Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting A great Christmas present

My Granddad shot a buck in 1947 and the rack hung in the family deer camp in Northern Wisconsin for decades. I always admired it and when the camp was sold my Dad's oldest brother took possession. Over the years I had seen it at his farm house hanging in the mud room. He passed away a year and a half ago, but I have not thought about that rack since.

My wife picked up Aunt Elle from her place and brought her to our place for Christmas dinner and she gave me the buck rack with a ribbon on it. She reminded me that I was the last living person to hunt out of the old deer camp. Got it hanging in my shop now.



1946 deer camp gang first time they were together since World War II. My Granddad is second from left holding a Savage 99.

Smiling here!

Very nice.

What a cool remembrance. When our camp in Pennsylvania changes hands, there's gonna be some stuff like that coming home with me too.

That's pretty cool.

I recall stories of my grandfather heading to northern WI because we had no deer.
Oh my, how things have changed.

Thanks for posting, I very much enjoy the old pictures of the men that set the tradition for all of us to follow.

I have a picture of my own grandfather holding a Savage 99 in a Michigan deer camp in the late 40's or very early 50's holding a doe's head up. Not sure of the year, but my grandmother said my grandfather never did kill a deer with the Savage 99 but would be like him to take credit for a deer he didn't kill. I have my grandfathers Savage 99 and the rifle still is bloodless.

Dad used to talk about the deer hunts from when he was a kid in north eastern Pa. They'd take a train in as far as it went, which meant they had to change from a passenger train to a logging train heading back into the woods. At the end of the line they hired a horse team to take them the rest of the way into their camp. It was a permanent camp on a 99 year lease. From there they hunted for the duration of the season. Deer were scarce, so if they cut a track, they'd stay with it, overnight if necessary to try to bring the deer in front of the guns. They all most all carried shotguns, as not many of the men could afford rifles. Dad said the first rifle that he remembered seeing in that camp was a 30-40 Krag. They lived for a couple weeks on whatever they could shoot or trap. Oppossums, coons, rabbits, squirrels, and of course deer meat if they got one. Great stories from a bygone era.

If it is any consolation, I have a safe full of rifles with that status.

Very Nice

About perfect😁

Brought a smile to my face and a nice, warm feeling to my outlook. Reminds me of the few pictures like that I have of my own grandfather. Perfect Christmas present of the very best kind..

That's really cool, something to hold on to.

-Jake

Could not ask for something better!!

That is way cool.

Love it. Got my granddads buck as well. Nailed up to the barn, later brought inside. I always asked him for it when I was a kid. He’d always tell me “one day...”.

He passed away while I was in college. We all gathered at the old house for the get together and funeral. First thing I did was grab that set of antlers and get em to my truck. Had em mounted with a replacement cape and shield made from one of their hand hewn long leaf pine shelves from their corner cupboard. Turned out well. The shelves were retrieved by my dad years earlier when the house was to be demolished because of a lake built over the whole valley.

Very cool! Glad you ended up with the rack.

I’m glad you ended up with it. Do you have someone to pass it on to??

Very cool, how far north were they in Wisconsin? I see a model 86 as well.

What a wonderful Christmas present! Wouldn't you love to be able to go back in time and chat with your granddad and the others about that hunt? It was so thoughtful of your aunt to do what she did.

Happy she gave you the rack! Id have a copy of the pic made and hang that with the rack!