Deer Camp Characters
>> Wednesday, November 19, 2014
DEER CAMP CHARACTERS
by Larry Whiteley
by Larry Whiteley
Every deer camp has its cast of
camp characters. Individuals with their own special uniqueness that when
blended together like spices and seasonings in a recipe, make deer camp so
special.
My deer camp has Dean. A bundle
of energy and wise cracks who hunts deer and moose and elk but is afraid of a
little mouse. His mouse phobia has brought great joy at to the rest of us camp
characters. We’ve never seen anyone get out of a sleeping bag as fast as when a
stuffed mouse “accidentally” got in the sleeping bag with him. I will never
forget how high he climbed and the look of horror on his face when he thought
the noise in the old wood stove was a rat instead of the bird it turned out to
be.
You could call Dean our camp
coordinator. He makes sure the camp cabin is properly stocked and clean,
collects the dues, buys groceries, and helps hang stands. His most notable contribution
is the annual Saturday night “boil”, a grand feast of shrimp, kielbasa,
mushrooms, broccoli, potatoes and corn on the cob boiled together in a big pot
and dumped on the table for hungry hunters. He always cooks too much but taking
home a bag full of “boil” is part of deer camp.
Dean is constant movement,
washing dishes, emptying trash, picking up the cabin, bringing firewood in for
the night, setting the alarm clock, and asking everyone where they will hunt
the next day. His energy is endless and he is always the last one in bed. The
rest of us wouldn’t want him to know it but we don’t know what we would do
without him.
He may put up a front of being a
tough, fun-loving guy serious about his deer hunting but I know the real Dean.
He’s the guy who takes his young son Conrad on a youth turkey hunt and cries
when he gets his first gobbler. He’s the guy who brings Conrad to deer camp,
puts him in the stand with him, shares the moments of the hunt with him, and
looks forward to the time when once again he will wipe tears from his eyes when
Conrad takes his first deer. He’s the guy who helped my son when he first came
to camp and took time to guide him on a successful turkey hunt one spring. He
is also the guy who caused the lump in my throat when he showed up unexpected
at my mother’s funeral. He will never know how much that meant to me.
Conrad is the youngest of our
deer camp characters and like his dad, he’s a bundle of energy and constant
movement. I love his imagination. Computers, television and video games keep a
lot of kids from developing an imagination. What a shame! When I was a kid, my
imagination took me to the mountains where I trapped beaver and muskrats and
fought wild Indians and grizzly bears. I don’t know where Conrad’s imagination
takes him but it will help shape his life, along with mom and dad and maybe
some deer camp characters, into the man he will be.
Our deer camp characters even
include a celebrity, although I don’t think he really considers himself one.
Jerry co-hosts an outdoor TV show, has outdoor columns in magazines and
newspapers, is a member of a pro hunting team, and has hunted and fished around
the world with country music stars, NASCAR legends and even generals. I’m sure
if you asked him, he would say “I’m just an old country boy who has been lucky
enough to get to do some things I never dreamed would be possible.” I think he
would tell you being in deer camp with the rest of us deer camp characters and
his son Flint or daughter Chase is one of his favorite places to be.
Jery’s been a teacher and a
mentor to my son and me. To all of us, he’s just ole’ Jerry. To Flint and
Chase, he’s the dad who took the time to take them hunting and pass on his love
and knowledge of the sport to them as they will to their kid’s one-day.
Then there’s John or “J.B.” as we
call him. Deer camp wouldn’t be the same without J.B., his Wisconsin accent and
holey underwear.
Through his wise cracks and
jokes, he doesn’t fool me. He has a heart of gold. There’s nothing fake about
J.B. He is who he is. He’ll never change and I’m glad because I wouldn’t want
him any other way.
Ed is somewhat of a newcomer to
hunting but is quickly gaining knowledge and experience. As a business
executive, he is under a lot of pressure and stress so he looks forward to deer
camp with the rest of us characters. He enjoys his time in the woods not caring
whether he gets a deer or not. Ed was with Dean when Conrad got his first
turkey and he too shed a tear. He delights in the hunting success of Daron and
Flint and Chase. I will never forget my son’s face when Ed passed on to him one
of his still very good and very expensive bows. Like some of the rest of the
characters, Ed’s an old softy too!
Mike is the newest adult member
of deer camp and adds his own uniqueness to the mix. He’s the consummate
outdoorsman, serious about his hunting with the knowledge to back it up. Slow
to smile, he was the object of probably one of deer camp’s best practical
jokes. Mike had taken a nice buck and brought it into camp with the adhesive
tag around its antlers. Where he is from that’s the way they tagged them but in
our state they must be tagged around the leg. Dean told him the rule and that
he better switch the tag to the leg or it could be illegal. This was next to
impossible without tearing up the tag. Dean and I left to check our deer at the
local fire station and set up a mock arrest of Mike for “mis-tagging” a deer.
Although Dean and I weren’t there, those that were said the firemen played it
perfectly. They even took a picture of a very serious looking Mike posed with
his illegal deer thinking he was about to lose his hunting license, rifle and
deer because he tagged his deer wrong. I’m sure Mike will find a way to get
even.
The last member of our camp
characters is a very special young man, my son Daron. I am so thankful that
Jerry got me in as a member of deer camp many years ago. If he hadn’t, I’m not
sure Daron would ever have gotten to take as many deer as he’s harvested over the
years and especially wouldn’t have had the chance to take some of the quality
bucks that now hang on his wall. Unlike most of us, he doesn’t drink, chew,
smoke or cuss but he sure enjoys being around all the deer camp characters and
they all think the world of him. Deer camp has brought us closer together as
father and son and created memories that will last a lifetime.
I forgot to mention one camp
character and that’s me. I’m the “old man” of deer camp, the one who cooks the
annual opening morning breakfast and helps Dean with his “boil”. I’m the one
who really doesn’t care if I take a big buck and who is content to harvest
doe’s to help fill our quota. Most years I tag out as early as possible so I
can use my ATV to help others get their deer out of the woods or help with deer
drives. I look forward to deer camp every year and in spite of the practical
jokes and name calling thrown my way sometimes, it is important to me to be
with the rest of the deer camp characters. It’s more special for me because
there are fewer deer camps left for me than the others.
Deer camps are not just about
filling your deer tags. They’re about wood ducks whistling through the trees or
the ka-honk of a goose high overhead. They’re about a wild turkey, a coyote or
a bobcat happening by your secret hiding place. They’re about two fawns playing
chase underneath your tree stand, squirrels rustling in the leaves, birds
flittering through the tree tops, sunrises and sunsets. They’re about sitting
around the campfire or the old wood stove and telling stories and jokes. Most
of all they’re about sharing this special moment in time with your fellow deer
camp characters.