2014 Shrewhaven Hunt Story

[Ray Lyon]

We have our local UP residents who watch over the cabin visit us.  This is the scene from our visit with them, but it's pretty typical of the nightly routine.  Lot's of conversation about hunting, bows, deer population, wolves and just general life.

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Nothing like the soft glow of gas lights.

We had a special visitor from way up north this year.  Steve Turay of Northern Mist Longbows stopped down to camp for the afternoon and dinner one evening. In addition to a talented bowyer, Steve's just a genuine nice guy. It's been about 12 years since he's ventured down to camp and we always enjoy his company. Here's myself, Steve (cowboy hat), Greg and Roger posing for a picture after an afternoon shooting session.  

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[Ray Lyon]

Of course, the U.P. can be hard on vehicles. Two trucks ended up with slow leaks, including my truck, which it was easier to just take the tire off and drop off at the shop rather than deal with the spare. You can see how muddy the road in and out can get with sloppy weather like we had:

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[Tsalt]

Love this thread!  Thanks for sharing all the stories and pics!

[Ray Lyon]

And finally, even though there were no deer hanging this year, this fine gobbler graced one of our hanging hooks for a few days. There were a lot of turkeys in the area and this one made the mistake of coming too close to my Hidden Hunter blind that I had overlooking a food plot by my beloved tressle stand tree. For several years I watched birds working over that food plot in the fall from my treestand.  I decided it was time to put the ambush on them.

 

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[D. Key]

Man, What great comments and stories.  Quite a mystical place, I am sure.  Thanks for sharing.

[elkken]

Doesn't get any better than that guys ... thanks for sharing  This is what fall is all about and yes it goes by way too fast.        

[awbowman]

This is a great thread, always made WAAAAAYYYYY better with great photos.

[23feetupandhappy]

I look forward to this thread every year!!!!!

When I picture hunting camp in my mind, this is what I see    

         

[Ron LaClair]

Walk softly, carry a long stick and a BIG knife    

 

[foxbo]

What a great place this Shrew Haven. Will it go on after the regulars pass? Who will take over? I don't see any youngsters in the pics...

If I was a rich man, I'd purchase that place at any price!

[Ron LaClair]

What a great place this Shrew Haven. Will it go on after the regulars pass?  

I'll still be there, me and "The Ghost of Arm Strong Creek".....    

   

[Ray Lyon]

Originally posted by foxbo:
What a great place this Shrew Haven. Will it go on after the regulars pass? Who will take over? I don't see any youngsters in the pics...

If I was a rich man, I'd purchase that place at any price!

Wow, 22 years ago I ventured to Shrewhaven for the first time before it even took on the name and before we moved/remodeled the current cabin seen here in this thread in 2000.  I was 30 years old then and still wet behind the ears.  Now I've just learned I'm no longer a youngster   :eek:  

Well, I guess I've aged with some great memories and the Lord willing, many more to come. I first met Greg thirty five years ago and Ron about 25 years ago. Sometimes I only see some of these guys once a year, but they're more like brothers than hunting buddies.  

Our local camp watchdog just sent us a winter storm warning posting for the area including the camp with up to a foot of snow expected. Sounds like winter might be a week or two early up there this year. While not ideal, we really hope that the spring doesn't drag on as that's what creates the most stress on the deer herd. The local CO told us out of over 50 fawns from the 2013 spring birthing that were collared, not one survived to this year.  That's pretty tough odds. However, we'll be back again next year. It's the HUNT and fellowship that draws us back each year.

[Ron LaClair]

Possibility of 2' predicted        :eek:

[habujohn]

So far we have only seen about four inches of the white stuff Ron but more is on the way.  I see in  your photos that Randy the wolf man made it out to see you guys.  Maybe this next fall the Ford river boys will come over to visit with you guys and shot a few sticks.

[Roger Norris]

Tim, not very thrilled to crawl out of a warm bunk to hit the woods....Teresa Asbells quilt makes it hard to get out in the cold    

[Ray Lyon]

Tim has the Cadillac's of bunks in camp.  Custom shelving, hooks and a curtain to keep out some of the heat from the woodstove at night if Roger stokes it a little too much.  Unfortunately, it doesn't keep the sound of his snoring in.....              

You can see the vertical pine board paneling that was used in the construction of the cabin back in the mid thirties by the C.C.C. program. When we moved and remodeled the cabin, a construction contractor brother in law of mine came up an helped remodel the cabin.  We took down a three quarter wall and closet at one end of the cabin to make room for the kitchen and of course being a high end home contractor, this guy not only built a bunk framework that will hold an elephant, he trimmed out the two by fours with some of the pine paneling that we carefully took apart from the wall removed. If you look closely at the top of the vertical beam under Tim's mattress, you can see where he even beveled the top of the board so there would be no splinters or sharp edges when swinging your legs out in the morning.      

And of course Tim's pinup girl poster just above his chest on the wall is his wife Gobby who's back in Indiana holding down the Kustom King fort while he's 'field testing' gear.    

[northener]

I love to follow along,   you fellows can be very proud of the great tradition you've created.

I live approx 300 miles SW in central Mn. Areas around here received a foot and a half of snow with strong winds.  Nasty storm

[Wallydog]

We had a guy from Texas come into our Northern Wisconsin camp one year and he like to died from the cold that he wasnt used to. He did keep us entertained however. He snuck a gallon jug tea pot into the bathroom and slowly poured it into the toilet from holding it way high (which took like 5 minutes) all the while ooohhing and ahhhing like he was relieving himself. I liked to passed out from laughing. He left the next morning for home and never did come back for Deer camp again. It was -11 with a 20mph wind on the opener and that was his first sit in the North.

[mangonboat]

Great posts and photos from all and a nice reminder that being a bowhunter only occasionally involves hero pics and deer hanging from the pole.

[Wallydog]

Im glad ya all plan on hunting again. That fawn survival rate is hard to grasp though. I'd still be going to N.Wisc save it costs me an out of state tag and a weeks vacation while seeing very few or even no deer in that whole week.