Hunting Traditions

[WAG416]

What things bring you back to deer camp year after year.

What makes you hit the woods to flush the late season grouse? Whether it's bow hunting, waterfowl, or turkey hunting.

Just looking for annual traditions you share with others during the hunting seasons.

Here is one of mine-

Grouse hunting = This one recently started. On Dec 31st, what would the last day be without some grouse hunting of course? Not a lot of hunting gets accomplished. Hunt a little, build a fire, share some tobacco, do a little talk'ing, then hunt again toward evening.

Before the hunt, a bottle of Scotch is purchased, " The Famous Grouse" After the hunt, One grouse bagged for the last day equals one double shot of "the famous grouse" that night. And to let one know how good that drink is, You'll think twice about pulling the trigger.

If the birds are scarce we use the rest of the bottle up on card games. Usually some canned venison and deep fried grouse to accompany the Scotch. That is the typical last day for our grouse hunting party.

WAG

[Maverick41]

Yeah that tradition is a ruff one WAG. I think the only one who enjoyed it was X-Otter. But Hopefully next year we will have to buy two bottles for all the grouse we shoot. You forgot to mention our morning tradition at Paul's cabin of eating loads of cakes bacon and eggs. I guess it's gonna be rocking there for goose season too. Paul is working on getting some land locked up north of the slough for goose season. Might have to buy some Grey Goose Vodka for that season huh?

[WAG416]

I Just hope we can get up earlier for goose hunting than we did for muzzleloader. We'll have to eat after the morning hunt. With all the decoys Paul has we will have to bring a bag lunch with us.

WAG

[Maverick41]

I know I'll be up at the crack of dawn, I never had much trouble during deer season. I'm not sure whose land we are going to be hunting, Paul told me but I forget. Hey has Lou Dogg posted anything yet? He needs to get his two cents in on some of this stuff. What kind of goose call should I buy for next year, I want to get one this summer so I can practice a bit.

[Walterwontfalter]

The night before opener everyone heads to the shack and sets up their bunk before heading into town for the American Legion Gun Raffle. Up early in the morning, try to get up before dad but that rarely happens. Drop him off at his stand with the fourwheeler before heading a to mine. Then coming in for lunch and a couple games of poker before heading out for evening stand. The first Monday night of season we have a "grill your own steak" night and watch monday night football and play poker and dice.

[koWALLEYEski]

We play a lot of cards at deer camp. I lost A Lot of my money playing inbetween for a buck. Stupid game!

[huntingisheaven]

We have a Top Gun hat for who ever gets the biggest buck and a bambi killer for who ever gets the smallest deer used to be who ever shot a Bambi but that only happend once after the hat came to be so we had to change because everyne is getting older and is more able to tell if a deer is too young and should pass on it. Last year i went from worst to first first buck first top gun wasn't a monster but i am sure people could hear me hollering miles away when i drug him out of the Creek i was hunting next too should have had two but the first one i only wounded hopefully not bad and he made it through

[Cooter]

Cook up a hindquarter from last year, booze and play cards, sleep like babies, get up late....

[Maverick]

Our's starts with going up a day early so we can get camp set up, and perform the age long ritual of hanging the party lights all around camp. The night before we sit down to a big steak dinner and then sitting around with some beers and B..S..ing about the past year since we last saw eachother and hearing the same stories for the hundreth time but trying to act like it's the first time you heard it. We have a lot of traditions in deer camp almost to many to list, but I think that is what makes it so special and gives you something to look forward to every year.

[Walterwontfalter]

Oh, I also forgot...Whenever one of the youngn's gets their first deer everyone joins in convincing them that they have to eat the nuts and that they can choose between fried, boiled or baked. When we were gutting my first button buck I took the nuts and threw them as hard as I possibly could into the thickest brush I could find because I fully believed that they would make me eat them. When we get back to the shack I got to have one cerimonial beer with the guys and, looking smug about getting my first deer and not having to eat the nuts one of the guys comes in with a ziploc bag with gues what? the nuts of my deer. He and another guy went back and found them and brought them back. Then I got worried. So far since then we've only had one youngn actually willing to eat them. I think he knew that nobody would actually really make him.

[FOOT]

Gotta go up on Friday before opening and eat Broasted Chicken at the Purple Palace in Vinning MN. Sit around and talk with the other people in our party and renew freindships. Hopefully we don't drink too much so we can get up early.

