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THE WEST TRAIL
CAMP HISTORY / 2000 SEASON / 1999 SEASON
DENNED UP BLACK BEAR / IN A DUSTY, RUSTIC OLD CABIN
BOIS BRULE CAMP HISTORY
by Ralph Paoli
The Bois Brule Deer Camp was established in 1981 or there abouts. My
father-in-law, Van Peterson, was instrumental in getting the whole thing moving.
He had the hardest job, convincing our wives it was a wise investment, orrr
- maybe it was the easiest, since they were all his daughters.
Van was a outdoorsman who had a passion for hunting, something his dad, "Louie the Greek" passed down to him. Van and his dad hunted together in Ashland County down on the White River bottoms. They rode a specially outfitted Ford Ferguson tractor (a wooden platform on the back where you could stand) and strung a cable over the river to pulled themselves across in a small boat or canoe. They spent the entire day hunting across the river, no matter what the weather was like. I remember walking up to Louie The Greek, he was sitting on a stump motionless, he had a runny nose and there was a little icicle frozen on the tip. He sat there all day, starring into the swamp, waiting for a big buck. The 10 below zero weather didn't bother him.
Van isn't a owner anymore, he passed his share onto another of his son-in-laws. He doesn't hunt as much as he once did, I guess he can't stand the cold weather anymore. He'll come out to camp during early bow season once or twice but doesn't hunt the gun season anymore. We sure miss him during the gun season, but we can't compete against that warm Arizona sun. I guess it's alot nicer than sitting in a tree stand all day in 10 degree weather.
The camp is now owned by Burt Ottman, Jerry Walusiak, Scott Graham, Dan Dugger and myself. It is to be kept in the family and passed onto future hunting generations to enjoy.
The camp is located on the Bayfield/Douglas County Line in Northern Wisconsin, about 2 miles from the shores of Lake Superior. It's low land, with many swamps and alder brush dotted between stand of aspens, pines and some hardwoods. The first year, Van, Dan and myself hunted out of a wall tent, saw lots of deer and shot some dandy bucks. We were hooked and that very spring Van started looking for land.
It didn't take him long, we all chipped in and bought some land to start our camp, We found a old two room cabin about 3 miles from our land, bought it and had a logger skid it down the highway and up our road. It was built sturdy, already had a brick chimney in it and took two skidders to move it.
We hunted out of that cabin for about sixteen years. We added a front porch right away and later another large room to house our kids as they started hunting. Got to know all the neighbors and made some darn good friends. Eddie Hopkins is one such friend, started hunting with us the first year and has been at camp every year since. Eddie helped us with every project, donated materials, watched our kids while we hunted, taught our kids about the woods and has never said no when asked to help out. Although his name doesn't appear on the deed as a owner, he carries quite abit of camp authority, is looked up to and respected by all of our kids.
We built a new camp the summer of 1999 and the old camp stood right next to it until Eddie Hopkins knocked it down with his dozer and we burnt it the winter of 2000.
Nobody wanted to suggest we knock down the old cabin, it held so many memories. It was an old friend; we looked forward to opening her up in the fall, our kids chasing mice and squirrels with BB guns, us cleaning the fly specs off the windows, wiping the mouse turds off the counter, sweeping the floor, cutting wood and getting her ready for another hunting season. She warmed us up after being out all day, kept the rain and snow out, listened to all our stories, fed us, and watched our kids develop into great buck hunters.
You know, old Van Peterson was right, it was a good investment.
Double click on the
picture thumbnails to enlarge them.
Last
day of gun season. We were all sitting in the cabin about 1pm when Eddie saw a
small buck walk within 70 yards of the cabin. Scott
grabbed his gun and stalked
the deer. He caught up to it and saw it standing under a small pine tree.
Pictured from L to R: Travis, Eddie (standing behind Travis),
Justin, Jason, and Dan. Scott's gutting the buck.
View
of the camp looking north. Between the pine
tree in the foreground and the new
cabin, stood the hunting camp.
Jason in the kitchen cleaning up. We just
installed
the kitchen cabinets and a sink this fall. There is more counter
space, cabinets and a gas refrigerator behind Jason.
Travis
and Justin relaxing in the living room.
Travis and Scott hooking up the surround sound system to the TV. We watch alot
of videos and Packer games on Sunday.
Three
old buck hunters and a apprentice. We just got all cleaned up to go to Kurt
Schnepp's pizza party Saturday night, man that guy can cook. Pictured
from F to B: Dan, Ralph, Eddie and Jason.
