Can't edit my original thread, so here goes.
Day 1 – Trick or Treat
Well the original plan was to hit the highway in the wee hours of Friday morning to meet my dad at the camp location to start clearing roads and trails of blow downs and setup blinds, but being this was my buddies first year he was pretty excited, and in turn so was I, so the plan quickly changed to us hitting the highway after our kids had finished trick or treating.
By the time all was said and done, final loading done, etc. It was almost 10PM, and raining pretty well. I swung by my buddies place and he was already in his truck waiting, so off we went.
The GPS arrival time had me at our parents place for about 6am, and with the heavy rain and extremely thick fog, we were not in a position to make any time. By the time we hit New Liskeard I already had it in my mind that we would probably be best to stay in North Bay for the night.
I called in ahead of time to ensure they had a pet friendly room available in case we did decide to stay, and with more priority club points then I know what to do with, it wasn’t going to add any cost to our trip anyway.
We hit North Bay around 1:45am and I radioed to my buddy that I’d be pulling into the hotel for a few hours’ sleep. Head hit the pillow around 2am for a 3 hour power nap. And finish the drive off to mom and dads in the morning.
Buzz Lightyear and his puppy princess (I didn't pick it out).
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Day 2 – The Final Push East
In reality, 3 hours of sleep went by way too fast, but excitement outweighed tiredness and we were ready to go. Took the dog for a quick walk to stretch her paws and do her morning duties and off we went.
We rolled into mom and dad’s just in time for brunch to be served and had a good feed of Eggs, Bacon, Home Fries, Sausage, and toast which was quickly devoured. We said our good byes to mom and Maddy Dog and made tracks back to Renfrew to start on the day’s work.
The wind was in full hurricane force, so we decided to hold off on setting up the blinds, but there was plenty of chainsaw work to be done, as well as setup cameras, and get my buddy oriented with the lay of the land and who sets up where.
We put in a good days work, and road the bikes out of camp as the sunset and headed down the road to one of our camp members places where we would spend the night.
We had a good feed of pickled eggs and frosty beverages; re-telling lies of hunting trips past and catching up on new ones and then settled in for a much needed, much longer sleep.
My brushed in blind from partway down the hill to the cedar swamp and runway.
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Day 3 – The Gangs All Here
We woke up around 7am Saturday morning and headed down the highway to Calabogie to pick up our trailer of gear from another camp members place. We loaded the canvas onto it and a few last minute things and headed to the woods to meet up with the rest of the crew that would be arriving today.
Unfortunately 3 original camp members were not able to join us this year for various reasons, but 4 new hunters were joining us.
Amongst the new crew, was the son in law, and two grandkids of one of the founding members of our camp. His son in law never hunted, never had any interest in hunting, but both his boys had the bug from grandpa, so this past year the dad took his two boys and all three went and got licensed.
The two boys are 12 and 14 so are apprentice hunters and have to pair up with camp members, but everyone is more than willing to host the young men in their blinds.
The fourth was my buddy from back home and a seasoned moose hunter, but this would be his first deer hunt as well.
Everyone arrived safe and sound and handshakes and hugs and welcomes exchanged, then straight to work. It takes about 4 hours to setup camp and with the extra guests this year we put up another section making our tent 40’ long by 24’ wide.
Camp went up without a hitch and we spent the rest of the day cutting and splitting wood and catching up with friends we only get to see this time of year.
Tonights Menu:
Bring your own steak (Was a good mix of beef, venison, and moose)
Deep Fried Home Made Fries
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Day 4 - Twas The Night Before Opener
Well, its 10 hours and 9 minutes until legal light of the white tail opener, the camp is setup, the roads, and lanes are cut, and the blinds are up.
Smoke is billowing out of the two stoves that keep our 40'x32' canvas camp warm, and the men are filled with deep fried walleye, perch, and fresh cut fries.
