2013 R/W Family Deer Camp

-Charles standing and Ken sitting at Charles's "Meat Stand"

 My wife's cousin's, Ken from Tulsa and Charles from Oklahoma City, made the trip over this past November for our first annual 'Robertson/Williamson Family Deer Camp'. We'd talked about it a few times over the years but this was the first time we actually accomplished it thanks to Charles. Although neither of the three of us "harvested" a deer that opening weekend, we sure had a real good time!

As is usually the case when you get a few men together out in the woods for this kind of event, there ends up being a funny story or two to tell; the kind that typically get bigger and funnier as time goes on. Our 1st annual R/W deer camp was no exception. One of the funniest things that occurred (aside from the flying spider incident of 2013 and of course not counting when Charles duped Ken into setting up on an old worn out deer decoy thinking it was an actual deer) was helping Charles excavate and defoliate the spot he'd picked out where he intended to set up for his opening day deer ambush. Ken and I spent an hour or so helping Charles dig out a spot on the side of a steep hill so Charles would have a good place to sit in his very well used and nearly worn out folding camp chair. Ken offered to buy him a new one but Charles seemed rather attached to this one and turned down his big brother's generous offer.

~Charles working to clear shooting lanes

After digging and pruning and dragging and digging a little bit more, we finally had Charles's spot ready for opening day and he seemed pleased with the results.

~Charles posing for posterity

~Ken clearing an "over the back" shooting lane

Later on as we road around the property and I showed the guys several other potential hunting locations, Charles asked, "Why did you let me waste all our time working on that spot on the side of that ravine when these other spots are so much better?" I told him that since I thought he knew as much or more about deer hunting as I did, I figured he'd seen something he liked on the side of that darn cliff. We decided that going forward this spot would forever more be known as "Charles's meat stand".

~Ken and Charles while the meat was grilling

On the second night of camp, Charles prepaired and grilled some venison back-strap and tenderloin from a "management buck" Ken had whacked a couple of weeks earlier. I will say, that was the finest wild game I've had in my life--bar none!  Nearly everyone I know wraps wild game in bacon (sometimes in an effort to kill the taste of the wild game) and I've had some where you'd a been better off throwing away the meat and eating the bacon, but in this case the meat was actually better than the bacon--simply outstanding!

That's Charles behind the barn bar. I don't know if this was his first picture with a cowboy hat but I thought it turned out pretty darn good. The only beverages that got drank besides my one or two beers was a few "sodies" as Grandma Keil would have said (sodie is "Central Missouri" for soft drink). That empty bottle of Russell's brand bourbon on top the bar is primarily for atmosphere and as I recall got itself drank quite some time ago by a band of rapscallions I had out there for a BBQ and 'Shoot Fest'.

And that's Ol' Ken on our second night at camp relaxing in my favorite cabin chair after fueling up on that outstanding venison back strap--Ted Nugent himself couldn't have done no better. Did I mention it was real good?











I took this picture as the sun set on the second day of our first annual Robertson/Williamson Family deer camp. It was a good time had by all and I'm confident I'll always remember it.

Post Script: Turns out Charles did not actually die after getting bit by the "flying spider"...but dang, to Ken and myself for a while there it sure sounded like he might!