Opening day we head out to our stands where we stay until about 11. Back to the cabin for breakfast/lunch, take a quick 20 minute nap and back to the stand till dark.

Eat, hit the bed early and get ready for the next day.

[kc0myy]

Every duck opener. My friend Jake along with his dad Ron and I go out duck hunting. Then after hunting we clean the birds. Then bring them over to Jakes grandma's house. Ofcourse she does a goodjob of cooking the ducks. I think of that as my 1st thanksgiving of the year. We have been doing this for 3 years now. I want to keep on doing this for years and years to come. I love duck hunting.

[woodview]

In wyoming it'd be the nightly gathering around a big fire. Old and new stories (details for new deer on the pole); The guitars and singing; and a particular spot we stop at on the way down the mountain to have a cold one - can see all the way to the Tetons; backstraps cooked over the fire.

Music's really good cause there're 4-5 guys who've been musicians their whole lives, but the funny songs are from guys you'd never think you'd hear sing, and afterwards maybe hope you never hear again... you should hear me sing Amanda - it'll curl your toes.

Oh forgot the Tenessee moonshine, better since they learned to age it in the mountain for a year, much smoother, even though it still gives you that involuntary shuddar.

Rememberance of the men who've hunted that mountain but are no longer with us.!!!

MN - walking down the road in the dark towards our trails with my dad and grandpa; watching my grandpa actually cheat to try to lose to me at cribbage(he's good) - wonder if he knows I try throwing those games too; hearing my grandpa's story about the one he shot in the tree farm (about 20 years ago) at least twice per day; just the love of that particular woods... there's something about it.

And the dreams the night before. I love the dreams of big bucks sneaking through my woods, always dreamt them and hope I always do.

Walterwontfalter - that cracked me up, bye the way... your evil... just plain evil. Even if he was figuring no one would make him --> I'd keep an eye on that boy!

Love the late season grouse trips - huge woods and no one but loggers.

[luckey]

I have some of my best times preparing for the hunt. Being my brother in law and I own most of the land we hunt, we usually do most of the scouting, stand preps etc. The hunting party is mostly family. Sons, son-in-law, father, uncle, brother and brother-in law. I am thrilled to put somone on a stand where they get (or get a crack at) a nice buck.

[Nova]

I have been duck hunting with my Dad since I was 5 years old. I have been taking my (now 14 years old) twin sons with since they could walk. We hunt the same place near Fergus Falls and have aquired about 200 acres in that time. Deer hunting is always fun the night before opening day with a camp fire, talk'ing about years past the talk about the annual trophy. My Dad shot a nubin buck about 10 years ago so I took the rack, shave around the nubs(so you sould see them)and put it on a plaque and gave it to him for Christmas. Every year that trophy is passed to the one who shoots the smallest buck. Hunting is a great tradition and I am sure my boys will keep it alive long after I am gone.

[The_Duckslayer]

When I was in IL it was making breakfast in the duck blind. We had a cook stove and had some of the best eggs, sausage, brats with fried onions, fried taters and other assorted treats. The eggs were provided by the farm hens, not of the processed stuff bought in a store. I still get them whenever I can... they just can't be beat.

Here in MN I do not have a permanent blind. Tradition now is making two meat loaves on Friday night. One for supper and one for the meat loaf sandwiches opening day.

The last one is the tootsie rolls that are always in my jacket pocket. It amazes me that the duck calls dont get all gummed up. Take care and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[renny]

20 plus years ago a friend of mine got me to start pheasent hunting. never had done it since my father just was'nt into that sort of thing. ( which is okay) and all i had was a 4-10 and my dad's farm. We've hunted every opener there, every year there were changes and new traditions developing, naturally we all had kids and our hunting party grew. Don't know if many of you do this for pheasent hunting but have a pheasent camp, we tent it friday night,eat good breakfast, hunt all day , eat all day, talk real smart all day, campfire, and do all over again on sunday. we teach the kids saftey, we let them shoot trap, and targets (some yrs has been so hot or not as many birds) we retell stories of great shots and or missed ones! Now most the kids are in college but nice to know that they all want to come home for the opener and camp with us, and even better is when you can see that they use what they have been taught, and hopfully will pass it on.