Deer Camp Thread

[356]

What are the deer camp traditions among forum members?

I am privileged to once again join a friend’s deer camp in a very remote part of the Ozark Mountains for a week of hunting, and story telling. His cabin was built by the current owners great, great grandfather in 1870 and has been used for deer camp continually for over 100 years (for those doing math, the history and deer mounts with dates seem to show the hunts continued when there was no hunting season). It’s a hard to hunt area, but a few deer are taken each year and a great time is had by those fortunate enough to participate.

One of the traditions is the first meat we eat be from a deer we harvest. So far, we’ve never had to go “full vegetarian” for the duration. The other tradition is a mid-week deer drive that has been practiced for decades.


All of the comforts of home….as long as comforts don’t include indoor plumbing, electricity, internet or phones.


First Deer, 2022. A true Spoon & Crockpot trophy!

 

[Bill Loser]

No electric,no phone,no internet?? Sounds like heaven

 

[356]

No electric,no phone,no internet?? Sounds like heaven

Folks must be too busy hunting to share deer camp stories :-)
But yes, being unplugged for a week is wonderful.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

Our deer camp tradition is really still being made. Typically, everyone arrives the day before the firearm opener. We have dinner the night before and then look through the best trail camera photos of the year so far, and then look at a map to decide where everyone hunts. The first time hunter typically gets put in the "best" spot for opening day, which often results in someone's first buck being their best.

The first or second night of the season I am in charge of making venison and beef chilli. If and when someone gets a deer, they start processing almost immediately and as others tag out, it is a team effort grinding and packaging meat.

 

[Bill Loser]

Not much of a deer camp when you hunt from home. I grew up doing the deer camp thing with Dad and uncle plus various other miscreants, got quite the education back then! Never got deer, in the days of the doe tag, if you had one you couldn't shoot a doe opening weekend. By Monday all the deer would disappear!
Now I just try to make it "camp" for the boys. Just me and the youngest this year. The oldest is off to college. Friday we will go out for dinner, come back and get him hopped up on kiddie cocktails and watch hunting shows all night! Pretty tame really. But we have fun.

 

[jsasker007]

No camp here. I walk out my back door and walk to my stand on my property. Hunt by myself these days. Nice to be able to drive my tractor out to load up a deer on the rare occasion that I pull the trigger.

 

[FarmerDan]

For posterity. Early 1940's. Before my time. My grandfather, my dad, an uncle or two, a couple of great-uncles, cousins. Lot's of wool and flannel. Good eating. My uncle, the one wearing the tie, was the chef, at the time simply known as "the cook." My first year hunting at the camp was 1965. Funny thing, those trees in the background? About the same size 25-years after this picture. Camp is made of memories.

 

[bueller]

For posterity. Early 1940's. Before my time. My grandfather, my dad, an uncle or two, a couple of great-uncles, cousins. Lot's of wool and flannel. Good eating. My uncle, the one wearing the tie, was the chef, at the time simply known as "the cook." My first year hunting at the camp was 1965. Funny thing, those trees in the background? About the same size 25-years after this picture. Camp is made of memories.
View attachment 59428

Classic. Love it

 

[Bill Loser]

For posterity. Early 1940's. Before my time. My grandfather, my dad, an uncle or two, a couple of great-uncles, cousins. Lot's of wool and flannel. Good eating. My uncle, the one wearing the tie, was the chef, at the time simply known as "the cook." My first year hunting at the camp was 1965. Funny thing, those trees in the background? About the same size 25-years after this picture. Camp is made of memories.
View attachment 59428

Man, I love those old time deer camp pictures.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

People back in the day seemed to be better about taking photos than my family, who all have 4k cameras in their pockets lol

 

[356]

People back in the day seemed to be better about taking photos than my family, who all have 4k cameras in their pockets lol

This post hit home, and I will be sure to take some pictures of the guys at Deer Camp 2023. Heading out tomorrow....it's a four + hour drive and I want to be sure I don't miss dinner :-).

 

[bueller]

People back in the day seemed to be better about taking photos than my family, who all have 4k cameras in their pockets lol

So true

 

[Brian662]

Never was a part of a "camp" as a youngster but hope to create something along those lines with my kid(s) if they want to. I don't take part in the MN gun deer season out of spite, but our 60 acre camp in WI with a small house/cabin on it should make a nice site when the kids are of age.

 

[Peeps]

I have hunted with the same group for 16 years now. This year it will only be the 3 of us as my son has to work. Our camp is an old Malard trailer we got off of Craigslist after our previous trailer fell apart. I cherish our time together at “camp” as it comes and goes in the blink of an eye. One tradition we have is our oldest member tells us a beadtime story every night about a big buck. They can get pretty funny after a night of drinking. Shooting a buck is a bonus but does not make or break our time together. I’ll have to take some pics this year.

 

[356]

After the hunt day 1. Two tags filled and stories of the big’ons that got away.

 

[356]

Blessed to have Outdoor Writer’s Hall of Fame member Bill Cooper in our blind and in our camp tonight!


Two more tags filled by our group today.

 

[TreeStand]

No camp here. I walk out my back door and walk to my stand on my property. Hunt by myself these days. Nice to be able to drive my tractor out to load up a deer on the rare occasion that I pull the trigger.

We do the same. It's just my family now but we have an picture album of past hunts. No matter how many times you have heard a story, you know it will be told to future generations. In 1994 I started keeping a log. It is nice be able to look back at those times. If we get a new hunter to the table, his name is entered into the tomes. Someone's first deer is always a story that gets a good write up. Even better when a picture of the clan is there to celebrate. Always a somber moment when pictures surface of those who gained their wings. God bless my wife for serving all that coffee, preparing all those meals, preparing a fresh deer liver for the hunters & listening to those same stories over and over again. I wouldn't change it for the world.

 

[PatinPA]

We have a family camp in Northern PA but I've never even deer hunted out of it. Used to go up for spring gobbler, which I plan on going up for starting again this year. I've been going on a WV trip to archery hunt since I was in college (25 years ago now) but we stay in a rental house made for the local ski resorts. Hardly roughing it as most have big screen tvs, internet, and hot tubs. haha