Category: Camp News

It was just over a month, since the close of the season,
Before out came a rant, for some particular reason.
An item close to one’s heart was found to be missing,
Which kept all of the gang endlessly guessing.

All were notified, warned, and thoroughly scolded,
It appeared that the camp, might soon could be folded.
Polecat, who was holding fast to his ground,
Said that the camp would be closed, until it was found.

Searching many places, with some high and some low,
They looked in between spaces, where the mice even go.
Hours were spent, working on this fateful event,
The item was still missing, with no clue where it went.

Who would have taken it, and the question is why?
How could it be missing, was the Polecats reply.

At the same time, at over a hundred miles away,
Two of his Rangers, called each other to say;
I have an idea, as to where it may be!
You’ll have to search elsewhere, so go look and we’ll see.

As fate would have it, the item was soon found.
Not all that far either, from the original ground.
A young RIT took it, without any permission,
He’s now on the shit list, and will live in the kitchen!

By Leaddog

From all of us at F-Troop, we hope the new year brings you tidings of big bucks, and hunting joy!

Friday

Arriving to yet another installment of climate change, the crew warms up camp and heads off to the local hills of last weeks interest. Polecat and Hobbit tends to camp chores that must be addressed which leads them off the mountain to the flatlands.

In an effort to locate mules, a small drive is performed with no results. Jumping over the creek to the camp side, the crew finds tracks and beds. And beds and tracks and beds and tracks….

At the last moment, a lone doe is pushed to Robba by Steven, which was not suppoda happen – Steven was a watcher! There must be a buck in the mix somewhere?!

Polecat and Hobbit returns to camp with duties well dispatched, as well as being quite “dispatched” themselves.

Saturday

The now well assembled crew (except for Probie) assaults the same hill as the day prior. Tracks abound, beds, rubs, and all the rest of the stuff of deer hunting now being observed. The drivers delivers as promised, “Toucher’s dates” down the hill to the watch line. Chip relives his first-buck-miss-I-can’t-believe-it nightmare of last week as a doe walks right up to him.

More than one deer is around, three confirmed flattops with a fourth mystery mule which evades the gang before being viewed. All performs their assigned routes as planned, but Chip now having been bit to the bone decides to play Bungalow Jim and dogs the evading mules. One lone mule sneaks through Trailhugger and Spike, who were only yards apart. Upon return to camp, Chip informs the crew that the entire parade of mules went ’round the mountain and right back up into the notch, walking right under Leaddog’s watch which was abandoned a mere half hour before, even after staying put after drive two was initiated. Should-a would-a could-a……..

Sunday

The crew awakens to the now icy world of continued climate change. Rain, snow, and sleet from the night before congealed into a ice laden wonderland, preventing a hunt that would be of any benefit. Since it would make no sense in running the fat off the mules due to noise, all agrees that enough is enough. Robba and Leaddog cooks a nice breakfast of blueberry pancakes and eggs, which both had none of! (at least the pancakes anyway)

Probie is now placed on eternal ever lasting probation, due to his no-show. Fines will be assessed, and collected. A one thousand word essay entitled “Why I want to be a real hunter, and why is my head still healing from the rolling pin that my wife used on me” must be submitted before next year. Maybe Chip could be his sponsor?!

Friday

A strong crew arrives after Holiday festivities to once again to hunt for mules. A repeat of last weeks weather results in local hunts, where as usual nothing was seen. A up and back valley hunt of the stream was performed, but no mules wanted to play. A few tracks were observed, but their makers were not.

Chip applies for membership in the esteemed FAMHC, but he didn’t submit his 100 word or less essay and didn’t have a sponsor. In an effort to satisfy the rigid standards, he shovels the parking area, and promptly parks in Tobias’s spot. Limited membership was granted – based on next years mandatory attendance requirements. Toucher finally shows up and earns his CHU’s, and he retains his membership in said esteemed club.

Saturday

A push of Marsh was accomplished, and not one mule was seen. Tracks however are starting to appear and gets the crew excited, which was promptly extinguished on the next hunt. A “15 minute hunt” turns into a lot longer hunt based on a small “hump” in the middle of the drive. Since no one brought pitons and climbing rope, Polecat had to circumnavigate said hump – which led him to “places beyond”. Toucher waits, and was “given the bell” once again.

