Maple City resident Ronald Harig fulfilled a lifelong dream on Saturday, October 24, harvesting a massive 8-point, 250-pound buck while bow hunting in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The "once-in-a-lifetime" deer was shot around 7:40 a.m., as Leelanau News reported, marking a significant moment for the experienced hunter.
Describing the animal as "beautiful" and "majestic," Harig, 65, told Leelanau News that this was the type of mature buck he had hunted for his whole life, valuing its "big bellies and sway backs" as much as its antlers. He shared with Leelanau News his belief that such an opportunity "would probably never happen in my lifetime."
Harig, who has hunted in the area for roughly seven years, recalled seeing what he believed was the same buck briefly along a scrape line three weeks prior. On the morning of the shot, using a crossbow, he initially doubted what he saw through the early morning light from 35-40 yards away. Harig told Leelanau News that in the early morning light, it’s common for shapes in the field to resemble a buck, only to be revealed as a bush through a scope. After a double-take and looking through his scope, he confirmed it was indeed a large-bodied deer with a significant rack before taking his shot.
The hunt was far from over after the shot. Harig initially feared he had missed, having had a similar experience two days prior with a smaller buck. Despite a "double-lung shot," the blood trail was minimal. He backed out of the woods for an hour, returning to find the trail still hard to follow. Needing assistance, he contacted friends who advised him to wait until after the Michigan game against Indiana. Harig recounted to Leelanau News that watching the game was difficult, not because of the loss, but due to his preoccupation with the buck, stating the deer "made a loss a lot more tolerable."
After the game, Harig, a U.S. Army Infantry Lieutenant veteran, applied his tracking skills. He pursued the minimal blood trail through a field where the deer had laid down in two places, eventually entering a pine area. Roughly 50 yards into the pines, he spotted the animal. He told Leelanau News it was "a special deer," noting its "huge" body and "super thick" horns. The deer had traveled a few hundred yards after being hit. Due to the warm weather, Harig quickly moved the immense animal using a two-wheel cart, bringing it to Deering's in Traverse City. A picture with his wife, Stacey Harig, shows the buck appearing twice her size.
Beyond hunting, Harig's life revolves around the outdoors. He is a kindergarten teacher at Pathfinder School in Greilickville, where he has championed outdoor education for over 37 years. Nine years ago, he initiated a "forest school" program in the United States, bringing it to Pathfinder four years ago. His kindergarten students spend nearly their entire school day outdoors, coming inside only until 9:30 a.m. He expressed to Leelanau News that connecting with nature "is so healing," bringing "peace sitting out there" through "listening and watching." Harig also participates in youth hunts, and while he favors tenderloins and backstraps from a harvested deer, his wife Stacey enjoys a good burger. He concluded to Leelanau News that getting such a deer is "what you're chasing after, and you dream about getting," and that such experiences "keep me young."
