Lee Schwier, a West Salem High School sophomore, accomplished something on Oct. 30 that would leave many other hunters envious of the teenage boy. With just a bow and arrow, he took down a 200-pound buck.

“When bow hunting, you must be precise,” said Lee’s mom, Michelle Schwier, an aide for students with special needs at West Salem High School.

She knows what she’s talking about when it comes to hunting. Earlier this fall, in fact, she shot a 420-pound bear during a hunting trip with friends and family in Ladysmith, Wis., area.

The Schwiers are a hunting family. For 20 years they have gone hunting in the woods. Together they hunt coyotes, squirrels, deer, raccoons and bears. Their methods of hunting the animals are usually either shooting with a gun or a bow.

“It’s a good way to connect and bond as a family,” Michelle Schwier said.

There is a process to hunting a deer. After the deer is shot, the deer should be poked to make sure it is still not alive. Once you’re sure its dead, the deer must be tagged. To tag a deer, you put it on the ear and write down the date of the day and time it was shot and whether it is a buck or a doe.

The deer must then be immediately taken to a registration station, where officials check to see if the deer is marked properly.

“Hunting is a great way to share stories and memories with friends and family,” Michelle Schwier said.

Lindsay Lecheler is a West Salem High School student in the journalism program.

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