Traditional Deer Camp Survey

[Loggy]

How many here hunt from a Traditional Deer Camp? What I mean is that you leave home and head North (usually :lol: ) and spend a few days/week at Deer Camp durin First Week of Regular Deer Season (used to be called Buck Season :grin.

I started huntin with my Dad, Granpap, uncles etc back in 1963 as a Kid in our PA Sullivan County Deer Camp. It was about 6-8 members back then. Now they are all dead and gone EXCEPT me. And yes, I still plan to hunt from the ole Camp till I'm gone. :grin:

Seems today less & less are going to Deer Camp anymore except durin Bear Season when I see more up then for deer. Seems the ole fashioned Deer Camps are few & far between anymore. Likely economy, less younger hunters coming on board, folks dont like sacrificing modern conveniences, etc etc. are contibuting to this.

Curious bout all your observations.

 

[Grouse]

In Pa i have know Deer camp. I drive about 40 minutes to do my main Deer hunting. I go away every year to NewYork for three or four days. Holiday Inn Express seems to be just fine. I would love to have a camp someday like you have. And about 50 acres :idea:

 

[HighTechRedneck]

Most of my hunting is done under 20 miles from home. When I go someplace that is far enough away to require camping I use the same enclosed 8 1/2 X 24 car hauler that I use for 4 wheeler camp. Get water by the bucket from near by streams when there is no other water at camp. It will easily sleep 10 people if there are that many people who need to sleep in it. Power inverter for some electric needs generator when more electricity is needed. Window AC unit when needed.

Here is a pic. of my truck and the trailer at 4 wheeler camp.

If it is showing you a X instead of the picture right click on the X then select show picture

 

[copperhead]

Never have been to deer camp. Just walk out my back door and go to my stand. Or if hunting pulic land it's only 10 miles away so really no need to camp out.

 

[Redclub]

I have been going to Northern Wi. to hunt deer since 1952 At first we rented a cabin, about 1965 we bought the place we were renting it was a town hall one big room 26x46 with a stage. no plumbing or water only a outhouse and it remains that way today. It is heaven on earth. We can sleep 22 but nowadays there are about 12on opening weekend and 8 of us for the whole week. I am the oldest (64). Almost all the ones I started with are passed away. But the ones I hunt with now have been up there at least 20 years, Kids come and go but few stay beyond a few years. We use the place for grouse and duck hunting and last year several of us went back and ML for a few days. That is going to happen from now on. The big bucks come out of hiding and no pressure to speak of. We hunt on thousands of acres of public land. Four of us that hunted deer together for 40 years are going to Co. Ml for elk. Hunting buddies always stay the best of friends. I own 90 acres in the top producing county in Wi but I don't gun hunt it. It is not the same. Those that know don't need a explanation.
Redclub

 

[Loggy]

Here's my Marriott in the Hills...aka Deer Camp. No runnin water, no puters, no TV , no phones, no Wife naggin...HEAVEN!!! :lol:

Deer, oh yeah, I do manage to knock one off now & then! Hagem up on back (right) side of Camp on Buck Rack. :lol:

 

[charlie]

When I was young I went along with my dad to the deer camp that he belonged to. He is 91 and doesn't hunt anymore. Says he doesn't like the cold weather Sure brings back memories. After the navy things never worked out to go back. Since then it's mostly motels but it just isn't the same. I currently hunt Tioga Co. in PA.
charlie

 

[smokit]

I hunt public land 65 miles from home.Pull camper there,set up,and stay 2 weeks at a time.go home for 3-4 days and go again.80 day gun season-I hunt 45-50 days a year.My kids and brother come and go.I like the company,but also the solitude of hunting alone.

 

[HawgHunter]

Traditional deer camp here. Gas stove, gas fridge, gas lights, out house and of cource a hand pump for water. It they have running water, they are not a camp but a cottage which is used for hunting.

 

[schoolmaster]

For the past 11 years deer camp for me was a tent that we pitched in a public campground in December during the MZ season. The number of people that hunt has grown from the 3 original hunters to more than two dozen. We have a ball even if the weather doesn't co-operate. I recently got invited to a deer camp in central Wisconsin. It is a 12 by 20 utility building with much modification. It sits on 50 acres of land that has been in the owners family for 3 or 4 generations. They just put in a generator last year but don't run it during the deer season. No water, but has a portapotty. Lanterns and coleman stoves are the order of the day. If any deer disturb the fun, they are promptly shot. I don't know how they heat it but will find out this year. Can't wait to go.

 

[wapiti wacker]

I go to camp every year with the guys I have been hunting with since we were 12, sometimes we are only 9 miles from home(loys of public land in Idaho).The camaradery of being in tents and campers,sitting around the fire at night swapping stories,cooking giant meals for everyone (usually about 8 to 15 of us) with these guys and our sons and daughters makes every years trip memorable

 

[MCee67]

Man do i miss those days!I live in lower michigan...are trip was a 3.5 hour drive up north. I started going to the camp back in 83...my first year..also my first deer,an 8 point! Belive me its true,you get one to start off,seems like forever before another one! After a few years people in our camp just seemed to slowly not show up......the older men just couldnt do it as often, A few of the younger one's started to learn about girls and decided opening day could wait.Them fools! anyways,realy miss the campfire stories,food.and friendships.Funny how many memories one has when you ctually have time to think about it.

 

[Corncob]

Deer camp is 45 miles north of the cob pile and south of Hampton, IA about 5 miles. My buddy converted on old corncrib into a hunting cabin. Three of us hunt several hundred acres. There's electricity, but no runnng water. It is filled with so much memoribilia related to our hunts that you can just sit and reflect for hours. Every rack taken is on the walls. The only down side is that the second season guys shoot anything that moves. With a little common sense we could be seeing much bigger racks. I won't be changing my routine, unless something caused me to have to miss the first season and if that occurred, I would be early muzzleloading.

Cob

 

[Spitpatch]

[quote=" The only down side is that the second season guys shoot anything that moves. With a little common sense we could be seeing much bigger racks.

Cob[/quote]

Exactly! I see so many fighting the same issue in my part of the state. However, all my surrounding neighbors and I have a gentlemans agreement to pass all the small bucks. It really helps. Collectivley we only control about one mile square, but lots of cover. Like I said it helps but it's not perfect as deer migrate 3, 4, or 5 miles during the rut. The most frequent comment I hear is " who ya savin' em' for---the neighbors?"

Iowa has a great deer herd. I can also relate to your frustration. :wink:

I've been to Conrad a few times. You hunt anywhere along Wolf Creek?

 

[cayuga]

This was the old deer camp. A group of us would meet up there every November. A half mile up an old logging road through the snow and up a nasty hill in places, through the woods, but it was sure pretty up there.

Unfortunately, someone decided they did not like the cabin back in the woods and while no one was there it suddenly burned to the ground. Kind of hard to explain considering there was no running water or electricity and all the heat in the place was done in a wood stove that had not been going for a couple months. Also the cabin burned so fast on one side that it caved in.

I sure miss the place. We never rebuilt there. We did pull a mobile home up there, but it just was not the same. Finally my friend that owned the property sold it off. Now we just hunt out of our homes which of course are in the middle of our own woods...

 

[Loggy]

Sure was a nice lookin Camp cayuga. Sorry to hear that it burned down. Mine has been thru alot with several tornados going thru cusing tree to hit it etc. I revoved several hundred white pines near camp and selectively replanted some. Thet were growing too close with no root systems.