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HOWDY
DAVIS
Staff Writer
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A HUNT USING
PRIMITIVE BLACKPOWDER WEAPON INTO THE ADIRONDACK
WILDERNESS OF UP STATE NEW YORK NEAR SCHROON LAKE
AREA.
EARLY SPRING
BROTHER TED AND I ALONG WITH A HUNTING BUDDY MURRY
LABAR ALL MEMBERS OF THE PENNSYLVANIA LONG
HUNTERS, DID A SCOUT INTO THIS FOREST IN
PREPARATION FOR A FALL BLACK POWDER RIFLE SEASON.
OUR SCOUT TOOK US 2 MILES INTO THE HEART OF THE
FOREST WHERE WE PICKED A GOOD CAMP SPOT AND
SCOUTED THE AREA IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
AFTER 2 DAYS WE DECIDED THAT THIS AREA WOULD
PRODUCE SOME BIG WHITETAIL DEER.
IT WAS NOW THE
FALL OF THE YEAR AND WE ALL GOT TOGETHER TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE WEREN'T CARRYING DUPLICATES SINCE WE
HAD SO FAR TO TRAVEL. OUR CLOTHING WAS TO BE ALL
PRE 1840. CLOTHING THAT WAS USED ON THE
PENNSYLVANIA FRONTIER, NAMELY BUCKSKINS AND WOOL.
IT WAS FRIDAY
MORNING WHEN WE ALL MEET, LOADED ALL OUR GEAR INTO
MY WAGON AND HEDDED NORTH FOR A 4 HOUR TRIP TO OUR
JUMPING OFF LOCATION. UPON ARRIVAL WE LOADED ALL
OF OUR GEAR ONTO A HOME MADE TOBOGGAN WITH SIDES
AND HANDLES THAT WE FASHIONED FOR BETTER SECURING
OUR GEAR AND CARRYING IF WE HAD TO. WE HEADED OFF
ON A TRAIL THAT WE BLAZED DURING THE SPRING SCOUT.
WE ESTIMATED THE DISTANCE TO BE A LITTLE OVER 2
MILES. ALL OF US WERE EXPERIENCED WILDERNESS
NAVIGATORS.
EACH OF US WERE
EQUIPPED WITH FIFTY CALIBER MUZZLELOADERS, OUR
BUTCHER KNIVES, TOMAHAWKS, AND MOST IMPORTANT TWO
HUDSON BAY WOOL BLANKETS ALL WRAPPED IN LARGE 10
BY 10 PIECES OF OIL CLOTH THAT WOULD COVER OUR
LEAN-TO THAT WE CONSTRUCTED ON THE SPRING SCOUT,
ALSO WITH US WE CARRIED LARGE COILS OF HOMEMADE
ROPE AND CORD, ENOUGH FOOD FOR 4 DAYS EVEN THOUGH
WE WERE PLANNING ON A 8 DAY HUNT. WE COULD RELY ON
OUR TRAPPING AND HUNTING SKILLS TO SECURE FOOD.
IT WAS 3 PM
WHEN WE REACHED OUR CAMP AND DROPPED OUR GEAR AND
SPENT A HALF HOUR GATHERING FIRE WOOD. WE THEN
EACH SET OUT ON A EVENING SCOUT IN DIFFERENT
DIRECTION. THIS WAS A REALLY GOOD TIME OF DAY TO
LOOK FOR DEER. WE WERE ALL AMAZED AT THIS YEARS
ACORN CROP. THIS IS LIKE CANDY TO THE DEER, AS
WELL AS THE SQUIRRELS THAT SEEMED TO BE EVERY
WHERE. THIS WAS GOOD BECAUSE IT WOULD COVER OUR
MOVEMENT. WE ALL RETURNED TO CAMP JUST BEFORE DARK
AND FINISHED SECURING OUR LEAN-TO. WE CHOOSE A
CAMP UNDER SOME VERY TALL PINE TREES WITH HEAVY
LIMBS FOR GOOD PROTECTION, OVER THE YEARS IT HAD
SHED ABOUT 3 FEET OF PINE NEEDLES WHICH MADE FOR
WARM BEDDING, THAT IS IF THEIR WERE NO SQUIRRELS
OR SNAKES AT HOME IN THOSE HOLES THAT WERE IN IT.
WE HAD A GOOD
SUPPLY OF DEHYDRATED FOODS WE HAD PREPARED PRIOR
TO OUR TRIP. ENOUGH TO LAST THROUGH AN EXTENDED
SURVIVAL SITUATION. WE CALLED IT JUST INCASE FOOD.
