DISCOVERING | Anatomy of a Deer Camp

Episode 59 - John Voelker had a deer camp. John Voelker was a Michigan Supreme Court Justice, lawyer, avid fly fisherman, and author of "Anatomy of a Murder" and multiple other books set in the U.P. under then pen name Robert Traver.
Built in 1896, his old camp still stands today and even though there's more moose than deer in this neck of the woods, the current camp members keep the U.P. deer camp tradition alive each year.
I visited Bill, Ryan, Mike, Mark and their 4-legged best friends Arnie, Grace and Gertie to listen to stories of the big bucks that got away, tidbits from the old Voelker logbooks and what the tradition of deer camp means to them.
Historical Photos of John Voelker:
Jack Deo/Superior View: www.viewsofthepast.com/topics/...
Richard P. Smith: richardpsmith.com/

Пікірлер: 75

  • @davidvogel2592
    @davidvogel25927 ай бұрын

    I love the old deer camps

  • @discovertheup

    @discovertheup

    7 ай бұрын

    Me too!

  • @LadyYoop
    @LadyYoop7 ай бұрын

    I absolutely LOVE old deer camp stories! I love this show...

  • @Grizzlife
    @Grizzlife7 ай бұрын

    This made my heart happy to see. I’ve been building my dream cabin on a hunting property I’ve hunted for 20 years now own. I’m 52 and hope to have many hunting stories for future hunters to read. The log is already in my cabin.

  • @ironmule4254
    @ironmule42547 ай бұрын

    Love this story. Love Yooper History

  • @discovertheup

    @discovertheup

    7 ай бұрын

    Can't go wrong with deer camp history!

  • @ericgnelson2188
    @ericgnelson21887 ай бұрын

    My family has had a portable shack we have hauled up to the UP from downstate since 1961. Greatest place on earth !!! So many memories and stories.

  • @dancondon6242
    @dancondon62424 ай бұрын

    This was a really interesting story, love how this camp had documentation of so many years in notebooks. We have tried to do the same thing at our camp but seems like we miss a lot of stuff. Our camp is from the 20’s and was originally a farm house. The land was no good for farming so it’s not really known how long it was an active farm. It went through many different owners over the years and we finally ended up with it in 97. No electricity or running water, crooked floors, nothing is square but we make it work and have thousands of memories made there. Nothing like deer camp life!

  • @70stunes71
    @70stunes716 ай бұрын

    My grandfather hunted the UP from the 1890s until the 1950s. We have a lot of photos from then up through the yrs. He was a logger below the bridge and trapped hunted & fished all over michigan from mid state & on up through the UP, primarily the irons area. He was born in 1882 in a log cabin on the banks of the kalamazoo river in calhoun County. I still have a set of horns on my wall he shot up around Munising from the early 1900s, a 10 point with 12 inch back and side tines. Great video, love seeing these.

  • @discovertheup

    @discovertheup

    6 ай бұрын

    I'd love to see those photos!! Thank you for sharing your story!

  • @samfinn487
    @samfinn4875 ай бұрын

    Thank you. I enjoyed that immensely! God bless all.

  • @PATCsawyer
    @PATCsawyer7 ай бұрын

    I had the opportunity to hunt from a deer camp for many years and consider myself fortunate. Not the same as deer hunting out of your car on opening day somewhere crowded. Any hunter who hasn't known camp life has missed the American Experience. Love the old crosscut saw on the side of the cabin, a mostly lost tradition.

  • @tomcooper2020
    @tomcooper20207 ай бұрын

    I received a wonderful book some years ago from Mark Botto a fishing buddy, on John Voelker’s fishing cabin on Frenchman’s Pond. It’s Voelker’s Pond, by Ed Wargin and James McCullough and I highly recommend it.

  • @discovertheup

    @discovertheup

    6 ай бұрын

    Thanks! I'll have to check it out!

  • @user-kd2ve7hk1f
    @user-kd2ve7hk1f7 ай бұрын

    Incredible . Greetings from a Western Pennsylvania deer camp !

  • @HawkIAth
    @HawkIAth7 ай бұрын

    Great story! Love lad every minute of it. Thanks for sharing. You could hear the emotion in those gentleman’s voice. They truly love the place and their friends they share it with!

  • @erniewood3159
    @erniewood31593 ай бұрын

    Ryan just stumbled on to this. In a word: AWESOME! I know I'll get there some day butg this will hold me over until......best wishes Woody & Gracie. See you soon.

  • @geesss8675
    @geesss86755 ай бұрын

    Thank you for your great efforts and sharing everything you do.

