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“Chet, your blind is closest to Grant. You didn’t hear him shoot, did you?” Jeff asked.
“Nope, I heard shots around 5 pm, but they must have been hunters from neighboring properties. Maybe Turk is with Eddie. At least, I hope so.”
Just as the guys were getting ready to split up and find the lost hunters, Grant burst into the camp with a case of beer under his arm.
“Who needs a Dirty Blonde beer?'' he asked the group. “The store in Manson carries almost any brand you can name.”
“Glad you’re back,'' Frenchie said. “We were starting to wonder if we needed to send out a search party for you.”
“Nah, I just figured we could use some different beer tonight, so I stopped at the store before returning. Hey, Where’s Turk and Eddie?”
Jeff and Chet decided to go out and try to find them. Before they could even get out the door, they heard the hum of a vehicle. Eddie pulled in on his UTV with a mature 8-point buck in the back. “Get that buck pool money ready, boys, cause I don’t think anyone will beat this swamp donkey.” Everyone in camp rushed out to see the buck. Eddie proudly told the story about how he harvested it. He also became concerned when they told him Turk hadn’t returned from the woods. Eddie and Chet jumped on the UTV and went to look for him. About a half hour later, they returned with Turk in tow. He had indeed gotten lost but managed to find his way back to his blind. Turk waited there for the “posse” to come and rescue him. The guys teased Turk about getting lost, and Frenchie offered to give him a bag of breadcrumbs to mark his way back the next day.
Turk said, “These woods sure look different at night. I got turned around in the dark within five minutes of leaving the blind. Anyway, sitting in that deer blind waiting for the posse gave me time to finish my pint of Captain Morgan.”
Now that everyone had returned, Elk announced, “Dinner is on the table. If anyone has any complaints or issues about the food, please write down your concern on a sheet of paper and file it in that big can in the corner labeled “Trash.”
Chapter sixteen
The second morning of deer season broke as a cold front moved into the area. The temperature dropped 20 degrees, and the wind picked up to 18 mph. “Better put on your extra pair of long johns,” Eddie announced when he went outside in the dark to pee. “It’s a cold one this morning…so cold I almost froze my pecker.”
“I guess I better shoot the big buck early this morning so I don’t have to stay out in the cold too long,” Mooch replied.
“Cold fronts are great to get the deer moving. I think this will be a good day to hunt,” Jeff offered. “I expect at least a couple more deer on the buck pole by tonight.”
“Breakfast is ready,” Elk called. “Come and get it. I’ve got scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast for anyone who wants it.” The scurry of men grabbing plates and rushing to the table confirmed that quite a few wanted it. The second morning didn’t have the frantic activity of the opening day. By now, the guys had their routines down. Most of their supplies and weapons were already in their blinds. Even Turk indicated he didn't need Eddie to escort him to his spot because he knew how to get there on his own.
Grant left the cabin about ten minutes before anyone else. “I’m outta here, guys,” he remarked. “Leaving now, so I can walk to the blind. Good Luck to everyone. I hope one of ya gets a nice one so my brother doesn’t win that buck pool again this year.”
The rest of the guys followed after Grant left. Even Frenchie walked to his blind because his foot finally felt better. Elk left camp a few minutes later than the others. Once in her blind, she popped in her earbuds and listened to the local radio station to pass the time.
Mooch saw fewer deer the second day despite hearing more shots in the woods. He suspected one of the shots came from Elk. He couldn’t figure out how she got so lucky. As lunchtime approached, Mooch decided to visit Chet’s blind. Mooch didn’t bring lunch because he left in a hurry and knew he could always bum some food from Chet. He knew Chet would probably tease him about being true to his nickname, Mooch, but his hunger pains outweighed his concern about being teased. He grabbed his gun, closed up his blind, and started the short walk to Chet’s.
About ten minutes later, Mooch came upon Chet’s blind and softly spoke to announce his arrival. “Hey Chet, don’t shoot me. I’m coming up behind your blind.” When he received no answer, he repeated his greeting. He cautiously opened the door and realized that Chet had left the blind. That surprised Mooch since Chet usually prided himself on hunting the entire day. Perhaps he got cold and went back to camp for chili. Since Mooch had no idea where Chet went, he decided it would be ok to help himself to one of the ham sandwiches Chet packed in his lunch. Chet had two sandwiches, four candy bars, an apple, and some beef jerky in his lunchbox. Mooch figured “borrowing” a sandwich, a candy bar, and a bit of jerky would be ok. It still left plenty for Chet when he returned. Besides, if Chet walked back to camp for lunch, he wouldn’t need the food anyway.
