sat with all five of these kids as they harvested whitetail deer and we have developed excellent relationships. Opportunities like this are there for the creating and I strongly ask that as many people as possible take advantage of them. Sunset Fourteen-year-old Kensie Reifsnider thoroughly enjoyed her Dodge County deer hunt. AWARD WINNER CHEVROLET 175722 Klemme Sales Inc. 125-129 Second Ave., Stratford, WI 54484 ph: 715-687-4511 • fax: 715-687-4507 715-223-2777 93304_2 328 www.smithbrosmeats.com Hwy. 13 South • Colby, WI 54421
Greta Seidel tries to deflect a pass from Kodi Rappe during Medford’s girls soccer practice Monday afternoon on the Raider Field turf. The Raiders have been able to get a handful of outdoor practices in, including a rare first-day outdoor session on March 16, but the season’s first scheduled game tonight, Thursday, at Rice Lake was in doubt at mid-week due to weather. MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS
Greta Seidel tries to deflect a pass from Kodi Rappe during Medford’s girls soccer practice Monday afternoon on the Raider Field turf. The Raiders have been able to get a handful of outdoor practices in, including a rare first-day outdoor session on March 16, but the season’s first scheduled game tonight, Thursday, at Rice Lake was in doubt at mid-week due to weather. MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS
Pitcher Scarlett Stuner and first baseman Raygen Soper, pictured in a 2025 win over Lake Holcombe-Cornell, are two of the key returning veterans for this year’s Gilman softball team. MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS
Medford’s Jordyn Grant gets every inch she can out of this triple jump attempt during Thursday’s indoor track and field meet at Marshfield. Grant placed fourth with a jump of 30 feet. PHOTOS BY MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS
Medford’s Zayleah Leonhardt drives a two-run homer over the centerfield fence, her second two-run bomb of the game, giving the Raiders a 7-1 fifth-inning lead over Marshfield Friday morning at the Danny Mac Softball Classic in Rhinelander. The Raiders won 7-5 and went 3-0 to win their bracket. PHOTOS BY MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS
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