Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Return to Boone Mountain

Well, it's a go. For the first time in close to 10 years, I will be returning to my old stomping grounds. Camp Opa on Boone Mountain, Clearfield County Pennsylvania for the deer opener. Our camp hasn't seen much use in recent years. I'm up here in Minnesota, and my brother's health has been failing, so we decided that we had to get up there for what may be our last hunt out of the cabin. It may go up on the market next spring.

Our friends from the camp on the other side of the trail from us sold out last year. Same reasons-everyone's getting older, and health issues. One of their guys, Ray will be joining us for the hunt. Can't wait to see him. These were the last guys who hunted with my dad and the other members of the Old Guard, as we refer to the 5 original members of our camp who sadly are all gone now.

We will depart early Thanksgiving morning and drive to Indiana to pick up my son, Eric. Friday morning we will head for the Youngstown, Ohio area to match up with my brother. While there, I have a whole bunch of gear to drop off with my buddy Bill who lost his home in a fire last Thanksgiving day. Most of this stuff came from the incredible generousity of our members here at the fire. I can't thank you guys enough. Bill will not need much in the way of gear to get back in the field. He'll be getting a pump shotgun with a bird barrel and a slug barrel, a .22, a pellet gun to shoot with the grand kids, and a muzzleloader, as well as ammo for all these, a full set of outwear, long johns, boots, socks, hats, as well as a backpack full of hunting stuff. I'm glad to be able to do this, and once again I can't thank you guys enough that pitched in here.

We'll make the 3 hour drive to camp Saturday morning. A quick stop in Dubois to buy tags and groceries, and then up to camp. Deer season starts the Monday after Thanksgiving. We'll get out on the hill Saturday afternoon and again on Sunday. Sunday always includes a run to Clearfield and Grice's Gun Shop. A trip to camp isn't complete without a trip to Grice's.

My brother won't hunt this year. Failing health and bad knees will keep him in the cabin as the Bull Cook. There will be a rifle at each door, and one at the gun port in the back wall. Deer frequently cross right around the camp, and many deer have been taken within sight of the camp. Eric and I will hunt up on the hill above camp, most likely in spots that we've had guys on for the last 70 years. I am thinking about hunting Dad's spot. I haven't been up there in decades. It's always been considered hallowed ground since Dad died. As this may be our last hunt, it's time to go up there and visit the old man's stomping grounds. Very hard to think that this may be the last time on the hill. Man the memories.........

Sounds fun Gopher. You will relive a lot of memories sitting on that hill I'm sure!

I hope you have a good time. I will be going back to a hunting spot this year that I haven't been to for 15 years. It will be good to get back. Use to hunt there a lot with my brother before he died. So it sounds good to me that you are hunting with your brother this year.

I can't wait to get back on the hill. Dad's dying wish was to have his ashes spread on the mountain up in his favorite hunting spot. Mom just couldn't bring herself to do that. His body lays in a beautiful cemetary in Ohio, but I am certain his heart and soul are in the hills and hollows of Boone Mountain. Ours was one of the first camps on the hill. Others are still up and running-Camp Misery, the Plug Nikkel, and the Bucktail Camp to name a few. Thankfully, development hasn't found it's way to our little corner of the world yet. We can still step outside the door and be right in the heart of some of the best deer country Pa. has to offer. Turkeys used to be a rare sight up there, and now they are plentiful. I want Eric to notch his tag this year. 'Don't care that much if I fill one myself. It would mean much more to see him do it.

That's great news!. Looking forward to seeing you again. You can buy your license online, that would avoid the risk of the computer system being down when you get in town and also avoid any long lines.

Staying all week?

Will be in touch via PM.

Dale

Awesome!! Wish you guys all the luck!!!!!!

do you have your dads gun? be kinda cool to hunt with it! just a thought. The year after my dad pasted, I hunted in his blind, at dawn I see a large deer comeing up the hill about 60yrds, I had a doe permit so didnt even look at its head, was useing my 1901 savage 1899 303, deer bolted at the shot. was going to wait awhile to look for it. as its opening day! as the sun came up I saw something shinning on the dirt floor of the blind was a 260 shell, only one there, pretty sure it was from the old mans last shot! still have it. only deer i saw in 2hrs so went to look for the deer, found good blood the 190 silvertip did its job as a huge doe was piled up 40 yards in the pines we had planted 20 years before! Last time I hunted his blind and we sold the place 2 years later! miss the old times!