  • @ericbunksvintagesportsman6311
    @ericbunksvintagesportsman63117 ай бұрын

    I LOVE this!! I wait for the deer camp episodes every year LOVE IT!!!!! Thank you!!

  • @discovertheup

    @discovertheup

    7 ай бұрын

    Glad you enjoy it! If I could just make deer camp stories every week, I would!

  • @ericbunksvintagesportsman6311

    @ericbunksvintagesportsman6311

    7 ай бұрын

    @@discovertheup Thx! Happy Thanksgiving!!

  • @marklumley619
    @marklumley6197 ай бұрын

    I never grew up going up north to deer camp as I have two uncles with land that was 15 minutes to one and 25 minutes to the other. Now I hunt 350 yards out my back door. However I always wished for that deer camp life and just love to hear stories from people who get to enjoy deer camp.

  • @1989Falkor
    @1989Falkor7 ай бұрын

    2 thumbs up! Headed up on the 20th and I can't wait to get there.

  • @mmatson7142
    @mmatson71427 ай бұрын

    Love the deer camp videos. Keep them coming please.

  • @discovertheup

    @discovertheup

    7 ай бұрын

    Try to get a couple each season!

  • @Rooster0529
    @Rooster05297 ай бұрын

    This is a great video. Thank you for producing it and thank the guys for sharing their stories. God bless you all.

  • @discovertheup

    @discovertheup

    7 ай бұрын

    Thanks! And thanks for watching!!

  • @jaybaglio9265
    @jaybaglio92657 ай бұрын

    Great story with great people. Well done and thank you.

  • @discovertheup

    @discovertheup

    7 ай бұрын

    Glad you enjoyed it!

  • @2fast65
    @2fast657 ай бұрын

    Great video thanks deer camp is more important to me than the kill that is just a bonus have a great day be safe.

  • @bigsky2081
    @bigsky20817 ай бұрын

    Thanks! It's great to hear some people still care about the history of a very cool place!

  • @discovertheup

    @discovertheup

    6 ай бұрын

    Me too! I love local history!

  • @squigtonianmayhem4602
    @squigtonianmayhem46027 ай бұрын

    That's awesome! I have one of his books, 'Traver on Fishing.' Excellent stories. Man, I love it when traditions live on! Good luck, fellas!

  • @matt1548
    @matt15487 ай бұрын

    The camp series is pretty stellar.

  • @derekschenk4296
    @derekschenk42964 ай бұрын

    I absolutely love this video!

  • @BS.-.-
    @BS.-.-6 ай бұрын

    I was shown a old railroad stop that turned into a Adirondack hunting camp. They had a whole file cabinet of ledgers from 1920s. The history was amazing.

  • @discovertheup

    @discovertheup

    6 ай бұрын

    I bet!!

  • @GettingToHeaven
    @GettingToHeaven7 ай бұрын

    Hunting buddies. Some of the best part of living is at "Deer camp." Thanks for making the video!

  • @discovertheup

    @discovertheup

    7 ай бұрын

    Thanks for watching!

  • @jayl5978
    @jayl59786 ай бұрын

    I love this stuff my dream is to have a deer camp it was great to see how many stories and things were logged that stuff is absolutely priceless i wish i grew up in a deer camp great video

  • @joehuff1605
    @joehuff16057 ай бұрын

    My dad and my brother's bought a deer camp and some land our children come hunting my uncle came we eat and just had a great time most of them have passaway all I can say we had the best time of our life all my cuz would come all I can say it over know we sold the farm just wish we could do it all over again but ever one got older and to the most have passaway I'm 65 years old I'm one of the oldest left they are about 6 of us cuz that left to do that again I wish the we could I miss it bad just don't seem right by not going my mind want to but my body want let me I love to start my grandchildren the way all our families and friends hunting and fellowship at hunting camp then we had great neighbors that used to come over and eat and told tales I could cry for my family to be back to do it all over again God bless each and every one of them and the ones that are still alive maybe one day we will all be together to this all over again love every minute of it hunting and fellowship with each other I can't say enough about the times we had with our family God bless each and all my family and friends

  • @9252LIFE
    @9252LIFE7 ай бұрын

    Really enjoyed the video. Great storyline. Good luck out there tomorrow guys!

  • @johnlloyd732
    @johnlloyd7326 ай бұрын

    Love the video Love the history, thanks for sharing

  • @mikepeters771
    @mikepeters7716 ай бұрын

    My story is virtually the same. Grandpa started our camp in 1945. There's a hunters log too. Wow.

  • @campbenny
    @campbenny7 ай бұрын

    Loved this !!

  • @terryporche9059
    @terryporche90597 ай бұрын

    Great story on the camp

  • @discovertheup

    @discovertheup

    7 ай бұрын

    Thanks! It was great to see it in person and meet the guys!

