Deer Camp

[Coach1310]

Ahhhhhh, that time of year again. You know what I mean. When your on your way to work or sitting in the office or at home with the kids screaming, your spouse screaming, TV blaring and you are off in dream land. You are completely enthralled with the anticipation of the upcoming deer camp. You may be thinking about catching movement on the trail to your left where you thought the deer would come from…. Or that little gleam of light hitting an antler you can't believe is there….Maybe its that "SNAP" of a stick behind you that gets your heart pumping so hard you're convinced the deer can hear you and when you get the nerve to turn around you see its just a squirrell….Maybe it’s the images and stories of season gone by …. The big buck that Joe missed standing 50 yards away broadside….the wary old 6 pointer Jim shot way back in the woods across two swamps and through the narliest cover you've ever seen and the drag back that almost killed you…. Maybe it's sitting around the campfire the night before opener reminiscing about the past, remembering those who are no longer with you and introducing the "camp" experience to those a new….. The thoughts of camp with the stories, the smell of fresh coffee brewing, the wood stove or fire cracking…. Dreaming about that big 10 pointer that you caught a fleeting glimpse of last year….. tossing and turning all night be it from too much anticipation, the top bunk being to hot, the bottom bunk being too cold or Bruce's snoring…. The idea of deer camp and that meeting of family and friends that you see only a few times, maybe even once a year. Nothing like deer camp to help escape from the race and hurry our world is in. With elections, economy, blah and blah, deer camp just feels right. A chance to feel like our forefathers. Out in the wild in pursuit of game with nothing but the rustling of the leaves, the nip of the breeze and the creatures that inhabit the land. A time when the world we live in can seem primitive and elementary. No internet, no cellphones, no satellite and most importantly, NO CARES or WORRIES. So as you begin to pack your gear, buy your goodies, organize with the crew, don't forget to take a moment and daydream about the glory that is Deer Camp.

Have a safe and enjoyable season. Make sure to take a minute and soak it all in.

[Roofer]

Thanks very much Coach!

That is exactly what deer camp is, in my mind. That long post kept my attention longer than the debates did tonight.

Love the crackling of the fire in the cabin. I can't wait.

[harvey lee]

Its the highlight of my fall. A great time for family and friends to get together and enjoy the hunt and dream of that big buck that I think about all year long.

maybe this fall.

[ANYFISH]

Thanks coach, I was doing fine until you had to go and put all those images in my mind. Now it will all start. It is still the greatest family gathering and time of year for me.

Great post.

[BigWadeS]

Here's a thought that was posted before but it is good so thought I would add it as well:

Deer Camp

A shack in the forest

A camper in the woods

We would stay forever

Only if we could

For we all gather there

Hunters we call ourselves

To share in the tradition

We rather be no where else

For we sit around the fire

And reminisce about the past

Talk about that first year

And carefully disect the last

For if you didn't experience it

you would never know

How much it really means

Be it 70 degrees or snow

Its not just about the hunt

But about all the good times

With family and friends

We have the time of our lives

Its only once a year

And we cherish it dearly

We anticipate for weeks

And remember past ones clearly

So as you prepare for another

Please don't forget

To be thankful for each camp

You never know when that will be it

For it is a special place

Sacred in a way

There is no place we'd rather be

It is part of us you might say

Enjoy every moment

And remember the laughs

Its almost time for Deer Camp

Its almost time at last

[charliepete2]

I was up hanging stands and stacking wood last weekend. I can't wait!

[Bear55]

Well said coach.

[Coach1310]

Here's a thought that was posted before but it is good so thought I would add it as well:

Deer Camp

A shack in the forest

A camper in the woods

We would stay forever

Only if we could

For we all gather there

Hunters we call ourselves

To share in the tradition

We rather be no where else

For we sit around the fire

And reminisce about the past

Talk about that first year

And carefully disect the last

For if you didn't experience it

you would never know

How much it really means

Be it 70 degrees or snow

Its not just about the hunt

But about all the good times

With family and friends

We have the time of our lives

Its only once a year

And we cherish it dearly

We anticipate for weeks

And remember past ones clearly

So as you prepare for another

Please don't forget

To be thankful for each camp

You never know when that will be it

For it is a special place

Sacred in a way

There is no place we'd rather be

It is part of us you might say

Enjoy every moment

And remember the laughs

Its almost time for Deer Camp

Its almost time at last

Not to toot my own horn, but I wrote that too! Enjoy daydreaming about camp folks.

[UdeLakeTom]

You had to start it didn't you??

This is the best time....getting ready and then having the fun.

Best of luck to all and best of all...have fun and be safe.

[UdeLakeTom]

Anybody got the picture of the guy sleeping and the deer eating his lunch??? I know I have seen it many times, but my hunting partners are waiting for me to send it around again.

[Coach1310]

ttt

[89Bronco]

Favorite time of year...better than Christmas!

