SHREWHAVEN OR BUST

[Warden609]

What happen to the deer herd in that area? Numbers must really be low to shut down anterless (doe) harvest for archery hunters.

[Ray Lyon]

Okay I'm back.  Deer herd is down due to hard winters and predators.  Wolves, black bears, coyote all contribute to fawn mortality.  Two winters ago we lost an entire fawn crop. They are supposed to have one more year of no doe harvesting on any license after this fall, however if there is an easier winter this yearand good fawn rrecruitment maybe they'll have limited doe harvesting next fall.  We did see more deer than last year and a few does with twin fawns.
Ron took the lion's share of photos so hopefully he'll post some soon. A few bucks were seen and there was one blood trail that didn't work out.  Bucks are required to have three points or better on a side to be legal on a combination tag and camp property has a six point or better rule.

[Warden609]

Thanks for the background.

Looking forward to the pictures and stories.

[frassettor]

[Ray Lyon]

My first morning in camp was met with good strong coffee and Greg (camp chef) and Tim Cosgrove  (owner of Kustom King) grabbed shotguns, Greg's Labrador and headed to hunt grouse and woodcock in between Roger and Eric hoping that perhaps we'd push something in their direction. We bagged a few woodcock but move no deer past the others.  In the afternoon after some leftover pork (a whole pig was roasted on Sunday night) I went and scouted the food plot by my favorite.'tresssle stand'.  It was grown over and Ron later told me that the ground in the food plot was too rocky to work. This food plot had been a turkey magnet in the past but was not so this year.  After scouting for an hour more I headed back to camp to prep some food for the evening meal.  Wednesday night was going to be gyros made out of the left over lamb.  Ron was in town picking up supplies and I was relaxing in the cabin the last hour of daylight enjoying a bourbon and a cigar. The interior of the cabin is very cozy and the wood stove was putting out some fabulous heat. Greg came back early and he said he had a high,sharp angled hit on a six point but no bottom exit.  He was calling a wait for the morning.  We finished prepping gyros and the gang filtered in from the evening hunt for incredible lamb gyros.  We topped off the evening listening to the debate after discussing plans for the morning.
In between all of that I sharpened my Zwickey Eskimos on my Redbird arrows ,shot a bunch of arrows and got gear in order. This is a typical day in camp life. One person usually takes the afternoon hunt off to get dinner prepped/going so the rest can hunt.

[23feetupandhappy]

Sipping some    

[wooddamon1]

[Ron LaClair]

A great time was had by all again at ShrewHaven. This is the RedBird bow and RedBird arrows on the hill above Armstrong Creek.

   

[Ray Lyon]

Hopefully the boys will post some of the outdoor photos. Typically it's much colder and dinners are hosted inside around the big table.  This year, Kevin Marshall erected an outdoor 'garage' next to the fire pit and then set up his new rotisserie grill near that. Several evenings were spent around the outdoor fire instead of the cozy cabin due to warmer temps. With yours truly missing, there were 14 people there on Sunday night for the pig roast.
Eric Bell and Ron's grandson Jordon saw a dandy 10 point while traveling to set up a stand.  It was bedded in the pines and got up when they stopped to take a picture.  
Fittingly, there's also a new sign that Ron erected on Redbird lane, the trail into the cabin, where Nancy would sit in her pop-up blind. I told Ron on my way back to the cabin after my afternoon scouting that a doe and two fawns crossed in front of me a bowshot from where Nancy sat vigil on many a hunt.  She was there in spirit with us last week.  
 And then there were the custom arrows that Paul Jalon crafted for us as Ron posted above. Everyone's initials were on each arrow and many of us were using Zwickey Eskimo's in honor of Nancy's use of them in her latter hunting career. Paul's arrows are second to none and if you've not shot them you're in for a treat.  All are spined within three pounds and weigh within 10 grains. They're so consistent and straight they shoot like aluminum arrows. My goal is to harvest a deer with one at home this fall and then put them away for camp use only.

[Ray Lyon]

One of the fun things we've mentioned before about camp is getting to see some prototype equipment in it's infancy. This year Ron had a 60 inch Super Shrew that Jim Belcher is working on for him. Ron says there's still 'some changes' to be made, however the bow is a fabulous shooter (it was only 38# and it was zipping the arrows in there at 20 yards).  Shrew fans are going to be happy with this tweaked design. Anyone who thinks Ron just puts his name on a bow that somebody else makes is sorely mistaken. Prototypes are made, input given and then back to the presses. It's cool to be part of the 'test' crew when the stars align.    

[Ray Lyon]

some pictures from this year and prior years:

chasing the sun across the horizon on the way to camp. Always exciting on the way there and mixed emotions on the way home.
 
 

fall colors in Northern MI are incredible

 

Redbird arrows special crest

 

Normal dinner table scene in most years

 

No chance of this kind of picture this year

 

[Burly]

Great pics/ stories ,please keep them coming boys.

[Roger Norris]

I had a meeting in Ironwood before I went in to Shrewhaven...

 

[Roger Norris]

Blade and Bow Bourbon and pickled bologna, a Shrewhaven classic    

 

[Roger Norris]

No doe tags, but the herd is looking healthier

 

[Bryan pinick]

[Pine]

Thanks for sharing .              

[Vesty]

Very encouraging Roger. I'll be in Copper Country State Forest beginning Nov.11th.

[Ron LaClair]

OK, I'm ready to post a few pictures. Sorry I didn't get them up sooner, but one of my "buddy's" gave me the flu bug and I've been down for almost three days now.

This is camp this year with the canopy set up in front for our big meals we had planned

   

[Ron LaClair]

Here's the 70# pig in the bottom of Kevin's new roaster ready to be cooked