Wow, what a thread!
Growing up in PA going to camp with no electricity, outhouse, Coleman lanterns, and a cold running spring was living large!
Centre and Lycoming county line, camp founded by my dad's uncles before the depression using the old barn (and not a large one!). Farmland in that time cleared by German settlers that has now returned to deep pine forest with buck laurel the size of buses. Rock wall fences from old fields filled with tall trees so close you can't walk but the deer hide in there all the time.
Deer season after turkey day was the drive north through snow to a old building in the woods up a narrow lane after 20 miles on a dirt road, filled with 50 guys, two PA deer rosters full on the door, all kinds of cars/old two wheel drive cars with chains on the wheels in the snow, deeps snow, wicked cold, a big rack of classic lever actions, bolt action win 70's, and old military conversions. Potbelly stove heated up, propane fridges going, and a picnic table to fit 25 in the main area. Old overstuffed old Victorian sofas around the pot belly, card games, welcome hand shakes of guys way older than me, my dad, my grandfather, my cousins, and uncles making sure I was ok. Bunks up stairs for fifty guys. Food, card games at the tables, stories, and activity.
Sunday night dinner was family style usually cooked by an Italian guy who started with a homemade lettuce salad and this great pasta with a sauce that tasted different than home with fresh crusty bread. And this odd looking deep purple wine in the water glasses. Table discussion was who was going where for Monday, sitting or stand day, there were no ladder stands like now in the state forest surrounding us. My dad would say what spot we would take and everyone had a favorite. After the youth cleaned up the dishes the card games started, playing blitz, hasten pepper (trump like PA Dutch game), and some poker.
Early up, 4am, guys bumping in, finding gear, making sandwiches (best was ham cut from a fresh cooked foil covered on a fresh piece of bread) getting coffee from a huge boil pot on the stove, and getting into your woolrich checkers. There weren't many deer those days running around but a few were dragged in through the snow. It got dark fast and usually snowed even more.
The next day was 25 man drives. The older guys posted. The rest of us drove for the top of a mountain to the crick at the bottom with the posters adding in on the sides. If you were lucky you got to post on one of the last drives. Whatever would go in the snow dropped you off at the top of the mountain or as far up as it could make it for the drive. The deer would launch out of the buck laurel and never be seen by the posters and the drivers could not shoot into the posters because of the straight line to the posters. Sometimes all we had was a cut walking stick so we could not shoot. Still snow up to your knees or more.
At dinner you were falling asleep in your plate after a few bites of hot food and warming up. The old guys stayed the week. You posted a few drives as the crowd thinned out. The guys gave you pointers on where to go and what to do.
Being with my uncles, grandfather, cousins, and their life long buddies was a life experience never to be forgotten. The pranks (deer skins and deer heads in sleeping bags), fake snakes in sleeping bags, and guys at deer camp were priceless.
