Thirtieth Anniversary

This year’s Deer Camp is the 30th Anniversary Edition.  That’s not nearly as long as my neighbors multi-generational traditions but as a latecomer to big game hunting it’s fine by me.

Brandy from the land of my birth

Anyway, another tradition is the food. I’m going to overlook something I’m sure; but over four days I dined on something on the order of five varieties of sardines, two kinds of liver pate and two iterations of homemade smoked Hungarian sausage (old family recipe). 

 

Bobby’s homemade smoked Hungarian sausage

This was followed by venison chili dogs and Lawyer's gourmet venison bolognese.  

 

My infamous homemade navy bean soup built upon a foundation of Marchant’s smoked pork hocks.

Jägermeister. Ja!

Raw beef and onions on marble rye and a half a dozen kinds of cheese, sourdough bread, French baguettes and washed it down with adult beverages from the peninsula stretching all the way to Europe.  

The humble hard boiled egg is the perfect deer stand snack you can fit in the pocket of your parka.

Thanks guys for another hunt in the record books…..

CSI Door County

 

In the corner of the garage while tidying-up for winter was this. 

The skeletal remains of a tree frog.

How do I know?

Dissection of frogs in biology classes.

The quarter laid next to it is for scale.

Medical examiner rules tree frog.  Cause of death; lost and subsequently perished by natural causes.....  

Thirtieth Anniversary

 

Yes; 30 years of chasing deer.  Can you believe it?  The Deer Camp is celebrating a Thirtieth Anniversary.

Even the bear is getting in the game. 

The operative question is how does a person go about calculating the precise number of deer that have been killed and eaten  over those three decades? 

Stash

Cleaning-up and getting things ready for winter The Missus fetched the cushions from the chairs on the porch and stored them in the garage.

Some mouse is going to be pissed about his stash of seeds and a mother lode of an acorn being swept-up in fall chores...

  

And Some More Buckaroos

By the time you read this post we'll be afield and attempting to fill some deer tags.  Here are some additional digital images of the local boy whitetails...

 

On This Day In History

Yo!  

Deer Camp Pals....

Been perusing some older digital photos in the collection and came across this one.  It was taken during a rain-sodden deer camp in November of 2005. 

The perspective is looking west out of the second floor blue bedroom. 

Except for low-light conditions there was no way a whitetail could sneak across this stretch of territory without being vulnerable.
 

Twenty years later - not so much. It's some dandy permanent cover out there nowadays. A real forest... 

 

Patron Saint

In the Roman Catholic tradition of the Christian faith there is Saint Hubert.  Hubertus or Hubert was the first bishop of Liège in 708 AD. A patron of metalworkers, mathematicians and opticians he is considered the patron saint of hunters, archers and hunting dogs.

Born into nobility in 656 Hubert was raised in the Catholic faith yet was not particularly devout.  His interests were primarily mastery of those skills and weapons of the time that would benefit his interest in hunting and as a mounted soldier.  Moreover, as a member of the privileged class seeking other worldly pleasures.    

Hubert married a woman named Floribonne who tragically died after the birth of their son Floribert.  Hubert was grief-stricken, confused and so angry with God that he turned from the faith that his wife had sought to rekindle to focus on secular pursuits.  

His devotion was to the hunt and not to God. 

Prague

One day while hunting there appeared before Hubert a magnificent stag.  And as Hubert drew his bow for the kill there appeared between the animal's antlers a radiant glowing cross and a voice spoke to him:  Hubert, unless you turn to the Lord, and lead a holy life, you shall quickly go down to hell.

As a consequence, Hubert renounced all claim to titles and wealth, turning everything over to his younger brother including the custody of his son.  Hubert became a student under Lambert of Maastricht and was eventually ordained a priest.

Hubert evangelized the Ardennes Forest region - inspiring Christians and converting pagans.  His title became Apostle of the Ardennes.  Following Lambert's death Hubert was appointed bishop of Maastricht and later first bishop of Liège.  

Hubert died of natural causes in 727.  His legacy of hunting ethics and fair chase continues to this day in the rigorous and extensive hunter education courses of many European countries.

And if you look carefully, on every bottle of Jägermeister you will find this...