Hunting Camp Traditions

[Team Hoyt]

Going to our hunting camps is right around the corner. What's everyone's traditions at camp

[BowmanMike]

Last year was my first overnight at my buddies camp. I got a doe,that was the first deer hanging overnight at his camp,it is only 30 mins from home but deep in the woods.

We celebrated too much and I didn't manage to shoot at the biggest buck i have ever seen with a gun in my hand the next day for fear of my head exploding.  A friend got him a week later. So going to not make the celebrating a tradition...

[growalot]

gin rummy

[StevieSacs]

We always watch "The Ghost and the Darkness" to get fired up for the season opener.  At least thats what we've done the last 5 years.

 

 

[philoshop]

It's been a while, but several bowls of venison stew and some good bourbon was always the tradition. And lots of stories, of course.

[philoshop]

My memories go back to when television was free, if you had an antenna. If the weather was good you could get early morning tv reception to tell you that the weather was good. If the weather was bad there was no tv reception to tell you the weather was bad. A trip to the outhouse would tell you that the weather was bad and you would then report that to your buddies and say that it looks like it might get better. It was an obligation. Meant to lighten everyone's spirits, before they went out to become soaking wet, cold, and miserable.

After the hearty camp breakfast we would trudge out to be wet and cold on our own, divorced from the camp with the wood stove we called momma, and the pantry full of food, and the tv that held the possibility of a later football game if the weather cleared so the antenna could get reception. This was the fine line: if the weather is better so that the tv works, is the weather also not better for hunting? Never mind. Most of us were hunters and were prepared for whatever nature threw at us. Some were there for the ambiance: a dozen guys drinking beer and eating venison chili in a 600 square foot cabin? None of them were named Harvey BTW.

[BigVal]

Camp for us is always best for opening weekend of rifle. We all get there Friday and the same stories as past year start coming out the more beers that are emptied. We talk hunting all night and set up pools for the coming weekend. Best weekend of the year for me.