MI Deer Camp 2013 Photos"Deer camp is were friends and family reunite and enjoy being in the outdoors"
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Welcome to MI Deer Camp 2013!
John (Brother), Larry (Dad), Dave (I run this website)
In 2013 only three guys able to make it to camp. In 2012 we had seven guys, but our Deer Camp buddies had medical problems, new babies, and guys who could not get away from work. "But at least we got deer" |
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| For years I have wanted to redo the old trailer. I had plans to take the sides from 2 foot to 4 foot and to make it a rear door access. With Kruger not able to go to camp this year, it was the perfect timing to redo the trailer. So my neighbor Ed and I began working on building up the trailer. I also replaced the tires that had rubber rotted over the years. We were able to pack the entire camp into the one trailer and back to two pickups. |
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| We arrived at the campsite used in 2012. We liked this area so we used a string trimmer and rake to clean up the area before setting up the tent. Because Kruger was missing this year, Larry brought his string trimmer. He was getting hit with debris, so he borrowed some of John’s sunglasses. |
“Ray Charles called and wants his sunglasses back!” Everyone sing, “I where my sunglasses at night, so I can, so I can….” |
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| We were setting up the camp kitchen and wall tent.
Remember to set up the tarp in front of the tent, unfold the tent, and then pull it over the frame. |
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| “Hey John take a look at our new commode.” |
Last year the wooden “windage” chair broke, so we had to find a new one. This is a bedside commode that the bowl was removed from, and plastic wrap was added to sides for splatter guard technology. |
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| “Hey John make sure you bring those coals to the front of the stove!” |
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| John is getting the wood burner going. Remember to get more firewood then you think you will need |
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| An awesome sunset in the woods. |
Full moon |
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| The stars are extremely bright in Northern Michigan. |
Sure would be nice to use a telescope to look at the stars.
“John was that on your packing list?” |
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| Many card games were played. Larry is teaching us games we never heard of, and making the rules up as we played. Looser went outside in the wind, rain, or snow and had to get the next snack and beverage. |
“Yea I got a one spade, Dave I’ll take a beer and Larry wants Diet Pepsi.” |
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| This was just one of many trips to the grocery store. |
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| We had plenty of room in the tent with only three guys. |
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| Larry was sleeping sitting up. “You might was well just lay down.” |
Larry is killing deer in his dreams. |
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| Dave buried in his sleeping bag. |
John is dreaming of a McDonalds shake |
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| On Nov 14 we met Michael Gronowicz at Hanks Bar. We had pizza, burgers, cold beer, and told stories from previous years. Mike and his friends have been deer hunting in the area for about 20 years. |
Larry enjoying a “samich” after getting rained out on an evening hunt. It was warm enough to feel comfortable outside in a t-shirt. |
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| “The Sportsman” Larry’s famous open-faced mushroom cheese omelet. |
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| Larry is warming up some white chicken chili. |
Chef BoyarLarry |
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| Larry and Dave made eggs over easy with hash browns and toast. “It’ll make a turd.” |
Scalloped potatoes ‘n’ wieners and wash it down with a Michelob. |
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| Deer Camp cooking. Wet French Fries + Hot Oil = Grease Fire |
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| Father and son cooking dinner together. This is what Deer Camp is all about. |
Dave is coating the wings in sauce. |
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| Deer Camp barbeque wings. |
Sausage Egg casserole made by Dave’s mother-in-law. It was reheated and served with hash browns. |
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| Opening day John made pancakes with sausage. |
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| John made steaks with mushrooms and shrimp and it was very tasty! |
Brats served with cheesy mashed potatoes with a hint of lighter fluid. |
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| “Hey John why are you not cooking in the kitchen tent?” |
John is making breakfast burritos. |
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| Breakfast Burritos |
Last years deer made a tasty salami. |
| Weather
The weather this year was odd. We left home with 15 inches of snow, but going North there was no snow.
November 15 we had light rain in the morning, but it cleared up noon and turned out to be a nice day. None of us saw deer on opening day.
November 16 was a clear day and John and I both shot does in the evening. It started raining hard that evening. We dug a trench around the tent to keep the water out of the tent. The trench worked good.
November 17 it rained all morning so we stayed in the tent. By the afternoon it began to clear up, so we made it out for an afternoon hunt. At 4:46 PM it got dark within a minute, and then the skies opened up and it was pouring rain. I closed the scope caps, and used my arm to cover the action on the rifle. We were going to hunt till dark so I was going to be there a while. Then we had bolt of lightning flash over our heads. I was still going to stick it out till dark, but then we had a second bolt of lightning. I made my way to the trail and was going to wait there for John to arrive. John was already on the trail and was going to leave me out there. We made our way back to the truck and I said we are going to have to find Larry. We walked up to the truck and Larry was lying under the tail gate trying to stay out of the rain. That evening we had a warm front come through with rain. We actually were cooking outside in T-shirts. That evening the wind started to blow and it was blowing
hard with 45 mph gusts. We took every stake we had and fastened them to the front of the tent. The wind was blowing so hard that it was pushing the front door/wall area into the stove. We used some firewood to keep it from touching the stove. |
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| John is demonstrating how his umbrella works in his tree stand. “John tell me story how you left the umbrella bracket in the tree and had to go find it”. |
Dave’s cloths are soaked after a thunderstorm on Nov 17. |
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| In the photos John was standing in the same spot. The wind would blow the tent wall toward him and he could it touch it. The wind would shift and the tent wall would suck out and he had about 3 feet of distance between his hand and the tent. |
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| John and Dave began to hold the tent door/wall down. But the energy of the wind was blowing us off the door/wall. We were concerned that if the wind got under the tent, it would turn it into a parachute and send it flying. |
Dave then fastened down the front of the tent to the back of his truck. Tie downs were used to anchor the top, sides, and the bottom of the tent. |
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| November 18 we woke up to rain and the wind still howling. No point going out hunting so we stayed in camp and cleaned up the kitchen. In the afternoon it began to snow, so we went out hunting and did some tracking. We saw a lot of tracks and they were fresh. John and I were moving and going to push deer toward each other and toward Larry. Larry saw about 4 deer come through but could not get a shot on them. One deer came back and again he could not get a shot. Larry was happy because he at least saw deer. |
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| In this YouTube video, John describes what the storm was like and shows the damage to the Kitchen. This is a funny video! |
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| We tore down the kitchen tent, and it began to snow. |
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| Packed up and ready to go home. |
2013 Michigan Deer Management Cooperator Successful Hunter Patch |
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| In this YouTube video, John shows how to gut a deer in 2 minutes! |
| MI Deer Camp 2013 Weather: Nov 15, 2013-Low 35 High of 51 | Nov 16, 2013-Low 29 High of 53
Nov 17, 2013 Low of 43 High of 60 | Nov 18, 2013 Low of 30 High of 43 Deer Kill Times: Nov 16-3:50 AM | Nov 16-4:10 PM |
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The traditions of Deer Camp….
2013 |
….have been passed down from generations.
1940 |
| MI Deer 2012 | Back to Deer Camp Photos |