Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Birth of a deer camp

Tzone, you just reminded me that I havent posted much for stories from my camp. First of all, my camp is a little different than NDs. We have been hunting the same property near Alexandria, Minnesota, since the 70s (I started in 1982). We are blessed with a very productive area of about 550 acres of private land. There are 10 of us that hunt this area. It is a mix of fields, a 50 acre hardwoods, and quite a few willow swamps.

Our "camp" is actually a shed. My uncle pulls out his camper and we have a little woodstove in there. That is where we eat our meals, spill our BS and plan our strategies. I usually bring my camper up and park it in my uncles yard and we sleep there. Although this year, I didnt get the camper out even once, so I left it winterized and we drove back to my dad's house about 30 miles away.

Our hunters are a varied bunch. Some old, some young, some in the middle (me). Some dedicated (me), some weekend warriors who dont always even make it on the weekends. The core group never changes though.

This year was a good year for us. We got 3 really nice bucks...a decent 8, a nice 10, and a huge 8. Then we shot 3 little bucks (one of these was ok as it was a kid's first). We are trying to pass on those with mixed results. Some guys just cant do it. But we are making progress. It wouldnt be so bad, but these are guys who have shot plenty of deer and dont value the horns at all on little bucks. Of course they want to shoot big ones. Oh well, I better get off the soapbox before I take a tumble.

This year, would be my 13 yr old brother's second year (yes, there is a big gap in age betwixt us). he has shot a doe, but never a buck. He lives and breathes for hunting. my wife says i have created a monster. He has incredible patience and stays on stand all day from before light til after light. Along about 11 am on the 2nd day of the season, here comes a buck. you know the feeling, a 13 year old and his first buck.

The heart is hammering away. The buck gets closer...only 35 yards now. he hunts in the willow swamp with tall yellow grass. He is just getting ready to drop the hammer and the deer disappears. gone. there one second, nothing the next. No sound, no nothing. a few minutes go by and nothing. pretty soon the excitement level comes off redline. Then he sees it. A subtle movement where the buck was. yes, a horn. The buck layed down. Gun up, ready to rock, lil bro sits there for 2 hours until that buck stands up. he shoots and it runs into the willows.

Dad and I come out to help him look. I scour the bed. no blood. 1 hair. This aint lookin' so good I am thinking. As we coached him, he memorized the exact route the buck took and the very last place he seen it. We look hard. No blood. after a half hour, dad and I give each other the "look". This doesnt look good. no snow by the way either...that would have helped. As I continue to search for any hint of a hit, I notice that the stand is always in site as I make an arc around the trail the deer was last seen on. Hmmm. then why wouldnt lil bro see the deer farther than he did. It hits me, the deer died and jumped to the left or right at the last place he saw it. Sure enough, before I can get back there, Dad finds him. He had ran about 50 yards and was hit perfectly on a quartering at him shot. no blood from a 12 ga slug that entered at the front edge of the shoulder and came out behind the offside shoulder. not a big buck, but a perfect one for a kids first. A year and a half old 7 pointer.