IT WASN’T VERY TASTY BUT IT WOULD KEEP YOU
ALIVE. WE HAD A GOOD STREAM RIGHT BEHIND OUR CAMP
SO WATER WOULDN’T BE A PROBLEM. WE ALWAYS KEPT A
POT OF WATER ON THE FIRE TO KILL ANY NASTIES.
THE FIRST
MORNING WHILE DAWN WAS BREAKING WE HEDED OUT TO DO
A LOOK ABOUT. WE HAD DISCOVERED THIS HIGH RIDGE
WERE WE LAID AND CHECKED OUT THE SURROUNDING AREA.
WE COULD SEE A NUMBER OF DEER IN A FAR MEADOW THAT
MIGHT HAVE BEEN FARMED AT ONE TIME AND HAD GROWN
IN. EACH OF US TOOK OFF IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. I
HEADED SOUTH EAST AND JUST SPOOFED ABOUT FOR
HEAVEN KNOWS HOW FAR. I WAS ALWAYS A COMPULSIVE
WALKER AND COVERED TREMENDOUS GROUND. TO THE POINT
WERE I WOULD COME TO REALIZE THAT I WAS PRETTY FAR
FROM CAMP AND BEST GET HEDED BACK. I HAD MY
SURVIVAL PACK WITH ME AND HAD CHANCE TO PUT IT TO
USE ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS DURING THE PAST YEARS.
ARRIVING BACK
AT CAMP IN THE DARK GUIDED BY A NEAR FULL MOON
WHICH WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WE ALWAYS PICKED THIS
TIME OF THE MONTH TO HUNT OR GO OFF ON ONE OF OUR
TREKS. ALL OF US HAD SEEN A NUMBER OF DEER, TEDDY
SAW A PRETTY GOOD SIZE BEAR ABOUT A HALF MILE FROM
CAMP. SO AS A PRECAUTION WE SPREAD BLACK POWDER
AROUND THE CAMP IN HOPES THAT IT WOULD ACT AS A
DETERENT. AFTER A HEARTY BOWL OF VENISON STEW AND
A GOOD HOT CUP OF HOT CHOCOLA WE WERE SOUND
ASLEEP.
I DIDN’T
MENTION EARLIER. MURRY HAD A DOG THAT TAGGED ALONG
WITH HIM WERE EVER HE WENT. THIS DOG WAS NAMED DOG
AND WAS TRAINED NOT TO BARK. ESPECIALLY IN THE
WOODS. HOWEVER IT WAS A SPECTACULAR HUNTER AND
WOULD WARN YOU WITH A LOW GROWL. MURRY SHOT A LOT
OF ANIMALS WITH THAT DOG. NEVER DID KNOW WHAT TYPE
IT WAS. IT WAS ALSO A GOOD CAMP WATCH DOG.
ON THE THIRD
DAY WHILE STALKING THROUGH THE FOREST I HEARD A
SHOT IN THE FAR DISTANCE , THE NORTH EAST. I
REMEMBER THINKING THAT WE WOULD HAVE STEAKS
TONIGHT. ARRIVING BACK AT CAMP THAT EVENING TEDDY
HAD GOTTEN A BEAUTIFUL 5 BY 6 WHITETAIL WITH A
REAL HEAVY MASSED RACK. JUST LOADED WITH FAT WE
BELIEVED FROM ALL THOSE ACORNS. IT WAS ALSO AN
INDICATION OF A LONG COLD WINTER.
ON THE 4TH DAY
AROUND ABOUT 10 AM I HEARD ANOTHER SHOT. KNOWING
THAT THERE WEREN'T ANY OTHER HUNTERS IN THIS AREA
IT HAD TO BE MURRAY. I HAD RUN ACROSS A NUMBER OF
NICE BUCKS BUT NONE OF THEM THAT I THOUGHT TO BE A
SHOOTER.
ABOUT 9 AM ON
THE 5TH DAY I SPOTTED A NICE BUCK FROM A RIDGE
TOP. THIS DEER WAS FEEDING ON THE EDGE OF A
CLEARING ABOUT 500 YARDS AWAY. HE LOOKED LIKE A
BEAUTY. I GOT MY BEARINGS AND STARTED TO CLOSE THE
DISTANCE. AS I DID IT WAS STARTING TO SNOW
. BEING IN WHAT
THE PEOPLE IN THIS AREA CALLED THE SNOW BELT
SOMETIMES GOT FREAKY SNOW STORMS. I REMEMBER
SAYING A PRAYER THAT IT DIDN’T AMOUNT TO MUCH.
AT LEAST TIL I GET THIS DEER.
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