Let's see your deer camp.
06-09-2008, 11:07 AM
#1
Giant Nontypical
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,716
Let's see your deer camp.
I know we've done this before, but I like seeing other peoples' deer camps and hearing the stories. So post' em up.
I spent this pastweekend at deer camp with a few friends, so I got a little nostalgic.
Camp Gunsmoke - Est. 1950
It's got 3 bedrooms, each double-bunked, and a couple other beds/sleeper sofas. So, it sleeps about 15 comfortably. The whole place is pieced together withsecond-hand materials that we scrounged up for free. I dug the windows out of a dumpster, and the siding came from a remodeling job. Carpets are all old, used.
One man's trash is another man's treasure, I suppose.
No phone, no cable.
Just gravity-fed water, electricity and propane. The restroom facilities aren't a big hit with the girls, obviously. LOL
We've only got about an acre, but it's at the end of a nice, private road - and butts right up against the Allegheny National Forest. So while we only own a tiny lot, you can literally walk out the back door and go until your feet are blistered.
PA has recently undergone a dramatic herd reduction in this general area, and the deer density is really low right now. On the positive end of things, the buck quality is better than ever.If you're patient, you can make it happen.
Here's the biggest buck we've ever taken up there. (2007 rifle opening day 4x5)
I spent this pastweekend at deer camp with a few friends, so I got a little nostalgic.
Camp Gunsmoke - Est. 1950
It's got 3 bedrooms, each double-bunked, and a couple other beds/sleeper sofas. So, it sleeps about 15 comfortably. The whole place is pieced together withsecond-hand materials that we scrounged up for free. I dug the windows out of a dumpster, and the siding came from a remodeling job. Carpets are all old, used.
One man's trash is another man's treasure, I suppose.
No phone, no cable.
Just gravity-fed water, electricity and propane. The restroom facilities aren't a big hit with the girls, obviously. LOLWe've only got about an acre, but it's at the end of a nice, private road - and butts right up against the Allegheny National Forest. So while we only own a tiny lot, you can literally walk out the back door and go until your feet are blistered.
PA has recently undergone a dramatic herd reduction in this general area, and the deer density is really low right now. On the positive end of things, the buck quality is better than ever.If you're patient, you can make it happen.
Here's the biggest buck we've ever taken up there. (2007 rifle opening day 4x5)
06-09-2008, 12:09 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Albany, NY
Posts: 4,679
RE: Deer Camp. Who still does it?
Man I'm proud of this place, I worked hard on it and it's honestly my favorite place to be. We have had some great times here, and I've even gotten to share it with a growing list of HNI'ers as well. I look forward to many more years of sharing it with friends and family.
My camp started as a 12x16' storage building that I have now completely finished on the inside. It comfortably sleeps 2, and we can get 3 in there too if need be. Anymore than that and we head to the "mansion" up the road.
My campsits on 26 acres that I got for an absolute steal, and it butts up to a couple of other lots that are all owned by direct family members of mine. In total there is roughly 130 acres, with about 90 of it being wooded. I am the only family member that really hunts it other than my Dad who manages to get out about once a year during rifle season, and for opening day of turkey season with me each year. Other than that it's just me and anyone I invite that have exclusive permission to hunt the entire patch, and it's only been rifle hunted maybe 4-5 times (3 guys total) in about 6 years. It's pretty much bowhunting only. We don't really have any good deer there though...........
.......all dinks.
The "foundation" that we dug for it by hand and with the help of the tractor, and the building just before we moved it onto it's new resting place:
The building after it was moved onto the "foundation":
This is what it used to look like inside before all the work to finish it:
It's now carpeted using someones old carpeting, insulated, paneled off with knotty pine log siding, has electricity, heated on propane, and has TV/DVD player, radio, and a full collection of UFC and hunting movies. It's definitely the "Men's Crisis Center" now.......lol.
Pictures panning through after most of the work has been done inside:
One of my favorite parts about this camp.........my view out the front door. It's 318 yards from here to one of my most frequently used food plots on the property, where Rob shot his doe last year and where both Dan and my birds were killed this year (lots of other critters have died there too....[8D]).
Another picture showing the view from the fire pit that sits directly in front of the camp. Man we have had some good times sitting around the fire here all year round. You should see the stars from here on a clear summer night.
And one last pic of the cabin cats Fred and Fiona.As you can see Fred isn't easily embarassed [8D]
My camp started as a 12x16' storage building that I have now completely finished on the inside. It comfortably sleeps 2, and we can get 3 in there too if need be. Anymore than that and we head to the "mansion" up the road.
My campsits on 26 acres that I got for an absolute steal, and it butts up to a couple of other lots that are all owned by direct family members of mine. In total there is roughly 130 acres, with about 90 of it being wooded. I am the only family member that really hunts it other than my Dad who manages to get out about once a year during rifle season, and for opening day of turkey season with me each year. Other than that it's just me and anyone I invite that have exclusive permission to hunt the entire patch, and it's only been rifle hunted maybe 4-5 times (3 guys total) in about 6 years. It's pretty much bowhunting only. We don't really have any good deer there though...........
.......all dinks.The "foundation" that we dug for it by hand and with the help of the tractor, and the building just before we moved it onto it's new resting place:
The building after it was moved onto the "foundation":
This is what it used to look like inside before all the work to finish it:
It's now carpeted using someones old carpeting, insulated, paneled off with knotty pine log siding, has electricity, heated on propane, and has TV/DVD player, radio, and a full collection of UFC and hunting movies. It's definitely the "Men's Crisis Center" now.......lol.
Pictures panning through after most of the work has been done inside:
One of my favorite parts about this camp.........my view out the front door. It's 318 yards from here to one of my most frequently used food plots on the property, where Rob shot his doe last year and where both Dan and my birds were killed this year (lots of other critters have died there too....[8D]).
Another picture showing the view from the fire pit that sits directly in front of the camp. Man we have had some good times sitting around the fire here all year round. You should see the stars from here on a clear summer night.
And one last pic of the cabin cats Fred and Fiona.As you can see Fred isn't easily embarassed [8D]
06-09-2008, 12:19 PM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Hughesville, PA
Posts: 2,590
RE: Let's see your deer camp.
Quik, looks and sounds alot like my camp, "Camp Sneeze". We have the gravity fed water just like you and has been pieced together over the years. It started as a kitchen, a porch, and a bedroom. We added another bedroom and enclosed the porch for a card room. It ain't pretty, but it keeps us warm and dry. When the issue for a new cabin is pressed the old man just says, "if we did that then your mother and your aunts would want to come.....this place is perfect....go patch the roof one more time."
In respect to Mr. James, here is the view out off the mountain from the front steps.
Here is the mascot:
In respect to Mr. James, here is the view out off the mountain from the front steps.
Here is the mascot:
06-09-2008, 12:20 PM
#10
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Mont County, Pa
Posts: 7,368
RE: Deer Camp. Who still does it?
Great hook-up Matt. You've got everything you need right there.That view is beautiful, very nice!! You're fortunate.
Ben, you also have a nice hook-up. Can't beat that view either!!
Ben, you also have a nice hook-up. Can't beat that view either!!