Trad Gang

We got back from Shrewhaven last night. There were 8 men in camp this year, and  four of us made the long 9 hour drive to and from camp in my truck. The truck and the 13' trailer was loaded with our gear when we left and on the way home we added 3 of the 6 deer that were taken in the 9 days that we were there.

I can't believe that it's over already..    :(   It was a great time with some great guys. The weather was perfect, cool days and cold nights, perfect for hanging deer.

Imagine if you can, getting up in the morning an hour and a half before daylight, everyone in an upbeat mood getting their gear in order, grabbing a cup or two of coffee...or as Tom calls it... "poison". Then as each man heads out the door to his stand he gets a "Good luck" from those still in the cabin. Then several hours after light as each man returns he tells the story of his mornings adventure.

Sometimes there's a blood trail to follow up but we usually wait until everyone is back in camp to retell the stories and decide you goes to recover the deer and who stays. The same is repeated for the afternoon hunt.

Every evening we have a great dinner. Some have said we eat like Kings and I can't imagine, even a King eating any better then we do. Some of the food on the menu this year was Prime Rib with all the fixins, Pork ribs as only Kevin "Ribman" can make them. A 13# leg of lamb, Fried chicken made by Chef Nicalou from his family recipe, Our traditional Fried squirrel dinner with mashed taters and squirrel gravy. Deep fried panfish,  a huge brisket, seasoned and smoked. Then Doug and Randy our Yooper friends usually come out with a bunch of pasties, a traditional Yooper delicacy. It's made with meat, potatoes, carrots, onions and rootabeggies (SP) in a pie crust like shell.  Doug and his wife make them for us in their own super sized version....    :eek:  

Here's a few pictures from camp this year. More to come as they come in to me from the other guys.

Shrewhaven cabin on the right and the new building on the left.

   (http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/camp%202010%202.JPG)

   (http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/Camp%202010%201.JPG)

The Shrew Crew with the 6 deer taken this year. There were some nice bucks seen during our stay, several 8 pts, a 9 point and a big 12 pointer but only one buck with the required 3pt's on one side ended up on the "pole" this year.

*note* our old pole finely rotted out so we hung the deer from the deck of the new building.

Also you can see that three of us are wearing the new "Treker" sleeveless and hooded pullovers. This handy garment may soon become "Official" Shrewhaven gear.
http://www.shrewbows.com/treker_wool/

   (http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/Shrewhaven%202010.JPG)

Ron,
You were startin to sound like one of us with that, " taters", word, then you had to mention them there, "Yoopers", haha !!! Mason and Skyler bout made me bust a gut laughing on the way home from Compton this past summer with their best, "Yoopers", imitations. Skyler especially, he has it down pat !

Looking forward to the rest of the pics and stories. I trust that the new Armstrong Ghost made meat this past week ? Anyone wind up with a fork in the back of their hand as they reached for the last piece of fried chicken ?

Nice goin Fellas! Those pics have "Good Times" written all over them!

Ron , you gonna be around the house tomorrow?

I have to be in Okemos at 10:30 for my Electrical Contractors test and thought I might swing by for a Howdy.

Eric

Welcome home and congratulations on a fun time in the woods. Between all the LaClair wool and the Shrew bows and steel products, you guys look like quite the pack of hunters. And with all the meat hanging behind you, you have proved what an efficient pack you are. If I didn't know better, I would think you got Santa to join you for the hunt. He looks good there in the middle of the picture wearing Ron's clothes. I think you may have wiped out Santa's sled team!    :notworthy:  

Allan

Pretty cool!  Congrats to you all!

Looks like a great time!

Jimmy...   :D

Eric, I can't guarantee I'll be around, I've got a ton of running to do today and tomorrow to get ready to go up and hunt with a couple other friends later this week...

Allan, you're so perceptive...   :biglaugh:

Glad to hear you all made it home safe!!  Looks like another great year at deer camp.    :thumbsup:

Ron,
thanks for sharing, sounds like a great time! the pictures didn't load for me though.  Must be my computer  :)  

Jeff

Nice photos Ron!  Glad to hear you had another successful year.