Two
old smelly buck hunters and two apprentices' all ready to go to the pizza party.
Pictured from F to B: Dan, Ed, Justin and Jason.
View
from my tree stand back by the creek. Saw a huge buck opening morning from this
stand, he was too far for a shot. Had a six pt walk under my stand around 7am
followed 10 minutes later by two does, then at 8:30 had a small 8 pt walk by.
The wind was blowing hard and cold opening morning.
I
like this picture alot, I call it "Daylight in the Swamp". It's
taken from one of my tree stands back by the creek.
"First
Light" was taken a little later than "Daylight in the Swamp"
without the aid of a flash. It was minutes later that I saw a huge buck.
Deer
gutting contest. Friday we harvested a bunch of does for our friends from
Mosinee. That night outside of the cabin we held a deer gutting contest. There
were three contestants and the winner was Justin Dugger, he gutted two deer to
the others one. The two losers didn't want me to mention there names.
Another tree stand view. This is another of my stands just SW of the hunting
cabin. I'm looking to the south towards Eddies 40, the camp is to the left and
Highway 13 would be to the right.
From the same tree stand in the above picture, I'm looking to the West towards
Lake Superior.
My two grandson's, Sammy surprised by the deer and Owen didn't want to leave
his dads arms. This isn't a meat locker, it's Dugger's garage!
'99 OPENING WEEKEND
Mild weather, saw lots of deer Saturday, all the bucks were shot by noon. Sunday
was also mild but very windy, not many deer were seen. From left to right in the
picture: Jason Paoli w/7 pt., Travis Dugger w/10 pt., Burt Ottman w/8pt., Bryce
Ottman w/7pt. There is one more 7 pointer that did not make this picture.
Standing in the back from left to right: Steve Paoli, Justin Dugger and Riley
Graham.
Hunters at camp for opening weekend: Scott Graham, Riley Graham, Ed Hopkins,
Burt Ottman, Bryce Ottman, Ralph Paoli, Jason Paoli, Steve Paoli, Dan Dugger,
Justin Dugger, Travis Dugger and Brodie Dugger.
TRAVIS & HIS 10 POINTER
Travis Dugger shot a nice 10 pointer at about 10:30 am Saturday morning, it was
the only deer he saw.
There is an interesting story behind this deer. Burt Ottman shot a big buck in
the neck the last week of bow season, it fell
to the ground and could only push itself around with its hind feet. Burt
followed it a short
distance and was able to shot it again in the neck. The buck
pushed itself under a pine tree, it was getting late so Burt decided to leave it
there and go back to camp for help. About 2 hours later, Burt and five others
with flash lights and lanterns went to get the buck. He was gone. The next day
they tracked it through a swamp and lost the trail after about 200 yards. Burt
felt really bad that the buck might die and nobody will find it.
Well, when Travis was admiring his buck, he ran his hand down the neck and felt
a bump. He looked closer and found a broad head with about 1 inch of arrow
shaft. It was the same buck Burt wounded the last week of bow hunting. Travis
was in a tree stand about a half mile from where Burt first shot the buck. Just
goes to show you how tough these animals are.
Small
Black Bear denned up for the winter. The den was under the root system of a pine
tree, the opening facing south west to gather the warm sun rays of spring. He
lined it with swamp grass, looked pretty comfortable.
In A Dusty,
Rustic Old Cabin
We are in a dusty, rustic old cabin
Up in the brush of Northern Wisconsin,
We have porcupine gnawing at the door,
And a den of skunks under the floor.
Some of the boys are cussing
about the heat,
Others are complaining of cold feet,
Some of the boys sleep in pajamas,
Others in their drawers.
All these things don't make any difference
Everybody goes to bed and everybody snores.
Some of the boys are killing deer
that's been
Dead for twenty years or more,
Others are still fighting the Gulf War.
Some of the boys are sitting at
the table,
Hollering fifteen two and fifteen four,
With part of the cards on the floor.
A few more rounds of Roses Four,
They would still be hollering
Fifteen two and fifteen four if
All the cards were on the floor.
There is the good cook standing
By the door, he says, "Boys you have
Time for just one hand more, then
Clear the table and put on the
Plates and get ready for your
T-Bone steaks, some of you like
them rare, some of you like them well,
You will eat them the way I
Cook them or go plum hell."
Such is life in a dusty, rustic
Old cabin up in the brush.
-- Author Unknown
