Hunting. Camp Pranks

[TimberJunkie]

For the past 20 years hunting camp has been a great place to live without grudges, pride, or taking yourself to seriously. Our camps always involve some great comradery. Nobody to impress, but a great place one up your fathers, sons, friends and everyone in between, and I don't mean by shooting the biggest buck, bull, bear, or goat. It's so great to simply see the look on everyone's faces to know that you have just pulled off a great prank, and nobody is furious or emarrased.

My brother in law is famous for the deer penis in the bottom of a cold sleeping bag, or the occasional firecrackers in the wall tent wood stove at 4am. I once even had a dead mouse in my slipper that was trapped in the tent. What a strange feeling on bare feet at 2am when I went out to pee. There are timeless classics that I hope my kids kids will appreciate, and always some flops that were of the greatest intentions. Going out to meet the game warden in my underwear was less than appreciated.

So with most hunting seasons behind us for the year, tell some stories and let us all know what the best pranks are that you have seen, or been the victim of. Without being too dirty, or incriminating, I think this is the stuff to focus on around the holidays.

Happy holidays to all and look forward to hearing from you all.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

My Grandfather was a great prankster who always was ready for a laugh. I have mentioned in posts in the past about our families annual deer hunting trips into a wilderness area in California's High Sierras, which we started in 1945 and continues every year.

One of our friends was a short, really loud Italian with a very heavy beard. As our trips usually last 10 days or so, he used to shave after the 4th or 5th day. He used a safety razor and lathered up a lot. It was a real experience for me (as I was maybe 13 or 14) to watch the whole show. This time he started to shave and started yelling and cussing about the cheap blades he had. After trying to shave with 3 or 4 blades, blood flowing from cuts, plenty of yelling and swearing, he saw Gramps laughing and almost in tears! Finally everyone in camp is whooping and hollering so much, he knew something was up. Gramps finally admitted he had taken every one of the blades and dulled them on his whetstone!

Another time one of our hunter friends decided that this trip was the opportune time to give up chewing snuff. He only brought a partial can with him into the backcountry. After a couple of days, he ran out and was going crazy. He bummed cigarettes from the smokers and took the tobacco, mixed it with cooking oil to make his own snuff. All he could talk about was when we got back to the pack station store, he could get some more Copenhagen. Well Gramps was the first one off his horse at the stables when we got back and he ran to the store and bought all the snuff they had. We all sat outside drinking our customary post trip beer when we heard a loudest commotion inside the store and figured what was up. Gramps was laughing so hard he almost fell out of his chair!

My grandfather was a great practical joker as well as a damn good hunter. My memories will last me as long as I live and are great stories retold at campfires over the years.

 

[highplainsdrifter]

Several years ago, four of us decided to go on a spring turkey hunt in the Black Hills of Northeastern Wyoming. Shortly after we arrived, it started to rain and snow. It was bone chilling cold! Three of us decided to skip the evening hunt and play cards in a small pickup camper one of the guys had brought along. The fourth guy, Mike, decided to go turkey hunting despite the weather. We tried to talk him out of it, but he would have none of it.

When he returned to camp at dark, we told him the "stupidity police" had stopped by and checked us. The three of us all passed inspection, but when we told him you were out hunting the officer became upset and put a lock on your tent. The lock would not be removed until you went to town to pay a fine. Of course, Mike didn't believe us and we settled into an evening in the camper. We ate our dinner and played some more cards. A couple of times, we reminded him that he should go to town to pay his fine before bedtime.

When it was time to go to bed, the three of us lingered in the camper while Mike found his flash light and made his way to his tent. We waited in tense anticipation for the outburst we knew was coming. Soon the swearing began. He had found the small luggage paddle lock we had put on the door of his tent. The ground shook, and we could hear rocks rolling off the nearby Devils Tower. The Tower has not looked the same since that April turkey hunt.

 

[ivorytip]

oh man, these are great, im looking forward to more. this last hunting season when I got that famous bobcat that gave me some trouble..... when I got back that night it was dark and the others hadn't made it back yet. I pulled the cat out of the pack and ran up the mountain to the trail I knew they'd be headed back on, I found some sticks and propped the cats head up right in the middle of the trail. one of the guys was in the mountains for his very first time, he wanted to see what it was about..... I went back to camp and threw taters onions and some mountain chicken on the ole camp chef for everyone, as I was cooking I heard the loudest yell come off the mountain. haha, I almost peed myself! he was still shaking when they walked into camp, my hunting buddy just shook his head at me and said, just wait man, just wait. haha

 

[6mm Remington]

We all know how much sleep kids need. It was my first year of hunting and we were elk hunting near where we live. As we were driving along heading to a new location to get out and do some foot travel lets say I was just checking the back-side of my eyelids to see if there were any holes in them. All of a sudden my dad slams on the brakes in the pickup coming to a halt on the mountain road. He yells elk and jumps out and fires a round into a tree. I'm pinned in the middle of the pickup between my father and my uncle when dad slammed on the brakes. I was like a fart in a skillet trying to get out and see where these elk were. Of course by the time I manage to get out of the pickup with my rifle, they were laughing so hard they were about to pee their pants.