The only thing our two young apprentice hunters are filled with more than anticipation is questions, which everyone in the camp is willing to weigh in on and offer advice and opinions.
As I just got the Wi-Fi going, I will back track tomorrow on how the last few days unfolded to get us to this point. As for now, it is just about time to shut down the generator and settle into the bunks.
More tomorrow, but for now, sleep.
Tonights Menu:
Fish Fry - Collection Of Walleye and Perch caught that year
Deep Fried Home Made Fries
Day 5 – I Live For Opening Morning
For those of you who are part of a hunt camp, you know the “feeling” of opening morning in the camp. There is no hesitation when the alarm goes off at the crack of deer thirty, everyone springs out of their bunks like they just awoke from a coma and busily go about their getting ready rituals.
Not much was spoken, other than the traditional "good luck" which in deer camp speak, means good morning.
The night before brought cool temperatures and the puddles were frozen over, as were the leaves, which sounded like you were walking knee deep in a bowl of cornflakes with each step you took. I carefully made my way to my blind and got settled in for magic hour.
That time when the gun can be taken out of it's case and loaded, that time when the darkness just starts to lift, and casts its light blue glow on everything around you, that time when your breath starts to warm up the blind, and the condensation starts to drip on your head, and the most beloved time of all, when the squirrels wake up, and you wonder how that .5lb of a critter can possible make more noise in the leaves than this not so .5lb critter does.
Gun in hand, eyes in full hawk mode, here we go. The season has officially opened.
Very shortly after legal light came, so did the gun fire on the properties surrounding us, as with every opening morning in the big woods, the shots were plentiful, unfortunately for our camp, not a shot was to be had that day, but that is the beauty of opening morning, it's that magical, even when the magic doesn't happen in your scope.
Now I must backtrack to the afternoon of opening day, I made mention that we had two apprentice hunters with us this year, my father hosted one of them in his blind for opening day, and on the walk back they saw a rabbit. I just happen to have my shotgun and birdshot with me and got young Jack setup. Went over how my gun works (where the safety is) and handed it over, he and my dad went for a walk, and not 15 minutes later, I heard the distinct kaboom of my 870.
We all went outside and waited to see this young fella walking down the trail with his first kill in hand, a dandy rabbit. I don't need to go into much detail, you all remember how you felt taking your first animal, and if that isn't enough of a reminder, his smile will say the rest.
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Todays Menu:
Brunch: Eggs, Bacon, Toast
Dinner: Smoked Pork Shoulder In Dutch Oven All Day On Woodstove, With Perogies, Onions, and Bacon
Day 6 - Warning, When Overly Excited, Man Will Hug Man, Alone In The Woods,
It's only okay alone in the woods, when you are congratulating a successful hunt.
Backtrack.
At the beginning of this journey, I mentioned that my good friend David was coming along for his first deer hunt, David is no stranger to the woods, he is an avid moose hunter, grouse hunter, and bear hunter, but this would be his first time in a deer forest.
Now prior to us leaving, my phone, text messages, and Facebook were blowing up daily, with questions, from an over excited Dave leading up to our departure, but just as much as new blood was welcomed into the camp, so was fresh enthusiasm.
I must admit, I struggled with the title of this chapter, my first instinct was to entitle it,
"You Already Know This, But I Am A Really Nice Guy"
And since you are all aware of this fact, it will come as no surprise, that I handed David, my stand. You saw the picture of my blind earlier in this story, but that is spot number 2. Spot number 1 sits atop a rock over looking a ridge that is basically a deer runway around a swamp, and this is where I set him.
We are not to far apart, but how spot 1 and 2 are setup give you complete access to the swamp entrances and exits and the path they follow.
I get settled in and legal light of day two comes, I give out a few bleets, and we are underway.
Some time goes by and I let out a few more, than I get a text message, "do that again, I heard something" I let out another couple of bleets, and then nothing. A moment goes by and then.
Kaarackkk, Karackkkk, Karackkk!
