Skunked Again

[uncledj]

  My 49th year of enjoying the tradition of Buck Season at the Headhunter Camp.    I haven't hunted for 20 years or more but still enjoy hunting season at the cabin.   The old timers that were regulars have been passing away and the numbers of hunters at our cabin is dwindling, but I figure the tradition survives until the last of us are gone.

  The unquestionable wisdom of the PA Game Commission has decimated the deer herd, at least in the area of our cabin.   We're now as likely to see elk as deer.    When I was young, there were deer EVERYWHERE.   You didn't always make it to your stand before getting your deer.   Not so much anymore.   It's been a few years since anyone's gotten a buck on first day.   As for me, I enjoy taking a walk into the woods on first day and check out my old spots.   I did a little over 5 miles in the woods, walking slowly and never saw so much as a tail.   I only heard 2 shots off in the distance.   We used to have a 90% success rate first day....Wow, how things have changed.

  Anyhoo, we all still had a great time, but I fear I won't be the only one who won't be hunting there next year.

  Doesn't matter, the tradition still lives.   If it was only about harvesting a buck we'd all hunt in Ohio.   Heck,  I have them running around my backyard all the time.

  I still look forward to buck season every year.

 

 

[Freebird]

I used to be an avid hunter.   Always took vacation opening week.   Haven’t hunted in 30 years.   I miss the social aspect of being at the deer camp more than the actual hunting but do miss the venison too.  

[bpate4home]

When I was a kid there wasn't a deer camp. You go up to the farmer and ask if you could shoot a deer. Most of the time he'd say don't shoot my cows but kill all the damn deer.  Today you gotta pay to hunt anywhere around me.  Any public hunting is 3 - 4 hours away and it's packed with nut jobs. Had a friend who would call   me towards the end of the season here because he had a culling permit on his ranch.  He would basically sell off the 'buck' permits for 1,000 each.  He had 4500 acres. But I hunt for food not trophies. I'd be able to get 3 - 4 does and he wouldn't charge me for closing out his tags.  I would give some meat to him and the ranch manager and put the rest in the freezer. I'd also clear out 8 - 10 hogs, gave most of that to some of the locals who needed the meat more. Dear here in SE Texas are small compared to what I got in Ohio. If you get a buck around here that dresses at 90 lbs that's good.  I've given up on deer hunting here.  #1 I can't afford the leases, #2 the desire to go seems gone and #3 I feel like if I wanted to go on public I'd have to camp most of the year so I could scout and then hunt.  I don't have that kind of time.