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

Hey dave,

you're manking me hungry with those piky pics. That is my favorite fishy for sho. I eat most of 'em I catch too. Not the easiest cleaning fish around but sure are the tastiest.

Your trip to the BWCA will be remembered by all. I can recall all the camping trips I took with my family as a kid. And starting on the 4th of July weekend, we are taking our kids for the first time too. I'm pumped to say the least.

Did you make it to Duluth? My wife ran the 1/2 marathon and did well. I got roped into it next year over a beer fest at the campfire afterwards. I'm in trouble I can tell you that.

Well gotta run ( pun intended )

Tom

oof, you're going to run? on purpose???

no we haven't made it to duluth yet. I did find a couple of canoes to buy in the duluth area that my dad is likely picking up for me today. an aluminum standard 17' double ender alumacraft. And an older model also a 17' double ender made by Aero, kind of higher ends like a birch bark canoe. I thought that one would be kind of funny & I predicted that the 2 girls on our trip (the 2 older girls) would probably claim the "indian style" canoe for themselves. I mentioned the canoe last friday to my daughter & right away she piped up "we call that one!!"

goof balls.

I'll be in the duluth area on the 2nd of july. staying at my dad's, picking up the canoes from him & heading towards Ely the morning of the 3rd.

yeah,

I guess I have to run... on purpose. The worst part is the shape I'm in is round right now. I hate to back out on the boys, drunk or not. I hate running too.... friggin hate it, usually when I'm running the popo is after me, or there is free cold beer somewhere.

My bro in law has a beautiful canoe he bought for the bw's. I think he paid like $2500 for it and so far it has been used on a pond near his house in the Cities only. It is light as a feather and tough as nails but $2500 is a lot for a boat you have to paddle.

Sounds like you'll be doing a fair bit of travel even before you leave.

Hello all.This is the first time I have had a chance to spend a wee bit of time sitting at the computer.Just wanted to say thank you for your thoughts,prayers and support.
I see that Dave found my forum and browsed there.
http://www.guncollectorsforum.com/forums/index.php
I don't remember if I had told about it before.Glad you dropped by.
17,000 views.Wow,Just wow!
More later when I can sit here longer.Thanks again.

Stan

Great to hear you're up and at 'em Stan.

I'm sure it doesn't feel good, I suspect it'll feel better soon.

Me, I've been having computer melt-down issues. I run my Dad's hand-me-downs. Burnt up two in a week. Actually had to go and buy one. First one ever!

Just my luck he'll get one all virused up in a day or two and be buying one too.......

Craig

Welcome Back Stan!!

Stan, Glad Very Glad to see your here again and ok!!! I can't post at work but believe me I've been here almost every hour or so for awhile checking around to see if your doing ok. Nice to know you are doing ok!!! Looking forwad to chatting when you can.

Dave, You better get us some pics of the upcoming camping trip from the beginning like seeing the vehicle loaded to the setup of camp, from boat paddling to fishing to the campfire and back again... You owe it to us for not posting pics from the dirtbike riding trip.. Ha!

From one guy to many the campfire is burning Bright again Stan is back, Stan is back guys!!! Stan I'll help bring the wood you just help place it on the fire at Daves Cabin Camp ok.

Alright Stan!! Wooooo!!

Welcome back! You scared the crap out of me!!

Tom, oh you bet we'll be traveling before the camping trip. Gotta make a run down to the Detroit lakes area this weekend, meet up with "the boy" and his two sisters & go over some lists for the trip for clothes & related items to have packed.

The main reason to go down is to be with the family as we are rolling up on that one year mark of when we got news of my cousin's plane crash.

I'm not going to get too heavy into that, I'll just keep it short for now & say that the 28th of June will mark one years worth of time that we all have continued on in his absense and done so as best we could. Which is exactly what he would have us do. He would be proud of us all.

We will get together and celebrate his life. We will celebrate this first big step we have all achieved in carrying forward with our lives. One year, it's a big step forward.

