Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Sold my deer camp

My family has owned a deer camp in SE Oklahoma since August of 1984. I am the last of the tribe that hunted there each fall and spring. The camp started out as a camp of mainly 6 guys and grew to 16 for a few years as members brought in kids and other family and friends. However, over the past 15 years the numbers dropped to just me and my stepfather primarily the last 5 years and an occasional friend. My stepdad died last June and I have been back one time for his memorial service and scattering his and my mom's ashes. That trip was opening weekend of primitive firearms season and my wife killed a nice 8 point buck out of my stepdad's stand. I suppose there is some symmetry to it all as I took the first deer, also a nice 8 point, the first fall we owned the land. I know for me the place is just not the same without him and the joy of going is clouded by the pain of him not being there to build the fire each evening.

I sold it to a great guy and his two young adult sons. They are new to hunting, like many of the guys who hunted with us over the years, but are eager and will make many memories like I have done at that place over the years. Still-it will be bittersweet to plan the hunts next fall and not be heading to the "cabin". I wish the new owners nothing but happiness.

Thank you Don Workman for making so many happy days in such a wonderful place. My your spirit walk those hills happy each day with my mom by your side.

Perry

Never been there, but the thoughts bring a tear to ones eye. Getting to the age as well where feelings of this might be the last time are surfacing.

Would be nice of you to write a brief history for the place and give it to the new owners.

Sorry to hear that.

I take pleasure in hunting places my ancestors have before me. Makes me proud. And hope to pass it along to the next generation here.

Your take is different but its your take. 1Minute has a great suggestion, since it can't be passed to your future generations in the family anymore for them to enjoy, recording the past and giving that to the new owners sure makes sense!

Difficult decision to make

Thanks for sharing your story Perry. I hope you are at peace with your decision.

Perry,

You've written a nice tribute to your stepfather. My (limited) experience with hunting camps is that they are dynamic, people coming and going, with a core group who are the keepers of the traditions and stories. When the core group is gone and the stories no longer have broad meaning, it is time to say goodbye and let someone start their own traditions.

When my FIL passed, the hunting crew of which he was the patriarch dissolved after just one season without him.

Thanks Perry. I hate having to read these stories. Deer camp is such a hallowed place, it's a shame to see one go away, but it's good to know some new blood will hang deer from the game pole.

Our camp is basically going through it's death throes. My dad and 5 other guys built this Pa. deer camp shortly after WWII. Man, the stories from that camp! All the Olde Guard have passed on. None of the guys had any kids that showed any interest in the camp so it came down to me and my brother. Health issues for both of us have meant the camp sits empty a lot more than it should. The day will come when we have to sell it or see it just rot into the ground. Such a tragedy after all the hard work and memories associated with our little slice of Heaven.

I was part of a hunting camp when I was a teenager and I sadly got to see it dwindle down to a few guys that were getting away from their wives to drink for a few weekends. The old boys that got a twinkle in their eye when they spoke of deer and bear that had been taken around that camp made it for me. They've all died off and their kids don't do much work around it anymore. I stopped going because the stories aren't there anymore, Earl isn't cooking scrambled eggs at the stove in the morning, Bill isn't limping around telling the younger guys it was a good thing he wasn't 20 years younger to keep up with them any longer...it is sad, but times change, and sometimes, you need to start new traditions of your own. Good luck on that, and I hope the new owners gain the same appreciation for the place that you had for it.

Reminds me of going to my grandparents cabin. Grandpa passed passed 2014. Hasn't been the same since. It will likely get sold soon. Like you said, bittersweet.

For nearly 20 years I kept a hunting camp in New Hampshire for my friends to use and although they all said that they would look after it, they didn't, so I ended up letting the local VFD use it for a practice burn after it was repeatedly vandalized and, recently, sold the land that it stood on. I understand that they guy who bought the land is going put in roads and divide the rest into 30, 2 acre, building lots, so that land will be forever lost to hunters and fishermen.

