Pennsylvania Deer Camp

[ArrowForester]

Best of luck to everyone headed to deer camp!!

Thanks for bringing back some memories with this thread. Nice to hear where folks went to deer camp.

Let’s hear some of those camp names too!

I’m a proud alum of Camp Miss’emAll along Laninger Creek in Potter County.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sounds like a cool tradition, some pics would be a great addition to this post.


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[Team4LongGun]

My grandfather had a state cabin in Pike County. So many awesome memories. My uncles, cousins, family friends. What a great tradition. Guys drinking beer, playing cards, telling jokes. Man did I love that. We never killed anything big, but we always had deer hanging out front opening day. One year my dad, uncle and his friends were in the paper for all killing 1 1/2-2 1/2 yr old bucks opening day. We wouldn't even shoot bucks like that now. After my Grandmother died, he had to sell it. My uncle wound up buying a place a few miles from there, but it wasn't the same after that. He has his own crew of guys. I actually live in the area now, so I'll stop in, but it's not the same experience of going off to hunting camp.

The good old days! Those traditions are priceless. That's cool you got to be a part of it. I feel it's not something you could ever explain to someone and they get the full story.

 

[Team4LongGun]

My camp was in Wayne County. We only had 3 actual members (that paid), far cry from the 6 we had that committed when we made the offer to purchase. Guess what?! The 3 non payers were still at opening day....
Running or even being a part of a camp is hard. The dynamic has changed from 20-50 years ago, and so have people and their priorities. How about work days? You learn real quick who is invested. In the end, we really wanted to establish a tradition and good memories. While good memories were had, it pales in comparison to the legit multi generation camps we got to visit and still go strong in PA woods!

If you ever get a chance, go hang out at a PA deer camp, look at photos on the wall, listen to the stories, or have Bill's famous corned beef

 

[CMP70306]

It is hands down my favorite weekend of the year and I thoroughly look forward to it every year. We don’t have the traditional big woods camp in the North Central part like many have but instead ended up traveling to go hunting the South Central hill and valley ag country.

Grandfather started hunting upstate in the 60’s bounced around a couple camps but never found one that was quite right. Ended up visiting a friend in the south central part of the state and found some Gamelands to hunt, met the neighboring farmer and our families spent the next 45 years hunting together to this day. Originally they stayed in a local motel, then moved to a cabin on the farmers property before buying our own place in 2005.

This year marks 20 years of our own camp but we still visit and hunt with that same farmer and his family we met decades ago as we see them pretty much every time we are up. The cabin was unfinished when we bought it and we spent many a weekend plus Saturday and Sunday before the opener finishing it and getting projects done when we had the extra hands. Added some additional property as it came up for sale and now have close to 200 acres to hunt.

Over the years our group has grown from the 5 original members to around 10 to 15 of us depending on the year. Two of the original members passed away including my grandfather while the third gave up hunting after the switch to the Saturday opener. People have come and gone but it’s a good group of guys and we always have a good time.

Heading out to our camp in Fulton County Friday morning. I look forward to heading west every year but there’s nothing like deer camp.

Same here, how’s the herds in your area? Things were a bit light in muzzleloader and I spent the rest of the season pheasant hunting so I haven’t been seeing a ton of deer lately.