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Thread: Winter Camp Over the Weekend

  1. #1
    Tracker Beo's Avatar
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    Default Winter Camp Over the Weekend

    Well the weekend is over and me and Trooper went into the cold, cold of the Southwestern Ohio woods.
    We set out on Friday morning, Man it was cold but it tested our skills. We hiked in about seven miles from anyone or anything being close to us, along the banks of the Great Miami River and ended up past West Harrison in Indiana. We set our camp up and the tent went up first, as Trooper dug the fire pit, started the fire ( kinda proud of him as he did it with flint and steel like I taught him) and layed the cooking grate over it.
    I had forgotten the tent stakes so I made some from sapplings using my hawk and knife. We set up facing east so the wind was to our backs and the sun to our face. While I started making some of my famous Beo's Camp Stew, Trooper took a length of river cane he cut with his trusty knife, fifteen feet of fishing line and a bone hook and tossed it in the river with a piece of liver on it. Catfish fishing is a passion he has, he didn't catch squat but he only fished for a little until supper was ready.
    After eating a good amount of stew we went for a hike, I let Trooper lead the way as he headed in on a deer run and hiked for several hours as we identified several plants and tracked a fox (he's getting good at tracking).
    Turning around he got a bit disoriented but I showed him how to find his backtrail and off he went, although it was a bit different and a little rougher he got us back in time for an evening fire.
    We sat around a roaring fire (I mean a blazing inferno he kept building bigger) keeping warm and it is times like this that I like talking with him and having a smoke on my Micmac pipe. After a few hours more we put fresh logs on the fire and turned in for the night.
    Saturday morning woke us early to a light cold fog and I stoked up the fire, it was really cold but in a few minutes I had a cup of hot coffee in my hand and got breakfast going. Yeah, the smell of fresh bacon cooking and crackling over an open fire woke Trooper up and he grabbed a cup of coffee and sat next to me to warm up.
    Later we took off for another hike and trooper pulled out his new hiking stick (here's a link where he got his its kinda cool)
    http://www.brazos-walking-sticks.com...walking-stick/
    The stick on that page is the one he has. Anyway we hiked in a different direction until around noon before turning back, that kid likes to hike and wore me out, and we followed another deer run and cut across some farmers land (hope they didn't care but we left no trace) following the river back to our camp site and arriving at about 4pm. I stoked the fire and got it going and we cooked up some great deer steaks and potatoes and baked beans, drank some cold water and I had another smoke on my micmac pipe and talked for a while, it was pretty great.
    We went over to where a beaver dam is at the inlet of the creek to the river and snooped around. Now I'm going to tell you this and it sounds kinda cruel but I wanted to try it out and Trooper thought it was cool.
    We have a lot of hawks in this area and I love to watch them soaring through the sky and diving down when hunting, so I had bought a white feeder mouse from Jack's Aquarium and Pets and we set it loose in the field about a mile from our camp. Now it is sold as a feeder mouse for those people that have snakes so it isn't really cruel I guess, well it took a few minutes, about twenty, but finally a hawk swooped down about forty yards from us (we were in the tree line watching) and scooped the mouse up, it was actually awesome to watch. Hope that didn't offend anyone who is squeemish or hurt your lil itty bitty feelings but that's the circle of life. Lol...
    Sunday we packed up about 10am and headed back, man it was good to get outta the cold but ya know once your out there ya get used to it.
    All my historical trekking and camping in 1750s clothing and using that gear is great, but when going with my son we go modern and I gotta say its a great time, this was probably the best time I've had in a long long time and doing it with my son was so great I couldn't have had a better time or companion.
    Anyway hope ya like the tale of our trip.

    Beo,
    There is no greater solitude than that of the Tracker in the forest, unless perhaps it's that of the wolf in the wilderness.


  2. #2

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    Sounds like you had a great trip with your son.

    While I am sure that mouse would have died in short order, it probably is a good lesson to teach your son NOT to introduce non-indigenous species into the wild.

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    Senior Member cowgirlup's Avatar
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    Sounds like a great time!!! Nice that you could just hike around and take your time enjoying the outdoors!
    "I enjoy surviving." Yes, well I certainly hope so as the other side of that is "DEATH!"
    Sarge47

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    missing in action trax's Avatar
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    Awesome bro, nicely done. Say hi to Trooper for me too, huh?
    some fella confronted me the other day and asked "What's your problem?" So I told him, "I don't have a problem I am a problem"

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    Senior Member Camp10's Avatar
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    I'm glad to hear you had a great weekend!

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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    I'm glad you two had a safe and enjoyable week-end. That's a week-end he'll remember for the rest of his life.
    Tracks Across the High Plains...Death on the Bombay Line...A Touch of Death and Mayhem...Dead Rock...The Griswald Mine Boys...All On Amazon Books.

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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Well done, both the trip and write up.
    Thanks for sharing and I'll bet these are the times the boy will remember for a long time.
    Geezer Squad....Charter Member #1
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    Not a Mod finallyME's Avatar
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    Thanks for the report. My winter campout is this coming weekend. Anyways, it is always great to be able to spend time with your son, especially out in nature.
    I've taken a vow of poverty. To annoy me, send money.
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    And....it doesn't matter how old they get either. Mine are in their 30s and I still enjoy being in the woods with them. I can't keep up but I enjoy being out there.
    Tracks Across the High Plains...Death on the Bombay Line...A Touch of Death and Mayhem...Dead Rock...The Griswald Mine Boys...All On Amazon Books.

  10. #10
    Senior Member gryffynklm's Avatar
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    Excellent post I've been waiting of the report. Sounds like a great weekend.

    The mouse thing, its not much different then a bird feeder.

    Hhhmmmmm! that gives me an idea!
    Karl

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    Senior Member nell67's Avatar
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    Awesome Beo,sounds like you both had a great time,tell trooper not to be a stranger,we miss him and his stories too,(Can't wait to hear his version of this trip!).
    Soular powered by the son.

    Nell, MLT (ASCP)

  12. #12
    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    Glad you and Trooper had a good time.
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    Tracker Beo's Avatar
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    Trooper is 17 and next month he turns 18, he's off in "hanging with the buddies and girlfriend land" because now "dads kinda cool but thinks alot of dorky things are cool, has an offbeat humor, and embarrasses the he!! outta of him" and working.
    But I go over my pops house every sunday for football, now on saturday for the playoffs (not the last one though but the cincinnati bungles lost anyway) and just to see how he and mama doing.
    But I will make, through the force of my imposing will and being the dictator of this house make him get on here and say hi, at least on his birthday.
    There is no greater solitude than that of the Tracker in the forest, unless perhaps it's that of the wolf in the wilderness.

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