Camp

2023 Fall Hunting Season Underway

Here is the CPHC team on opening weekend of the fall deer season. We had a great opening day harvest with nine deer. You can see photos in the album.

Conditions were just about perfect. Sunny, cool and dry. We saw more than one buck following does and harvested a mix. So, there is venison in the coolers and we enjoyed spending time in the woods and camp. It was relaxing but there is also quite a bit of work that goes with it. We skin/de-bone the deer and put the meat in coolers with salt and ice. As that melts we drain them and add more salt and ice. It’s a good brine and we usually keep it in there for a week or more before cutting up for packing and processing. That’s my next job this week!

So, there are lots more opportunities for the CPHC this season. Hope to see you from there again soon.

2023-24 Deer Season Photo Album

2022 Hunt Success

The only time I got to hunt during the 2022-23 season was opening weekend and a couple days. However, it was successful. This was a late day buck I harvested from a ground blind. He was a big body, making me think he was not young. However, he did have a nice rack and it had a lot of red color in it, although that doesn’t show well in the photo.

We not more deer on this first hunt and when other team members were on site. We’re preparing for the 2023-24 season already and hoping for an another great and safe time in the woods on the Pig.

Here are some photos from our hunt: 2022-23 CPHC Photo Album

2021 Opening Weekend Was Fantastic

The opening days of the 2021 deer season were beautiful and successful. Eli bagged a monster buck on opening day. This is the best rack we’ve brought to camp yet.

We harvested a few more deer including some does and a large body spike.

Most of the team was on hand for all or part of our first hunt of the season. We spent more time cleaning up our camp area, fixing and filling feeders and the continuous job of mowing trails and roads. The Pig is in good shape and we’ll be back out at the next opportunity.

2021-22 CPHC Photo Album

Work Weekend to Prep For Fall Hunt

It’s that time. Time to mow trails and around stands, filling up feeders and making sure they’re working, doing more camp organization and repairing various things. Most of the CPHC Team is on location to get things done.

The summer has had perfect weather for growing grass and weeds. In fact, it is probably the thickest we’ve ever seen it. In addition to mowing we’ve also had to clear low tree branches that have grown across the narrow part of our trails.

At camp we’ve been getting rid of items that seem to collect on their own and are never needed. Our camper needed some repair work and now it’s working great. We had an AC problem which is pretty important on a hot summer day!

We’ll need at least one more weekend like this before mid-October and we should be ready to harvest some venison! And probably some pork.

2021-22 CPHC Photo Album

Early Work Days for 2021-22 Deer Season

It was a beautiful but hot and humid day at the Crystal Pig Hunt Club. I spent a couple days mowing the yard and the path to our closest feeder, straightening up camp, taking a few large bags of “stuff” to the dumpster, cleaning inside the RV, spraying lots of bug spray and weed killer, spread fire ant killer, changed oil in generator which is a backup now that we have electric installed and more.

Our biggest issue has been mice in the RV. It’s a constant battle. We’re trying some new tactics this year and hopefully they will work.

So, camp is in pretty good shape since it will be a while before we can get back out. We’ll get trails mowed soon and then again just prior to season.

It is a challenge to get the whole team together anymore since the “young guns” have jobs.

You can see photos from this year and the fall season as we get them in this online album: 2021-22 CPHC Photo Album

Opening Weekend Success

We had the best weather for opening days of the season at the Crystal Pig Hunt Club that we’ve had yet and took advantage of it to harvest a few deer. Paul and I got these bucks on the same afternoon. We have seen some much larger racks and will be back, hopefully during the rut.

We saw a lot of deer and mostly does. I had a spike buck walk up underneath me while sitting in my stand. He literally sniffed the foot of the ladder. I let him go since we have lots of better choices and maybe he’ll be back nest year.

A couple of us were on site before opening day and glad we did that. Basically, all our feeders were not working for different reasons. We had to change motors, batteries, re-program and refill. Of course, it’s a good workout. But the property is in the best shape for hunting since we leased it.

One of the most significant improvements to our camp is the installation of electricity. We’re run a lot of hours on generators over the years and now everything is quiet and we have lots of outlets to handle everything we need electricity for.

Big thanks go out to John Deere for the use of a new Gator which we’re test driving, making notes and will be writing about soon.

