St. Johns teen describes success as deer

OLIVE TWP. – As snow fell gently Saturday, Seneca DeSander trained her rifle on the seven-point buck about 100 yards away.

The 16-year-old’s father, who was next to her in the tree stand, told her to fire the .44 Magnum rifle.

“I shot,” Seneca recalled, “and I started shaking.”

The deer was her first killed with a gun. Last year, she successfully got one using a bow.

Seneca’s father, Chuck DeSander, owns Specialized Deer Processing near St. Johns. His daughter’s buck was one of perhaps a thousand the business will process by the end of firearm season, which began Saturday and ends Nov. 30.

DeSander expected to see between 100 and 125 deer on Sunday, firearm season’s second day. He said this season will likely be better than last year.

A key indicator, according to DeSander: Bow-hunting season, which went from Oct. 1 through Friday, was busy.

“We did about 100 more deer than last year,” he said.

DeSander’s father started the business in the 1970s, and he took it over around 1990.

Hunters from all over bring their kills to be transformed — or “processed” — into steaks, roasts, hamburger and sausage.

DeSander, who also is a bus driver for St. Johns schools, said an enjoyable part of running the business is listening to the hunting stories.

The best story, of course, may be the one his daughter, an 11th-grader at St. Johns High School, will be telling for years.

“She’s on cloud 10,” he said.