>>>>>----2010 Ohio Traditional Deer Hunt Thread---->

[celticknot]

I can give you directions that will get you right to it.
I have been there many many times. I have a few friends that live right up the road. Charlie I can't wait. Is vern coming again? The fella that had the borders bow.

[Drummer@Home]

Looks like we may have a good turn out this year. Osage, I've been looking at your bows for years at the bench. It will be nice to see one in person.

[buckeye_hunter]

Haven't heard from him, but that guy is funny and a heck of a shooter!

[Drummer@Home]

I think I have and old PM from him floating around somewhere, lem-me look

[VTer]

How fancy do you guys get on meals?

[sticksnstones]

I've never been to this camp, so I can't offer any insights. OTOH it's Friday night and it just seems right for some beer and hunting stories    

I grew up in Montana and at the ripe age of 12 I picked up a rifle and went hunting as is proper in those parts. In our camp there was an old guy named Al. Al had hunted all over this country from the time he was a teen and he didn't like to adventure much by the time I knew him. He took a 218 Bee to camp every year, but I don't know if he carried a single cartridge for it. Al would talk to farmers and DNR all year long, host parties all summer for the guys to stand around maps and grunt approvingly, Al was a helluva guy. He even took a 5th wheel to camp every year so we had a nice warm place to hunker down and play cards if a blizzard blew in.

My very first morning in camp I walked into the camper just before sun up and Al's got a full omelette bar cooking! I order up a ham/mushroom/swiss omelette and a piece of toast and viola! There it is just a few minutes later! By the time we have all had our breakfasts, Al was done lining up sack lunches with our names on them! I put mine in my pack and head off for a day of hunting. Al is such a character, he won't let anyone even do his dishes, he says it gives him something to do while he listens to the radio. Later that day I find a nice bluff looking out over Gods country and I open my lunch and there is a sandwich, chips, a pickle, some candy, all kinds of goodies! I have my three course lunch with my million dollar views and head on back for the second half of my loop.

I get back to camp and there is a ton of commotion. One guy got a nice mulie buck, and two guys got antelope. It was a busy night but we got it all up on the buck pole and Al was making us a special dinner to celebrate the guys successes! I clean up and head to the camper and I've barely cracked the door and I'm about knocked over by the smell of liver and onions! To this day I can't think of anything I'd like to eat less than liver... Al dishes up every man a double helping of fresh liver. So much liver there isn't any room for any side dishes. Hell, Al didn't even make any sides. We had liver, liver, liver, and some onions. I pushed it all around my plate a little bit, ate out the onions, tried to eat a few tiny morsels of liver, but I couldn't do it. I went to bed a little hungry and looking forward to my made to order breakfast!

Turns out Al had a GREAT sense of humor. Everyone got their omelettes and he had a special one for me. I took it and sat down for a bite of my... left over liver and onion omelette! Turns out Al was a depression era kid, waste not, want not. I ate the egg around that liver, scraped every last piece of cheese off the plate I could, but I didn't eat any of the liver. I should have suspected something by the way Al smiles as he wished me a good hunt and handed me a paper bag with my name on it    :D  

I don't need to tell you what kind of sandwich I had that day, or that I buried it, or how much I prayed nobody shot any critters with a liver big enough to be cooked! I got back to camp that night and Al made me a big mug of hot cocoa with that same wicked smile and served up some tenderloin and potatoes for the whole crew.

Al died just a couple years after that trip, but that's the sort of character you always hope to share camp with!

[VTer]

Good story. I feel the same way about liver. Here's a pic of some apple pie that we had at one of our NH camps that we called Camp Goober because we ate a lot of Goober sandwiches.  
Here's a pic of me cooking a grouse that I shot in CO on our elk hunt. I wasn't much of a cook back then and it was like chewing on rubber.
 

[Drummer@Home]

Irish, the guys full name was vernon thompson. His last post was jan so I dont know if he is still around. I sent him an e-mail, I'll let you know.

Greg Its really up to you on the food. I tend to eat light and not to fancy but thats just me. I'm also a sun-valley bar and coffee for breakfast kinda guy where some have to have tatas, eggs and bacon. your call        

[buckeye_hunter]

We tend to leave before sun-up to hunt. Usually, it is a regular old prepackaged breakfast for me with a sandwich for lunch(late morning) and some water in my backpack. Dinner is usually better. Most times I precook food and just heat it up over the fire. I was thinking about bringing something a bit more substantial this year food-wise......

 

[groundhawg]

There isnt much close in the way of diners unless things have changed since my last visit. If you want something good, you better bring it. Most of the ponds have bass and bluegill which would make a wonderful dinner......

[magnus]

Will anyone have any maps or aerial photos in camp? I'm going to be ground hunting and would like to get the lay of the land before heading out. Thanks.

Magnus

[sticksnstones]

Since I finished my chores early and had the afternoon to kill I took off and drove around this area a little bit today. Here's my mental notes in no particular order:

Gracie's Market is he only business in town, but it was open, has an ATM machine, and it is the deer check station too. It's just a little market, I'll be bringing everything I need. Gracie's is advertising firewood, and so is the first house on 83 as you leave town. I didn't check on prices.

Heading south out of Cumberland on 83 I was a little worried I might miss the turn for T13. Then I saw a    little sign    at the turn that might help. Most of the roads are paved, but even the ones that aren't are in great shape. No problem taking the Prius down all of them.

The guys are right, that is a HUGE campsite so that shouldn't be any problem! Every spot was taken for the holiday weekend but it seems like a nice campground.

The lake is posted with a sign saying all bass between 12 - 15" must be released, go big or eat tuna.

The water pump is still working, but that water doesn't taste great. If I run out of what I'm bringing, I'll be running this water through a filter before drinking it.

After I checked this all out I went and drove a few roads around the Rec Land to the south, seems pretty brushy in general but I see lots of spots with potential.

This was just a lightening trip to find it, clock it, and check for construction along the way etc. Real scouting trips will have to come later...

[VTer]

Thanks for the intel Sticks. Every little bit helps. The town that Gracies Market is in is Cumberland I take it?

Kind of hard to miss that sign!  

[Drummer@Home]

Gracies is in Cumberland, correct. It tends to be our go to place for snacks and adult liquid beverages. Scouting from the road is tough there as the topo changes quickly. This is reclaimed mining land, depending on what has taken place in the past or distant past the woods can change in a hurry. The deer like it though    but it can get tough on us ground hunters.

[Osagetree]

Is T13 the second left out of Cumberland?

Thanks for the scout Mr. Sticksnstones! Mapquest is telling me to take I64 in WV, but I think I'll stick to the Ohio county roads for scenery. Might take twice as long to get there but it should be a nice trip through the rolling hills of southern Ohio.

One good meal a day for me and dehydrated or junk food for the rest of the day. I can eat bluegill & small bass under 12", wouldn't be my first time but, since the rut will be winding up, I doubt I'll be fishing. Maybe we can cook some fresh liver and onions after someone takes a deer.

If it is warm weather, what will we do with the harvest??? I'd hate to have to leave at that point.

[buckeye_hunter]

Sorry I haven't weighed in recently fellas. I was at the OSTA shoot Fri and Sat. Than at my sisters to see my grandma from Oregon all day Sunday.


I can bring some aerials to camp and I'm planning on mailing a few in advance with stand sites marked to those who requested them.

I think Osage and VT'er wanted some aerials marked stand sites. I will get those out as soon as time permits. Make sure I have your address to send the aerials to (I think I have yours VT'er).

[sticksnstones]

You bet guys, it was a nice way to spend the afternoon! If T13 is the second left (same way I saw it on the map), that means I completely blew by the first one. Luckily there is no mistaking our turn  

I'm glad to read Drummer's note, it was really bushy at the roads and in the creek bottoms but I did find a few nice conifer stands. I've never invested in trail cams or tree stands for fear they might get stolen, but I'm thinking hard about putting out a camera once I get my general AO figured out.

I noticed a sign for Rittberger Meats in Zanesville so I thought I'd check it out. I don't like leaving game to hang so this was high on my priority list too. Since it's 20 minutes away and the check point is en route it looked like a good option. Anyone know anything about this place?  http://www.rittbergers.com/index.html

[VTer]

sticks, I have some friends that hunt in Ohio (they have a lease)and they bring deer meat to a place called "Smokin' Ron's". I thought it was near Zanesville but I could be mistaken. Anyways, the stuff they get from there is really good. He turns the venison into summer sausage, jerky, slim jim stiks, and a whole bunch of other stuff. A little pricey, but boy is it good.

[Brian Halbleib]

Haven't been spending much time on the computer this summer so I just saw this. I have some property in Guernsey County and it looks like this isn't very far away. Sounds like a great time.

-Brian

[buckeye_hunter]

Come on over Brian, plenty of room!

There is a butcher shop in Cumberland that processes deer. Haven't used their services yet, but I imagine it will do. Also, there are a couple local boys that might be able to help.

If we have to go to Zanesville, there is a place called Phillips that does a good job butchering a deer. I can get you there, used to live near Zanesville.