Thanksgiving and hunting in the south

[Luke E.]

 This morning my father made a post on Thanksgiving about what Thanksgiving used to be like for our family. As My grandfather, his brothers and the rest of their generation started getting old enough that the cold was keeping them at camp rather than in the woods the deer became less of a priority to them. They were the ones of retirement age that had time to secure leases, plant food plots, clean trails and put up stands and when they decided they couldn't do it any more that was the end of camp. I have many great memories of our camp in Georgia partially because of the hunting but largely due to the time spent with my father, grandfather and great uncles (3 of them). My grandfather and 1 of his brothers passed away 2 days apart and another a couple years later so there's only one of that generation left. I'm thankful for hunting we did but even more thankful for the time spent with family.

 

 Anyways here is what my Dad posted this morning,

 

Growing up, the extended Edwards family celebrated Thanksgiving Day at the hunting camp. It wasn't unusual for there to be 40 or more of us there. The men/boy folk would get up early, load the dogs and head to the hunting woods. The women/girl folk would be at home finishing up the tremendous amount of absolutely delicious Southern style dishes. My favorite was the dressing full of boiled eggs and onions covered in giblet gravey. Uncle Carl's was the pecan pie (for which he would pay later that night).

Coming in from the woods and finding everyone there with a table outside (it was in Florida after all) full of enough food to feed a small village was always a delight. We would all remove our hats and Uncle Jack would ask God's blessings on the food. Then the eating would commence. We were all pretty good at it.

The family would all visit, kid around, play a prank or two and some would lay on the hoods of their trucks in the sunshine and take a nap (did I mention we were rednecks?). Sometimes we would head back into the woods to get in a couple of hours more of hunting. The womenfolk always complained about that.

We didn't kill many deer, we burned up a lot of gas and spent more time hunting dogs than the deer we claimed to be hunting. But hunting was just an excuse for our family to spend time together. Hunting was kind of like white rice, it was what went along with it that actually provided the flavor.

So to Uncle Johnny (the only member of that generation left) and to my brothers, cousins and other extended family, I leave you with Uncle Carl's famous words. "I may not live to hunt again next year, so I may just shoot a doe today."

 

I wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving!

[Smokin45]

Happy Thanksgiving Thanks for the story

[DaveS]

Awesome story. Reminds me of myself and family. Thanks for sharing!

 

DaveS

[Luke E.]

 I came along towards the end of all the good stuff but took every chance I had to be in the middle of it. I hope to be in a position to provide those same memories for my children and grandchildren. Something about leaving home for a week or more and hunting every morning and every evening and sitting in camp the rest of the time. Where camp was located during my time was in south Georgia near Forsyth. My Dad's side of the family all read Louis L'amour so I think between us all we probably own everything he's written 4 times over but anytime there weren't stories being told his books were being read or naps were being taken. I'm afraid that my grandfathers generation of the family have taken something with them that may be hard to reestablish though. Hunting then was a way of life which was necessary to eat, my generation of the Edwards have gone on to be Drs. and lawyers and most have never NEEDED to hunt and never spent the time to learn what that means as I did. I hope to pass everything along and maybe get it all back in play! 

[Slappy]

Indeed some great memories Luke. I do hope you can pass down your love and knowledge of the outdoors to your kids and grand kids one day. I grew up hunting with my dad but we never had any sort of opening day or thanksgiving tradition like that. My father in law purchased some land last year and we are in the process of forming newly created traditions. So we are very excited!

[Luke E.]

Indeed some great memories Luke. I do hope you can pass down your love and knowledge of the outdoors to your kids and grand kids one day. I grew up hunting with my dad but we never had any sort of opening day or thanksgiving tradition like that. My father in law purchased some land last year and we are in the process of forming newly created traditions. So we are very excited!

 

 Yep.. I think back and remember things that I was most looking forward to in any given year and one is deer hunting and camp with my Dad's side of the family and dove hunting and fishing in the farm ponds with my Mom's side. Those were the two things that I most looked forward to.. well that and any dirt bike or fourwheeler I could get my hands on! We couldn't afford anything like that when I was growing up so I had to wait until I could work for one of my own. As far as the Thanksgiving tradition goes there is one thing that my Dad forgot to mention and that is WHY it became "tradition". Deer camp was rarely near home so the men would leave a month before season to get blinds and stands put out and food plots planted and they wouldn't usually go home until season had ended and all the blinds and stands were put away.. So you see, if the women wanted to see the men folk they would have to go to camp and thats kinda how that day grew into what it was.

 I hope that something like that will become something that your kids look forward to each year!

[JWC]

Sounds about like my week at my in-laws down here. They live out in the forest so its about like a huntin camp. We got up and hunted yesterday morning I hunted in a stand on the property here. Some of em went out to run dogs. They killed a spike. We all met back and had a big dinner outside on the porch. Hunted a while in my stand after eating.
Got up this morning and went dog huntin'. Had a good race right off and one of the guys killed a 5 pointer. Sucker almost got to me but turned just before I got a view of him and ran parallel down the road. one of the 10 yo kids got into him with buckshot before he turned back and went to the other road to get cut off and meet his demise. Had a couple more races that ended up being does.
Gonna get up and run em again in the mornin'. FL's pretty fun at Thanksgiving.