Sunday

What should have been done in the last two days was finally attempted. The other local bunny hill was assaulted, with mules being encountered – finally. Toucher’s dates said hello, and goodbye. Somehow in between all of the ruckess up top, a rather large tracked mule escapes once again. Since these mules apparently have been trained, the crew decides to mix it up next week and do the hunt in reverse.

Let’s see what happens!

Good Job Boys!

Tracks in the snow

1st Vly

Lawn Chair

Drying Guns

Pie Whore 6ptr 130 lbs

Friday

Leaddog arrives to almost a foot of global-climate-warming-change-whatever-it’s-called-now, and is the first up the drive way. Robba and Hobbit follow soon thereafter and the snow cleaning efforts begin, to ensure that the rest of the crew can easily make ingress to the camp. After clearing a nice spot so that everyone could park, the woods were assaulted once again. Leaddog sports his new insulated watch gear and sits for five hours in 16 degree temps, at a very close to camp watch.

Polecat and Robba hits the area in an attempt to move mules, without success. Both with Hobbit in tow leaves the area to rescue yet another barrel of beer before the rest of the gang arrives. Leaddog refuses to leave his watch, being ridiculed with the truck horn by the now departing beer rescue crew.

At dark, Leaddog leaves the watch, and starts to make his way back to camp – and there at the cable just 100 yds from the watch now are fresh mule tracks present in those made earlier by Leaddog. Apparently, the mule heard the beer crew leave and thought it was safe to come out from hiding, but ran into right Leaddog’s tracks. The mule turned and ran back to where it came from. The beer crew confirmed that there were no tracks when they left, and saw them upon their return.

Saturday

With a strong crew present, all attempts a saturation hunt on Marsh. Drivers drive, watchers watch and the mules ran about the hill like mice in Spikes old camp! No bucks were seen this time. Polecat decides to see if the “Polecat Recovery System” (PRS) is working by engaging mules with the lakeside crew, and not being able to be contacted by the Duckhole side crew – who incidentally “had the bell”*. All now worries and activates the PRS, which led to backtracking by those up top (who had the bell*) to find the Polecat. All is good however and the keepers of the bell* are relieved, as determined by the endless squawking from Polecats radio transmissions to the lakeside crew. Plus he almost poked his eye out.

Robba earns his newly coveted “Rescue Ranger Badge”, Toucher however does not due to his recent placement on triple secret probation by the FAMHC, due to lack of participation.

A return to camp hunt on the Duckhole side through the Knolls had similar results, with all returning to camp, including the Polecat with one good eye…..

*”Having, or Who’s got the bell”

– A term used between guardians and parents that specifies who’s in charge, and is responsible for the “kid” at any specific time.

Sunday

Rains from the previous night results in a diminished but slippery snowpack, and I-ronder-twat is the focus of the day. Watchers are dispersed, drivers go the their starting points and the fun begins! Mules evade the drivers, but puts them on notice of their existence. As the drive progresses, A sound of something breaking just out of Leaddogs sight is heard. Twenty seconds pass, which is followed by five shots – and a subsequent transmission from Chip. A big buck was between both, and the Remington ammo division is in the black! Chip has his first buck encounter!

The mule vacates the area, but minutes later another single shot is heard in the direction of camp on the other side of the mountain. After a few minutes, it is conveyed that Bernie (aka: the Pie-Whore) has an encounter with a mule with headgear, at the very spot where for some time it was known that mules escape the crew. A critical but not instantaneous killing shot was delivered, with the mule heading “cross the creek”. Robba and Toucher are immediately dispersed to dog the deer, joined by Trailhugger and eventually Leaddog (who was on the other side of the mountain) to assist. The compromised mule was chased almost a mile before it decides to head into the swamp, where Robba, Toucher and Leaddog finally corners it, with Toucher delivering the killing shot – and baptizes the poor thing in the stream.

The buck of Chips dream and now nightmare was not this beast that the Piewhore tangled with, so there’s more than one buck still on the hill!