Mooch sat back, enjoying his lunch, waiting for Chet to return. After a half hour, with no sign of him, he prepared to walk back to his blind. Then he saw movement in the trees, and a buck emerged. He threw up his binoculars and saw a five-point buck. Clearly not big enough to shoot. Mooch thought it might be for the best because he could just imagine how Chet would react if he shot a big buck out of his blind. There would be plenty of time in the evening to tease Chet about failing to hunt the entire day.
Elk returned to the camp before noon on the second day with an 8-point buck similar in size to Eddie’s. Her hunt had played out almost exactly as she predicted. The buck she saw the previous day had returned to nearly the same spot around 9:00 am. It was a relatively easy shot for Elk, resulting in a clean kill of the buck. She expertly field dressed the deer and managed, with great effort, to load it in the UTV and haul it back to camp. She hung it up on the buck pole herself, expertly using the winch to aid her efforts.
Elk was in a great mood for a couple of reasons. First, she might win the buck pool because her deer looked bigger than Eddie’s. They would have to measure and likely argue it out to determine the winner. Second, the venison would be a great donation to the local food bank, one of the numerous causes she regularly supported. Underneath her crusty exterior, Elk had a heart of gold. She volunteered to help out at the hospice and also participated in driving for the “Meals on Wheels” program. Elk also donated to many worthy causes in the community, especially if they related to kids. She always remembered growing up with her mom in the restaurant when they could barely make ends meet. She also remembered Max Koehler’s help multiple times when things were tough.
This past spring, Elk started a kids’ field day at Roads End for foster children ages 8-12. She invited ten kids to stay overnight at the camp. They hiked, fished, told stories, and roasted hotdogs over the open fire. Elk planned to make this an annual event once Grant approved the endeavor. Grant even offered to pay the expenses for the event, but Elk would not hear of it. This was her program, and she wanted to help out the children herself. Elk carefully guarded this aspect of her life and embraced the rough-talking exterior that most people saw. All the guys at Roads End had seen this side of Elk, but she carefully hid it from most people. Mooch remembered when he and his wife got COVID at the same time and were bedridden. Elk did shopping for them the whole time and would not accept anything in payment. Frenchie once had a blood clot in his leg that hospitalized him a couple of years ago. Elk visited him daily in the hospital and even snuck in her legendary chocolate chip cookies to make his stay more bearable. For these reasons, the guys at Roads End happily endured the insults and sarcasm from Elk. They knew her as a person who would do anything for you if she considered you a friend.
One by one, the men returned to camp and stopped by the buck pole to admire Elk’s deer. Per the tradition, they all gathered in front of the fire with a glass of draft beer, telling stories of bucks seen but not harvested. Elk stood in her usual position in the kitchen, getting dinner ready. Deep-fried walleye with broasted potatoes and a garden salad were featured on the menu. She knew enough to bring extra fish to feed the hungry hunters after a day in the woods.
“Hey, Chet, where the hell were you when I came to visit you for lunch?” Mooch inquired.
“Oh, I decided to take a walk and stretch my legs over by the Orchard.”
“We always meet on the second day of rifle season for lunch. I guess you just forgot about your buddy.”
“Sorry, Mooch, I guess I did forget. I saw by my missing food you made yourself at home anyway. Let’s make it tomorrow for lunch, and I’ll be there for sure.”
About 45 minutes after dark, Jeff again brought up the fact that all the guys were not back again. “Anybody see or hear from Grant or Turk?”
I heard many shots today. One may have been Grant,” replied Eddie. “I’ll bet Turk got lost again, and we can probably go pick him up at his blind. Let’s wait a few more minutes, and if they don’t show up, we’ll send out the posse again and collect em.”
Only a few minutes later, Chet returned from his bunk. “Guys, I think I figured out why Turk ain’t here. His bunk is empty, and all his gear is gone. He left this envelope addressed to the Roads End Camp on his bunk.”