Dale-looking forward to seeing you, buddy. Maybe lunch at that same joint in Dubois again? Saddlering-my son will be carrying Dad's beloved 99, and going for his first buck. The 99 I carry has deep ties too. I bought it off one of the original members of our camp, and it has never let me down. Hope to hear the old Savages bark again.

Saddlering-just read the rest of your post. What a great story. Man, I love reading this stuff.

Great post Gopher!!! Enjoy your time together.

gopher, best of luck.. Have hunted Boone's mountain some.. My ancestors came from near that country.. It also looks like the relatives I had in that area will be selling their camp this year also.. Right now it is a ? if it will be there for this fall.. If it is, I will make one more trip for deer hunting.. Been killing some fair bucks in my area.. Much of the state has few deer now.. Hope that is not one of them.. Very best of luck to you this fall..
Usually try to hit Grice's when I am in the area, but not the day before deer season.. It is insane there that week.. Used to visit it when it was a little hole in the wall that used to be a gas station.. Very best of luck..

I actually enjoy going on the Sunday before the opener. It's a zoo, but you can just taste the excitement. No one's missed a deer yet, no one's forgot their ammo, or woke up late after too many hands of poker the night before. Hunters have to be some of the biggest optimists in the world. Anyone who would stand a post for 12 hours straight, waiting for 15 seconds of pure adrenaline filled rush has to be optimistic. Anyone who's up in the Dubois area interested in getting together Saturday or Sunday for a quick meet and greet?

I hope it doesn't have to sell. I'd like to think a few 'new' bloods could be taken into the fold.

Memories can't be taken from you.

It's a lot tougher with me being up here in Minnesota. Dale (my brother) can't get up there much any more. He's going in for knee surgery soon here and won't hunt this fall. We'll put a rifle at each door and at the gun port in the back wall, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's got one laying by the time we come in. The deer literally cross between the cabin and the outhouse.

We would like to see my son, who's in Indiana take up the reins. We can keep it up for a while till he's ready to take over the taxes and stuff, and we plan on having a serious discussion about this when we're down there. We're going on 70 years now in the same family. Hate to think about it changing hands. Our buddies in the camp next to us got in the same jam. None of the younger kids took up the reins. One felt the need to build another camp, and the other has basically just stood around with his hand out waiting for the camp to sell so he could get his "cut." I was glad to see the patriarch of the group spent that money on a wheelchair accessabele van for him self. The son was pretty pizzed from what I understand.

If we do have to sell, I'd put it up on here and see if one of our members was interested. 'Can't think of a better way to continue the tradition. We've all ready had inquiries about it. There's a small camp next to us who've expressed interest. Would be a good thing for them as the lots abut each other. Hard to say. It will be an interesting conversation at the dinner table this fall though.

Might be kind of tough to do something on Sat or Sun, I will probably have to take Kalan back to college on Sunday and the dorms don't open until 1 PM, then it's a 3 hour trip from Shippensburg to DuBois. It really sucked last year because I made the mistake of taking the Pa. turnpike for part of the trip.

Once I get to DuBois, I plan on staying until sometime on Wed. and will probably be back for the first Saturday. So there should be time to get together. How long are you staying?

Dale

I'm hoping to stay through Wednesday morning. It may depend on when my son needs to get back and how my brother is doing. Knowing him and his luck, he'll have 3 laying outside the cabin by the time we hike up the hill a half mile.

gopher:

Hope you and your companions have a great time.

Too bad you have to sell. Hate to see legacy like that pass to other hands. But I guess if you live in Minnesota and the camp is in Pennsylvania, and everyone else is fading away, you kind of have no other choice.

Savor the memories during the last hunt.

KC

gopher, if you think of it, mention this or drop me a pm.. near deer season.. If we return, it will be for at least 3 or 4 days before deer season, and the entire season its self.. Would enjoy meeting some of the other members.. It is going to be "ify" as to the access to the camp..

I met with my heart specialist today, and he says it's time to do the internal defibrillator. Going to see the surgeon Monday. Surgery within 2 weeks. They don't even keep you overnight. 2 day recovery and then back to work. Provided everything goes right, no restrictions except not being able to lift my arms above shoulder level for a few weeks, or until the start of deer season, whichever comes first. Yippie Skippie!

WCH-anyone from the 'Fire's welcome to stop by, even come up on the hill and hunt with us. With my heart stuff going on, I'll probably hunt pretty close to my son. We'll probably go up into one of my dad's old spots about 3/4 of a mile above camp.