Another time I was taking a siesta between hunting locations when a small herd of about 5 range cattle crossed the road in front of us. My dad stopped the pickup and told me that some elk had just crossed in front of us and their tracks were really fresh as could be seen by looking at them. I got my rifle and started to sneak after these "elk" and being only 12 years old I did not realize that those elk tracks were actually slow elk (beef cattle). I snuck up over this rise and was only about 30 yards from the truck when I jerked my rifle up as I spotted the "elk" grazing along. Oh yes they thought it was hysterical. I wish I would have had the thought immediately and pulled up my rifle and fired a round harmlessly in a safe direction and started yelling I got one, I got one. Sure would have turned the table on those two jerks!

I sure miss my father and the great times that we had hunting, fishing, and doing things together outdoors.

 

[Maxhunter]

Some great prank stories keep them coming!

 

[DRUSS]

these stories bring back many elk camp memories...... my grandpa was in the middle of many a prank every season. morning firecrackers in the wall tent? always I quick wake up. extra black pepper in the snuff can left out, putting the old spark plug into the chainsaw before the wood cutting for camp wood started, and of course leaving the beer in the snow most of the night just to line some sleeping bags with them. most of our group has since broken up but still see each other and reminisce about many of these stories. was always memorable being in elk camp

 

[mallardsx2]

Nobody is in the mood for pranks by the time I get to 10,000' of elevation... I get gas really bad when riding in a pickup for along period of time.. Nothing I can do but roll the windows down...lol

Seriously....frowny faces when we get there...hahahaha except for me lol

 

[ivorytip]

haha, my buddy I hunt with regularly is Hispanic, this year I decorated our base campsite with a 2foot tall donkey and a 2 foot tall Pedro wearing a sombrero, I had to keep an eye on the sheep hearder.... last year he got welcome into camp by seeing a piñata hanging in the middle of the big canvas tent. and I always have a bag of cilantro.... haha he has a good sense of humor. good friend. I went back up after they tore camp down after season closed to hike back in to get my blind, I noticed he left our camp mascots against the tree where we camped. I dropped them off next to his mail box on my way home. they found their way into the back of my truck at some point.

 

[jjenness]

Bow hunting in the Missouri breaks a few years ago, and when we came back to camp after coyoting out for a night we found some Californians had set up a giant wall tent right next to our truck, and they had a 5 point bull rack on the ground outside. Me being inquisitive of who these guys were, and wanting to know how they managed to kill a bull so quick I knocked on their tent and I was quickly invited in. They were cooking up the back straps and were gracious enough to invite my brother in law and I in for dinner. We returned to our tent to clean up, and when we got back into their wall tent and began to eat I was offered a seat next to the support pole. It was fairly dark, and all of the sudden one of the Californians started to jump up and scream and yell, all while pointing at my feet. I no sooner look down and see a 4 foot rattle snake coiled up under my chair! Naturally I jump up and spill my dinner and then the laughs began. I quickly realized they had killed the snake and planted it for the unsuspecting guy like myself. I sure pulled one over on them! Dirty buggers!

 

[TimberJunkie]

You guys are great....Lots of laughs for me. I love the stories. Keep em coming. My father in law passed away four years ago today and was the best prankster and practical joker I ever met. Not much of a hunter, but a true prince among men with a a huge heart and more smarts than I will ever have.

One morning we were going pheasant hunting and he said he'd pick me up around 5am. When he got to the house it was about 20 degrees out. He had an old 68 Chevy stepside that he loved to drive, but when I got in he said to bundle up because the heater had gone out. It was a cold 30 minute drive. Of course I bitched all day about it. On the way home, he turned on the heater and it was working just fine. It was all a joke just so he could hear me complain about it.

 

[Umpqua Hunter]

I have one I have long wanted to pull but never have. Get some Tootsie Rolls and roll them and make about ten "elk droppings" and stick them in a baggie. When I'm out with a new elk hunter I plant them secretively on the trail...."There's some elk sign"....kick at a few of them.....and smoosh those under my feet. Then pick one up and squish it a bit between my fingers....then pull it up to my nose and take a whiff as I contemplate what I am dealing with...finally pop one in my mouth...."Fresh, probably about 2 hours old".

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I have one I have long wanted to pull but never have. Get some Tootsie Rolls and roll them and make about ten "elk droppings" and stick them in a baggie. When I'm out with a new elk hunter I plant them secretively on the trail...."There's some elk sign"....kick at a few of them.....and smoosh those under my feet. Then pick one up and squish it a bit between my fingers....then pull it up to my nose and take a whiff as I contemplate what I am dealing with...finally pop one in my mouth...."Fresh, probably about 2 hours old".

That my friend would be something to see................