Wabo, yes I'll do my best to photo document the trip, even the boring details of packing if you like

Actually that's not all too silly. I do have old photos from past trips where I have the canoes all loaded up & we are ready to go. I have a picture someplace of a shiny black 1970 Chevy monte carlo with a canoe tied to the roof. (funny thing, I met that same old black car on the highway last sunday while returning all the boys home after the dirt bike weekend, car still looks great, wish i never sold it ) That's what me & Pam used to get our gear to our drop point for a canoe trip we went on together in around 1995. Pam's one and only BWCA canoe trip to date. She's looking forward to finally going again in a couple of weeks here.

and, about the dirt bike weekend..... I forgot the camera at home!!! dang it!!

Stan, again, great to have you on the mend.

Dave

Gland to see you back Stan. Hope all is healing well. You'll feel a ton better soon. My father in law went through the same ordeal over the last few years. He is now better than ever too.

Great to see you back.

Tom

Dave,

I'll bet Pam is excited. Only being on her second trip. Tell her not to get too fired up yet as some of us have not been there ever. I was on Kabotegama on fishing opener a few years ago, and my buddies cabin in the Gunflint area is about as close as I've ever been.

Have fun, and YES take a ton of pics to show us. Some 45" gators over the fire would be cool too.

Tom

My living room is littered with packs, sleeping bags, cook stoves, lanterns, dried foods... Tonight the packing begins for our big trip.

This will be a short work week, we leave Wed for Duluth where we will meet up with "The boy" & his sister "the girl" There we will strap down the canoes, get a good night's rest & head for our drop point the next morning.

We have the youngest sister with us already. She rode back home with us & will be staying with us this week.

This past weekend was good. A year's time has passed since we lost the kid's dad. I think most of us are doing our best to use this time of year to reflect & measure our progress forward from the time of his death as that is what he would want for us all to do. We remembered him fondly as we do always, but it was more so than usual this last weekend. The day before he died was his wedding anniversary, as you could imagine that is a difficult day for his wife to get through.

But we all got through the weekend just fine. His kids have got to be making him proud as they are all continuing to grow in the right directions, such responsible, thoughtful, polite kids. All so very talented.

It's definitely our privilege that they accompany us on this canoe trip with such enthusiasm.

Rooster7 Jim & his wife surprised us with a wonderful gift for our hunting cabin. Apparently Rooster Jim has a good friend over on archerytalk forums that is quite gifted with the wood carving. Jim had his friend cut the likeness of the "wood spirit" into a large black walnut half log. The Story of the wood spirit is very neat, the carving itself is fantastic & we can't wait to get it out to the cabin. I will post more about the wood spirit & put up a picture of the carving when I get a chance, it's very cool. Big thanks out to Jim & Mrs. Jim & also to Jim's buddy from archerytalk for the fantastic work on our wood spirit. We will be honored to have him looking after our cabin & all of the cabin's visitors for as long as the cabin stands.



I have a lot of work too do before I leave for the week so I better get cracking.

Dave

I have to add this.

This I have been wanting to post for quite a while now. This is a tattoo that "the boy" got on his left shoulder blade to wear in honor & in memory of his father. I personally think it's just the coolest thing, it's a one of a kind hourglass with white tail antlers, an arrow, a fishing rod, it all has meaning for the boy & his father. I almost cry thinking about it. It showcases the activities & interests that the boy & his father shared together with the antlers, fishing & hunting gear surrounding & making up an hourglass. The hourglass represents the time they had together & his fathers time on this earth. The banner shows birth to death dates yet the hourglass still has sand remaining in the top half of the glass. You can interpret the sand remaining in the top half of the glass how ever you like. The simple interpretation is that his time wasn't up yet. Another way to look at it is, he's still with us & will always remain with us.

So proud of this boy.

Dave,
Your trip upcoming is something I had always wanted to do.I hope you enjoy it to the absolute fullest.Take lotsa pictures.Enjoy to the max.
I'm feeling better all the time.Getting around good.I hope the comeback makes me like the enegerizer bunny.
Can you believe that this thread is already up to almost 20,000 views?I know I comment on that a lot but it is just an indicator of how popular this is and how people enjoy it or they wouldn't keep coming back.I'm afraid that you have become a legend in your own time,Dave.
May the woods spirit watch over you.
Stan

Stan, so very glad to have you back.

Again, thanks for the kind words.

