16-year-old hunter takes award for mule deer at Tisdale Wildlife Federation awards

TISDALE — The Tisdale Wildlife Federation awarded their annual Best Overall plaque to Dana Holmstrom, who successfully took down a 175 and five eighths typical mule deer.

This was the 16-year-old’s first season hunting and her first kill.

Holmstrom said she went out with her dad three to four days a week throughout October and the beginning of November.

“I went out with my dad for a month-and-a-half and we went down by Eldersley and shot the biggest one there,” Holmstrom said.

“When we walked up to him and I picked up his horns I was like, ‘Holy man.’”

She said that she believes she saw the deer two days before she shot him, but she didn’t have a clear shot at the time.

“He was in the bushes and all I saw were his horns so I didn’t get the perfect chance to shoot him.”

After the kill, Holmstrom named the deer “Ernie”.

Ernie won her Best Overall, Typical Mule Deer, Best Ladies Overall and Youth 17 and Under.

She said she felt overwhelmed by the amount of awards.

“I don’t really know, it’s just a feeling I get. There are so many awards.”

Holmstrom said she intends to go out hunting again and try to break her record.

“It gets me out of the house and it gets me active.”

Holmstrom was presented with the awards at the annual Tisdale Wildlife Federation fundraiser banquet on Feb. 1.

Ron Heisler, president of the Tisdale Wildlife Federation, said the 2019 year has a number of highlights for the local organization.

“Our Tisdale fish pond, right on the edge of town is completed now,” Heisler said. “We got the rocks for protection completed, and a number of benches out there now just to finish up some of the final trimmings.”

The pond is open to all community members to fish in, regardless if they have a license.

“You have to adhere by the limits the same as the province has. It’s more for people to get to try fishing.”

Heisler said the Jones Wildlife Sanctuary has been completed, and now just has regular maintenance.

“We just put in some more benches and outhouses and things on it.”

The organization is currently in the process of constructing a new outdoor gun range.

“We’re working on some new land, we haven’t got a spot selected yet,” Heisler said.

This project is due to new safety regulations causing their old gun range to become obsolete.

“The gun range that we have, or we had now, is on private land and to meet the government safety regulations it would cost about $40,000 to upgrade it. So we’re trying to purchase some land, so when we invest into it, it will be a safe investment because it will be ours.”

Awards

Best Overall: Dana Holmstrom

Typical Mule Deer: Dana Holmstrom

Best Ladies Overall: Dana Holmstrom

Youth 17 and Under: Dana Holmstrom

Trophy Elk: Leanne Holmstrom

Barry Mievre Memorial Typical Whitetail Deer: Kylee Montes

Darren Will Memorial Yellow Perch: Jason Brown

Darren Will Memorial Northern Pike: Terren Roszell

Largest Walleye: Terry Holmstrom

Largest Fish: Chris Garland

Best Fish 16 and Under: Travis Holmstrom

Archery Overall: Rhett Hegland

Largest Canada Goose: Don Falkner

Best Muzzleloader: Scott Kapeller

Best Antelope: Ron Heisler

Best Bear: Rhett Hegland

Best Moose: Patty Torrance

Youth Hunter: Rhett Hegland

Youth Men’s 16 and Under: Xander Brown