The yearly thrill of preparing for the muzzleloader deer hunt is always a very big deal to me.  It seems to take forever to get here and then when the hunt starts it seems again to be over in just a few days.  This year was just like that.  A blur of activity that came and went so quickly.  But the memory will live on for as long as we all can remember.  Some firsts, some “the sames” and always a lot of laughter.

The hunt start date is set to begin on a Wednesday for some reason, and that is alright with all of us.  Some guys like that and others don’t really care.  Some like to hunt the first part of the hunt, while others want to hunt the last part.  Of course there are always those who like to hunt everyday of the season.  I’m not one of those kind, and I suppose that is one of the reasons I could never be a guide…I can only hunt/fish/whatever for so long a time and then I have to do something different.

Our hunting group likes to travel as a group if we can, as you never know when trouble will happen and we each bring a little expertise to the “problem” should it happen.  This year no problems occurred going to camp, but we did have a minor issue coming home.  Not everyone who comes to the camp can get the time off of work, or travels the same route to get to the camp, but those that can travel together often do.

With such a beautiful day ahead of us, this is the group that caravaned up and over Monte Cristo the day preceding the opening day of the hunt.

From left to right:  Muskrat, Magpie, Dry Dog, Fat Duck, Wapiti Dung, Hot Spark, Weasel, Soft Ball, Bears Butt and little MaPa’s.  Winemaker was behind the camera!

Once into camp it is a flurry of activities until all is ready and then we can sit back and take it all in, in Grand Fashion!

Gattlin seems to be enjoying his “work”!

We adjust and position trailers, campers, tents and the like.  Get them all adjusted for a comfortable nights sleep and to get out of the weather should that become an issue.  Fire wood is gathered and stacked for the upcoming several nights stay and once it’s all done, we kick back and begin the real enjoyable part of the hunt.

Before this camp is done, and long before the ending of our stay, this half circle of chairs will become a full circle around the fire with some double rows of chairs added by those who come in later in the week.  I think I counted 33 people one evening!

We don’t consider our camp any different than any of the other camps around the country.  But I think it would be hard pressed to have a camp that enjoys this time more than ours.  We laugh until our faces hurt some nights.  And  when it comes to eating, it really doesn’t get much better than home made jambalaya!

With full bellies from such a wonderful meal, the stories of past hunts and the expected success of this years hunt are explained in full by those who think they can remember the past or think they can foresee the future.  It’s all fun no matter and we all enjoy the night time fire.

As the night time hours slip by, we all know that we have an early alarm clock rise to awake to and we best call it a night or we might just sleep in and miss the rising sun in the morning.

Day one will happen in just a few hours….Good night all!

Bears Butt

Oct. 2, 2013