ountry C cres A
A Supplement to the Star Shopper
Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment
Friday, Oct. 20, 2017 • Edition 15
MELROSE MAN BAGS MASSIVE MOOSE PHOTO SUBMITTED
The Seanger brothers’ successful Yukon hunt
Eric Seanger (from left), guide Scott Mahon and Jason Seanger pose with a massive moose Jason bagged on the last day of his hunt in Yukon Territory, Canada. The Seanger brothers are from Melrose.
By MICHAEL STRASBURG Staff Writer MELROSE – For Eric Seanger, when it comes to hunting moose in Canada the third time is a charm – and what a charm. The Melrose resident and his brother, Jason, brought home two moose from their hunt in Canada last month, with Jason’s being the widest rack of antlers the guides had seen in the region. “I was shaking. Lots of adrenalin flowing,” Jason said. The Seanger brothers, who work at Melrose Electric, traveled to the Yukon Territory Sept. 8 for the hunt. While the trophy moose wouldn’t be Jason’s first, it would be the first moose he’s gotten out of Canada. “I shot a moose in Minnesota about 11 years ago. I hunted Ontario once with no luck, and I hunted British Columbia once with no luck,” Jason said. With their hunting gear and luck at their side, the brothers arrived at a cabin in the mountains. The next morning, they would embark on an eight-day hunt with two guides and a cameraman. Each morning, the Seangers would
leave the cabin at 7:30 a.m. and wouldn’t return until 9 or 10 at night. The guides would take them cross-county on Argos – heavy duty ATVs that can drive through most anything but at a much slower speed than traditional ATVs. The brothers would use these vehicles to trek into the mountain valleys.
“The moose live about halfway up the mountains, so we’d go in and stop with our binoculars and spot for about an hour,” Jason said. The mountains are covered in willows and brush that’s roughly 6-10 feet tall. A moose is 7-8 feet tall so if they’re bedded they are not visible to hunters.
WILD HORSES By LAURA HINTZEN Staff Writer
CLARISSA – Pulling into Deb and Emmett Hoffner’s gravel driveway on their 80acre piece of land near Clarissa, one can be greeted by their two wild mustangs – Sugar the Palomino and Joker the Sorrel. “Sugar came from a mustang adoption in Windom, Minn. She has a tan coat, and I got her when she was 6 years old,” Deb said. “I got Joker out of Elm Crick, Neb., at a holding facility down there when he was 5 years old,” Emmett said. After Deb and Emmett were married, they purchased the property in 1990 and have had nearly 50 wild mustangs throughout the years. Emmett grew up around horses, so for him it was important to keep horses in his life. “Mustangs are really versatile animals. However, we’ve trained the ones we have for pleasure and trail riding,” Deb said. “Their natural thing is to
“Sometimes when they’re standing all you can see is the horns or the head or a hump on the back,” Jason said. “We’d look from probably three-quarters of a mile to two miles away through our
SEANGER BROTHERS continued on page 5
Hoffners provide home to mustangs Lacy and Jay –who were all involved in 4H shows growing up. “Both of our daughters, Amy and Allison, participated in the Dan Patch Award. It’s an award for records, volunteerism and work with horses,” Deb said. According to blm.gov (Bureau of Land Management), anyone with wild mustang horses is certified to have no more than four a year. The BLM manages one in every 10 acres of land in the United States and nearly 30 percent of the nation’s minerals. These lands and minerals are found in every state in the country and cover forests, mountains, rangelands, arctic tundra and deserts. However, since Deb and Emmett are volunteers for the BLM and have shown success in recaptures of horses that have gotten away after they’ve been adopted, they are eligible to have more than four a year.
BY LAURA HINTZEN
Emmett and Deb Hoffner stand with their wild mustangs – Joker and Sugar – in Clarissa on their 80-acre piece of land. The Hoffners enjoy trail riding at state parks.
conserve energy after being in the wild, so if you’re trying to get them all hyped up about what you want them to do, it probably won’t happen.” The wild mustangs do enjoy trail
riding, which is easier for them as their hooves are sturdy, unlike a domesticated horse. The Hoffners have six children together – Amy, Heather, Nathan, Allison,
WILD HORSES continued on page 6