Tim

Looks great!  I have fond memories of something much cruder - with chili and coffee being the only menu option at any meal.  ;-)

Kevin was one of the first ones to score with two nice does,..but they were   both shot in the   BUTT..    :saywhat:  

   (http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/camp%202010%204.JPG)

   (http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/camp%202010%203.JPG)

Tim, Roger killed the biggest deer in camp with the "Armstrong Ghost" Even though he loves his Lil' Favorite recurve, there's no way to get that little longbow away from him now...sorry..   :dunno:

LOL that's alright Ron.  I know Roger regreted giving back the Lil' Favorite prototype so he can have this one!!   :thumbsup:  

Glad to hear the bow shot well for him.

No chance I'm letting this new Armstrong Ghost go. I haven't hunted with a longbow since the Li'l Fav came out, and I kinda felt guilty about it. but it's a great bow. Love it. I shot my doe from the ground, the Ghost punching a Trailmaker broad head through both lungs. It would have been a quick recovery, but I lost track of her as she went down a steep side of Banana Ridge...I thought she went west and she had "deeked" left and then headed straight north. In reality she only went 75 yards, but it took us about an hour to find her. Master Tracker Tom Jenkins led the way as Eric Bell and I stumbled along....we found her though    ;)  

Because it is so warm here today I took her to a butcher this morning. I'm having the hide tanned (hair off) and plan to make a bow case for the Armstrong Ghost out of the first deer it laid low....

(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h227/rnorris/Shrewhaven2010/ShrewHaven2010108.jpg)

Tom Jenkins, Master Tracker and Airline Pilot, with my doe

Always enjoy your posts and look forward to more pics and more story.

Thanks for sharing!

:thumbsup:

Roger didn't have his bow with him when he went to track his deer. I had a little talk with him and  told him that was a mistake..   :knothead: . I don't think he'll do it again...    

Here he is with his deer AND the bow back at camp..   :rolleyes:

  (http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/ShrewHaven%20Ghost%20bow.JPG)

Ron giving Tim Cosgrove (Kustom King) a lesson. It didn't take.....  :bigsmyl:  

(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h227/rnorris/Shrewhaven2010/ShrewHaven2010047.jpg)

Headed out for a night track..

(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h227/rnorris/Shrewhaven2010/ShrewHaven2010081-1.jpg)

Eric Bell and I picking up the same track in the morning....it ended at the river. No way were we crossing it in the dark. We donned waders and cut some wading staff's...

(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h227/rnorris/Shrewhaven2010/ShrewHaven2010090-1.jpg)

Bringin' her back across...

(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h227/rnorris/Shrewhaven2010/ShrewHaven2010099-1.jpg)

A nice doe for Eric

(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h227/rnorris/Shrewhaven2010/ShrewHaven2010101-1.jpg)

Old me can drag too!! Tom Jenkins and Tim Cosgrove pitch in on Erics doe....

(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h227/rnorris/Shrewhaven2010/ShrewHaven2010103-1.jpg)

Great Photos and great stories.

can someone elaborate on the Armstrong Ghost Longbow???

Sounds like a great hunt!! Good friends and venison hanging, what more could you ask for!!  :thumbsup:    :thumbsup:

Gator 1  - I will wait for Ron to describe the bow....I'm just the arrow shooter!

Roger & Ron,
In that coaching pic I do notice that Cosgrove is correct handed and not right handed....  :goldtooth:

Great post. I always look forward to these.
Thanks

Gator 1, here's a link to the thread describing the Armstrong Ghost bow, along with the story poem about the Ghost Of Armstrong Creek.

http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=095565

It's nice to see the engineering of Eric One and Eric Two held up to the task of becoming the deer hanging pole on the front of the new cabin.  

Roger, nice job on the yooper doe with the Ghost bow.  :readit:  

Of course Ron left out one of the best part's of camp and that's the coctail/appetizer hour after the tracking and hanging is done.  There's usually a spread of hunter sausage/salami, pickled peppers or pepper shooters, fine aged cheeses and we've even had spinich pie and grape leave wrapped lamb before (chef Greg is of Greek origin).  Anyway, it would normally be a meal in itself, however at Shrewhaven it serves as a tummy stretcher.