Three shots ring out of his slug gun as fast as he can pump them out, I didn't have time to text him "did you get it" before I could hear the zippers on his blind, I look out my window and he was dancing up a storm to the likes that Americas Best Dance Crew judges had never seen before.
Figuring he forgot that part I told him about waiting in the blind a bit and letting the deer expire, I get out of my blind and go see him.
Commence man hugging.
I lost track of how many times I was embraced and thanked, mainly because after 10 I have to take my boots and socks off to keep counting, and due to the lack of blood and oxygen that was being cut off with each squeeze.
So I said, "Tell me a story"
He said when I let off my first bleets he could hear something down the ridge, but it went quiet, when I let out my second set he said they sounded a lot closer, and when he texted me to do it again, 3 does walked out, he took aim on the first and it dropped on the spot, the second started to trot and he neck shot it and it dropped, he swung to the third, and clean missed it.
The bugger near filled our 3 doe tags in one swoop!
We walk down the hill and the neck shot one is laying there, a little doe, but his first deer none the less. We get it tagged and head over to where the second dropped, no deer, we start to follow blood and we hear Karackkkk on the property next to us, we follow the blood trail and the deer ran onto their property, and safe to say, they were ready for it.
He was a bit heartbroken someone was putting their tag on that deer, but that's what happens sometimes when you're hunting close to property lines.
Those were the only three shots from our group for the day, and we now have meat on the pole.
Congrats to my good friend David, on taking his first deer, on his second ever day deer hunting.
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Todays Menu:
Brunch: Deli Meat Sandwhiches And Home Made Deer Neck Soup
Dinner: 15 Fried Grouse And Home Made Baked Beans and Corn
Day 7 - The Rookie Streak Continues
So for those of you keeping score, we got the young apprentice Jack with his first ever animal harvest on opening day with a rabbit, we've got deer camp rookie David with his first deer harvest on day two, and Jacks younger brother Cole, also an apprentice, and last of the rookies, is now up.
Cole heads out to the stand with his grandfather (our camp founder) for the morning sit, It's a quiet morning, compared to the first two, no where near as many dogs being run, or shots being fired, we get back to camp for Brunch, and Cole has a story for us, he has seen his first deer.
Unfortunately, when he spotted the doe, it was not in a position for him to shoot, all he could do was watch it circle them, and head off.
But before you get to discouraged for the young lad, he was just thrilled that he got to see one out on the watch, some of us (ME) took 2 years to even see some deer fur out on a stand let alone get one in the scope, so while Cole didn't get any trigger time, I say this was a rookie year with all 3 of them getting some action.
And that was all we would get for the rest of the week.
Todays Menu:
Brunch: Eggs, Bacon, Toast
Dinner: Deep Fried Wild Turkey (Dads Spring Harvest), Mashed Potato's, Stuffing
Day 8/9 - That's Why It's Called Hunting
After the first three days, that was all the fur we saw, the next two were very uneventful (in the field) back in camp, the usual banter, bs'ing and teasing continued on with great friends both new and old, card games were had, and smiles plastered everywhere.
The same stories we've been hearing for the past decade being re-told, but always with a new twist that wasn't there the last 9 years, but still makes you laugh, and at the end of it, 3 new hunters join the 44 Fish and Game Club.
I was hoping I'd get some more deer hunting in, and head to my parents after Christmas with the bow for late season action, but I haven't yet broached the subject with my very pregnant wife that is due next week, still hatching a gentle plan to pull that one off.
That is a wrap on the 2013 Opening week for us, and looking forward to next season already.
The 44 Fish And Game Club, A few long time members missing, but a few new members in their place.
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The Last Of The Menu:
Brunch - Cold Cut Sandwhiches And Leftovers From Previous Meals
Dinner -Mixture Of Honey Garlic, Mild, Medium, and Hot sausages, as well as Moose Sausage and Left Over Perogies
Brunch - Last of Eggs, Bacon and Toast and Soup
