Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Sold my deer camp

Nothing is as I remember it, that's life and we all eventually end up in the ground.

At least in the East, because of the increasing amount of posted and off-limits land, hunting camps close to large tracts of open public hunting lands may again become popular.

The negativity here is sometimes sad to watch. Or perhaps revealing. Sad either way.

I feel for the OP...

But this thread is bringing me down...I think I'll go to camp for a solo weekend and a pick-me-up!

If one is getting up in years and maintaining the camp is difficult that is one thing. If that isn't the case, then if having a camp is that important it comes down to priorities. Camps are fun, but they include a certain amount of upkeep, maintenance and more often than not travel time back and forth. Many are not willing to invest the effort and time, and time priorities have changed since when the original occupants put it together. Especially for the younger generations. They have other things they find more important. Families with kids run around significantly more than back when. Especially if the kids are involved with sports.

In Pa, the woods are essentially empty after the first two days of Deer season. However, the motels in the area are filled up with hunters for Sat, Sun, Mon and Tues and most times are booked ahead for the next Deer season. We rent a camp for a week of Grouse hunting most years. It's a great time and more than reasonably inexpensive for 5-6 people. Take a week or two and hunt Michigan while staying in a motel. Again good times.


But not as good as a good camp. You have one and it's where you want it to be, appreciate it while you can.

We let our camp fold this year! So sorry to see it go.. But the last years I was the only hunter there.. living 1800 miles away and dealing with taxes that went from 98$/year to 680. What a ripoff🤑 So it is gone and a way of life..

For me most of the old timmers are gone, hell im one now! the younger guys still want to hunt , but there kids are into sports & cheer leading! for some reason all my hunting buddies have girls! I know bow season camp is a bit diffrent now days! they havent started bringing the girls to rifle season yet!

I have suggested to a couple of motel owners here that it would be good business to supply rooms with firearms safes fitted, as I know it is a pain when travelling with firearms and lack of security for same at motels.

Hard to imagine deer camps 'closing', what with only getting one tag and the state telling you the deer has to have 17 points on one side.

Weird that.

That's just plain not true Steelhead. They only have to have 16 points on one side.

The East Texas lease I'm on gas guys in there 70's that have been hunting there all their lives. The guy that got me on has been on it for 38 years. I'm new, only been there 10 yrs. The lease is paper company land. It backs up to the Alabama go Cshitta Indian reservation.

In northern WIs. there are deer camps all over that have roofs caving in and all grown over. Then down the road a new camp starts and is up and running . Then I notice it does not get much use and is up for sale many times. There just is not enough deer in northern WIs. to keep 95% of the hunters interested. About 25 yrs ago , there were 7-10 trucks parked at the end of the gravel road where public land starts. I own some land at the end of the road so every morning I go to see how many trucks are parked there. Last year , , , to my delight there were none!. ! ! Yep, thousands of acres of public land and noone is hunting it. Fine with me. If I need deer meat I can usually pick off a doe in southern WIs. where I live anyway. I dont go deer hunting for the deer anymore, and dont keep the cabin in hopes the deer hunting gets better. I keep it for sanity purposes. I like getting way back in da woods and not seeing ribbons, water bottles and plastic lunch bags. The end of the road is not even the remote part of the area. Across the river it is remote. Last time I saw a hunter there was 2009 on the second last day of gun season as the sun was setting. I swear he was lost , he saw me but at 100 yds away he kept right on walking north, further into the woods. He was heading towards Skanes cabin, here on the fire. Maybe it was him, i dont know. Anyway, in northern WIs. the hunters numbers are down so far I decided to keep the cabin.

My late Uncle Conrad and a hunting partner started a deer camp is Southern Potter County in 1955, his best friend had been working in the area on the build of the George B Stevenson dam and had stories of all the deer in this wild part of PA. They purchased an old building that had to be relocated since it would have been flooded once the dam filled up. They cut it in two and skidded it up the mountain to it's current home.

In the late 50's up to 16 guys would call the camp home during the two week whitetail season, as years went by less and less guys came to hunt. In the early 60's Uncle Conrad bought out his partner and owned it for the next 30 years. When he pasted he willed it to my 2 cousins, my younger brother and me. After having grown up hunting from the old camp my brother's two sons have taken over the camp having rebuilt the basement and the entire exterior it is in good hands.

On my wall at work I have the picture taken of my brother, cousin and I in 1963 next to the Welcome to Potter County sign on N 872, and next to it is the picture of my brothers grandson taken 50 years later on his first trip to camp in Gods Country.

Sad to hear of these camps folding up. Also sad to hear of the lack of deer in some areas. We have so many deer in our areas. Sort of the end of a era, I guess.

Ran into an acquaintance the other day who is a member of a camp up on top of the Mountain out of Sinnamahoning. Isolated camp on a couple hundred acres surrounded by State Forest. Years ago the owners had built a good sized lake off the front porch. He showed me a few recent pics and there were perhaps 10 Elk milling around. Three were belly deep in the lake. Couple really nice Bulls.

This is a really nice camp. Gravity fed water, big propane generator. You could spend 2 weeks and it would be little different than home. He said most of the members go home after the second day.

I have a small hunting property, with a small cabin of sorts. I am still trying to find time and money to improve it. It came to me and my siblings from my father, and I know if I ever let it go, I will likely never see another private chunk of heaven.

That must be strange for you guys who're used to counting teeth and not having to take your boots off.

my deer camp is also my squirrel, turkey and fish camp. also serves as my beer, bbq and blues camp. my dad built it in 1962 and i have owned it since 2000. it ain't much but its a roof, woodburner, indoor schitter and shower and a big old pavillion with lazy boys and an outdoor kitchen. i am heading down friday night and will be there for 10 days. i can't imagine life without it.

oh and ya, the deer hunting is so-so. i hunt them, don't care about killing them.

We have our family deer camp in central PA. My dad and his two brothers own it, someday I will. Opening day we still get about 15 or so for lunch. 10 or so on each saturday. I also am a member of a bear camp in Clinton County PA. Just joined there last year. Just a few guys there. And allot of the camps in the area don't even open up now. But it's prime PA bear hunting. Unfortunately, the hunting camps are becoming a thing of the past. But I'll hold onto them as long as I'm able and hope that my kids are interested as well.
-Jake