The ties that bind us to your hunting past

[gophergunner]

I saw two bucks fighting in a bean field last night.  I just stopped the car and watched as a young 6 point tried to hustle an older, bigger buck. Made me think about all things deer hunting related. This time of year, sleep is fleeting,  and my internal alarm clock goes off pretty early.  The only thing that seems to be on my mind these days is deer hunting.  I harken back to a simpler time, before game cams, GPS, and cell phones.  Dad used to start piling his gear in the dining room at least a week before the opener.  I can remember as a little guy climbing the ever growing mountain of gear.  I still carry at least one piece of my father's gear every time I step in the woods. It keeps me anchored to his memory.  From the ancient fire starter, to his old Jone' handwarmer, his compass, and of course his old Buck knife, one of my most prized possessions. Just thinking about this stuff gets me ramped up.  Dad always said that if he ever quit getting excited about hunting deer, it was time to quit.  After 5 decades of deer hunting, I find that I still have that fire inside.  Here's to all our members headed out to make some new memories.  Please be careful and be safe.  Dad, we'll hunt together again some day.  Until then, keep the coffee pot on for me.  'Miss you so much!

[Steve-o]

Thanks for postin' the story.  Can't be said any better.

[deadeye]

I agree great story gophergunner. Every once in a while we need to reflect on the past and remember how things were and what got use started in the first place.   

[dakids]

Cool story.  Loved it, thanks for sharing.

[Reinhard]

What a great story.  So well said.  I was up at deer camp this past weekend.  You talked about your dad.  My dad hunted till he was in his 80's.  By then firearms was done for him.  He didn't want to admit it but he no long could climb up his stand he built by hand.  Just a platform of a pallet and surrounded by old carpet including a roof of carpet.  That stand has been there since the late 60's.  My nephew and I went to check on it.  With all the hard wind they had up in the Duluth area off the lake the big pine that was one of three trees holding the stand went crashing down.  My nephew took a couple of pics of it.  My dad is 93 now and lives in assisted living in Duluth.  He will show him the pics.  I will call him tomorrow and talk to him about it.  I'm sure he will have mixed emotions about it.  Told my nephew that that stand lasted through 4 generations in our family.  good luck.

[glenn57]

my dad usually found a good spot where the deer never bothered him!!!!!!! claims he was there just to cook!!!!! and an extra tag if we needed it!!!!!

[LPS]

All of the stories are great!  Lot's of different kinds of hunters and they are all good styles. 

[Reinhard]

I was already told that the camp cook might be what I'll be when I no longer am able to get up in the stands.  Told them yep, but I have a way's to go.  good luck.

[LPS]

Camp cook is the most liked and admired person in camp.  IF they are a good cook and we know how you rank in that category RH!

[glenn57]

Camp cook is the most liked and admired person in camp.  IF they are a good cook and we know how you rank in that category RH!

Only if they do dishes to.

[glenn57]

My brother died the breakfast, I do the suppers and we are on our own in the woods. I'm on my stand all day the first weekend.

[LPS]

Glenn that is so sad.  I hope everyone dealt with it alright.  BUT to have your brother die at breakfast is pretty sad.  My thoughts are with you...

[Rebel SS]

Seriously, your brother died?

[LPS]

Ya isn't this one of the saddest things you have ever heard. 

[Rebel SS]

Maybe he meant DYED the bfast, due to an unappetizing color? 

[LPS]

OR he wasn't a very good cook and .........

[glenn57]

  friggin phone. Did the breakfast.

[deadeye]

I remember the last season hunting with my dad. It was 2010 and he was 92 years old.  Camp was just an old camper and fish house.  He would sit in a chair by the picnic table and watch the field.  Mostly slept I believe.  I think he shot his last deer when he was 90 years old.

That's my dad on the right. This picture was taken in 2007 when he was a mere kid at 89.

[Steve-o]

my dad usually found a good spot where the deer never bothered him!!!!!!!

Funny, I never ran into him at that spot, cause I know right where it is.   

[glenn57]

my dad usually found a good spot where the deer never bothered him!!!!!!!

Funny, I never ran into him at that spot, cause I know right where it is.   

[Rebel SS]

Dat funny. 

[gophergunner]

I grew up hunting out of my dad's camp in Pennsylvania.  The next door neighbors had an older feller who was the bull cook and rode herd over their motley crew.  What Cookie said was Gospel, and woe be the man that ever saw fit  to challenge him on it. An old 30-30 was left on the porch for him every day.  It was known that if Cookie's old Winchester barked, and we were hunting nearby, we had another deer to drag in.  The deer used to cross right between our  camps, and once the breakfast dishes were cleared, and he'd kicked everyone out of the cabin, he'd be sitting on the porch "just coverin' things" as he used to say. I'm guessing in the ten years or so that he came up there, he shot at least 6 or 7 bucks. Only ever shot one time, never missed, and they never ran very far. One almost stumbled onto our front porch and died right there.  It was a sad day when Cookie went over to the other side.  He is missed greatly.

[Outdoors Junkie]

Our family (and a few friends) continue to hunt the same area that my grandpa first hunted when he was 18 years old. It is state land (gramps named "the pines"). A few years back we bought 40 acres next to it when it came up for sale. My grandpa passed away in 1997 after a couple of strokes slowed him down. Although he struggled to walk & lost the use of his right arm, we still brought him out to the woods every year (via 4-wheeler the last couple). I built him an enclosed stand and a sunflower heater kept him nice and toasty. He was left handed and limited to carrying a 357 pistol. He deer hunted until the day he died (in his stand) doing what he loved to do.

My grandma is now 87 years young & still hunts with us. My two sons, and my youngest daughter now hunt with us and they always enjoy hearing stories about the good old days when grandpa and his buddies would camp out in the woods in a big green army tent (with a wood stove). I have to admit I really enjoy hearing the stories too. Grandpa introduced my dad to deer hunting after he married my mom (49 years ago). We named our camp after my grandpa, we call ourselves the "Jim Moline Gang". We have a biggest buck trophy that adds a name nearly every year. We play the same card games that gramps taught us many years ago. Best of all we cherish the time we spend together at deer camp.

Below are a few pictures from over the years. The 1st picture is me my first year at deer camp. The second is my grandpa (acting goofy). The 3rd is a group picture with gramps (gramps on the far right). The 4th is my dad and youngest daughter. The last one is me and my kids last year.

[glenn57]

  great pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!

[deadeye]

Wow, you just can't beat that. Thanks

[Rebel SS]

Great story and pics, OJ.

[Outdoors Junkie]

After spending several years tent camping (in a green Army tent) my grandpa bought a camper. That is when my grandma began hunting with him.

Then in the late 60's my grandparents bought a little log cabin. Our family still owns that cabin today and is part of our deer camp.

That little shed in the background behind my sons head on the right (of my family picture) is now a pump house for the cabin, but that was the enclosed deer stand we made grandpa back in the mid 90's. 

[deadeye]

Love the toilet seat and stand.  Had one of those in my old camper until a friend of mine took it in the woods and came back with it crushed.  And, yes it broke after he did his duty.  We about died laughing for the rest of the hunt. 

[LPS]

Cool as heck all of you!!!

[Rebel SS]

Love it......the historical family stuff is just great.