I’ve got updated photos from our hunt. 2020 Crystal Pig Hunt Club Photo Album

Final Prepping for the 2020 Deer Hunt

We’re getting closer to opening day for Georgia firearm deer season. So the CPHC Team has been on location, mowing, checking feeders and filling them, camp cleaning and of course, relaxing a little bit.

When we got to camp last weekend the grass was the tallest in the camp yard that we’ve ever had. In the morning there were thousands of bees buzzing in it. It was so loud you could hear it very clearly. I think there’s a short video clip of them in our photo album. There is no lack of pollinators on our property.

We have installed electricity and have a couple of container pods at camp for storage. So far, everything is looking pretty good. Now we just need the weather to cooperate as we get ready for another great year of hunting.

2020-21 CPHC Photo Album

Retrieving a Buck From the Thickets with a Can-Am

Although the 2018 deer season in central Georgia was not the best we’ve ever had it was not the worst. We harvested deer. Saw more deer and got a lot of work done to make a growing pine forest easier to hunt in.

This is my last post from the season since I had to show what one of the most important benefits of having a good utility vehicle with the right accessories is. Besides getting you to and from your deer stand there’s the issue of bringing a large animal out of some of the worst conditions possible. In our case that was a buck in 6 to 10 feet high pricker vine thickets that are covering a hillside and across a creek bed. My bother Paul got the deer down the hill to the creek somehow. I got the Can-Am Defender we had the honor to be using as close to the creek bed as I could. From there we let the WARN winch do the rest. That last 40 yards may not have been possible without it!

I had hoped to shoot a lot more video this season but conditions were mostly rainy, windy, muddy and filled with scratches and learning how the pine growth and intense weed growth has changed patterns and paths for the deer. We learned a lot and have some very high hopes for the next season and sure hope we can do it with a Can-Am!

Photos from Crystal Pig Hunt Club 2018 Hunt

Taking a Can-Am Out in the Woods

I’m a little behind updating here. The CPHC team has had a great start to the season.

Here’s my next episode in a series coming to you from the Crystal Pig Hunt Club (CPHC) in Georgia. In this episode the focus is going to be on a Can-Am Defender XT which has been provided to us to use and evaluate how well it is suited to some serious deer hunting.

CPHC member, Paul Zimmerman, my brother, has been doing most of the driving in this vehicle, although I have done some also. In the video below we chat about our first impressions while riding out of camp for a load of firewood. You might see in the bed of the Defender a short swivel seat stand that we strapped into it, making the Defender a mobile deer stand!

Some first impressions on using the Can-Am include:

It has lots of power but runs quiet
The suspension is amazing
The turning radius has made is easier to turn around on narrow trails than we expected
Some accessories like winch and side/back panels around bed have come in very handy

So, that’s a start. Paul has harvested two deer so far, one of them being the 8pt buck you see in the photo. So, in the points race (we don’t really have one) he’s in the lead. We’re liking the Can-Am but will have more to come.

You can see photos of the Can-Am Defender in the wild here: 2017 Deer Hunt – Can-Am Defender Photo Album

Camp Update

Paul and I spent yesterday checking feeders, stands and the property fire trail that was just re-bulldozed. I’m not actually sure I’d call it a fire trail. We’re going to have to talk to the landowner because that is something that is his responsibility and it it vital for many reasons.

We’re hoping that Hurricane Nate does not impact this area. We had some damage from Hurricane Irma. One large tower stand (heavy metal) took a while to find. It was tied down with large metal stakes but was blown off about 75 yards into the pines and weeds. It took a long time to find and today we’re hoping to get it moved back in place. The question is whether it will need some welding to be usable.

Another metal tripod stand was blown over and will need welding to make it work. We also had a large barrel feeder blown away with the spreader torn off.

The camp itself did not have any damage though and is very comfortable right now. Today we’re going to do what we can with the torn up stands and put out a new feeder and stand in a new location that the fire trail we have has opened up for us.

It’s shaping up to be a good hunt starting in two weeks!

And BTW. Camp breakfast is the finest kind. Eggs, sausage, onions, green bell pepper, cilantro, butter, cheese and spices.

2017 CPHC Hunt Photo Album