Old School U.P. Hunting Camps

[THE LLC]

I like it. Problem is, we'd be on different sides---except for maybe this year. I think let the CITIES be one country and the rest be the US.

 

[Drycreek]

The cities and the rural areas of this nation are two different countries anymore. I propose that we have two separate presidents and two separate policies for the US, if a state votes republican they get that president, and if a state votes democrat they get that president. Imagine the possibilities!

We could call the red states the USA and the blue states the Liberal Socialists States. I like it !

 

[Deadeye]

This brings back many hunting camp memories from the shack called the "cabin" on top of "Shade Mountain" 2 miles back in on a logging road smack in the middle of the best hunting Pennsylvania could offer.
Thirty years of stories, the trophies, the misses, the cut off shirt tails (We didn't cut off shirttails for missing, we only cut off shirttails for lying about missing) Ice on the water bucket, cutting wood for the old cast iron stove, and winter trips to the outhouse. The good food, the cook that used to much grease, the time we only had baked beans and lots of fumes. Hiding your buck and pretending you didn't have any, helping someone else drag one out, catching up with guys you hadn't seen in a year, the day everyone tagged out the first morning.
Then Gary Ault and the PGC wiped out a lot of the deer, aphids wiped out the hemlocks, moths decimated the oaks, coyotes, bears, and hawks moved in, and the squirrels, grouse and turkeys all but disappeared, people started posting their land, the older members started passing away, and I saw the writing on the wall as it was unfolding, and started managing wildlife on my own private land, and another chapter of life faded away.
But, as the pictures of the U.P. so richly reminded me, I have made friends and memories that never go away, and I keep my interest in the shack just so that I can go back from time to time and relive some really special things from a different era of time when the hills were thriving with game, there was no covid and the old guys in camp always had the time to sit and chew the fat, and had all the answers to life's problems.

That pretty much described my old Camp as well.

That year I was 12 and Dad made me stay at home and go with him in the morning. Loved Dad but he wasn't much of a hunter, however the things he said then I find myself saying now. Things like "when I out in the woods I think of a thousand other things I could be doing". As I kid I just didn't get that, as a Man with Family Responsibilities I understand what he was saying.

The next Year (the Camp's 2nd) Dad left me go with others to Camp for the Opener. I was 13 and sat in my stand by myself and shot my first Buck that year. By 9:00 we had 4 Good Bucks hanging on the meat pole and guys talked about it for years. Eventually the old building started falling into disrepair and even though I tried to gain everyone's interest in saving it, my one Uncle on who's land it sat (was sat at a spot where 4 Corners all came together but was totally on his property) came and nailed all the doors shut and that was that.

I joined another Deer Camp and actually shot my Biggest Buck there my first year, but things went downhill quickly after that. Disputes among members with one family controlling everything and it fell all apart.

I have considered joining a Lease Club down here just to find that feeling of everyone pitching in and helping each other, but the SIL doesn't want to do that, so I'm trying the best I can to make what we got work.

Good Times that will probably never happen again.

 

[Mennoniteman]

That pretty much described my old Camp as well.

That year I was 12 and Dad made me stay at home and go with him in the morning. Loved Dad but he wasn't much of a hunter, however the things he said then I find myself saying now. Things like "when I out in the woods I think of a thousand other things I could be doing". As I kid I just didn't get that, as a Man with Family Responsibilities I understand what he was saying.

The next Year (the Camp's 2nd) Dad left me go with others to Camp for the Opener. I was 13 and sat in my stand by myself and shot my first Buck that year. By 9:00 we had 4 Good Bucks hanging on the meat pole and guys talked about it for years. Eventually the old building started falling into disrepair and even though I tried to gain everyone's interest in saving it, my one Uncle on who's land it sat (was sat at a spot where 4 Corners all came together but was totally on his property) came and nailed all the doors shut and that was that.

I joined another Deer Camp and actually shot my Biggest Buck there my first year, but things went downhill quickly after that. Disputes among members with one family controlling everything and it fell all apart.

I have considered joining a Lease Club down here just to find that feeling of everyone pitching in and helping each other, but the SIL doesn't want to do that, so I'm trying the best I can to make what we got work.

Good Times that will probably never happen again.

That 4 corners cabin location sounds unique to say the least. It was an arrangement that was probably done on a handshake among brothers.

 

[Deadeye]

That 4 corners cabin location sounds unique to say the least. It was an arrangement that was probably done on a handshake among brothers.

Pretty much. The Uncle on who's land it ended up setting on was the Dad of the cousin it was given to. We were all there standing at the Posts where the 4-Corners all came together as somebody said we should set in right on top of that. It would of needed a Tree removed to do that, that's when my Uncle said "just set it here on me. I'll never stop anyone from using it.".

I understand now why he did what he did, a corner held up by blocks had fallen when the blocks left go. He was concerned someone would get hurt and since it was on his land he might be found at fault. I don't think he ever actually used the Camp, nor did his boys much.