Gun Week - Year of the Jinx?

Five hunters in camp.  We saw deer every day.  Three of our hunters took close range shots.  Not one deer was taken.  Finally, we gave up after Saturday morning's hunt. It was an unusual year.

 In 2010, my niece Kristen used deer camp to tell us that she and Leo were engaged.  Joan immediately made her a camo veil.

This year, we celebrated their anniversary in deer camp with their two future hunters, Kayla and Cora Lea.

 My son Eric also made it to deer camp with grandson Tommy.  This is a mid-day release from cabin fever.

 Tommy enjoyed trying out all of the machinery.

 Ok, so did Eric.  I used the forks on the bobcat to take delivery of the shipping crate from Africa on Monday.

 Dave and Leo helped me unpack it.  It's pretty amazing how much stuff that they can get into a small area.

 There were six shoulder mounts, several skins, and a couple of lamps in the crate.

 The kudu and the gemsbok shipped with the antlers separate from the mount.

 You can see the kudu antler on the top of the crate while I hold this gemsbok.

 Dave with the kudu.

 It took a team effort to get everything hung.  Here you can see the kudu before the horns slip on.

 Hanging the warthog with able assistance from Dave and Tommy.

The big mounts went on this end wall.  Two of them have their head turned to look at you when you enter the room.

I may have to expand the track lighting.

Warthog, blesbok, and impala.

Close up of pumba.

Eric did a panorama to catch the elk and whitetails in the room too.

 Trial run of the zebra skin back at home.

 We did do some hunting.

As gun weeks go, the weather was really pretty nice.  One day of 45 degree rain.  One morning of freezing fog.  Otherwise, quite reasonable. 

Some of our best activity was down in the valley with this old turkey blind.  Leo had 3 does and a buck scared off when a branch fell.  He later had 4 does come by but he air-balled the shot.

 The main field stand was only getting action at absolute last light.  Dave had a nice buck come in and he air-balled the shot.  He was using his new 44 rifle with iron sights.  Kristen also had a miss on a doe from the pond stand at last light of her last night.

 This is the same view on Saturday morning during the freezing fog.

It was a pretty eerie morning.  Anyway, we saw tons of young bucks - spikes, forkhorns, small/young 6's and 8's.  There were very few does - it was unusual that the fields weren't full of them in the evening.

 More of the freezing fog.

 It condensed and froze on all of the spider webs.

 Very weird.

Meanwhile back at the cabin, Joan was keeping us well fed and entertained.

 Dessert every night.

 Tommy helped himself to a few goldfish for a snack.

 Checking out the kid cot.

Eric with numb toes moving from one stand to another in order to get warm.

 On my way to the ladder stand.

 Looking for blood after Dave's shot.

Looking for evidence after Leo's shot.

 I did spin by the cameras to see what they showed.  This is typical of the bucks that we were seeing.

Apparently there were does out in daylight - we just never saw them.

Freezing fog morning below the driveway stand.

 We did have a trespasser again this year.  Found him sitting 50 yards below the barn stand.  Might have explained the hissing and honking that Eric heard while hunting that stand.

 The elusive Tommy.  Good thing that the Cuddeback has a fast trigger.

 Some buck activity during the night.

I would have liked to see this guy.