Dave

Dave,

It is a Wonderful thing what you are doing for and with your family, Thankyou for sharing your life with us! That Hour Glass is Awesome tell the boy to be proud of himself for the honor he is showing Dad while wearing that Badge or Honor and tribute to his Father.

Let The Spirit of the Woods Protect Your Cabin and All who visit The Cabin throughout thier lives... I've got a walking stick with The Great Spirit carved into it hanging from a gunrack here at home I use alot while hiking. The Spirit of The Wood is rather unique, Rooster that is a Cool Gift!!!

Have a Great trip!!!

Thanks but I told Dave the wood spirit was for selfish reasons too. To continue to be invited to the cabin!

No....It�s hard to believe its been a year since the numbing pain was so fresh in our hearts that it seemed like we would never be able to smile much less laugh ever again. And the first time we did, there was almost a twinge of guilt and remorse for doing so. I believe there have been enough tears shed in the past year to fill an ocean but the times we (my family and Dave's family along with the rest of our buddies family)have shared via email, at the cabin, fishing etc. have been priceless. It seems hard to believe that we have only been friends with Dave and Pam pretty much since the accident. Looking back over this past year, the fact that my wife and I have had someone who truly understands the devastating amount of grief we have all suffered has been a blessing. I truly believe our friend would have wanted it this way and probably looks down at us and laughs at the goofy stuff we talk about on almost a daily basis. I feel we need to make it a point to do more things together as families, love life and have fun. Have fun for our buddy so he has a lot to talk about when we get to see him again!

That is the reason for the gift....a little something just to say THANK YOU Dave and Pam for keeping in touch, understanding and sharing memories. And also what you are doing and have done for the kids.

There....I'm all done being sappy now!

Jim (Rooster7)

Stan - Glad to hear your feeling better!

You guys know that feeling you get the day before deer hunting opener?

I'm leaving for our trip tomorrow, weather forecast is still great.....

I'm bouncing off the walls.

Who fishes crappie in the summer? I need some crappie fishin tips, pointers. The main lake that we will be camping at is supposedly full of crappie. I'm thinking that would be great for the kids & mighty tastey too.

Jim you silly man, you don't have to bribe us, it's an open invite for the rooster clan. I told special K (she's gonna like that name huh?) I told special K it's gonna be blueberry season pretty soon so there's an excuse to come up to the shack if you need an excuse. Gonna be good berries this year.

Dave

Have a GREAT trip man!

On crappies: One tip I've been meaning to try but haven't yet is from an article I once read about a guys grandpa who would consistently out fish all others on crappie. When he got too old to fish he shared his "secret" with his grandson. When he would catch the first crappie, he would scale it and put the scales in a coffee can. Then when he would get over structure like sunken tree's etc., he would lower his bait down to just over the top of the tree and throw a handful of scales down. The scales would sink, flutter and sparkle all the way down. Supposedly this was irrisitable for crappie in cover and they would come to the top of the structure to investigate and take his bait. Worth a shot I guess.

Cool bud, I'm sure we'll have nothing but time to try different hings like that. Do you suppose we should bring in some wax worms or something like that or do you think just crawlers?

We used to catch all kinds of panfish from shore on lake vermillion when I was a kid. We just went down there on our bicycles with split shots, bobbers, small hooks & a can of angle worms & we'd stay busy all day.

probably the last time I ate any kind of panfish was back then. Does anybody fillet them or? We used to just scale them, take the head off, gut, clean & pan fry with butter. Damn it anyways, now I'm hungry for butter fried pan fish..... Damn it.

I'm gonna go check out the "fishing area" of the camp fire, see what the fishermen say.

All I can tell you is panfish is some gooooood eatin'. I fillet them, as it is much cleaner and in my opinion faster. You may loose a little meat but not really much in the grand scheme of things.

Crappies will be in the wood, or deeper structure by now I would think. If you get into a school of them it will be fun. Espically if they are good sized. I have been catching them on crawlers while fishting with a jig for the walleyes, so that may work in your area too. You might want to bring some real small jigs and plastics with you. Like 1/16 or 1/32, even 1/64 oz if there will be little current or wind. Tip them with the small plastics or minnows if you will have them.

Good luck and have fun Dave. Show us all the pics too.

Tom