Good luck to everyone.

[machohorn]

With all the different types of hunting that I do there still is no better place then "Deer Camp" I get so worked up the week b4 opening, I lose things, forget a bunch more, spend mney on things I already have, shake , throw up, sweat etc. It is the one time of the year that all things stop, work can wait, school can be missed, The pecking order gets reversed, ( I work harder to let a newbie have the best stand) The old timers do the stalking, yet the new kids do the dragging. Ah yes Deer Camp. Bring it on!

[Froggy4371]

Deer Camp the Greatest Time of Year.

I hope you do not mind but I thought I would shares our camp rule with you. One of my buddys asked me to put them up. They have been made (with some truth behind them) and some borrowed.

CAMP RULES

1. If a camp member should get lost, the distress signal is three shots, with and interval of 10 seconds between shots. This is so members may distinguish between the truly lost and those who are [PoorWordUsage] poor shots.

2. Nobody over 300 pounds permitted in upper bunks for any reason. One member is still removing plywood splinters from his backside after last year’s incident.

3. No lawyers allowed as guests! Ever! Even if her or she is a blood relation. All persons found to be lawyers are allowed to be executed.

4. A dish is deemed clean if the user cannot identify last foodstuff eaten off it.

5. The cook may stab anyone told twice in one day to leave the kitchen if they return to the kitchen.

6. Any hunter observed missing a shot under 100 yards at a standing deer will have his shirttail cut off in the presence of all camp members that evening. However, the “Rick Stolt Exception” stipulates that no hunter shall have more that three shirts destroyed in said manner per day.

7. Polypropylene long johns may be worn for no more than three days, or until fumes can be seen emanating from them, whichever comes first.

8. The Saran Wrap-over-the-toilet-seat trick may not be perpetrated after the first day of hunting.

9. A member shooting a buck under 100 pounds live weight (or a doe under 70 pounds) must leave the animal where it drops. A party including the shooter and a majority of members present will then be assembled to retrieve the deer. Member hauling the carcass will express incredulity at the immense size of the animal and voice the fear of injuring their backs. This is intended to promote camaraderie and group cohesion.

10. A deer taken by a member may gain no more than 2 antler points per hunting year, with a 4 point maximum, To wit, a 6 pointer may be referred to as an 8 pointer the following season, and a 10 pointer the season after, but will never become a 12 pointer no matter how long the hunter lives.

11. Peeing outside of the shack is prohibited during day light hours. Peeing on the north side of the shack after dark is permitted provided no member’s vehicles are in the impact zone. ANYONE violating the second part of this rule will be SHOT on sight.

12. Any boy shooting his first buck will, at that evening’s dinner, be given the choice of eating either the right or left testicle of the buck. Cook will serve 2 hush puppies not of less than 3 inches in diameter each, to the boy. After a suitable silence, the boys father or guardian will say, “[PoorWordUsage], I’ll make it easy for you, son,” and consume one hush puppy whole. He will then smack his lips and declare; “Now that’s a good testicle!”

13. Any member carrying a gun that is capable of holding more than 5 bullets and shoots all bullets at one deer (or in Grunzke’s case a group of deer) and does not make contact with at least 2 bullets will be laughed at and ridiculed and will be referred to as a person from the second part of rule #1.

Froggy

[Coach1310]

Good additions to the post guys! Deer camp is great isn't it!

[UdeLakeTom]

14. If you can't run the 100m in 5 seconds, don't try to follow after that deer in front of you.

[machohorn]

#15 you shall not ask to "borrow" other hunting members toilet paper while afield!

[Johnny_Namakan]

Ah yes, deer camp. Greatest time of year. This year we have a new addition to boot, so that's always fun.

I got a good deer camp mystery that I'm sure others of you have. It's a mystery that has never been solved and I think more attention should be paid to. How come after a night of card playing nobody is ever down money? Everybody seems to be up money the next day. 8 guys playing cards, and all 8 guys are up.....the math doesn't work but somehow it happens. ha

[BigWadeS]

Coach, I have to tell you when you posted that a couple years ago I printed out some copies and gave to everyone at our deer camp, my father-in-laws house, and to this day it is still hanging up and everyone loves it!

[Coach1310]

Good to hear Wade. Glad folks are enjoying it. Deer Camp is a special moment in the lives of many folks. It is hard to describe, but its just special.

[Double D]

How come after a night of card playing nobody is ever down money? Everybody seems to be up money the next day. 8 guys playing cards, and all 8 guys are up.....the math doesn't work but somehow it happens. ha

It works that way for us too, but mainly because the antes and wagers for buc euchre at our tent were set at the first trip in 1944. Now we are almost 2 generations out with the same family names, but no one has ever bothered to raise the price. If you lose a dollar you have really botched up.

The other mystery is why do 6 guys who all have good jobs get so worried about losing that dollar?

DD