As we age, it is often difficult to hang on to things that meant so much, but are dissolving into the changing times.
Our small deer camp is holding together for now. My nephew and I own the properties and my son now lives close enough to join in.

My parents retirement home was a rebuilt old hand hewn log house (out of 3 old log cabins) setting on 35 acres of mostly woods and had a 6 acre lake. Dad and I put it together (with lots of help) the summer I got home from Viet Nam.
That place was a 'family' camp on most weekends. Lots of fishing, squirrel hunting, mushroom hunting, pie and ice cream making, euchre games, etc......
My brother and sister did not wish to keep it and I lived far enough away that it was not reasonable for me. Now, I think back and feel that I should have found a way to keep it.

I sympathize with PWN and the rest who have lost that special place.
Tim

Sorry for your loss but it was a great gift of fun memories . A real treasure. Not a farm but after my Dad passed going out on our boat was never the same as there was always that empty seat so I understand how you feel.

Sorry to hear of the circumstances under which you sold your camp. A nice story that points out that certain something about a hunting camp that non-hunters will never understand. Even though you sold the property, you will always have it in your memories, which is almost as good.

Now you can say "On to the next big adventure!"

Well said.

Its sad but part of life! Iv gone thru 2 old camps, and now Im the old guy, not the same, the younger guys are always playing with there phones! and dont bother to come up till deer season, just dont feel the same, but I still have the memories in my head!

I keep going to camp. It's just part of me. I'll do it till I can do it any longer---then 1 more year--to spread my ashs.

I took my son up on the hill above camp last fall and showed him where I want my ashes spread. It's Dad's spot, and hallowed ground for me. Dad shot a lot of deer up there, and I want to go back up there and hunt with him again. Hopefully not for many, many years.

I keep telling my younger friends, nothing lasts forever. Relax and enjoy the memories you have. Chances are the younger generation want have the chance to experience the things you have. It's hell to get old. Hasbeen

I have a dieing deer camp in northern wisconsin , . I am usually the only one that goes up except my son goes up a few times a year ( 3 last year) . Thankfully the taxes re only 210 dollars. The deer hunting terrible, it is 243 mi. one way, muggy and so many mosquitos all summer they will drive you insane. I dont go up from mid June to Labor day or so . The fishing sucks except for smallmouth. The grouse and bear hunting is very good so I am just going to grouse hunt . It takes 8 yrs to get a bear tag to make it worse. It eats very little hay so I keep it. I was only there one time this year and might go this weekend to fish and look for wolf kills. The day still might come where I just up and sell it. I had 8 hunters there the first year in 1989. After 10 years it was 5 or so . Now it is just my son and I and as far as I care it can stay that way. If BIL wants to hunt there again, it's fine with me. I treasure is in heaven not on this earth. My dad will never be there again . Wanted him to come up one more time but as time passed it was more likely he never would.. . . . I see more deer on public land 5 miles from my house anyways. I imagine I could get 60k for it easy. End up with 50k after taxes and realtor. I can have a lot of fun on 45k in a 4% tax free muni bond . That is almost 2 k a year in div. tax free and I dont have to pay taxes on the land or upkeep. Hardly worth having your own deer camp anymore.

There's an awful lot of empty or dying camps in Pennsylvania. So many divided families, kids that just don't get shown the ways of their forefathers, and even QDM. Licenses aren't cheap either. I well remember the days when deer season was basically an undeclared state holiday. Every little mountain town was bustling on the weekend before the opener, the volunteer fire departments did a hunter's meal as a fund raiser, including the obligatory raffle for a Winchester or Marlin lever gun. Now, outside of some orange hats here and there, you'd be hard pressed to tell the opener is happening. 7 camps on our trail, and only three of them are occupied for the opener. There's an old church nearby that was converted to a deer camp decades ago. They used to get about 20 guys in for the opener. I drove by there last fall and there were two trucks there.