[Luke E.]

Sounds about like my week at my in-laws down here. They live out in the forest so its about like a huntin camp. We got up and hunted yesterday morning I hunted in a stand on the property here. Some of em went out to run dogs. They killed a spike. We all met back and had a big dinner outside on the porch. Hunted a while in my stand after eating.
Got up this morning and went dog huntin'. Had a good race right off and one of the guys killed a 5 pointer. Sucker almost got to me but turned just before I got a view of him and ran parallel down the road. one of the 10 yo kids got into him with buckshot before he turned back and went to the other road to get cut off and meet his demise. Had a couple more races that ended up being does.
Gonna get up and run em again in the mornin'. FL's pretty fun at Thanksgiving.

 

 Sounds like you have the full "true" Florida experience going on down there, you're making me jealous! What part of Florida are you in? Man i've been itching to get down there to shoot some hogs and a few deer but you've bumped that up a notch lol

[JWC]

Looking at a map, right about dead center of Apalachicola NF on the Ochlockonee.
It's been a fun week. We've had bait and cameras out but ain't seen no hogs, just a bunch of deer. Got a nice lil buck on a camera a few evenings this week one of the cousins is trying to kill as his first buck. I call that my spot and I think I could slip in there and kill him. But I've passed up a couple that size at home and since we can't chase em with hounds up home I figure I oughta be doin' that while I can.
I've done traded in my scoped 7mm-08 for my wife's Grandpa's old 742 Woodsmaster .308 just for nostalgia. I love this stuff.

[Luke E.]

Looking at a map, right about dead center of Apalachicola NF on the Ochlockonee.
It's been a fun week. We've had bait and cameras out but ain't seen no hogs, just a bunch of deer. Got a nice lil buck on a camera a few evenings this week one of the cousins is trying to kill as his first buck. I call that my spot and I think I could slip in there and kill him. But I've passed up a couple that size at home and since we can't chase em with hounds up home I figure I oughta be doin' that while I can.
I've done traded in my scoped 7mm-08 for my wife's Grandpa's old 742 Woodsmaster .308 just for nostalgia. I love this stuff.

 

 I've got family and Dads got a house due west of you in Suwannee. It's a spot in the road right where the Suwannee river dumps out into the gulf. Dad used to have a 4 seater plane so I used to get down there far more often but now I only seem to manage about once a year. Good luck on the rest of your trip!

[JWC]

The Suwannee hits the Gulf west of Ocala. We're more northwest of where you're talking about, SW of Tallahassee.

[Luke E.]

The Suwannee hits the Gulf west of Ocala. We're more northwest of where you're talking about, SW of Tallahassee.

 

 My mistake. My moms side of the family is in Defuniak Springs which is west of you. I was thinking about that being west of you but hunting hogs in Suwannee.. Guess i'm up to late :snore:  When I had my business we were located in between and north of Destin and Panama City but When I would get the time I would take my boat over to Apalatchicola and fish the bay. 

[CQB Elite]

[quote name="Luke E." post="1071128" timestamp="1385794555"] My mistake. My moms side of the family is in Defuniak Springs which is west of you. I was thinking about that being west of you but hunting hogs in Suwannee.. Guess i'm up to late :snore: When I had my business we were located in between and north of Destin and Panama City but When I would get the time I would take my boat over to Apalatchicola and fish the bay.[/quote] My hometown is Chipley, which is just east of Defuniak Springs and my wife is from Panama City. Best oysters in the world come from Apalachicola. Edited November 30, 2013 by CQB Elite

[runco]

Thanks for sharing.  My dad usually was working on Thanksgiving Day, but when I was a teenager, my best friend's family went hunting on Thanksgiving Day, and I jointed right in.  Come to think of it, I don't think we ever killed anything, just hanging out, talking B.S. stuff, and standing around the truck drinking coffee in the woods, was what I remember, and having a rifle or shotgun in your hand was mandatory!

[Luke E.]

My hometown is Chipley, which is just east of Defuniak Springs and my wife is from Panama City. Best oysters in the world come from Apalachicola.

 

 My grandparents were both school teachers in Chipley at one point. There last name is Rhodes. I say that because you would be surprised how many folks I've run across that were taught by them at one point of another.

[Luke E.]

Thanks for sharing.  My dad usually was working on Thanksgiving Day, but when I was a teenager, my best friend's family went hunting on Thanksgiving Day, and I jointed right in.  Come to think of it, I don't think we ever killed anything, just hanging out, talking B.S. stuff, and standing around the truck drinking coffee in the woods, was what I remember, and having a rifle or shotgun in your hand was mandatory!

 

 That's how it goes sometimes and just as much fun.