We sure missed missed you Ray! Especially with the dragging. But since we are both getting older, heres a hint....we nicknamed Eric #1 "Bull". Jenkins and I were standing around on the north side of Banana ridge slapping ourselves on the back over our superlative tracking ability, and we looked down and saw Eric on the 2-track with my deer! That boy can drag! More time for you and I to sip amber liquid on the porch!!

Excellent all around!

The pictures are great!

Thanks for sharing guys!!!  :thumbsup:

Thanks for sharing.  :thumbsup:

Thank you for sharing this story. This is the only hunting I've been able to do for the last 4 seasons.  So again, Thank You.    :thumbsup:    

Butch L

That looks like the perfect modern day "old time" hunting camp,thanks for taking us there.

Hey Roger, that's good to hear you're training those young bucks how to do dragging.  So now that I know where the Ghost ended up, you'll have to bring it to camp next year and I'll pretend it's the prototype all over again.    ;)  

BTW, did you like the new water pump system??? I think that little gem should be marketed to hunting camps all over that don't have running water.

If by water pump, you mean Eric #2, aka "Bone", yep he is a water hauling son of a gun. Those buckets were NEVER empty!!

Wow! Well-done, all!

Great read along,thanks for sharing!!!

Awesome stuff.

Congrats on the vension and the memories guys! Hope to see the Ghost bow at the Bunny Stomp to try out?

Sounds like a grand time! All the food sounds great but NO GRITS   :(    :)

Hey drew....absolutely the original Armstrong Ghost bow will be at the bunny stomp!!!

You guy's are thinning the herd nicely   :thumbsup:

Good stuff!  Thanks for posting it up for us!

thanks for a great read.good stuff

Ron,

Thank you for bringing up the thread and the You tube Poem, great stuff there.

thank you for sharing.

 :thumbsup:    :thumbsup:

What an awesome thread about an increcible place    :notworthy:    :clapper:

nice work, nice thread

looks like the place to be...

Joe

Thanks for sharing your camp. It looks to be a special place indeed.

Tom Jenkins, Master Tracker, Airline Pilot,Founder of the Red Bandana Brigade,  and inventor of the Hackstacker broadhead....my favorite occasional camp member

(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h227/rnorris/Shrewhaven2010/ShrewHaven2010020-1.jpg)

Tom is one of those guys that you just want to have around in camp. He's a story/joke teller extraordinairre and of course he's been in on a lot of deer tracks in his lifetime.  With all those redeeming qualities we overlook the fact that he's shooting a 66 inch Assenheimer recurve at Shrewhaven.  ;)

A classic deer camp of the finest order  :thumbsup:   It's like we all get to tag along every year for the trip - thanks for the stories and pics.  Keep em coming!

A fine tradition continues. Looks like you guys had a great time, thanks for taking us along.

We have some fine traditions in the South and traditions die hard. However, the one we do not have that the Yanks do is the tradition of, " Deer Camp ". Yes, I am jealous of that fine tradition. I look forward to this thread each year. Thanks guys for sharing and taking us along !!!

Looks like a great time all around.  Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the story Ron.  Great memories created for years to come.

Emmett

Thanks for sharing guys, absolutely made my day. Tom

That is really cool..Like old times..

As always, a great story and good times shared! Thanks for taking us along.   :thumbsup:    :clapper:  I look forward to the Shrew Haven stories every year.

Reminds me of when I was a kid and the Outdoor Life or Sports Afield magazine arrived. Just couldn't wait to see what stories were there to be read.

Thanks Ron and everyone for sharing with us. It's almost like being there.

 :clapper:

Eric Bell from Kustom King had the Halloween spirit

(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h227/rnorris/Shrewhaven2010/ShrewHaven2010060.jpg)

Yep....Cosgrove is trying to dance along....we were up there a long time...

