Hunting Camp

Welcome to my hunting camp. We started in 1980 and have been after the deer, turkey and fish from one end of West Point Lake to the other. I guess we've hounded them pretty hard at times but we've done them no harm. Usually the 7 of us (and a few guests) harvest around 50 deer per year off the lake, but it hasn't done any harm. Troup County, Georgia was blessed with 34.6 deer per square mile at the beginning of last fall's deer season. Most of the members of my club have become strictly bow hunters for the better part of the last 7 years. Usually we travel to our stands across the various parts of the lake by boat and I suppose at times more than one bass fisherman has watched us on a boat ramp and thought he was seeing an amphibious landing of camouflaged Indians. It's amazing how friendly bass fishermen with $20,000 bass boats can be when everyone starts loading guns into $300 jon boats on a boat ramp. Sometimes they literally give us that ramp.

I still rely heavily on my slug gun but that's all right. We only have one rule at camp and it's worked for 18 years now:

We started out years ago with tents in a place that turned into a mud bath by the end of every season. From there we saw pop up campers and now we have a small trailer with a screened in room attached to the front and a 20x20 foot awning off to the side. I guess we're spoiled in a way. Hot and Cold running water, microwave, shower, color TV (but it only picks up one channel), refrigerator, stove, oven, air conditioning, and an out house with electricity!

J. R. Tidwell is a lineman with Georgia Power. He has been finding great success in 3-D target shooting by winning the 1998 Florida State Championship and the 1997 Indiana State Championship. "JR" probably has well over 50 bow harvests but you'd never know it to meet him. What's his favorite deer?

"The next one!"

Gerald Hendrix is an operations manager with a local vending company and he is probably the best friend I've ever had. He taught me how to deer hunt. In 1987, he bought a new Remmington 700, shot one deer with it, laid it down and picked up his bow. He has yet to lay the bow back down.

"June Bug" Lewis ain't nothing but a deer dragging' fool! This boy had rather hunt than eat. Don't get me wrong, he can hold his own at any grocery table. "June Bug" has been known to pick up a "smoke pole" from time to time as well. He's about the only person I know who has taken a deer in full run with one.

Larry Hendrix is Gerald's brother and lives in Mississippi. He religiously commutes back to his favorite hunting place every weekend of hunting season and has been know to even take a day or two of sick leave due to "buck fever". Larry is a manager for a Vending company and his children are grown.

I have never laughed as hard or for as long at any comedian as I have at Buck Norton. Buck is a Lineman for Georgia Power and a proud father of two. Buck can harvest a pine tree with a bow quicker than any man I've ever met and tell you the story in such a way that you'll never forget it. Many is the time I've looked out of my deer stand and chuckled over one of his stories.

Here I am. I'm an Advanced Computer Support Technician with the MicroBilt Corporation and I have 3 children. I do hunt with my Jennings Uniforce but I'm not as serious with a bow as my hunting buddies. Usually you'll find me up a tree with my Mossberg Ultimag Slug Gun.

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Cleve Hendrix is a journeyman mechanic with Georgia Power. Cleve is married with 1 son. Cleve exclusively bow hunts and harvested 3 deer this year. Cleve enjoys turkey hunting and white water rafting.

Thanksgiving weekend 1996, David Lewis had a great 4 day hunt. He brought his son, step-son and brother in law to our camp. We had a great time. We laughed, joked and ate like kings. David went home that following Sunday and was mortally stricken by a heart attack. David was a great father of 3, hunter, bowman, and friend. He bowhunted exclusively, and had called up every member of this club's first turkey. David was 39.

We are better men for having known you David. Rest easy brother....you are deeply missed.