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

Good luck Dave and the MN crews. Thanks for starting the best threads on the Fire too. Even if you only participate a little lol. I get it.

I hope to get groceries bought this week, packed and to camp Friday afternoon for Wednesday's opener next week.

I saw a couple of deer yesterday evening. We've had a warm up and it rained all night. The snow we had really shrunk down.
No fuzzy wind chime yet.
Going home mid day today. Get a couple of days of work in and back out again on Friday. Possibly Thursday night.

Took the GF's middle boy to his doc appointment in Milwaukee today. Saw 2 dead bucks on the side of the highway. Both fork horns. I dang near ran down a doe on my way home from her place as the doe was trotting along, right down the county highway like she was sight seeing and then decided to take a hard right in front of me.

Lots of slow reports in MN. The tough winters in northern MN have taken a toll it looks like. In addition to the normal wolf and bear critters getting their share.

I did some bow hunting over the last week or 10 days. I haven't for a long time and was quickly reminded how much tougher it is than rifle hunting. But got back into the swing of things. Even did some while still hunting, unsuccessfully.

The good news so far at our house is my boy got his first buck that isn't a spike. Whacked a nice forkie. He was pretty fired up and made a great shot at about 70 yards, dropping it on the spot. High shoulder shot, Win M70 Sporter, 30-06.



Here are a couple shots from the blind on the first afternoon, October 29th.








The next morning I sat in a stand. We typically use it for gun season, but there are some rubs and a scrape within bow range of the stand.

Looking west'ish


North


Couple shots from Monday, when I was hunting from the ground.






No deer were harmed. Did see some every day, so that was good.

This weekend we'll be getting some blinds and stands put up for WI gun opener the weekend of Thanksgiving.

Congrats to the boy and good luck in WI.

I've made, what I hope, is my last run to Fleet Farm to get chit I forgot to buy the last 9 times I made my "one last run to Fleet Farm".

Hope to finish packing Friday am and then headed to the Yoop for 10 days.

I'll tell him you said it.

Damn Fleet will get ya. Unfortunately, I live about 5 miles from one. So, the visits are frequent.

I'm trying to get the boys to get me the menu requests. But it's never out of the ordinary. So, groceries are pretty simple.

We have some decents stands and blinds that I didn't sit in. Some are tore up from bucks. We try to keep them for the young dudes that don't have a lot of deer under their belt. I'd feel pretty bad if I sat one and actually shot a buck from a spot we had for the kids.

Good luck up there Teal.

Thanks man - appreciated.

I hear you on holding the "deer heavy" stands for the young guys. Do the same with my son, course it's just me, dad and the boy so with 2/3s of us ok if we never shoot a deer again but have an addiction to deer camp - he tends to get the best spots out of the best spots.

Our menu is always sparse, we're not big on cooking. Burgers, brats, bourbon and beer. I used to do pulled pork and bring it up but not this year. This year will be pasties.

We don’t get too wild with the food either. Same type of stuff. Brats, crock pot of chili, crock pot of soup, type of stuff.

Lunches is usually a sammich in the stand. If we get some deer we go for lunch at the tavern.

Our camp is about 40 miles SW of Chickenbuck. Camp patriarch passed away at 96 this last August. Different vibe this year. Three years ago he shot a nice ten point buck. Our cabin in a mid 1980's vintage. Five hunted opening weekend and harvested one doe. Wolves killed and ate a nice 11 point buck about 150 yards west of cabin on Sat night. Their presence plus rhe wind, rain, snow and varying temps has reduced deer movement significantly. Nine will ne hunting this weekend. As Northern Dave said, the rural America some of us grew ip in is still here but not so much for the larger cities.

I’m sorry to hear about the patriarch. I do remember you posting about that bucks few years back. He made the paper.

It sounds like wolves are a big issue. Let’s hope they’re handled properly.

Soon

Not much activity in 172, but there are deer around. The temps at night aren't helping. I was out opener through yesterday morning. I can't complain too loudly, we had opportunities to fill both tags. I had a spike come in 30 feet behind me under the downed tree below, and had an odd looking forkie come in at 4:30 Sunday. Back to work for a couple days, and then back at it. The rub below is right across the road from the in-laws cabin where I'm staying. I saw it as I was pulling out yesterday. Maybe I should sit on the back porch with the 280 and a cup of coffee...yeah, that'll work.

Congrats to Jack, Tom !

Great eater !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll let him know Paul! Should be!

What's the story on the Canadian buck pole? Do you have it saggin yet?

Great to hear every bodies camp reports, keep at it !

But, where is all ya'll's snow !

It's like 50*F here today Paul. No snow. That's like 198* Canadian.

We got brand new snow. The forest is white again. Tom what are you using for photo hosting? I should maybe post some photos.

I'm the only one at camp on this Thurs evening. Sitting in my deer blind now, light snow, dead silent. I lit the woodstove before I walked out to my stand. Should be nice and warm when I get back. Only had to come up from 50 degrees though. We have electricity now and I installed baseboard heaters to maintain a low heat while we're not at camp to tend the stove.

I saw a couple of deer from the truck on forest roads on my way in to camp, also cut a few sets of fresh tracks walking out from the cabin. I hope that means they are out and moving.

I'm trying to decide if I'm ready to shoot a doe yet or not. We're out of venison. I really don't want to yet, I likely won't have the opportunity anyways.

everything is different, yet stays the same. Our deer camp is much the same as it was 42 years ago. We dont have a traditional camp, but we do have a shed we hang out in before we head home. My kids are now experienced deer hunters. Can't even believe I can type that, but they are. I now worry more about getting my dad a buck. He saw one last night, but it was gone too fast. Our deer count is down 80% or more from last year. We had bad winter kill. Still a few around, so no complaints, they are there. Glad to see the update on the fam Dave. Behind my printer on the back wall of my cabinet, I just looked at my Swamp Squid Badge of Courage. Havent looked at that in years! For those that don't know what that is, it is described somewhere between pages 10 and 3610. Should be easy to find.

Had a gentlemen fall out of a deer stand near my town last weekend. He was life flighted out via helicopter. A good reminder to be safe when elevating our old carcasses up off the ground.

Hear ya Dave, fight with that process, every time !

I've had live bait, in front of me, 3 sits so far !

& we are out of venni, except shanks, too.

& it's getting to be shank eatin weather !