(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h227/rnorris/Shrewhaven2010/ShrewHaven2010057.jpg)

Man, I wish I would have stopped at page 4.    :eek:

Sure do miss the old family and friend deer camps.

It gets worse Steve.....

Yep, worse...

(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h227/rnorris/Shrewhaven2010/ShrewHaven2010062.jpg)

Hey, Ron. Our camp is setting up this Saturday in Copper Country State Forest around Felch. This camp has been going for 30yrs. so I know what you guys are experiencing. We'll be hunting for 6days. It is a mixed camp. Guns and bows but because of the relationships, it seems to go well. Not only that, it sure makes for great competition and bragging rights when us arrow flingers outdo the lead slingers! Love it!

Thanks for sharing.

Tim, does Gabby know about you and Eric?

Looks like a lot of fun. Thanks.

 :clapper:

Vesty,  

Greg and I always take the 69 cutoff through Felch/Sagola on our way to camp.  We always say it's quicker than going the US 2 way through Wisconsin.  

Roger, I miss camp one year and look where things go.  I guess the new slogan should be what happens in camp stays in camp....unless you're posting on Tradgang.  :knothead:

Ray - you can wear the suit  next year  :bigsmyl:

Ray, that's why I've got my own apartment now in the new building. I'm trying to think up a name for it. Roger thinks I should call it the Wolf Den because my camp nick name is Lobo. Or maybe we'll just call it the Shrewhaven Senior Center. It's so well insulated that it's almost soundproof. I can go to bed early and not hear any commotion from the main cabin.      :bigsmyl:

Ray - with Ron spending so much time in "LaClairs Lair", I scammed more than one nap in his chair!!!

It's a good thing that deer just about fall over dead from the sight of a Shrew bow, because with all the napping,eating and "danncing" going on I wonder how much hunting was getting done.    

I bet time goes by too fast at Shrewhaven.

QuoteI bet time goes by too fast at Shrewhaven.  

It goes by fast but we try to take home enough memories to last through the year.

 Shrew country  

  (http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/Brule%20River.JPG)

Ron,I hope you use some of the pics from Shrewhaven for Christmas cards. They are some incredible pics,I envy you guys.

"It goes by fast but we try to take home enough memories to last through the year. "

Yep....I can't believe it's over. I'm so thankful for friends like Ron and the Shrew Crew, and websites
like this so I relive ShrewHaven every day....

Roger, remember?......

  (http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/evening%20talks.JPG)

I know darn well what we were listening to!!!   :smileystooges:

There are still some places far off the beaten path where there is such a silence that you can hear an underlying sound. A sound that is not audible in places closer to civilization. It's not the wind nor is it a man made sound. It's a low hum, the sound of the universe..Gods power that turns the world.

In such places your mind and soul feel a sense of peace and tranquility. Such an environment has a healing effect and however short the time, you leave that place rejuvenated and recharged, so that you can cope with the modern world until such a time that you can return again to the place of peace.

Jim Bowman once said, "Shrewhaven is Ron's happy place" I can't think of a better description.

  (http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/008%20Ron%20relaxing.JPG)

Bet if you cuffed his arm in the above pic his blood pressure reading would read......."Color me Happy!!!"   :campfire:

;)

Ron, that's a good story picture of Greg and Roger. One of the interesting things about Shrewhaven is that there's not a deck of cards ever used. A lot of my friends and in-laws will ask me what kind of card games do we play and I say none.  They can't believe that in hunting camp.  The picture above says it all. Everyone has a story to tell (or sometimes a yooper joke-local color added) and everyone else is honed in on the conversation.  The hunting,facilities and scenery are incredible, but the people------ that makes the camp.  :thumbsup:

I am glad you had a great time like always.No place is better than a hunting camp with great friends.

(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h227/rnorris/Shrewhaven2010/ShrewHaven2010033-1.jpg)

Looks fun!  I think  :)

Ron. It's interesting that you mentioned "the hum" that is characteristic of truly remote and quiet places. I pointed it out to our guys at camp this year in Copper Country State Forest and they all confessed that they heard it but thought they were imagining it. I love your description of what that sound is and couldn't agree more.

:campfire: