Camp Crags Crew

 

Every year in late October/Early November there is a tradition which runs back decades that I've have the distinct honor and pleasure to become a part of; The Camp Crags Crew heads to camp. Every year a group of men are in at this northwoods camp for 1-2 weeks, partaking in the annual hunting trip. I became a part of this yearly ritual when I met my wife and began becoming close with her family and as a result "the hunters" pulled me in and asked me to join in their special yearly trip four years ago and I haven't missed a year since I started going.

Now I have to admit when I first went on this trip I was expecting to see gritty hardcore hunters who sleep over night in their tree stands and harvest monster bucks every year; but that was not the case. Instead I met some of the nicest, funniest and most relaxed "hunters" who have ever ventured into the Maine Woods. While I haven't learned many lessons on hunting and how to chase down a big buck from this crew who goes to camp every year; what they have done is remind what hunting is really all about and for that I'm not only grateful, I'm lucky.

I've been blessed with many yearly harvests and have taken a couple trophies along the way. As a younger hunter often times it is easy to get swept up in the desire to actually kill something on your trip. The problem with that is if you are focusing only on getting that big deer or moose you really do lose out on all the other lessons you can learn through hunting. An agenda for a hunting trip which focuses only on killing something really loses sight of what hunting camp is all about and is quite frankly the exact opposite of the agenda at Camp Crags. Honestly, The Camp Crags Crew from the outside looking in seems to have the following priorities/agenda:

1.) Eat
2.) Sleep In
3.) Eat
4.) Maybe go for a 45 minute walk in the woods around noon time
5.) Return to camp to Eat

While a lot of that is true, because we do eat a lot and man do we eat like kings, we also have something much more important than a 200lb deer. We have something that can only be described as a brotherhood. While some of us do have actual blood family ties we are also tied together by something you can't explain, however you can feel it; the soul of Camp Crags. Hunters have laughed, drank, told stories, and celebrated success in the walls of that building for nearly a century and you can feel the absolute joyous nature to this amazing place we call "Camp Crags". The reason this tradition continues is because of the crew who choose to spend their vacation time season after season venturing to this distant north-land camp every year to seek the companionship which only those who are a part of it can fully understand. These men truly encompass what it is all about to be at camp and to be a hunter, and that is to have fun. You don't have to harvest a deer of any kind when you go to camp, in fact some of our crew never have but it doesn't mean their time at camp is any less productive or any less essential to making our yearly trip a success. Sitting down for dinner and laughing so hard you literally hurt, or feeling the joyous happiness we all feel on the first night there as we crack open a bottle and celebrate being together with beloved friends who we haven't seen in a year is really what hunting camp is all about, no harvest is required.

My reason for this blog post is because I fear due to the Hunting on Television and Social Media we seem to show hunter success through harvesting game as the only measure for a successful trip and as a result I feel we are losing sight of who we really are and it is hurting the sport of hunting. Now I'm not here to rip on anyone for being excited when harvesting an animal, after all that is why we are hunters but there really is so much more to it than bragging rights. Fred Bear, one of the greatest and most successful archers in history said it best when he said, "If you consider an unsuccessful hunt to be a waste of time, then the true meaning of the chase eludes you all together". As hunters we are stewards of the land, who's priority should be to cherish and love what mother nature has provided us and also seek to embrace those people we care about and further bring them into the outdoors as well. If you are fortunate enough to harvest a great animal then I send you a million congratulations, but if you don't end up lucky enough to bring something home and are very upset and depressed as a result it may be time to reflect on what your priorities are in the woods. Life is far too short to stress about missing a shot or bumping a deer before you are ready to shoot. Are you challenging yourself? Are you having fun? Would you rather be on your hunting trip than any place else? If you answer yes to those three questions my friends then you already are having a successful and beautiful hunting trip, even without bagging a trophy.

As the off season drags on and we all make our pre-season preparations and dream about that big buck I think we should all take a moment and reflect on what makes us smile when we think about hunting camp. Those few seconds when you actually kill a deer are minuscule when compared to the late evenings on the porch, the feasts around the table, or the stories told outside over an open fire from years ago with your closest family and friends by your side. I have to say that while the Camp Crags Crew as a whole may not put the most meat on the pole every year what we do have is something that unfortunately a lot of other camps are missing. I've personally been very fortunate in my hunting career thus far with many successful hunts, certificates and shoulder patches; but none of that gives me the joy I feel every year as I pick up Uncle Tom and drive north to Camp Crags in anticipation of a long trip with the great men that make up the Camp Crags Crew. I'm a very proud member of this group of hunters and I'm counting down the days until once again we are back at camp together on our yearly hunting trip. This crew may have one of the lowest kill percentages in the Maine woods, but its true "success rate" in my opinion is no question 100% every single year. 

My hope for all you hunters out there is that you take a moment and realize the people at your camp are what make it so beautiful, the racks on the wall? Those are simply the icing on the cake; a cake that in and of itself is already perfect.

As always my friends, shoot straight and shoot often.