Photo taken from the truck parked on the strip mine hill side. |
If you read earlier about the origin of camp drafty, you
will remember that I talked about how no one had ever ventured far from the camp to hunt
and how unsuccessful they had been. When we decided to explore, this is where we
ended up. In the photo to the left you see a row of pine trees. Those pines
are along a stream that flows to the left on the image and eventually empties into Toby
Creek about 2 miles down stream which happens to be very close to the original location of
camp drafty. |
When we decided to explore we walked up a
1 mile fire trail to the end as we had several times in the past. Only now, we chose
to explore about another mile up the valley and along the stream which lead us to a large
bare mountain top we later found out was an old strip mining project that had been
replanted and now is covered with small trees. This bare mountain can be seen in the
first two images on this page. Looking at the first photo you can see a trail that
heads up the hill to the treeline. Over the top of that hill and up the valley to
the left is where we found one of the greatest spots for Whitetail I have ever hunted in
Pa. |
Photo taken looking at the truck parked on the strip mine hillside. |
Blind found at the end of the valley. |
For several years we left well before sunrise and walked
the two miles back into the valley which ended in a large bowl shape, taking our time not
to work up a sweat that could prove to ruin a days hunt because of the frigid
temperatures. After much exploration we found the blind you see to the right.
I have no idea how many years it was there but I do know that it is very sturdy and was
well positioned. It is located about 100 yards up the side of the valley looking
down into the bowl shaped Whitetail collection area with several deer trails that criss
cross all around it. |
| I have taken two doe and two buck from this blind and would
hunt there in a second if it wasn't so far from the new camp drafty. After a bit of
investigation we found out that there was a back road that the old strip mining project
used but only a 4 wheel drive vehicle could make it. This was outstanding news
because we could drive to within a half mile of our hunting spots and park on the hill
side, giving us a few extra hours of sleep and eliminating the sweat problem associated
with the long walk in. |
Same blind, different angle. |
This spot proved to be successful for many reasons. The main reason had to do with
the fact that all the hunters entering the woods along the main road 2 miles downstream
were pushing all the deer up the valleys that all met in the area we were hunting.
You could literally set your watch by the herds of deer that would practically run you
over soon after sunrise. Slowly you would hear the shooting 2 miles away then closer
and closer and about an hour after sunrise the deer would be walking all around you in
groups of 15 to 20 and in some cases over 30 deer!! It was a dream come true.
We sneak in the back way and let all the hunters push the deer to us. It worked for
several years, in fact, I took three friends over and guaranteed them to get a shot the
opening day. By 9am me and my dad had a buck each and all three of them had seen or
missed a buck each. If you can't hit em, you can't get em! Unfortunately, all
good things are discovered eventually and each year there were more and more trucks parked
on the bare mountain side with us. Finally, my dad purchased the new camp drafty
which was again in a prime location and now an hours drive from this valley. Why
drive an hour when you can kill a buck in the back yard!! That is why we have quit
hunting this area, although I do miss it.Here are a few shots of some successful
ventures up the valley.
|
| This one was killed by my dad up the valley the
morning we had three of my buddies with us. |
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 |
As you can see, when I shot this deer it took a tumble
and the left antler cracked and was lying next to the deer's head when I found him. |
| The two of ours in the back of the truck. I
positioned the broken antler to look like it was attached then we went to push for my
three buddies. Fooled ya didn't I!! |
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All down hill from here! |
This was another deer killed from the blind and as you
can see, just after I began my drag a light snow began to fall. I waited about 30
minutes and had a half inch of snow which made the drag back extremely easy. |
| Here is yet another buck killed from the valley.
This photo was taken in the pines below the bare mountain side where we park.
You can see the small stream that runs through the trees. You can bet those
pines hold some deer when they get pressured. |
 |
 |
Me at about age 17 killing yet another deer, a doe,
from the valley. |
| Same deer as above. The hardest part was
dragging the deer up over the mountain, down to the stream then up the hill to the truck. |
Gotta love those mountains! |
|
|
Dad down along the pines again. |
| One Last Tale The one
that got away!
Now there is a bit of a story to the two photo's to the right. This was an
extremely cold season and we were at the truck for lunch and to warm up. The truck
was parked at the end of the fire trail that I am standing on in the bottom photo.
This is the same trail that led to our valley and follows the stream to Toby Creek.
Well, we decided why sit in the truck and eat when we can walk to Toby across the street
and eat lunch and watch for deer. Just as we began to eat, we noticed deer coming
toward us on the other side of the creek and one was a buck. I would have been
extremely difficult to get across Toby and to drive around to the other side is next to
impossible so I wasn't going to shoot him over there. Just as I made that decision,
he jumped into the creek about 20 yards below me and began to cross. What was
amazing was that Toby was uncharacteristically high and fast and the deer timed the
current perfectly to drift enough so that he could exit at the point where my dad is
standing in the above photo. |
This spot is etched in my mind forever!!
You gotta love a light snow during deer season!
|
| Well, just as the deer exited, a fine 8 point
I might add, I squeezed of a perfect shot and he jumped straight up into the air and
tumble back down into the creek. I hurried over in amazement and realized that the
strong currents had pulled the buck into the stream. We drove down stream 5 miles
and worked our way back but never did find that deer. That was a very disappointing
event. Knowing that you injured or in this case killed a deer and can't retrieve it
can really put a damper on a great day of hunting. Since then, I have never hunted
near water that was more than ankle deep! 
That's what it's all about!
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