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Deer Camp 2004

It's the Return of "The Boys of Bloom"

	November 7th: Denny and Paul set the outhouse, "Paul's Pooper", Denny built. It sure is a dandy! I thought a good name might have been "Deer John", but we'll save that for our new "camp" library.
I'm goin' in Denny, put that darn camera away!
	While we where up there, we set up everybody's tree stands. We added a bit of cover to Mike's ground blind to quiet the roof. (I sure hope Mike can stay awake this year) We found some deer signs around the property, and have a good idea where they might be, only time will tell!
We've been talking about making a road to the "back side" of the property for a few years. I figured an 8 foot wide path should get Denny out to his stand without too much orange tape!
	So this year, we tracked the dozer back, and cut a road. We followed a natural path, taking out only small trees and a few big stumps. Now we can get the Rover back here to haul out deer! (Okay, I guy can dream)
We decided to setup an old buddy stand that Mike and I used for a few youth bow hunts.
	We had to make a new gun rest, so I asked my wife to make a skirt to hang from the bar. The next trip up, we bent some conduit for the bar, added some pipe insulation, and hung the skirt for cover. It looks like it will work good!
November 14th: The same crew as last yearreturned for another hunt. Mark, Mike, and Will. Denny is the kid in the back row The trailer was used as a gathering place, we stayed the evenings at the cottage on Sapphire.
	Back at the cottage, the boys ate, watched TV, ate and did some homework.
Denny and Mark provided food and drink. Thanks guys! Since Will and Mike came to camp with empty wallets (again), we allowed them to do dishes and cleanup. As before, Denny did all of the cooking, and Mark was in charge of the Black and Tans!
	Monday November 15th: Mike awaits opening day in his usual style.
Mike did wake up long enough to shoot his first deer! A single 40 yard shot from the .308, dropped her right on the spot. Nice going Mike! Just like we practiced!
	We hunted hard over two days, but no other deer where taken. We really need to add some food plots!
Back at the trailer, with the crew lounging around the fire, the deer of Bloom Lake are safe for yet another year.
	Like Will says, "Oh well, there's always next year!" See ya there!
back to the top Deer Camp 2004 This year, Deer Camp 2004 started one week early. Paul (Old Dead Eye) and Denny (Grampa Wheezer) made a trek to Bloom Lake to ready Camp for the lite weights to enjoy, when they arrived for the opener. Paul and Denny put up all of the stands in the usual spots and cut some 'shootin' lanes. We scouted some new areas and decided to put the Buddy Stand up behind the barn where a couple of nice deer trails merged, and went up to the neighbors bait "mountain", there were even 2 buck scrapes back there too. This new stand may be the opening day "hot spot".Stay tuned! This year, we stopped flap jawing, and did what we started talking about last year. Paul ran the dozer back to the north east corner of the farm and cut a road through the woods from the two track, back to the clearing by Mike's ground blind (home of the future North Food Plot). Denny drove the Rover over the road the next day and saw that the deer were using it for a trail that first night. Denny names the new road "White Tail Highway".We wrapped up the weekend by putting out some bait and crossing our fingers for luck. November 14-Sunday Paul (Old Deadeye), Mike (Gunslinger), Denny (Grampa Wheezer), Mark (Theraflu) and Will (Whad dup!) arrived at Lake Sapphire around 11:00 am. After unloading, we all went to Bloom Lake to freshen the bait, check the stands, and light the heater in the camper. Paul saw a "white flag" by Mike's ground blind, and a new scrape near the Buddy Stand, tomorrow will tell. We returned to Lake Sapphire for dinner and some bull shootin with high hopes for the next morning. Mike spent countless hours that night doing his homework (honest Mom!). November 15- Monday Up at 4:30 to start breakfast and get ready for the day. We leave for Bloom at 5:30 and arrive there at 6:15 (great timing); this gives everyone plenty of time to get into their stands before daylight. It's a nice morning, 24 degrees with very lite winds and partly cloudy. Mike scores his first ever deer this morning. The deer came from the East, through the popples right to the Buddy Stand behind the barn, just like Grampa Wheezer said they would do. O'l Gunslinger dropped it in it's tracks, with one shot from the mighty .308. The remainder of the group saw nothing all day, but Mike and Paul had a romantic buck chasing a doe around them just at dark. Back at Lake Sapphire, while Denny was fixing supper, Paul and Mark butchered Mikes deer. (more homework) November 16- Tuesday Up at 4:30 again and arrived at Bloom Lake at 6:15 again. Today was 45 degrees and foggy with a lite mist. No shots were heard, and no deer were moving, so everyone quickly lost interest (after their nap in their stands) and headed back to the camper for a fire and some lunch. We decided to pack it in, so we headed back to Sapphire and left for home from there. November 26- Friday (Last Chance) Denny and Mike Rushlow (Denny's Brother in law) decided to give it one last chance. Arrived at Bloom about noon and did some looking around in what was left of the snow for tracks and to decide where to set up for the evening hunt. Mike ended up in Mark's ladder stand, and Denny took over the Buddy stand. It was cool and crisp with a brisk wind from the south, a perfect night to sit in the woods and watch it get dark without having to mess with seeing any deer. We did hear some shooting in the distance, but nothing from the farm. November 27- Saturday Woke to pouring down rain. Went to Bloom and sat in the truck and grabbed some ZZZZZZZ's while we waited for the weather to clear. The forecast said rain, followed by rain, with a chance of rain, changing over to more rain. So we said "the heck with this deer hunting stuff" and began to take down the stands and put everything away for the year. Once again Deer Season was less that bountiful, but it's hard to knock being able to spend time in Mother Natures woods and getting away from it all. Just wait till next year. Denny

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