 

[tdcour]

I have one I have long wanted to pull but never have. Get some Tootsie Rolls and roll them and make about ten "elk droppings" and stick them in a baggie. When I'm out with a new elk hunter I plant them secretively on the trail...."There's some elk sign"....kick at a few of them.....and smoosh those under my feet. Then pick one up and squish it a bit between my fingers....then pull it up to my nose and take a whiff as I contemplate what I am dealing with...finally pop one in my mouth...."Fresh, probably about 2 hours old".

An older guy that used to let me hunt on his land did this to a guy. He told me the story and I about died laughing. He used milk duds though.

 

[6mm Remington]

That's funny guys! Nicely done.

 

[bigmoose]

Some funny stories here. This is one that I did to one of my hunting buddies.

We were hunting Colorado in our favorite place. It was opening morning and we were hunting near each other. We split up at the truck and then walked in the dark to get where we wanted to be at first light. About 8 o'clock I hear a shot coming from my buddy's direction. I stayed put for another half hour and then thought I'd go see if he had anything and needed some help.

After climbing back out of the basin, I spotted him with a buck on the ground in a open saddle. He had killed a really good 30 inch 4X4 that would gross 195 or so. A once in a lifetime buck for him and he was quite excited about the buck. He had already cut the buck in half and we drug the halves into the quakies away from the gut pile.

I offered to cape the buck for him and he headed back to the truck to get the pack frames. As I started on the cape I noticed him heading back the way he came which was up the mountain and then back down the other side. I knew a short cut. After getting the buck caped, I grabbed the head with the cape and took off for the truck. When I got there the pack frames were gone so I locked up the head in the truck and quickly hiked back to the meat. I beat him there. I sat down facing a tree and wrapped my arms around it and then looped the rope around my wrists. When my buddy came back with the pack frames he gave me a weird look and then I explained that a couple other guys came by and tied me up and took his head. The look on his face as he looked all around for his buck...

I finally burst out laughing and told him that I had beat him back to the truck. I guess I was lucky that he gave me a ride back to camp after that... he thinks it's funny now.

 

[Matthoek21]

Some funny stories here. This is one that I did to one of my hunting buddies.

We were hunting Colorado in our favorite place. It was opening morning and we were hunting near each other. We split up at the truck and then walked in the dark to get where we wanted to be at first light. About 8 o'clock I hear a shot coming from my buddy's direction. I stayed put for another half hour and then thought I'd go see if he had anything and needed some help.

After climbing back out of the basin, I spotted him with a buck on the ground in a open saddle. He had killed a really good 30 inch 4X4 that would gross 195 or so. A once in a lifetime buck for him and he was quite excited about the buck. He had already cut the buck in half and we drug the halves into the quakies away from the gut pile.

I offered to cape the buck for him and he headed back to the truck to get the pack frames. As I started on the cape I noticed him heading back the way he came which was up the mountain and then back down the other side. I knew a short cut. After getting the buck caped, I grabbed the head with the cape and took off for the truck. When I got there the pack frames were gone so I locked up the head in the truck and quickly hiked back to the meat. I beat him there. I sat down facing a tree and wrapped my arms around it and then looped the rope around my wrists. When my buddy came back with the pack frames he gave me a weird look and then I explained that a couple other guys came by and tied me up and took his head. The look on his face as he looked all around for his buck...

I finally burst out laughing and told him that I had beat him back to the truck. I guess I was lucky that he gave me a ride back to camp after that... he thinks it's funny now.

Thats funny right there! I bet he bout had a $h!7 fit? lol

 

[ivorytip]

ha that's great!

 

[ivorytip]

my brother said he might come up on a day during one of the days I was up on mountain, didn't know what day but at first light I was set up where I wanted to be and heard some cow talk coming up from below me. but the talking kept going and going all in the same tone and I just knew it had to be my brother, there's a reason I don't and haven't archery hunted with him in a long time. I let out a scream just to see what answered back and sure enough I hear the sad attempt of someone trying to make a bugle with a mouth reed and no diaphragm and having heard him do this exact thing before and him really being the only other one that's knows that canyon I just knew it was him. so I decided to play with him. I screamed again and ran down into the trees breaking every branch and slamming branches against tree trunks. I pull our nocks and find him hunkered in front of a big pine with his bow set and ready to go.
spent at least an hour messing with him then circled around and came up from behind him. "get down get down" he says "there's a big bull about 100 yrds up" hahaha that was fun.

 

[dan maule]

I come from a family with twelve boys, hunting camp and practical jokes are staple of our lives. My favorite happened about twenty years ago. One of my brothers would always get up to camp late about 9 or 10 PM. The rest of us were sitting around plotting and came up with a plan. We went to the buck pole cut the tail off of a buck put it in my brothers sleeping bag. We tied fishing string to the tail ran it through the zipper of the sleeping bag down to the bunk below. When my brother finally showed up we began to tell him about the huge rat that we had seen running around the camp and how we tried to catch it and couldn't. When we all went to bed we timed it perfectly and about a minute after my brother got comfortable in his bunk we started to slowly pull on the fishing string running the deer tail right across his leg. He let out a scream that would make a teenage girl proud he jump from his bunk and actually put his head through the ceiling. To this day I cannot think about it without laughing uncontrollably.