For much of deer hunting season, I hunt alone. Using my home as a base, I select the area where I hunt and it is only a day trip if I travel. Normally that suits me perfectly. I have also on occasion hunted the same ground with a partner but that happens rarely. But once a year I have the opportunity to meet with a group of friends at a shack in the woods that we share for a weekend of hunting and conversation.
The friends who gather for the weekend camp have been friends for years. We know each other well and the time is as much a reunion as a hunting trip. The primary reason we get together is for the fellowship, even though we do hunt during much of the available daylight hours. Each of us has our own special spot where we think deer might be likely but it also allows us to know where each one is sitting, which makes for a safe hunt. And over the years we have each seen deer from our chosen places but have not always had good shots from our vantage points.
We call what we do “sitting on deer watch” and that is a perfect description. We sit in one place and watch for deer to come through our area. We do not believe that “drives” or “pushes” are safe so we sit and wait. In some years many deer are seen (and sometimes harvested) and in some years no deer are seen. It is simply a matter of being at the right place at the right time with the right animal walking in front of you.
While the deer hunting is a primary objective for the weekend, we spend almost as much time sharing stories, catching up, and eating some great food around a campfire. We have all grown close over the years and text, call, or email each other regularly. We know the wives, children, jobs, and more of each one. It all contributes to an easy familiarity that can be rekindled within seconds when we see each other in person.
That may be the most important part of hunting camp, the camaraderie that we have built over the years. It is certainly the most satisfying aspect. We have shared so much with each other that over time we have grown as close as blood kin. There is always much laughter in camp, with each other and at each other. We are free to share anything because we know and trust each other, a closeness that is a result of long association. That is the most important purpose of hunting camp, the renewal of our bonds of friendship. If you also have an annual hunting camp with friends, I trust the same will be true for you.