  • @mikeveine
    @mikeveine7 ай бұрын

    Super good episode.

  • @discovertheup

    @discovertheup

    7 ай бұрын

    Thanks!!

  • @jerryjennings4504
    @jerryjennings45047 ай бұрын

    Great deer camp stories

  • @kenaidog6974
    @kenaidog69747 ай бұрын

    Thats awesome!

  • @user-jn9gv9ve6e
    @user-jn9gv9ve6e7 ай бұрын

    make a bucket mouse trap. works great.

  • @andrewkiesling3334
    @andrewkiesling33347 ай бұрын

    my kind of place

  • @discovertheup

    @discovertheup

    7 ай бұрын

    Mine too!

  • @discovertheup

    @discovertheup

    7 ай бұрын

    Mine too! Makes me miss our old one room shack.

  • @domsileo1145
    @domsileo11457 ай бұрын

    Look forward All year, each year to head to deer camp….

  • @discovertheup

    @discovertheup

    7 ай бұрын

    good luck this year!

  • @angusm9419
    @angusm94197 ай бұрын

    Great video.... did Liberace write that song?

  • @nateolmsted899
    @nateolmsted8997 ай бұрын

    Love it

  • @BdubbsVt
    @BdubbsVt7 ай бұрын

    Love this, but the original narrator?

  • @discovertheup

    @discovertheup

    7 ай бұрын

    Thanks, but I don't understand your question. If you're wondering where the last narrator went, Brian moved on to other projects (906 Outdoors) and a business he started. Buck, the original guy who started the show back in the early 80's, retired and passed away a few years ago.

  • @dougphillips8474

    @dougphillips8474

    6 ай бұрын

    Buck LaVasser? Was that his name? I remember watching Discovering in the early 80s when in high school@@discovertheup

  • @discovertheup

    @discovertheup

    6 ай бұрын

    @@dougphillips8474 Yes! Buck started the program back in the early 80's.

  • @dougphillips8474

    @dougphillips8474

    6 ай бұрын

    @@discovertheup your presentation evokes the spirit and feel of the original very well. I'm sure it's intentional. Nice job 👍🏼

  • @discovertheup

    @discovertheup

    6 ай бұрын

    Thank you!! It is intentional. I grew up watching the show too :) When I moved back to the U.P. after college almost 20 years ago, I thought "how cool it would be to do what Buck did..." @@dougphillips8474

  • @bearbait2221
    @bearbait22217 ай бұрын

    I'm a born Alaskan and have hunted the UP once many years ago in the so called porcupine "mountains". Didn't see much deer some spikes. What mountains?:0 nice country and people. My Uncle didn't know what i meant and could not figure out why i was looking for a tree line on the porcupine mountains. 20 years later he came to Alaska and i show him a real mountain with a tree line now he gets it. Deer camp was fun until some guys from Detroit came out set up a camp next to us with a live band and firing pistols allover the place a . LOL the 24'' buck is a good size buck. Too me a 65" moose is big in are camp. I feel i could carry a whole white tail on my frame pack and I laugh at the deer picking gadgets after packing a large moose. Each year we get 5 moose, pack that out than look at a wee lil whitetail :0 JK great camp cool bunch of guys keeping the hunts going LIKE THEY SHOULD don't let the softhanded city-idiots take hunting away. Enjoy your hunts without grizzlies around. I have had 3 different grizzlies try to steal my moose 3 mins after downing them. A shot up here is a dinner bell for huge bears.

  • @joewearsadroolbib7347
    @joewearsadroolbib73477 ай бұрын

    I'm sure you gentleman did the right thing and pulled a permit and paid the fees when you replaced the roof.

  • @cowmaneater1243
    @cowmaneater12436 ай бұрын

    Whats the intro song? Sounds like pete seeger

  • @hattorihanzo2275
    @hattorihanzo22756 ай бұрын

    Lions fans prohibited? Your Michigander card is hereby revoked and you are banished to Ohio.

  • @21cranberries21
    @21cranberries217 ай бұрын

    What is u.p....

  • @Jeff-sl8xz

    @Jeff-sl8xz

    7 ай бұрын

    Upper peninsula of the state of Michigan

  • @johnchaney1713
    @johnchaney17137 ай бұрын

    Get rid of your socialist governor and I would consider spending hunting/fishing/camping $$$$ in your state.

  • @davinmalette7973

    @davinmalette7973

    6 ай бұрын

    Nah… just stay where you are. If your first thought was to bring politics into this story, I don’t think this is the right place for you.

  • @Nyet103
    @Nyet1033 ай бұрын

    Looks like Heaven on earth to me.