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

That poor tree........

Tree? You should see the intern...she'll never be the same.

Great work Tom !

Had both kids home for the Canadian Thanksgiving long week end.

Played in the woods, adjusting stands, blinds, trail clean up/out & cameras.

Headed to the range (gravel pit) yesterday afternoon & everyone shot well. Particularly my 22 year old daughter, who only started shooting this time last year & hasn't touched a rifle since !

Ate waaay tooo much & had a buncha fun.

Life is complicated, but ultimately good.

Went to do a little work on my 12 year old daughter's deer (box) stand. I wanted to put higher walls and a roof on it for her. We pull up close (30 yards) to it with the truck and trailer. She is excited and wants to go climb into it so I say go for it! She climbs up there and a few seconds later, starts squealing like crazy. There is a 6 point buck standing there looking at her from 40 yards away. She is pretty excited now!

Funny part....half an hour or so later, I was trimming some branches for her and that half-witted buck was still there! I can only hope that it stays that dumb for another few weeks.

We can shoot 2 deer this year. the question is, do i allow myself to shoot 1 or let my daughter shoot all 4?

Easy one for me. Is all ahoy the kids for s few years til they can start hunting on their own. We only eat two deer a year so no need to like them up at our house. Ther is no way I can match the excitement level of my son at this point so it's all about him. My daughter will hunt the youth season but gets too cold during November.

And btw MN. Give the kids they're own weekend. Don't make it early antler less season for everyone next weekend. Come on!

Tom, I've said this before. You get it. It should be about the kids. We need to do everything we can-whatever it takes to get these kids hooked on hunting. A good early experience is important. Kids don't get nearly as much out of Dad fillling their tag for them as they do out of filling it their selves. One of my earliest childhood memories is of going deer hunting with dad. I was so small I rode around in his backpack. Start 'em young, and start 'em right and you've got a hunting partner for life.

The adventure begins.

We are in Casper Wy. for a couple of days and then up to Jackson and out to the elk camp. This will be a great time. I will keep updating when possible.

Plan on hiking a bit to get acclimated and a trip to the rifle range.

Life is good.

tzone. You can eat two deer made into jerky and the other two as steaks and burger. Enjoy the time with your kids.

Gopher, I wasnt advocating that I shoot one of her deer, I was wondering if I should give her both of mine or just 1. She has already shot 2 deer so this isn't her first. The other thing I think about is that she needs to earn her deer and too much success too early isn't good either. I guess I will play it by ear.

I think you should let her fill the minivan with deer.

Ha! good one. But Mama wouldn't be too happy about that. I think i better see if the Ecoboost can handle it.

They make tarps. Camo ones even.

Oh I knew you weren't Dean. But there's guys out there that aren't above that. The first year I moved up here I got invited to hunt with a guy from work, up at his dad's place by Mille Lacs. Turns out the dad's idea of hunting was to have everyone dog for him while he sat on his azz and did the shooting. The first place we went to was well posted with No Trespassing signs, and a tree had been purposely cut down across the entrance to keep trucks out. He drove right through the tree top to get back in there. He wanted to do a "quick push" but I refused to go. I figured if the game warden came I had a lot better chace of pleading my case from the truck, instead of out in the field. He had one guy he'd invited who'd had a serious head injury and should never have been carrying a gun. I bugged him about it and he finally told me the only reason he was along was to supply another tag! I never hunted with them again.

Boy Dean, they just won't let up on the minivan! Tom-you know we own one too right? Grand Caravan, buddy. I think you're just jealous that you don't have one.......although I'm sure it would have to be a Ford.

Agree with T and Gopher on this one....

My daughter, son and daughter-in-law hunt each deer season with me here and still have the green light to fill my tag or tags should the opportunity arise. They are all in their upper 30's. My two kids have been hunting since they legally could at age 12 and it has always been that way and always will be.

My next day off is Tuesday, and I'm heading back up to Alexandria for a second round of scouting out a possible new spot for us. Special thanks to Berettaman for giving me some much needed pointers on spots to check in the area. Really hoping this looks good as we all ready reserved a motel room in the area. If the number of deer stands we saw up there is any indication of the hunting, we ought to be in good shape. Gonna dust off the shotgun just in case a rabbit or pheasant gets up in front of me.

Man, I can't wait for the opener!

Bring your arm floaties!!

You just had to go and say that didn't you T?

I'm a single shot nut. Been hunting break top singles for some years now, especially ones chambered in 45/70.
My main hunting gun is a Baikal combo gun in 12 gauge over .308.
Several months ago I bought a used CVA Hunter model chambered in 7MM-08.Shot it a bit and was really impressed with the accuracy. It has a great trigger and the general fit and finish of the Spanish made rifle imported by CVA really favorably impressed me.
Soooo I had my local Cabela's order me a CVA in my mostest favorite caliber of 45/70 Government.
I picked it up yesterday and got my spare 2-1/2X scope mounted on the mounts which come with the rifle. The trigger pull is great. Very smooth and clean breaking. A trip to the range very soon will allow sighting in and it will go hunting some this year. I'll let you all know the results.

Stan in SC

Awesome Stan!!

I saw a DANDY 8pt buck last night right by my house. He was with his girl friend eating out of the ditch about 1/4 from home. I beeped my horn as I drove by and up popped that rack.

I was a little fired up.