Lucky hunter’s amazing week

November 20, 2014November 20, 2014 Editor

by Peter Jakey-Managing Editor

Ashley LaLonde of Onaway is having a pretty nice fall. Last month, she was named Onaway High School’s fall homecoming queen.

However, the last week has been nothing short of an amazing ride for the young lady. LaLonde is a member of the varsity volleyball team headed to the Class D final four. The Lady Cards swept opponents in the regional final and the quarterfinal game, and in between, the 17-year-old senior shot the biggest buck of her life to claim the top prize at the annual buck pole contest in downtown Onaway.

The contest, put on by many area businesses, was an all-day affair starting at 11:30 a.m. By the end of the day, the buck pole at Parrott’s Outpost was full of handsome-looking bucks.

Some hunters brought in their bucks and got them on the pole to only having them bumped by bigger ones. At the end of the day, the pole was full.

LaLonde won a 30-06 Ruger American bolt-action rifle.

4714-Buck-pole-front — ONAWAY’S DOWNTOWN buck pole, sponsored by several local businesses, was full Sunday night. It also was the place to be on the evening of the first day of the firearm opener. (Photo by Peter Jakey)

“I was in my blind with my dad and it just came out of the woods – it was following a doe,” said Ashley, who has been hunting since she was 12. They were hunting on family property. The winning buck was an 8-pointer with a 16 3/4 inch spread. “I got an 11-point my first year, but was not as wide or big,” she said.

LaLonde had been using her father’s rifle in the past and is excited now to now own her own firearm.

The rest of the winners follow: 2^nd, Chris Courterier, full shoulder mount; 3^rd, Stan Chaskey, $400; 4^th, John Selke, gift card to Red Oak Gunsmithing; 5^th, Ron Green, Moultrie game camera; 6^th, Mike Libby, $60 gift card from Dan’s Meat Processing; 7^th, Don Sielaff, $50 gift card from Parrott’s; 8^th, Todd Curtis, Lorenzo’s $25 gift card; 9^th, Hugh Schaedig, $25 Manzana’s gift card; 10^th, Katie Peltz, $25 Woodwinds gift card; 11^th, Chris May, $25 Sweet-N-Sassy gift card; oldest hunter, David Bedard, Spotlight/211- pizza; biggest under 16, Katie Peltz, camo hoodie; biggest buck woman, LaLonde, $50 Elbo Inn gift card; youngest hunter, James Reiger II, large Bobby B’s Pizza. Other area businesses continue their season-long contests, and they include: Havel’s Northland Bar, Black River Party Store, Ma & Pa’s Country Corner and Parrott’s. The winners of those contests will be announced at the end of the season.